day ten

And here it is... DAY TEN! We did it! How do you feel? Amazing, right? And accomplished? Healthier and happier? I am really glad we did this and I want to thank all the Cleanse America crew for being a great team to do this with. On the Cleanse America community site, we've had so much community support and discussion this past week. I'm really thankful for all the work everyone put into this. I hope we can continue to spread this message of health and we can continue to transform this nation! 

For those of you who didn't join this time, there will be another Cleanse America coming up soon. I'll have more information on that later and I hope you'll join me then. 

So, here is what I ate on the last day...

This morning I ran 6 miles with Laura and ate a banana on the road...literally. 

I came home to make a big smoothie for breakfast - 2 cups spinach, 2 bananas, 1/4 cup goji berries, 1 tbsp ground flax, 2 tbsp chia, 1 tsp cacao, lots of coconut water. 

My church had a chili cook-off this afternoon, so I made chili to bring for lunch. We had about 30 crock-pots going, and lots of delicious smelling chili. I'm glad to have the CA3 ebook because I made the Kicked-Up Chili recipe several times this past week. 
(I tried to take a picture, but there were just so many people swarming the crock-pots!)

I was hungry later this afternoon so I made a big salad with the typical ingredients - 1 head of romaine, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 apple, cherry tomatoes, red onion, apple cider vinegar on top. 

For dinner, I ate a Thai dish of mango, carrot, sprouts, corn, zucchini, and basil. 

So there is it. Ten days of plant-based goodness. Raw food is delicious, simple, and easy. Life is hard enough, so take care of your body the best you can. Real food is healing and life-giving. Exercise daily and experience fresh air. Join a community that supports you in your goals and encourages you to grow. 

Thanks for sharing these past ten days with me. 

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard

day nine

Juice Day! I finally got a new juicer after my cheap-o one broke. I'm so excited, I think today is going to be a juice day. I'm going to go back to juicing at least one meal a day for a while. It is such an easy way to get a TON of vitamins and nutrients into your system. People who juice regularly don't suffer from the common cold and common allergies. Really, people who eat a plant-based raw food diet don't suffer from these either. I promise! If you disagree, find me a sickly plant-based vegan and prove me wrong. haha

Okay, back to juicing...

My breakfast was this amazing orange grapefruit juice!

For lunch, I made a delicious juice recipe from a fellow Cleanse America cleanser. This juice is made from carrots, pineapple, peach, ginger, and half a sweet potato. Yum!

This afternoon, I went hiking with dear friends Tracey, George, and Andrew. I was amazed at all the energy I had after only drinking juice. 

Our hike lasted several hours & I started to get hungry so I ate an apple and some trail mix. On the way home, I drank some fresh orange juice blended with strawberries and ate another apple.

Okay, so not a total juice day... but close. I'd love to start a juice feast very soon, though. Who is with me?!

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. " e.e. cummings

day eight

Happy Friday! I woke up this morning and practiced the 5 Tibetan Rites. What a way to wake up!! Paul Risse demonstrates these at about 2 minutes into this video. For detailed information about these rites, click here. Basically, they are a series of 5 quick exercises that get your body moving and your blood flowing. Don't forget to exercise daily! Especially if you are sedentary at work, try to get your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes a day. Sweat is good.

 

For breakfast, I drank a chocolate spinach smoothie with strawberries. I made the usual (1 cup spinach, 3 bananas, 1 tbsp cacao, 1 tbsp ground flax, coconut water) and added strawberries.

My lunch salad was made from 1 head of romaine, 2 chopped apples, red onion, chopped cauliflower, chopped celery, chopped cucumber, and apple cider vinegar + lemon juice on top. 
(I accidentally deleted the photo I took! I'll have to recreate this so you can see.)

Afternoon snack = 2 juicy pears
and fresh squeezed orange juice blended with strawberries

Tonight, we celebrated one of my best friend's birthday. I got a nice salad at a fancy restaurant - beets, arugula, and apples - and finished the night with a little fruit sorbet made from pears and cherries. 
Happy Birthday, sweet Laura Jo!!

Happy weekend! 

