5 TIPS FOR AN EASY CLEANSE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (CAKE)

For us in the southern hemisphere, we're gearing up for another out-of-this-world-amazingly-hot Summer. Am I right? Isn't Summer what we live for down under? I know I do (hence why I moved to the tropics... all year round baby!) 

I want to give you a regimen that will gently cleanse your system to have you feeling and looking your best come Christmas Day. I know it's still a little while off but these changes don't happen over night.
Why go on a full on detox only after all the cake and eggnog when you can prepare your body beforehand, to easily work with the extra goodies we like to indulge in over the silly season? No brainer.

When's the Best Time to Detox?

A few weeks ago I went along to a seminar called Toxic Planet all about detoxification and digestion. We spoke about the environmental toxins but in all simplicity of it, it came down to how we can best improve our own digestion and detoxification processes to deal with toxins most efficiently. Yes we can avoid toxins in plastics, non-organic foods and by avoiding highly polluted areas... but we can't avoid all toxins living in the western 21st century. 

Joy For Life Retreat - Part 1

Well it’s definatley been one busy week (evident in my lack of blogging) since returning from Tyalgum Ridge where I went to be a part of the Joy For Life retreat with the Boutenko’s - Victoria, Valya and Sergei. Three of the most beautiful individuals I have ever had the pleasure to meet and spend time with.

I took a week off "life" -
wow that already sounds strange. And that feels like the total opposite of what I did.
Whilst I was away on retreat I could say that I was IN LIFE more so then I am when I am in Sydney. Not away from it. I was my true self there (and yep emotional and physical detox is all a part of the real me)... It makes me think about why people go away on retreat - to "get away from it all" I hear often. Get away from what exactly? The way we live our life everyday? Why would you want to get away from that? Why aren't we making our 'everyday' exactly the way we want too? Like we're away on retreat everyday? Why wait for one week of every year to eat well, rest lots, read, write, breathe, move... why not begin now and continue it each and everyday? Wow I've got emotion behind that I was unaware of...

I suppose things like retreats give us time to reconnect to what we want to be doing and incorporating and feeling in our everyday lives. I know it does for me. Even a day during my week to reconnect with what I want is enough. To connect with who I am. My values. Loves. Passions. An hour to do that is beneficial. But a whole week! WOW! So that was total luxury for me. Utter BLIS!

I tried to remember the last time I actually had “time off” from my beautiful daily grind and I think it was the week between Christmas and New Years. Since then I’ve been up early most mornings, off to the gym, then to work or to college, regular appointments with my kinesiologist, facialist, colonic hydrotherapists, the odd evening gym session, outdoor running, errands, study for college and online courses, multiple blogs and research, and ontop of all that there’s the usual female emotions running rampant we all love, spending time making smoothies and salads everyday, and wanting more time to experiment in the kitchen… attempting to keep the house clean, pay bills, do the shopping, quietening this beautiful mind that goes crazy every-now-and-then… oh the list could go on I’m sure you all know…

I'm totally aware that everything in my life is there due to a conscious decision I have made to have it there. So only I can complain that I have too much on. Funny thing is - I love it all. Every little bit of it! My only problem that I need to continually address (and thanks to the retreat I have been working on it ever since) is my need for, yet lack of, relaxation. A work in progress for a girl that thrives and loves being busy - or do I?

Ok enough rambling... the retreat... right... Joy For Life! Enough said. Victoia Boutenko (god love that woman) brought her nutrition and spiritual knowledge, along with many many stories, experiences, memories and love, providing about 70 of us with a detoxing regime of green smoothies 4 times a day all week. She teamed up with the fantabulous Tom Comptom who was facilitating The Work of Byron Katie for us and Wow! What a duo.
Having someone else prepare my (liquid) meals everyday for an entire week alone - omg TOTAL INDULGENCE! I can't tell you what that meant to me. Then team that up with intensive Byron Katie work that was life changing for me - I was destined to come out a changed woman! Add in morning yoga, barefoot running, nutrition talks, and more all in the quietest of green pastures up in Northern NSW… I was embarking on a trip to Heaven in my books.

I shared a room with these 3 amazing women I met on my way there and the 4 of us got on like a house on fire. Rosemary and Jain were like adopted mothers to Alex and I who immediatley clicked - it was love at first sight :) We shared our coconut oils, saponified olive oil toothpaste, pink pens, blankets, hugs, kisses, even hilarious failed attempt-enema stories (more about that later)!

