It may not seem like a big deal, but eating a nutritious breakfast really can make or break your day; it refuels your body so you have the energy to get things done and it keeps you from having cravings and overeating later in the day.

I know it’s tempting to hit the drive-thru and grab a coffee and muffin on the go, but you’re not doing your body any favours by eating processed, sugar-filled foods.

Also, preparing a healthy breakfast doesn’t need to be an arduous task! 

All you need is 10 minutes and 3 simple ingredients – a protein, a carbohydrate and a fat. Plus, it's WAY cheaper to prepare your meals at home (and boy, do I love to save money)  

So what do you eat in the morning when you don’t have time and can’t be bothered to make a hot meal?
​
Here are 3 super simple breakfast ideas that will keep you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal.

1. Boiled Eggs and Toast

Super, super EASY! It takes about 10 minutes to make and eat and then you’re out the door.

Boiled eggs are good for 3-4 days in the fridge, so make them in advance. Boil 6 eggs in the evening and then stash them in the fridge for later. You now have eggs for the next 3 days (you can even peel them in advance if you don’t want to allow yourself any morning excuses).

Grab your eggs from the fridge, pop 1-2 pieces of whole wheat bread into the toaster and then slap on some natural peanut butter. That’s it! A delicious meal with all 3 essential macro-nutrients! 

​You have to admit, that seems doable, right?

2. Yogurt Parfait

Again. Crazy simple! This one is also great because you can take it with you and eat it when you get to the office if you need to.
 

• Plain Greek Yogurt
• Ground Flax seeds (make sure it’s ground because our bodies can’t digest the seed when its whole)
• Granola (no sugar added)
• Berries (or any other fruit you enjoy for flavour)

 
Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate – Done! Easy, Peasy, right? Eating a nutritious breakfast really can be that simple.

​3. Smoothie

I’ve never been a big eater in the morning, but I know how important breakfast is, so I always start my day off with a smoothie filled with nutritious goodness. It only takes a few minutes to make and you can easily toss it in a cup and take it with you.

​Here’s a great balanced recipe:

• Protein Powder or Greek Yogurt or Soft Tofu
• Ground Flax seeds or Chia Seeds
• Fruit of Choice (I like ½ banana and blueberries)
• Oat Bran (1-2 tbsp)
• Beverage of Choice (dairy milk, almond milk, water, etc.)

I also like to throw in a handful of spinach to ramp up the healthy goodness. It’s so yum!

So there you have it - 3 quick, simple and inexpensive breakfast ideas to start your day of right and keep you from succumbing to fast food temptation.

​Which one are you going to try first?

On February 27th, 2015 my cousin Evanne-Leigh MacPherson was diagnosed with Stage 4 Nephroblastoma cancer (as known as Wilm’s). She is only 26 years old and is a single mother to an adorable little boy named Austin.  As you can imagine, cancer treatments are not cheap so my family has organized a benefit in her name in order to raise awareness for this disease and to offer her financial support during this time.  

The fundraiser will take place on Friday April 17th, 2015 at the Galt Royal Canadian Legion in Cambridge. I am reaching out to all of you in the hopes that you might be able to help in some way. Tickets to the fundraiser are only $10.00 and will include music, food and lots of prizes. We are also still looking for some great raffle prizes so if you own a business and would be able to donate a service or product, I would really appreciate your help.      

                            Facebook Event Page = https://www.facebook.com/events/449135131908613/

Because I know you all work very hard for your money, I thought it would only be fair for me to do something in return for your kindness. That is why I decided to sign up for the Around the Bay Race last minute. I wanted to show everyone that faith really can go a long way. 

This will be the only race I have ever run because up until a few months ago, I never believed I could do it. All my life I have carried around the notion that “I was not a runner”. All that time I believed I couldn't run for a variety of reasons, (well to be fair, I realize now they were just excuses) but my big AH-HA moment happened back in January of this year when I was at the gym and I looked across the room to see a women running. Now this in itself is not “remarkable” however what I saw when I looked at her was life transforming; for the first time ever, I started to see and visualize myself running in her place. This thought was so positive and empowering that something deep inside me told me that I really could it - that despite the obstacles I perceived, I really could become a runner.  From that moment on, I believed I could do it. Having faith on my side has allowed me to surpass my “personal bests” many times over during the past 2 months and I will continue to do so. I have gone from barely struggling through 10 minutes of jogging to running 10 km without issue. Tomorrow morning I will be running 5 km in support of my cousin with the intention of running the full 30 km next year. 

