Green Lemonade » noelle

Back To School + Work: Vega Naturals Smoothie Infusion

noelle — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:00:16 +0000

Fall’s fantastic, but with new fall projects at work and getting your kids back into the swing of things at school, it’s not exactly the calmest season of the year. During this hectic time, you’ll appreciate this nutrient packed Smoothie Infusion supplement from Vega Naturals. It’s a healthy and quick meal option when you’re on the go this fall. Avoid the fillers, artificial bologna and the soy debate with most protein powders and supplements and go with the good stuff. The plants! While I generally prefer to boost the nutrition in my smoothies with fresh baby greens, and fresh nuts or nut butters, I appreciate a good high quality green powder or protein powder occasionally.

More about Vega

The Vega product line of whole food supplements is created by well-respected vegan triathlete Brendan Brazier. Vega products are made from a 100% plant based and mostly raw ingredient list – no artificial fillers like many supplements on the market today.

Next time you are out and about around town and need a quick meal, bring along one of these Smoothie Infusion supplements to enhance the nutrition in a fruit-based smoothie from your local smoothie shop. It would taste great tossed into a smoothie made with coconut water, berries and ice. And if these packets aren’t an option for you right now, you might consider carrying an individual packet or two of Justin’s nut butters which would also add a nice creamy thickness, and some additional protein to a berry smoothie on the go.

It’s all about being prepared and being creative when it comes to eating to look and feel your best. I look forward to hearing about some of the fun smoothies you all come up with!

Back to School + Work: Eco-Friendly Reusable Lunch Bags

noelle — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:00:21 +0000

Green Lemonade readers Kate and Mandi emailed me this weekend asking for fun lunch bag suggestions. Kate is looking for a cute washable, eco-friendly bag for her daughter Gigi and Mandi is looking for something similar for herself. Mandi packs her lunch everyday for the office.

Kate, I think your daughter Gigi might adore a lunch bag from Mimi the Sardine. Mimi the Sardine bags come in an array of colorful, happy and unique prints. The bags are machine washable, made from environmentally friendly fabrics and they have a zipper closure instead of that rather temperamental, lint-gathering Velcro closure. My favorite patterns from the Mimi the Sardine line include: sherbert colored flowers and pink and orange dots for girls and “trucks and propellers” for boys. If you are having trouble logging onto the Mimi the Sardine website, you might also check out options here.

Mandi, I really like the Built lunch kits for work. They are great to put your lunch in for the office, and they could easily double as a carry on for the plane when you travel and want to bring along some healthy snacks as well as a magazine or two. Built lunch totes also come in some great, upbeat color patterns as well as solid color options. These neoprene lunch totes are also machine washable and feature a zipper closure – a huge plus in my book. Keep an eye out on One King’s Lane, a great home decor and home accessories site, for a good price on these lunch kits! I love this site.

When it comes to the goodies inside the lunch kit, Kate your daughter might like these SnackTAXI re-useable sandwich bags. They come in a large (sandwich sized) and small (snack sized) option. These re-useable bags are easy to maintain by just wiping them down at night or throwing them into the washer in case of a peanut butter and jam sandwich explosion. They come in a variety of patterns and colors.

I generally love these red checkered paper wraps myself – something about them just makes me smile when I open a lunch box. I usually rotate between these red checkered papers and some parchment paper tied with a pretty red and white string when I’m taking my lunch on the go. Parchment paper is easy to find, with most grocery stores carrying it.

It’s the little not-too-time-consuming things, like these bags, and sandwich holders that make me smile. Hope they make your day and your little ones day just a little brighter too.

Best of Summer in Montauk + Look Ahead To Fall

noelle — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:00:44 +0000

This summer has been a beauty – full of happy, fun, sunny days. And on Friday and Saturday we had some of the best surf of the summer as Hurricane Earl passed through.

Here is a look back at summer here at Green Lemonade. The focus over the past few months has been on light, refreshing and rejuvenating living. Cleansing, in general, has been a big theme of the summer as detoxing and cleansing moves into the mainstream. Shows like The View and even Rachel Ray have touched on detox diets and cleanses. With all the hype and the extremes being presented when it comes to detoxification, my goal this summer was to introduce you all to the many sides of clean, rejuvenating living grounded in whole foods. This living is not as extreme as you once may have thought – no water with lemon, maple syrup and cayenne pepper drinks here.