The first few days away seemed to go very slowly (they always do on a detox don't they). At 8am, midday, 4pm and 8pm we were slurping down our calories in the form of GREEN SMOOTHIES! As much as we wanted! Victoria was busily and beautifully making our smoothies with her wonderful helpers each and everyday, transforming mounds of greens into delicious green smoothies that filled buckets and buckets and buckets...

We were sipping on multiple spinach varieties, sweet potato greens, parsley, kale, mint, dandelion, wheatgrass, bok choy, abeca, amaranth greens, sorrel, celery, basil, kang kong, curry leaf, silverbeet, cos, coriander, dill weed and more!

We gulped down sweet smoothies with fruit first thing in the morning and mid afternoon...

Savoury smoothies made with things like limes, avocadoes, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers and of course LOADS of leafy greens for lunch time...

And oh-my-god-yum green puddings in the evenings. This was usually the highlight of the day! Made thick like pudding from psyllium husks or chia seeds - to ensure working order out the other end!

That's the incredible dragonfruit sliced and perched on each glass above, and below was the WOW triple-layered-coconut-kiwi mint-melon pudding with crimson red grapes and fresh mint!

I was LOVING the smoothies, feeling great, and had no detox symptoms to begin with - unlike most others suffering from headaches and skin eruptions. However my bowels didn't seem to be doing their job so well. They were on break too I suppose. And with the amount of water I was consuming in comparison to the amount of solids - it made sense that nothing happened for a short while. However the discomfort then set in and I wasn't such a happy chappy. Perfect timing of course as Victoria then let us know she had brought ENEMA BAGS from the USA for us (if we so felt inclined). OH yes please! As an advocate of regular colonics, but having never done my own enema, I was super duper excited!! Rosemary and Jain were also keen to give it a go, but Alex wasn't so sure.

I'll spare you all the minor details as much as I'd love too give you the nitty gritty... I did do my own enema once everyday (twice on one occasion when I felt horrible), and they were my little lifesaver. Aside from physically clearing me out it was my 15minutes of meditation all alone, me time, blissing out, whilst cleaning out and I loved it!

But within 48hrs I felt like I hit a brick wall. My body had gotten used too a couple of days of resting and yoga, sitting down doing a lot emotional work, and cleansing on green smoothies. So it had appeared to have taken it upon itself to use the opportunity; assuming the rest was likely to continue (unlike the usual daily life of Christie Fischer). And boy my body obviously needed it. She rested alright. REALLY RESTED. On waking at 6am to go running the first couple of days, my body was like “pfft yeh right, dream on”. I felt I had no choice but to stay in bed, and just chill out with some yoga a little later on. My body was E X H A U S T E D. The days went on, I was very calm, slow moving, and a little emotional. I was hungry for calories but didn't have the energy to eat. I tell you getting to bed before 9pm each night was BLISS!

That was my detox. I wasn't expecting anything like it. Having eaten raw for over 18 months now, I thought I'd get away scott-free. Nup. I needed this physically more than anything. And I learnt that there is ALWAYS room to detox. There is ALWAYS something to detox. 

I'm grateful that those physical feelings only lasted a few days for me - before the aches and pains set in. And it seemed that everyone felt those at once. All 65-odd of us. Muscles. Joints. Every bendy bit of our bodies was aching. It was kinda cool that we were all winging and bitching at the same time tho – group bonding. We learnt to GET EXCITED with symptoms like that. YAY FOR DETOX! Shit I’m getting a rash come up all over my back – YAY FOR DETOX! My God these headaches are killing me – YAY FOR DETOX! I feel like I’m going to die – YAY FOR DETOX!

But it wasn't too long before I began to feel WONDERFUL again! And it was almost right after our little excursion to Tropical Fruit World!

Wait til you see the pics from that place!

Keen-Wah what??

Detox DAY 10 and feeling GREAT!

Just a quick check in and another delicious brekkie I had at work this morning -

Quinoa (soaked for a day and a half)
Chia seeds (soaked for 10 minutes or so)
Dried figs (3 of these, soaked overnight)
Almonds (few of these babies soaked overnight also)
Banana (fresh and sliced)
Flaxmeal (sprinkled ontop)

If you've never heard of QUINOA (pronounced KEEN-WAH) check it out here. If you;ve never eaten it before, you're sure missing out. Quinoa is actually the seed from a plant that is closely related to leafy green vegetables such as spinach and beets. A nutritional POWERHOUSE it is incredibly high in PROTEIN, as well as iron, calcium and magnesium. It's got a beautiful nutty taste and goes well with either sweet or savoury.

