21 years later... and legal

Plus, 21st birthday's come with one hell of a celebration ;).

P.S. When I said, "I'll recap tomorrow," I obviously meant Tuesday. So sorry for the delay, as you can see, I've had quite the weekend!

may 29, 1988

Birthdays rock my world :) I'll recap mine tomorrow. Night!

life after cleansing

Question #1: What are the suggested foods following a juice cleanse? a.) raw vegetables b.) raw & cooked vegetables c.) vegetables & fruit d.) green lemonade (a la Natalia Rose.) Question #2: What did Danielle have for breakfast following her juice cleanse?

None of the above :(. I know I'm supposed to be especially kind to my system as I transition from the cleanse back to my healthy eating routine but a, b, c, and d weren't appetizing to me this morning. My tummy was growling for the first time in three days and I could only think of one thing that I wanted... PB & Banana Oats. So, I didn't resist, and had one of the most amazing breakfasts ever. Delicious.

After completing Natalie Rose's Raw Food Detox Diet book I am going to find a way to incorporate greens into a smaller breakfast, but as for today, I decided to make my other two meals raw-er instead. I didn't have a chance to throw a lunch together this morning so I bought a 'just made' Summer Salad from one of my favorite British NYC spots,

Pret a Manger ("ready to eat" in French). I discovered one of these wonderful take-away restaurants a few years ago and have been dying to go back ever since my visit to an original location in London. Today's blend: mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, half an avocado, and a few shavings of parmesan cheese. Deciding to have a salad was so simple after the amount of green juice I've been drinking!

I drizzled it with Balsamic Vinaigrette and eat it up in all it's nutritious goodness. Pure deliciousness in Bryant Park :). I had the Apple Pie Larabar for dessert a few hours later at my desk. How's the internship going? Spectacular! I honestly still can't believe I'm working with the nutrition department at Fitness. I was busy and productive all day and by the time 5 o'clock rolled around I had finished my first project... impressing my boss and reminding me that I was living a dream come true :). Positively wonderful, I had such a great day! I ate an entire grapefruit around 4ish yet was still quite ravenous when I got home, a perfect occasion for another large salad! My dinner was both simple and quick, consisting of baby leafy greens, tomatoes, and onion topped with the juice of half a lemon with a baked sweet potato on the side. I was completely satisfied by the end of the meal but far from stuffed. Eating high-raw has a way of doing that :) I love it. I ate in the company of this pretty bouquet my mom received recently. Taking the picture reminded me of my blog friend, Angela, and look! She's even in the background on my computer screen :). Flowers really do have a way of brightening up my day, that natural sparkle that they bring to a table is truly divine. What are your favorite kinds? In other news, another pleasant surprise arrived at my door step this afternoon! The generous people from POM sent me free samples of their 100% Pomegranate juice products. I absolutely adore pomegranates but haven't had the pleasure of eating them in way too long. They're incredible for you too, so full of antioxidants it's insane!

I will most definitely be drinking up soon! In the mean time, what I'm going to be drinking may not all be that healthy... tomorrow is my 21st birthday after all. I'll try to post on that fabulous day of May 29th but if I don't get around to it, rest assured that I having the time of my life! Enjoy my senior picture and Varsity field hockey photo ;) I sincerely hope that your Friday is as celebratory as mine, 'cause let's face it, each and every one of us has a reason to thankful. ¡Que te vayas muy bien!

the juice fast: days 2 & 3

Good evening, darlings! Worry not, I haven't suddenly gone pessimistic on you :) but this "feast" has gotten harder. Not physically, oh no, I still feel quite spectacular without even so much as a pang of hunger, but mentally, what a mental challenge it was. Truth is, I want to eat!

With my last glass of almond milk (which I must admit weirds me out at this point, I'm just not the fan I thought I was) I have, at this point, officially finished my cleanse. But honoring my body does not end there; I would like to focus on raw vegetables and fresh fruits forever. I look forward to eating whole, natural foods tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that. And I don't think I'd be able to completely appreciate that fact three days ago. Natalia Rose calls fasting "a natural phenomenon" in her book, The Raw Food Detox Diet, it's "invigorating and transforming - both physically and psychologically." I went on a juice fast because I had a desire to, and I'm so very pleased that I did. I highly doubt that I'll ever be able to call myself a raw foodist, but I aspire to lead a similar lifestyle, enjoying those same foods that nourish my body to it's fullest.

I haven't quite yet formulated my menu for tomorrow but I'm excited. And oh how I cannot wait to dine at Citrus Bar & Grill on Saturday! Their Citrus Chopped Salad and Roasted Portabello Mushroom & Asparagus Maki sound like the perfect belated birthday dinner. Then there's Friday's lunch (my actual birthday) with my boss at Modelinia... what scrumptious dish will I eat then?

Looking at food from a nutritional standpoint does not have to take the fun out of it! And who better to understand that then my other boss, Sara Wells, she's a Nutrition Editor. Announcement time! My second internship (drum roll, please) is with the nutrition department at Fitness! I'm still struggling with reverse culture shock but I have so much to smile about. And to think, just one year ago, I was terrified about who I'd become... thank you Ecuador, thank you Chile, and thank you France. See you tomorrow bloggies :).

the juice feast: day 1

That's right my dears, juice feast. I feel amazing, so light and energetic, and even if I don't love all of my juices (ahem, red drink) allowing them to heal my body has been great! So far, so good :).

I began today's regimen late since I was up late last night at my annual Memorial Day BBQ... I did get an early birthday song out of it though so I was happy ;). Besides a slice of cake and some grilled shrimp I concentrated on vegetables and fruit to prepare myself for the 3-Day Cleanse. Anyway, I immediately reached for a young coconut upon waking this morning. Oh my gosh, coconut water! It's so incredibly refreshing, I cannot wait to wake up tomorrow!

I had quite the relaxing Monday. Following the water I practiced a few yoga poses, took a long shower, and took my time getting ready until I felt the need to nourish myself again. That's when I had my first green drink, a blend of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients, otherwise known as greens. It was alright, the spicy celery flavor was dominant, but I guzzled it down and it filled me right up. It was blended fresh here, at Andy's Pure Food, early this morning, as was the electrolyte lemonade, which I drank about an hour and a half later. This one was wonderful, a really nice combination of tangy and sweet. Afterwards I went out and about with my mom to run some errands. Did I mention she's cleansing with me? We both packed our red drinks with us to have along the way. Gross. I am not looking forward to two more of these red cabbage juices!

Still, we're both pretty damn dedicated and finished those babies right up. Apparently the gourmet and specialty foods at T.J.Maxx are the ideal distraction! When we got finally got home we had our second green drink of the day. I basically lounged around reading as I drank mine, and once I was done headed out again, this time to meet the boy at the movies (two thumbs up for X-Men Origins: Wolverine).

I brought another juice in tow, of course :). This one is fantastic, apple, aloe & mint were most definitely made for each other. We have ourselves a winning favorite people! Ha, now I'm home again, winding down with the finale of each day's cleanse, raw almond milk. I have to admit, I was scared to try my first nut milk, but I'm quite impressed with it in all it's creamy almond glory. Oh look at that, it's time for bed already! Ciao bellas, I hope you had fun this weekend!