We had lots of fun giveaways this summer including a great giveaway from Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program , a series of delicious fresh pressed juices from the adored Blue Print Cleanse and even a nut butter sampling pack from the team at Justin’s Nut Butters. I love those little nut butter packets – so great for traveling and even to take to work or school!

As we move into fall, this rejuvenating lifestyle evolves with the change in season. While summer meals are usually a bit lighter (heck it’s too hot to eat sometimes!), fall begins a shift toward more comforting (yet still upbeat and rejuvenating) foods. This fall we’ll ease back into the more moderate end of the cleansing spectrum to reflect the shift in season and we’ll enjoy more warming foods. This lifestyle is about embracing the seasons and all the good food that comes with a change in those seasons.

In the meantime, here is a look back at all the fun this summer at Green Lemonade. I will miss Montauk and I am already looking forward to next summer….

New Activities, New Experiences in Montauk

This summer my husband and I spent a fun summer in Montauk. I have never seen a more youthful-looking, toned and energetic group of people in my life. They have discovered a healthy, happy and affordable way to live and feel their best. I learned many things this summer from the new friends I met out here. There were so many happy memories from the summer. Here are a few of my favorite memories including:

Surfing with the locals and listening to live music from Donovan Frankenreiter .
Attending a summer soiree honoring Martha Stewart with tastings from celebrity chefs at the Chefs + Champagne 2010 Event.
Lunch at Satur Farms with owners Paulette Satur + Eberhard Müller.
The Annual Hamptons Magazine Clam Bake held at the Montauk Yacht Club
Beautiful sunsets here in Montauk and good food at the Crow’s Nest and South Edison restaurants.
Yoga at Montauk’s Love Yoga studio.

Popular Meals In the Hamptons This Summer

This summer, in addition to some good beach and ocean time I was delighted to be introduced to a suite of new meals including:

Chia Tapioca Pudding : A breakfast pudding craze which only grew in popularity throughout the summer from it’s roots in Southampton.
Frozen soft serve for breakfast – in almond butter peach , cherry and chocolate cherry. No matter the flavor, all the soft serves were creamy and delicious.
The Montauk Brazilian Bikini Lunch, featuring baby lettuce, and a scoop of fresh hummus.
An insight into Celebrity chef Eberhard Müller’s favorite citrus vinaigrette : A refreshing citrus dressing with lemon, orange and grapefruit juice.
A detox-diet cereal love by Hamptonites for how fresh and satisfying it is – more so than any boxed cereal.

Healthy Living Inspiration From The Hamptons

I was surrounded with healthy living Inspiration from many places this summer in the Hamptons. I was especially delighted to spend a week celebrating healthy living thoughts from the team at Organic Avenue – a hip, live, organic food boutique in Southampton, NY and New York city.

New Summer Rejuvenation Programs Were Enjoyed……….

This summer in addition to enjoying many fresh, farm stand foods I also dabbled in two new cleansing experiences – Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean Program and a 5 day juice fast with Organic Avenue.

……….And We Learned A Lot About Cleansing! Including:

New Recipes Were Created, Inspired By Summer

Smoothies were a big focus for me this summer. They were just perfect on hot summer mornings! These are a few new recipes from the summer I found myself indulging in often…

Creamy, Cashew Peach Green Smoothie: Late summer peaches and creamy cashew cream.
Dark Cherry Green Smoothie: Organic dark cherries and cashews.
Lemon Lime Shake: A fun twist on a smoothie inspired by Organic Avenue.
Young Coconut + Blueberry Smoothie: Introduce yourself to the bliss of a young coconut in this smoothie.
Banana Almond Milk: Rich and delicious – AND healthy.

Fresh Pressed Juice Ideas

These are some of my favorite juicer recipes for weight loss.

Healthy Vegetarian Lunch and Dinner Ideas

Interested in a few healthy, meatless meals? You might enjoy these.

Minty hummus wraps: A great way to broaden your use of mint.
Creamy goat cheese wraps: 5 fun goat cheese inspired recipes.
Detox-diet friendly meal ideas: These diet friendly, detox friendly dinners are delicious, AND considerate of ingredients that are easily recognizable, utilizable and easily digestible by your body.