Total calories: 1600

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

“The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison.” – Ann Wigmore

day seven

I hope you're all sticking with it! It seems like everyone is past the detox symptoms, starting to get used to raw food, and feeling great. I've definitely noticed that I have a much better focus and I have consistent energy throughout the day. I've really missed coffee because I just like the taste of it, but I don't like the way it makes me feel at all. The highs and lows - energy spurts then crashes - are not good. I think I'm gonna have to just kick it and never go back to it. There really is something special about eating a clean diet. I feel like my whole body is just working so much better. I am happier and healthier. Yes!

After two big glasses of water, I cut up a bunch of citrus to eat for breakfast. I think this is two grapefruit and three oranges. Citrus in the morning is such a refreshing way to start your day. 

Huge salad for lunch again! One head of romaine, 2 chopped apples, 1 chopped red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, basil and lemon juice on top.

Have you had one of these raw granola bars before?  They are made from all raw seeds and nuts - soaked and sprouted. It is living food, gluten free, and unprocessed... great granola bar alternative. 

I didn't plan ahead very well today and was really hungry around 7PM tonight. I had taken a green juice with me, but that was not filling enough. Since I'm working full time and in grad school at night, my schedule can be hectic. Today, I left home at 8AM and wouldn't be finished until about 9:30PM tonight. Between work meetings, school schedule, and group projects, my day was crazy! The juice wasn't filling enough so on my break, I grabbed this sushi from a restaurant across the street from the University. If you're wanting quick sushi, just get a cucumber and avocado roll without the rice and you'll have some raw vegan sushi.

Total calories for today: 1500
My fat intake was a little high, but I was close to 80/10/10

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." -Anne Frank

day six

It is Wednesday... hump day...middle of the week... one of my least favorite days. But the good news is it's beautiful outside and I'm going to eat some delicious food today!

Everyday, I start out with two glasses of water. About an hour later I'll have breakfast. Today, it was a chocolate berry smoothie made from strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds, 1 tbsp. cacao, 1 cup spinach, and some coconut water. 

My lunch salad was made from 1 head of romaine, cherry tomatoes, red onion, chopped zucchini, chopped cucumber, topped with lemon juice and basil. 

I ate a big bowl of red grapes for my afternoon snack and drank some loose-leaf herbal tea. 

For dinner, I drank a big glowing green smoothie and ate 3 bananas. I didn't feel like preparing anything special and I was in a bit of a time crunch. My friend Sanders Bohlke had a show tonight and it was awesome. I say he is the funkiest white dude I know. I love his music. Check out his site, buy his music, and go to a show whenever he is in your town.

How are you feeling today? Making it through the week?

Total calorie count: 1300
Totally 80/10/10

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

 "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." -Eleanor Roosevelt

day five

This is day FIVE! We are half-way through!

I am feeling great. My coffee cravings have diminished and I'm feeling much more grounded and centered. I have been sleeping really well at night, focusing better at work, and finding more energy to get up and move. As you know, I try to eat a completely raw vegan diet already, but I have been very lax about that lately and have been eating some non-raw meals and lots of vegan desserts (which are high fat). I've also been drinking coffee daily and really needed to get off of that. This cleanse has helped me kick-start my health and food habits as we head into the fall season. It has also helped me stop emotionally eating and overeating desserts. Like I said before, eating for your health, not your comfort, is what will really satisfy you.

For breakfast, I made the chocolate spinach smoothie again! So tasty. 2 bananas, 1-2 cups spinach, coconut water, 2 tbsp. raw cacao, 1 tbsp. flax seed.

My salad at lunch was made of arugula, chopped zucchini, chopped red bell pepper, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and an apple. I topped it with some apple cider vinegar and lemon juice.

I was very fortunate to get to attend the International Justice Mission benefit dinner tonight and sit at the Blood:Water Mission table. My friend Jena started Blood:Water Mission nearly ten years ago with the goal of building fresh water wells and proving HIV/AIDS care in Africa. It is an incredible organization that I'd really encourage you to learn about and support!

Knowing that raw food choices would be slim, I decided to eat another big salad late in the afternoon so I wouldn't be so hungry at night. This salad is 2 cups of chopped romaine, cucumbers, sprouts, and tomatoes - topped with some green onions and vinegar. The vegetarian meal at the banquet looked delicious, but it was not raw. I ate some of the veggie mash (squash, peas, broccoli, potato, and tomatoes) and was really glad I ate this big salad before going.