I am running tomorrow because I have faith in my heart that Evanne will beat her cancer. I have faith that she will hear her own voice deep inside her and she will know (without a shadow of a doubt) that she can win this fight. Every time my feet hit the pavement I will remember that anything is possible as long as I you have faith in yourself. Tomorrow I run for Evanne and for all people who may be struggling with their chances to succeed in their battles.

I believe in you Evanne and I hope you never lose your faith in believing in the impossible……….. 

Support Evanne Leigh's Battle
Please use the link below if you would like to make a financial donation.
http://www.gofundme.com/o48860

To be honest - I have no idea how "back" I truly am, or if this is just yet another phase of mine where I feel inspired to 'Just Do It". LOL At any rate, I am excited and looking forward to the future.
After months and MONTHS of renovation work taking up all our time, Marc and I have decided to finally tone it down a little and start living a more balanced life. There is still a lot to do, but everything that NEEDS to be done, has been done, so I think it's only fair that we start living like normal people again :-)

I am totally excited and inspired to start working out again. It has been AGES and I am really looking forward to changing my mindset for the better.  I managed to find 2 Groupons to support getting back into shape while keeping my costs low. I purchased a 2 month gym membership to Mademoiselle Fitness for $12.00 and 2 months of all inclusive Hot Yoga for $49.00. So for a total of $61.00 (taxes included) I have a pretty kick-ass 2 months ahead of me. I've decided to tackle the never failing and very straight forward Body-For-Life program. I need to work on incorporating a lifestyle change that I can sustain and maintain indefinitely. Of course, I'll still throw in a few juice cleanses here and there and enjoy regular yoga sessions, but I think having BFL as my main target will definitely get me to my fitness goals.

I am starting the BFL program on Monday October 20, 2014. So based on the 84 day program, I will be finished on January 11, 2015. I think this is an excellent time frame and I love that it overlaps New Years Day. I've always been horrible at making and keeping new year's resolutions, but this way I will start 2015 with a good 10 weeks of change under my belt. Just Perfect!

I will try to post some before and after pictures, however I am ridiculously vain (to a fault) so the idea of putting up a "not-so-great" picture of myself makes me feel apprehensive and a little bit nauseous. We will see where I'm at after week 4 and go from there. LOL :-)

In the meantime, I have been surfing the internet and Pinterest for some motivational quotes. I printed out a few and will be hanging them on my fridge and around my house (eeeekkk! I keep forgetting I actually have a house. That notion never seems to get old! lol)

Here are some I like:

Because I actually do this.....again and again....and I need to stop.

It's on like Donkey Kong, Carmen!

"A little less conversation, a little more action" Just Do It!

This one is my favourite because I know I will want to stop, but I will not let myself and I know I will want to give up, but I will keep pushing myself because I also know that as long as I don't give up, I cannot fail.

So that's the plan. Marc is away this weekend which is convenient because it allows me time to find all my workout gear and get registered at the gym. I also need to find my BFL book which is in a box in the basement somewhere so I can work on creating my meal plans. The next few months should be fun. Plus, when we finally get around to hooking up our internet, I can start blogging about all the reno projects and sewing I'll be doing. I am definitely looking forward to getting my sewing room in order. 

Cheers for now :-)

How exciting! I can hardly believe that I have made it this far; it seems like I blinked and a whole week went by. 

I feel OUTSTANDING and incredibly light and healthy. Since I’ve completed 50% of my challenge I thought it would be fun to hop on the scale and see what physical changes have occurred. When I started this journey, I had planned to focus mainly on the various changes that would occur on a more conscious level because I anticipated having a lot of difficulties changing my habits and my thoughts towards food. I am pleasantly surprised to find out that after Day 2,  I haven’t had any difficulties staying motivated and sticking to the juice cleanse.  I believe it’s mostly due to the fact that my body and mind have been so nourished with ample vitamins and minerals that my body is no longer craving unhealthy food to fill the void.   It is incredibly refreshing and very eye opening. It’s also motivates me in my decision to continue with a diet full of primarily fruits and vegetables. Everyone is different, so I certainly can’t say that anyone else would have the same experience, but this past week has really shown me what my body needs and craves on a daily basis to be healthy and happy…..PRODUCE! LOL

So on to the physical changes……

Over the past 7 days I have lost 6 lbs. This is more than I anticipated, but based on my baggy dress pants; I’m not really surprised. LOL I have also noticed a HUGE improvement in my skin. No blemishes, no dark circle under my eyes and the majority of the splotchy redness has gone away. I normally would never leave the house without make-up, but now I feel as though I could definitely bare it all without feeling self conscious (at least now when I go to the beach I won’t be worried about getting my head wet LOL).