Ideas on Equipment: Blender and Juicer Recommendations

Looking to get started making delicious smoothies and fresh pressed juices? These are some of my favorite blenders and juicers.

Vitamix Vs Blendtec – Which One Is Better?: Additional insight into the high powered blender debate.
The best juicer for $100: This great, affordable juicer will get you started in style and ease.

Hope you all had a nice holiday weekend.

Organic Foods: Are they Better? More Nutritious?

noelle — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:00:11 +0000

So, you’ve started eating ‘right’ after years of Big Macs and Pop Tarts – congratulations! However, along with the energy and otherwise improved life quality you’re enjoying as you make dietary adjustments, you find yourself confused and frustrated about what, exactly constitutes the ‘right’ choice. I’ve experienced this same frustration! I’ve thrown up my hands, asking ‘Only ‘organic’?’ Or is ‘sustainable’ the more important adjective to have affixed to my food? ‘Seasonal’?! ‘Local’?! I find myself treading in this label soup, as well. Let’s take a deep breath and try to sort out some of the basic concepts.

Organic farming

Organic farm production is all about providing food to consumers without leaving the environment or the food contaminated with chemicals. We seek out organic products because we want to be sure that we’re making the right choices for both our bodies and our planet. Ok, so far, so good.

However, the regulation of organic food production in the 2000s complicated the labeling process. While USDA certification of organic food products was undertaken to ensure that producers adhered to the principles that people have come to expect of food bearing the label ‘organic’, it is also a costly and time-consuming process. Many small producers have found that maintaining the USDA organic certification is simply not feasible. This is where things get slightly complicated.

“Ok, so if not all of the ‘good’ stuff is going to bear an ‘organic’ label, how is one to know which foods are good for you and which are drenched in horrifying fertilizers?”

Good question.

When a lack of a USDA Organic label on produce is not a deal-breaker

From what I’ve found through my own exploration, it largely depends on where the foods are sourced. For instance, fruits, vegetables, and other food found in large grocery stores that does not have the ‘organic’ label is likely the product of the agri-business machine that you are trying to get away from. Thus, the large grocery store context is a good place to look for the ‘organic’ label.

However, when utilizing farmer’s markets and other more direct means of obtaining food, the lack of an ‘organic’ label is not as much of a deal-breaker. The vendors at these locations might be the very same small-scale operators whose business model can’t sustain the USDA certification process. Don’t be afraid to ask them about their approach to farming. They will likely be happy to share this information with you! (Sustainabletable.org provides some great guidance on which questions to ask farmers and grocers if you’re unsure what to ask).

A surefire way to obtain even greater knowledge of how your food has been produced is join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Becoming involved with a CSA will give you a view deeper into the approach of those producing the food that you put into your body.

Feel better? I hope so! Eating the food that is best for your body and your planet can be a challenge, but it can be negotiated through inquiry and awareness. Give the above pointers a try. Let me know how they work for you and share any tips that you might have for the Green Lemonade community; we’ll stay afloat in this ‘label soup’ together!

For additional information, check out Sustainable Table’s excellent page on this issue.

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

noelle — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:02:18 +0000

Enjoying the farmer’s market and interested in getting more involved in the process by which food makes it way from the farm to your table? Loving the freshness of seasonal foods from local producers? I know that you’ve enthusiastically answered ‘Yes!’ to these questions. That’s why it’s time for you to consider investigating Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

This movement in food production, gaining momentum since its beginnings about 20 years ago, is all about redefining the role that consumers play in the financing and distribution of food. Instead of purchasing food from a grocery store or farmer’s market, the end user actually becomes a stakeholder in the process, buying a ‘share’ in a CSA organization. In exchange for your investment, you’ll receive a selection of foods (usually fruits and vegetables, but sometimes dairy, poultry and other items, depending on the organization) each week. Buying a share in a CSA is a great way to enjoy the freshest seasonal foods produced by farmers in your area.

In addition to the gustatory perks of involvement in a CSA, you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back for being a part of a more sustainable movement in food production. The dollars spent on your share will benefit the farmers directly, helping small operations stay afloat in an era that often seems defined by industrialized food.