The International Justice Mission is an amazing organization dedicated to ending slavery worldwide. Their staff of investigators, social workers, and lawyers work to rescue children and adults from slavery while prosecuting the offenders. Their work is incredibly difficult and they work tirelessly to accomplish their goals. They believe in a love that is willing to be stronger than fear. Very inspirational. To learn more and to support this organization, click here. 

I hope you all are having a great week. We are half-way through this cleanse, but I hope you're learning about your health in ways that will change the way you live your life even after the cleanse in done. I almost feel shallow talking about food in conjunction with the rest of today's events, except that I strongly believe that taking care of your health will lead you to being a more disciplined, more centered, and more capable person. I also believe that many of the food systems in America are unethical, unbalanced, and perpetuating the chronic illnesses that most Americans deal with. With all of that in mind, the reason for this blog is to help encourage you in your health for yourself, your family, and your community. Today, I'd really like to encourage you to also learn more about Blood:Water Mission and International Justice Mission. These organizations are doing huge things in the world. The love that drives these organizations is powerful and effective. As Americans, we are fortunate that even the smallest portion of our resources can accomplish big things overseas.

* To learn more about this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7

day four

Monday, Monday, Monday...
Well, the weekend is over and it is back to work! 
But sometimes having the rigidity of a set schedule can help you stay on track with the cleanse. I hope you all made it through the weekend without too many temptations and distractions. Keep going - I promise it will be worth it! 

My breakfast today was a big bow of berries (strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries) followed by two bananas.

Lunch was a big chopped salad made from 1 chopped large cucumber, 1/2 box of chopped cherry tomatoes, 1 chopped peach, 1 chopped red bell pepper, and of course red onion.

I ate two bananas and drank a green smoothie in the afternoon.

For dinner, I picked up an asparagus salad. Chopped romaine, sliced green onions, fresh asparagus, edamame, and sesame seeds, ginger, and lemon juice on top. 

How was your Monday? 

Total calorie count: 1400
Totally 80/10/10

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"When you experience a detox symptom shift how you view the situation from a negative experience to one that sees your bodies healing wisdom doing its job of rejuvenating from within." - Paul Risse

day three

Sunday is my favorite day of the week and I love celebrating the third day of this cleanse today. The weather in Nashville has been perfect lately - 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky - and I plan on spending the whole day outside!

For breakfast I ate a mono meal of 4 bananas. (Yes... four... they are my favorite!)

For lunch, I made another peachy arugula salad. This time I blended the peach with some basil to make a salad dressing. I poured that on top of the arugula, tomatoes, and red onion. mmmm

 I also ate another date & almond bar.  

I had a glowing green smoothie as my mid afternoon snack to keep me full until dinner

A nice Hot Yoga class before dinner felt so good and detoxifying! 

And for dinner, I made the Kicked Up Chili (minus the avocado) again! I added some garlic "mashed potatoes" on top - blended raw cauliflower with a little garlic and fresh chives. 

Pear and cinnamon for dessert!

How are you feeling today? Day 3 can be the hardest day... but keep going! We are going to feel amazing by the end of it! 

My total calories for today: 1500 and I stayed 80/10/10

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” - John Wesley

day two

This morning (Saturday), Betsy and I did the Warrior Dash...and it was awesome! If you haven't heard of the Warrior Dash, it is a 5k race with crazy obstacles - like jumping over fire and crawling through mud. By the end we were completely covered in mud and could not stop laughing. Check out the Warrior Dash in your state and do it!

On the drive out to the race, I had a smoothie made of spinach, 2 bananas, 1 tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp raw cacao, and coconut water. Delicious!

After the race I ate a date/nut bar (literally just dates and almonds) and had 2 apples on the way home. 

 

(we're making our "warrior horns")

For lunch, I made a big arugula salad topped with a peach, 1/2 a carton of grape tomatoes, red onion, and lemon juice. 

For dinner, I made the Kicked Up Chili recipe (minus the avocado) from the Cleanse America 3 ebook. This stuff was goooooood.

 

I met up with some friends later that night and brought some banana ice cream with me. Everyone loved it! This is literally just frozen bananas and cinnamon. Easy and healthy! 