I’ve also noticed way more definition in my arms, legs and abdominal muscles. I wasn’t overweight to begin with, but it’s amazing to see how much difference a little layer of fat can actually make. YUCK! I am really pleased to see my muscles again and this is very encouraging to stay on course and ensure I transition into a plant-based lifestyle after this cleanse is over.

I am really excited about the next phase; however I am trying to keep myself grounded by reminding myself to enjoy the here and now. This cleanse has been a wonderful experience and I’m sure the next 7 days will prove to be just as rewarding. 

I apologize for not giving an update yesterday. It was a crazy busy day and to be completely honest; nothing exciting or really worth mentioning happened. I still feel awesome and I have yet to experience any negative side effects. It’s been a good couple days to say the least.

Aside from juicing, I finally heard back from my insurance company regarding the status of my car. It has been deemed “totaled” and they are going to pay out a settlement. What I find really irritating is that they won’t repair a car if the cost of the repairs exceeds the value of the car. I hate that we live in such a money driven world and that it’s acceptable to simply fill the landfills with more garbage rather than finding ways to reduce our waste and the impact we have on the environment.

I personally think that a person should be held accountable for their actions and I think the driver who made an EXTREME error in judgment should be forced to pay for the damages he made. Not only out of respect for me and the danger he put me in, put also with the awareness that his actions has placed a burden on the environment by causing unnecessary waste.  It drives me CRAZY!!!!!

This is only one of my many rants to come……….. LOL

It has been raining here on and off for about 2 weeks now and I am really looking forward to some sun and heat. I’m generally cold to begin with, but I do find that I’m even colder being on a juice cleanse.
All I want to do is wrap myself up in a giant sweater and cozy blanket. Hahaha

I have also being cooking a lot these past few days and to be expected, Marc just loves it. I find that the smell alone is satisfying and contrary to what people might be thinking; no it is not torture. LOL
I LOVE cooking and preparing new dishes and I have been using this time (and Marc as my guinea pig) to get myself prepared for cooking plant-based meals on a consistent basis.

Once this juice cleanse is over, I am going to transition into a whole foods, plant-based diet consisting of only natural goodness (fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains). So pretty much anything and everything that comes from Mother Nature (and is still in its natural form) I will be consuming.

I am really excited to give 100% to this new lifestyle. As with the juice cleanse, I don’t expect it to be easy. It will require a lot of work and I will need to plan out my meals in advance to ensure I have everything I need, but I think over time it will become automatic and not feel difficult at all.
I completed a 30 Day Raw Vegan Diet a few years ago, so I already have the necessary equipment and quite a few recipes under my belt to be successful. I can’t wait to bust out the dehydrator again!
Only 8 more days to go!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

So it's Day 5 and I am still waiting for those dreaded detox symptoms everyone keeps talking about. I honestly feel fantastic. It's pure madness! My mind and body are exploding with energy and I still feel satisfied and have experienced very little hunger. Yesterday I thought I was starting to experience some symptoms, but they only lasted about 20 minutes. Around 8:00 pm I felt a little "head foggy" and as though my sinuses were starting to clog up, but it was very brief and I soon went back to feeling my usual self. 

I suppose it's nice to know that my body isn't experiencing a sudden shock with this juice cleanse, but at the same time I am really excited to reach the actual cleansing phase. I have to keep reminding myself to remain patient and simply enjoy the process. 

I do know that something is at work though. I participated in my first meditation practice yesterday for 30 minutes and was very aware of the vibrations within my body. It was almost as though my cells were doing a little dance inside me. Very cool :-) At one point though, I started to feel incredibly nauseous. I'm not sure why, but I'm going to chalk it up to current stress (still waiting to hear about my car) and feeling very uncomfortable allowing myself to just "be in the moment". My brain kept wandering off: thinking about all the things I should be doing instead of "sitting around," so I frequently needed to reel myself back in.