Chewy Chia Cereal on Detox

So I'm onto Day 5 of my DETOX and so far so good. I had a few niggly bowel issues at the start of the week but they now seem to have gotten their shit in order - pardon the pun.

So here is a quick and easy recipe I've been having each morning that anyone can make. It's what I'm currently eating for brekkie but it can be made anytime when the urges for chewy chia goodness arise.

My Chewy Chia Cereal

1 Tbsp chia seeds (high in omegas, as well as calcium, protein, and iron, assisting in moving things through the digestive tract)
1/4-1/2 cup of filtered water

Soak the chia seeds in water, stirring, for about 10 minutes minimum to allow the seeds to come mucilagenous - meaning they will thicken considerably and the water will turn to a gel. You could also experiment with juices or COCONUT WATER in place of water.


Then choose your toppings!
I've got:

Sunflower seeds (omega fatty acids)
Pepita seeds (omega fatty acids)
Goji berries (complete raw protein, high antioxidants)
Raisins (for chewy goodness)
Buckwheat (soaked and sprouted, full of protein)
Cinnamon to taste (antiinflammatory, great for circulation and energy)

Probably a tablespoon of each, more buckwheat, less cinnamon of course.

Maca, cacao or carob are also great, protein powder can easily be mixed in too, but on DETOX I'm not eating any of these.

Then mix it all together


I also added a teaspoon or two of flax meal and sliced a banana on top



DELICIOUS!

Wondering why it's not in a pretty bowl? It's my take-away-brekkie that I eat when I get to work.

Speaking of which... gotta run! Have a great day!

Juice in a bag

What weird wild weather we’ve been having lately here in Sydney!?! Chronic winds, FREEZING temperatures, yet beautiful sunny skies!

So to go with it – a NEW (WEIRD and WILD) thing I tried this week.

Brock surprised me with this –


It’s a juice/smoothie in a bag. I suppose it’s perfect for anyone SERIOUSLY on the go. Cant eat lunch? Grab a juice. Cant wait for a juice? Grab it in a bag! It’s 100% organic ingredients made me smile from ear to ear, but when I ripped it open and began slurping it down while ordering fruit and veg for the shop, the taste wasn’t amazing. Dare I say I prefer my own juices.





I've also started a DETOX this morning. I decided I wanted to do one only yesterday so I've got my herbs, a few interesting recipes up my sleeve and will be following it for 15 days. I'll keep you posted on how I go and in my next blog will share a yummy RECIPE for a quick brekkie that anyone can make.

Until then... Green love and white light

Juicing in the Hyatt

So I'm on Day 2 of my JUICING! So far so good. Having started on a weekend when I had nothing planned was a very good idea I think.

After my delicious morning juice yesterday, the rest of my day looked a little like this...

2 cups of warm water
300ml of fresh apple juice with a hint of cinnamon
1 young coconut (water AND flesh blended together)
300ml green juice - zucchini, cos, bok choy, lemon and ginger
600ml water
300ml orange and apple juice
300ml beetroot, broccoli, daikon, carrot and kale juice

And around all that I had ...

4 tsp MSM
6ml vitex and wild yam
20ml thyroid herbs
30ml herbal tonic
1 evening primrose capsule

Not alot of juice to be honest but I was pottering around home all day studying so the calories weren't really needed.

Today I've had...

500ml beetroot, carrot, apple, ginger juice
500ml broccoli, celery, zucchini, bok choy, kale, cos, lemon, ginger juice
300ml carrot, apple, orange juice (at the Park Hyatt!!)
500ml broccoli, celery, zucchini, bok choy, kale, cos, lemon, ginger juice (made a big lot of it this morn)
500ml coconut water

(WOW! The only just had that and the coconut had SO MUCH water inside! Yesterday I had the flesh as well for some good fats but the rest of the week I'll only be having the water - saving the flesh to make RAW ICE CREAM!)

But the day's not over yet!

I ventured down to the Rocks Aroma Festival with Dad and Gail this morning as I LOVE the atmosphere of markets and festivals in the sun. It's all things coffee, tea, chocolate and spices. Sensory overload! ALthough I no longer drink coffee, I still have a very strange relationship with it -

as a Barista for 8yrs or there abouts, and having travelled Europe; predominantley Italia, I became a bit of a coffee snob. I loved my morning cup. I went from flat whites, with sugar to no sugar, then to soy milk mochas, back to flat whites, and then for the longest time LOVED it black. But it had to be good. Short black. Long black. No sugar. I would've died a happy woman with a coffee in my hand. The smell, the taste, the culture around it, the rituals that go with it, the history of it... See! A strange relationship. I could write a whole book on it! Yet I continue to not drink it. Moving on...