But, I ate half of a brownie at my friend's house. Yup, broke the cleanse for that one. To be honest, I am quite the emotional eater, which is part of why I wanted to do this cleanse so much. Eating for your health (not your comfort) is what will really satisfy you, and I wanted to break the emotional eating cycle. So, half a brownie later... all is not lost... but I do know I will focus on sticking to my commitment tomorrow and finishing out this cleanse completely! 

Total calories for today: 1800

I had a little too much fat (with the almond date bar and brownie), so my 80/10/10 was more like 75/15/10.

* For more information on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” - John Rohn

day one

Alright, here we go! How did you do on your first day of the cleanse? I know the next ten days will bring about a new energy, a new outlook, and a new peace. If you haven't experienced a clean eating lifestyle, it is not too late to join us for the cleanse. Until you try it, I really don't think anyone can understand how radically different you feel when you're eating real, whole food rather than the Standard American Diet.

I started my day with a Yoga Flow series and two glasses of water.

My breakfast was a big glowing green smoothie.

For lunch, I made a salad with 2 cups of chopped romaine, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 2 chopped tomatoes, 1/2 chopped apple, red onion, and fresh squeezed lemon.

I got hungry in the afternoon so I ate a banana and a cup of red grapes.

For dinner, I made zucchini pasta with 2 zucchini, 3 tomatoes, 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and sage, and broccoli on top.

Throughout the day I drank lots and lots of water!
And I finished off the day with a pear and cinnamon for dessert.

I highly recommend using CRON-O-Meter (there is an online app and a website) to track your nutritional intake. This website lets you log everything you eat and gives you the breakdown of all the vitamins and minerals in addition to protein/fats/carbs. I have never been a fan of people obsessing over everything they eat. In fact, I don't even own a scale - so I'm not suggesting you start obsessing over every little bite and every single lb.

But, CRON-O-Meter does come in handy if you're new to this way of eating. It helps you make sure you're eating enough calories while not overeating fats, like many raw vegans do. After plugging in my meals for today, I realized that I did not eat enough! I'm embarrassed to say I only ate about 1200 calories.
Perhaps I was drinking so much water that I did not feel as hungry as I normally do?
Or maybe I just wasn't as active today?
I will definitely be eating more tomorrow.
I am happy that my carb/fat/protein ratio was within 80/10/10 guidelines.

How was your first day? What did you eat?

* For more details on this cleanse, visit CleanseAmerica.com *

"Then God said, 'I give you ever seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food...I give every green plant for food.' And so it was." - Genesis 1:29

cleanse america 3!!!

Want to join me and 1,000,000 other Americans in a 10 day cleanse? (hint: the answer is YES!)

I am so excited about this next round of Cleanse America and I would love for all my friends and family to join me. The wonderful Paul Risse has put together an e-book full of recipes to make this cleanse as simple as possible for you. Joining the Cleanse America community will also provide you with daily support, videos, and information from some of the top raw food leaders in the country. You will feel great, jump-start your health, and get rid of all the sludge and toxins in your body. If you want to feel the best you ever have, join us! 

WHO: 
me. you. and 1,000,000 other Americans

WHAT:
The guidelines are simple. For 10 days you will be eating a 100% raw foods diet (Level 1) and/or following a liquid diet (Level 2) of juices, smoothies, tonics, teas and soups.

WHEN:
Friday, September 21 - Sunday, September 30

WHERE:
your kitchen, your belly, and CleanseAmerica.com

WHY:
for your health! for your life! for your happiness! for your energy! for your family! for you!

HOW:
You will follow a completely raw food diet for 10 days. This can include raw food meals, smoothies, and/or juices. Sign up at CleanseAmerica.com and receive an ebook with 60 recipes to inspire you and guide you in the cleanse.

Go to CleanseAmerica.com for the full details. Sign up, join the community, and get the ebook. The website is a wonderful tool that will really help you through this - especially if you're brand new to the raw food world. 

I will be posting daily with my meals and exercise activity so you can follow my cleanse. 

So, who is with me???

glowing green smoothie

Delicious, easy, perfect breakfast! Get your mornings started right! 

Kimberly Snyder's glowing green smoothie:

Enjoy daily.