I should note that meditation is not an easy practice and I realized yesterday that I have regressed a little because I haven't been doing it regularly. My new commitment to being mindful and in the present has certainly been a good one. I believe daily meditation and returning to yoga in a few months will be very beneficial.  I would love to start yoga now, but with the extreme home renovations going on and my car situation being up in the air, I don't think it's wise to add any additional activities to my schedule. I don't 
want to risk stressing myself out when it isn't necessary. Hum, perhaps I could start incorporating daily stretching to my meditation practice.......that might be a good middle ground. I will keep you posted. :-)

Besides that, I don't think I have much more to report. I feel good and I haven't had any cravings in the past 24 hours. I only drank 3 juices yesterday. I find this odd because I believed I would be drinking more juice as the cleanse went on - not less! I had my first juice around 8:00 am and then nothing until close to 2:00 pm.  Waiting so long was not intentional, but I was pleasantly occupied during the day so I simply lost track of time. I would have to say it was the most intense hunger feeling I have had since starting the cleanse. It felt very urgent; as though I need to consume something "right then and there". Even stranger? After only drinking about 200 ml of juice, I was fine. It actually took me the better part of an hour to finish it. Weird!

I do wish I had more exciting things to talk about today, but the last 24 hours have been pretty uneventful. I don't even have a few "mental bantering" stories to share with you because "Miss.Ego" appears to be on vacation. I'm happy with this though. As far as I'm concerned, she can stay there! LOL

So that's it for today! If you have any specific questions for me about the cleanse, please leave a comment below. I promise to respond quickly. :-) 
Also, if you would like some specific information about juicing itself, I would be happy to send you links to some excellent resources ( either websites, documentaries or books) that discuss how to juice and the benefits of juicing at length.

Happy Victoria Day :-)

I've reached my first "mini milestone" in this journey. More than 72 hours of only juice! Why is this so exciting for me? Because  I've completed a 3 day juice cleanse in the past and even though I enjoyed the experience, it didn't quite feel long enough. I have excellent health and I eat a mostly clean diet, so I believe these factors play a large role in why I don't experience the typical detox symptoms most people report while undergoing a 3 day juice cleanse. I also do "mini reboots" every 1-2 months to give my body the boost it needs (so that probably helps as well). Even today, I don't feel much different. Besides the benefits of more energy and higher alertness, I generally feel the same. 

I did wake up this morning having a prevalent "hollow" sensation in my stomach. It wasn't alarming or painful, just very evident. It's not something I am accustomed to and it's interesting to note that while my stomach is empty, I still feel satisfied and content. My lingering cravings have all but disappeared and I've also noticed that my associations to the smell of certain foods have been altered. For example, I think most people would agree that the smell of say, onions and butter cooking on the stove top smells just heavenly. I personally love and welcome the aroma. But yesterday when Marc was preparing some eggs, I found the smell of butter in the pan to be rather offensive and pungent. It was a weird reaction and one that caught me off guard. 

Also, while I don't eat chicken or beef, the smell of BBQ chicken and steak usually brings back a nostalgic feeling of good times in the summer sun. 2 days ago I picked up a BBQ chicken for Marc  and HATED the aroma. The fact that it was "cooked flesh" was very evident and I couldn't wait to get it out of my car. YUCK! I'm not sure what to attribute this to. It's probably a mixture of my body changing chemically as well as my efforts to be more mindful and aware of how I am feeling.

I'm hoping that by doing an extended cleanse, I can truly flush out all the buried toxins that are lingering inside me. It also makes sense to give my body a chance to relax and focus on repairing any cellular damage because I have been known to indulge in one too many glasses of wine LOL. I'm certain that my liver right now is rather enjoying being bathed in healthy nutrients and I'm actually looking forward to experiencing some detoxifying symptoms (weird I know). But once they come and go, I can feel confident that I have achieved a truly deep inner cleansing.

In addition to being mindful and juicing I have decided to include daily meditation to the mix. I just finished a delightful conversion with my very dear friend Lisa and feel utterly inspired and excited. I enjoy yoga and have "dabbled" with meditation in the past, but (like many things) never followed through with the practices to make it a habit. Lisa is very spiritual and I admire her devotion and connection to her church and God. While I am not religious in a traditional sense, I am very aware of the laws that govern our universe as well as the Omnipresent force that exists everywhere. I am excited to extend my mindfulness even further.

You have probably noticed, I haven't mentioned anything about weight loss. This is intentional. 
As explained in my first blog, Juicing Myself Clean - Day 1, I am not doing this for the purpose of losing weight. I know that I will lose weight (it's kind of obvious), but I don't want to wrap myself up in a vain attempt to simply "look thinner". That approach has gotten me nowhere in the past. Sure it's a quick fix and gives me immediate satisfaction, but I long for a more meaningful and long lasting change. I have lost weight, but I refuse to give my Ego the satisfaction of knowing because I am aware that I could very easily fall back into the mindset of, "fix it now." 

