Juicing and Healthy Eating

Let's talk about juicing.

I very recently watched the following documentaries that are all related:

Forks Over Knives

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

Food Matters

Hungry for Change

Many of the people, facts, ideas, and theories presented in these documentaries overlap between the 4 different shows.  The first point all of these documentaries have in common is that people today as a whole are not eating enough plant-based whole foods.  We're not eating enough vegetables!

The documentary I watched first, "Forks Over Knives," is very scientific in its approach.  The 2 main people presented in the film are scientists who are also doctors.  They separately came to the same conclusions using different research that complemented the other person's work independently.  Both men in "Forks Over Knives" came to the conclusion that cancer and heart disease can be arrested and even reversed by eating a primarily plant-based diet and they have the scientific proof to show for it.

"Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" talks mostly about juicing as a way of detoxifying and cleansing a body that is "a cheeseburger away from a heart attack."  At first glance, I thought this was a bit extreme, and it is.  But what I really liked about this documentary is that both men who used juicing as an extreme detox method did it under the supervision of a physician, and the director of the film, Joe Cross, stresses the need to consult your doctor if you want to do a detox like the one he did and like the one the other guy did.  The moral of the story?  Don't just decide that you can do on your own what Joe Cross did under the supervision of a doctor.  

I also want to mention here that the doctor Joe was supervised by is mentioned in relation to one of the doctors from "Forks Over Knives."  Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.'s son, Rip Esselstyn, has his own campaign for the plant-based diet in his book The Engine 2 Diet.  In The Engine 2 Diet, Rip Esselstyn mentions Dr. Joel Fuhrman, who supervised Joe Cross' 60-day juicing detoxification diet, as a source for research into the plant-based diet.  It's also interesting to note that Rip Esselstyn also gives a mention to Dr. Dean Ornish in his book, and Dr. Ornish is mentioned in "Food Matters."

Both "Food Matters" and "Hungry for Change" mention juicing as well as the importance of an abundance of vegetables in a healthy diet.  They also give mention to the anti-cancer benefits of eating clean and eating plant-based.  The guy that directed "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" makes an appearance in "Hungry for Change."  One of the guys from "Food Matters" also appears in "Hungry for Change."

So what does all of this mean for me?  Well it means that I want to change my overall diet and I want to begin to eat healthier.  I am overweight by about 20 lbs.  For my height, my doctor has informed me that a healthy weight is between 125 and 155 lbs.  I currently weigh right around 175 lbs.

I love google and I love doing my own research, so I've been googling like crazy to get so much more information on how to tackle my health and weight loss goals.  I've found a lot of helpful information, and I plan to share it here on my blog through a series of posts that I'm going to tag "healthy weight loss."  Tune back in for more information as I do the research for you!

Back in BEAST MODE

After watching Forks Over Knives, I've decided that my diet and my fitness routine needs an overhaul.

I want to start eating cleaner and I'm going to attempt a (mostly) plant-based diet.  Also, it's back to TapouT XT for me.  I completed Day 1 today which was Cross Core Combat, and I felt like I did a lot better today than I did the very first day I got TapouT in the mail.  Plus, I felt so pumped after I did it and I felt like a badass!

To celebrate, I had my hibachi leftovers for dinner.  Yummy rice, broccoli, edamame, and filet mignon.  Yes I know that filet mignon is animal protein, which is why I'm not completely cutting it out, but it was more of a side than a staple of the meal so it was good!  Yay!

Herbalife Update

It's been 5 days since I posted my initial post on Herbalife.  It's been a week since I started the program.  I have gained 4.4 lbs during the past week on Herbalife which has basically put me right back where I started.  Needless to say, I'm not too happy with the program at the moment.

It doesn't help that the shakes aren't very appetizing.  I mean, they're not disgusting but they're not amazing either.  When I first tried an Herbalife shake I thought it wasn't too bad and actually tasted pretty good.  The problem I'm having is repetition: it tasted alright the first couple of times but now I'm waking up dreading my breakfast and dinner routine.  I've found that if I add greek yogurt it tastes a little better, and my Herbalife coach likes that because greek yogurt is a good source of protein.  But even that is getting old really quick.


Anyway, I think I'm going to try and head in a different direction.  My father-in-law told me I should watch this documentary called Forks Over Knives.  It's really good.  The focus is on nutrition, and how the right nutrition can change everything about your health.  My in-laws have started trying to eat healthier, less animal-based products and more plant-based products.  I think I might try and do this as well.

If you are concerned about your health and about your diet, I highly recommend Forks Over Knives.  It's on Netflix.  Watch it.

Rather than spend $150/month on shakes that don't taste all that amazing, I'm planning on focusing on whole foods and plant-based foods.  I'd like to cut down on processed foods, start eating more vegetables, and just become more healthy in general.  I'm tired of being tired and exhausted after doing nothing.

Herbalife

I just started Herbalife.  What is Herbalife, you ask?  It's a nutrition system based primarily on "Healthy Meal" shakes.

So here's the breakdown of what I'm doing:

Breakfast: Formula 1 shake powder with 8 oz of skim milk + Formula 2 multivitamin + Formula 3 Cell Activator

Morning snack (around 9:30 or 10am): fruit usually

Lunch: some kind of homemade meal with lean protein and veggies + Formula 2 multivitamin

Afternoon snack: (around 2:30 or 3pm): protein snack bar or fig newtons

Dinner: Formula 1 shake powder with 8 oz skim milk + Formula 2 multivitamin + Formula 3 Cell Activator



Weight as of beginning Herbalife: 174 lbs.  We'll see how fast this comes off.  I'm giving this nutrition system a try for 1 month at least.