The festival was BUSTLING with people, music, and excitement as children happily giggled their stomachs sore on the camel rides along the foreshore. Turkish dances entertained the crowds and there was even a guy giving coffee readings!



Walking past the Park Hyatt I said I had always wanted to stay there to swim in the pool, and sit on the funky chairs in the window - so on the way back Dad decided to stop in for a drink. (Prior to midday) He was feeling the crisp, cold white wine, Gail ordered a hit cappuccino, and I got a delicious carrot, apple and orange juice.




I've had more energy today than yesterday but I also think it's due to getting outside. I've had that feeling of hunger in my belly for most of the weekend, but I've also had clarity of thoughts in my head. I felt a few ups and downs yesterday where a part of me felt I could have easily slipped into the pantry - but I knew it was purely emotional and would have done me no good. I remind myself why I chose to JUICE and can easily be back on track.

The Last Supper

So... like the new layout? I was playing around with so many different designs and layouts for hours I was getting nothing else done! So I've decided on this one for now and I'll see how it goes. So far so good. I'm liking it :) Simple yet still EXCITING and colourful.

Now, not-so-nice-note, this past week I've had a head ache pretty much everyday. No idea why. I've also felt nauseous at times. Again I've no idea why. And I'm not one that experiences ill health often so it's been a little uncomfortable to say the least. Taking it day by day and trying to focus on other things, I'm very happy to begin my JUICING this weekend.



I've been looking forward to it; I'm actually very EXCITED about it. The thought of CLEANSING, CLEARING :) The sensations I feel when I'm on path to finding my GLOW :) I've got a load of fruits and vegies, ginger as well, and I pre-cut enough for a few days this morning to save me time around my busy schedule. There are a few other bits and pieces that I'll be having as well as fresh juices - such as MSM, coconut water, my naturopathic herbs... I hope to see my colon hydrotherapist but I can't see it fitting into this week :( Salt baths, ionic foot cleanses, dry skin brushing... I'm doing a top-to-toe clean out.

So last night I made sure I had a DELICIOUS dinner with Brock as I don't know when I'll be eating solids again. It seems funny that whenever we embark on a detox or a cleanse of sorts, we feel the need to have one last SPLURGE before we "deprive" ourselves. Vegetarian pizza and a big bowl of ice cream was no doubt my LAST SUPPER of choice in high school. Not these days. I was hanging out for CABBAGE! Haha Oh how we change! I love the stuff. And with onion, together, you couldn't have 2 more BEAUTIFYING foods thanks to their high sulphur content (think hair, EYES, skin, nails).
So here's THE LAST SUPPER.

Crunchy Creamy Coleslaw


1/2 red cabbage
1/4 red onion
2 large carrots
big handful of rocket
cob of corn

All sliced, diced, chopped how ever you wish. Drizzle olive oil over it all and mix it through.
Then for the creamy dressing, I threw 3/4 of a large avocado in the blender with an orange and half a lemon. Bit of salt and pepper. Then mixed that through. Finito!

So how long will I be JUICING? I don't know. At first I thought a week. But then I thought, well if my body (for whatever reason) isn't up to it now, I might only last a few days. But on the flip side, after a week I might still be feeling the need to continue. 10 days. 2 weeks. Until I physically really feel the HUNGER for solid food again, I'll be juicing.
Now one could say they'd feel hungry after a few days surely, but the thing with cleansing is that we are so used to feeling what we think is hunger when in actual fact alot of the time it's just the body cleansing, flushing out toxins, detoxing. But we mistake those sensations as hunger, so eat solid foods, and stop the detoxing process. Every time.

On a side note, my no-dried-fruit-thing has been going really well. A week and a half now, and having seen my naturopath mid-week he was impressed with how well I was doing. Candida much better. Tongue much clearer. I've been on different herbs for a while so of course they're making their mark, but I intuitivley knew the absence of dried fruit over the week would make a huge difference, and it did :)


And now my JUICING will be making things even better! That's a pic of brekkie this morn - beetroot, couple carrots, head of celery, couple of little apples, ginger and lemon. Cheers!