To be honest, if you are only looking to lose weight, I wouldn't recommend a fast, cleanse or detox program.  Yes, you will lose weight in the short term, but unless you change how you think about food and your emotions surrounding it, you will find yourself right back where you started. All of the great religions mention fasting and people have been doing it for centuries, but not for the vain purpose of looking better. It's all about inner connection and transformation. There are so many ways to lose weight that are simple and WAY less extreme. Just cut out the junk! Eat clean whole foods and move around a little more. It will take more time, but it wont be NEARLY as physically and emotionally daunting. Those, of course, are just my two cents. :-)

Today is also the day I have decided to connect my blog to my Facebook account. I was squirmish initially. Feeling slightly uncomfortable with the idea of my friends and family witnessing my struggles. I am a proud person (probably to a fault) and I have a hard time exposing my weaknesses. It is always my intention (to at least appear) to be strong, in control and put together. I rarely express my hardships (except to those few people I cherish and trust with all my being), but today is a new day. A day to push the boundaries and extend my inner growth. A day to be truly me and understand that I do not have to be perfect to accept myself as being whole and complete just as I am.  
When I learned that my journey thus far had inspired Lisa to take on her own personal challenge, my eyes were opened.  I realized we all face struggles and it's really nice to have someone to share them with. I inspired her and she inspired me. It was a wonderful example of things coming full circle. Who knows how many other people will have a tidbit of enlightenment to share with me (or perhaps me to them). I welcome this new outlook and look forward to the possibilities.

Final note,  this morning I made a DELICIOUS fruit juice. 3 oranges, 3 apples and 1/2 cup of Pineapple. Yum yum yum! It reminded me of sipping Pina Colada's on the beach. :-) Definitely recommended.

Till next time......

It's Day 3 and I am very impressed that I have made it this far. As I'm sure you've noticed from my January Blog posts, that even though I have good intentions, my follow though hasn't always had the best track record. LOL I do believe that making the decision to record my journey is definitely helping me stay accountable this time. I'm new to blogging, so I've been reading a lot about SEO and building an audience these past few days. I understand it will take time for people to find this Blog, but I'm hoping somewhere down the road I will get to connect with some new people along the way. The day I receive my first comment will be a very exciting one. I also started a Twiiter account @CarmenLDesign. I'm still trying to figure it out, but if you want to follow my journey throughout the day, I welcome the company. :-)

On to the juicing saga.........

I think today I will start with the physical aspects of my cleanse. I realized this morning that I haven't really touched on that and some people might be more interested in that area, then the back and forth banter going on in my mind. LOL

In a nut shell, I feel really good. Day 1 and 2 didn't feel much different than any other day to be honest. 
My energy levels have been consistently high and I haven't experiences any negative symptoms. 
While I don't feel full, my body has maintained a consistent level of satisfaction and despite the occasional evening "cravings" I haven't had any hunger pains. My body feels strong and my mind is very alert. Concentration is normal (if not better) and I have a greater sense of ambition and motivation. 

I did however, notice two differences this morning. I woke up with a very fuzzy and pasty taste in my mouth. It was weird, but not necessarily unpleasant as it didn't taste like anything. I did a little Google searching this morning and found a few articles explaining that this is common and a sign that toxins are being released. I'm happy to know my body is on it's way to cleansing me from the inside out. I also noticed slight cramping in my calves. Nothing alarming or painful, just a slight discomfort. I'm not sure what this is a sign of, but after I walked around and stretched a little, the cramping disappeared. 
Also, 48 hours later, I still don't feel any hunger.

I'm not limiting my juice intake. I've decided I can drink as much juice as I need, but I only felt it nesecaary to drink 4 juices on Day 1 and 2. Perhaps this will change as the week continues and I will certainly keep you posted. I haven't really experimented much with different juice recipes. Yesterday I wrote a post asking all of you to post YOUR favourite recipes, so if you are interested here's the link to that post.

I aim to drink a ratio of 80% vegetables to 20% fruit each day to ensure I am getting ample vitamins without overloading my body with sugar or risking indigestion from too much acidity. It seems to be working well. I mostly drink the Mean Green recipe from the Reboot with Joe website. If you haven't watched the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" I would highly recommend it. I also LOVE the concoction of Apples, Carrots and Ginger in the morning. It's SOOOO refreshing. This morning I played with a new recipe and drank a Pineapple, Cucumber and Lime juice and it was heavenly. My best friend gave it the thumbs up and said it was the best one yet. 

I feel very calm today. Serene even. My dreaded Ego seems miles away and while I am still maintaining my "high alert status" I think today will prove to be a very peaceful and stress free day. This morning I was contemplating what to do AFTER the 15 days is over. I believe it's very important for me to continue practicing mindfulness. I have a lot of ideas running through my head right now and no immediate conclusions, but I believe it will involve a whole foods - plant based diet. I plan to continue drinking juices and incorporate smoothies, whole fruits and vegetables, nuts, seed and grains. Anything and everything that is still in it's natural form. I may choose to include additional foods along the way, but I suppose only time will tell.

I guess that's it for now. Time to grab a Mean Green Juice to go. Happy Saturday Everyone :-)

I thought it might be fun to try and gather up some tried and true juice recipes.
I have a HUGE book, but I was thinking there are SOOOO many options out there that it might be fun to get your recommendations first!   

If you know of an awesome juice recipe, I'd love to read about it. Plus if you leave me your name, blog or website I can give you all the credit with some pictures and a review on how MY taste buds reacted once I test it out. I still have another 13 days to go on this juice cleanse, so a fun activity like this will definitely keep me busy.

Happy Weekend Everyone! I look forward to your recipes :-)

Woohoo! I survived the night! It wasn't exactly easy, but I did it :-)

I realize now that this journey will prove to be an interesting one. I became aware last night how many things I do habitually without even thinking about it. I also learned that the little voice inside my head is very convincing and I will need to be on high alert to keep it at bay. The smallest discretion means that my ego (the part of me that is resistant to change) will be empowered. I need to make sure this doesn't happen.

My status thus far is this:

1. I haven't consumed any food = 1 point for Carmen
It was definitely hard to resist the urge to put something in my mouth. It's amazing how when you tell yourself you can't do something, that's the only thing you WANT to do. Ridiculous really!
I visualized how I could open a bag of chips without anyone noticing. Hahahaha. I'm serious. Good thing this is impossible to do :-)
Then my ego tried to convince me that, "What's a couple nuts? They are good for you. You can have a few. No one has to know." Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Bad Ego! No No No!

2. I drank a cup of coffee this morning = 1 point for Ego
I am not supposed to drink coffee on this juice cleanse because caffeine is a stimulant drug and I am trying to rid myself of all dependencies. I feel guilty and annoyed with myself for doing it. Even more to the point, I feel irritated with myself for letting my ego win. My ego convinced me that coffee is a liquid so drinking it wouldn't be a bad thing. After being persuaded to the "dark side" I decided that caffeine-free coffee was "totally acceptable". I mean, "I can't be expected to be perfect, right." "What's wrong with coffee anyways?" and that's when it happened.....My ego took over and I jumped into the back seat; happy to have a rest from being the one in charge. Sigh...........

I contemplated not telling you the second part. It's hard to admit when you make a mistake. I also really wanted to be that person who just soars though the process without a hardship in hand. I've read a lot of juicing and diet blogs and everyone talks about how easy it is. How it "wasn't a big deal at all". And maybe it IS that easy for most people. I don't know. But I can't be the only person out there struggling to make amends with their crazy, insatiable and sometimes out of control ego! 

I made a promise to you that I would be honest. And so I will. I've also realized I need to quickly let go of the "boo-boo's" so I don't fall into the trap of, "Well I screwed up and today is ruined." "Might as well go out with a bang." "I can try again tomorrow."

My previous black and white mentality is the first thing that needs to go. 
So I drank a cup of decaf coffee. Big deal! I was weak. I made an error in judgement. It happened and it might happen again. Yes, I felt disappointed and irritated with myself for a bit, but then I decided I needed to shake myself out of it; "It happened Carmen. Move on."

It was a lesson learned and I feel like I will be better prepared for my sneaky little ego next time.
I'm not perfect. I don't need to be perfect. I just need to find a healthy balance.

Some people might think that completing a 15 day juice cleanse is extreme.  That by doing this, I am simply swinging the pendulum in the complete opposite direction. Those people might be right. I don't know. I wont know for another few weeks. But what I do know, is that taking a break from the habitual routines I've become accustomed to, is refreshing. Every minute that goes by I feel a little more free. Every time I say no to a bad idea, I feel alive and in control. I have a long way to go. I know that. But I feel like I am on the path to something pretty great inside me. :-)