For more information:

Raw Food Goodness: My Way: Noelle Twiggs

noelle — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:01 +0000

Recently, Philip McCluskey from We Like It Raw, asked me to participate in a weekly feature called My Way day highlighting “4 days in the life” of someone amazing. My 4 days were a celebration of summer and some of my time spent this summer in Montauk. I can’t believe Labor Day is upon us. Time has passed so quickly this summer! But alas, for me it always does.

Here is a link to the article on We Like It Raw just in case you missed it. Hope you are gearing up for a great long weekend….

Real Food Lifestyle: My 10 Goals To Live By

noelle — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:00:52 +0000

The last thing you want is to eat a salad and sprouts everyday in the pursuit of a healthy, revitalized body. Sure that may work for some people, but for the rest of us how about some balance? After all, you don’t have to nibble on rabbit food alone in the pursuit of a feel-good, look-good body.

I don’t propose to have all the answers, but I’ve learned some valuable lessons so far on this adventure to live and enjoy a more natural, rejuvenating lifestyle. These are 10 goals I work to live by each day in my pursuit of a healthy lifestyle – some days I do awesome and some days are tougher – but each day I try my best. And when I do, I usually feel my best….

How about you?

Real Food Lifestyle: My 10 Goals To Live By

Enjoy the beauty in every day: I do my best not to get bogged down in obsession about trivial matters, including food. I try and take a moment to appreciate the subtle beauty and fun in each day. And when it comes to food, if I want a piece of chocolate cake or if I want to indulge in an ice cold martini occasionally – I do. I don’t feel guilty about it.

Make a conscious effort to eat “feel-good” foods at every meal. Generally, I find that I just feel better when I exercise and eat a diet RICH in – BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE to – fresh fruit, vegetables, salads and juices. I also eat beans, whole grains and nuts in moderation as well as quality meat, chicken and fish on occasion. Sometimes I dabble in meatless and dairy-free days. It actually feels pretty good, once you figure out what to eat. BUT don’t get me wrong, there are also days when I want to take down a few slices of a delicious margarita pizza…I just try and keep those days to a minimum.

Listen: I try and listen to my body. So often eating for me is tied to social events. Friend is coming into town? Why, dinner reservations are made at a favorite restaurant! Colleague leaving town? Celebratory drinks at the local bar! Etc, etc. There is always something “fun” (and usually oriented around food) in my life. So it could be easy to just be eating non-stop. Which might be fine, except I just wouldn’t feel so good after a while! So I do my best to enjoy my favorite foods and drinks in moderation. Again no one is perfect at this process and neither am I. When my mom comes to visit and brings a batch of her homemade blueberry muffins with a crunchy, sugary top well…happy memories from childhood come flooding back and of course I indulge in a few. In general, I have been working hard to identify true hunger in my day vs emotional hunger stemming from happiness or even stress.

Skip the calorie counting. I believe that having some sense of portion size, and calorie awareness is important, particularly if you are trying to lose weight. However, I’ve decided to take myself off of the rigorous calorie counting train and start listening to my body more. Counting calories with a fresh, raw food-centric diet is not equivalent to the calories you count on a traditional diet of cooked and/or processed foods. I try to focus on the nutritional content as opposed to the calorie content in my eating. AND I try and stick to a Buddha Bowl portion size – which is roughly equivalent to your two hands cupped. Food combining is also a nice built in portion control.

Focus on ingredient labels. Clean food is recognizable, easily utilized, digested and fully eliminated by your body. I do my best to pay attention to ingredient labels when I’m out shopping and buy foods with ingredient names I recognize – knowing of course, that the best foods for health don’t necessarily come with labels.

Organic when possible. I do my best to use organic produce whenever my budget enables me to do so. At times, however it can be difficult and in these situations I will try and buy only that produce which is most susceptible to pesticide absorption like lettuces and apples etc. If there is generally not a hard skin, and you can pretty much eat the entire fruit or vegetable – it’s best to go organic when you can. I have found some great deals by shopping at my local farmers market.

I eat healthy, raw fats and avoid the low-fat craze. Good quality, uncooked fats like avocados, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are great to incorporate into your diet, helping to metabolize fat. These raw fats store as energy in your body rather than fat and actually help us lose fat in the long run. Obviously, as with all good things in life, you can’t eat ten avocados a day, but one or two is terrific. Also just as a random side note, I tend to over eat nuts (especially cashews), so I try and enjoy those sparingly! Anyone else?

Be Prepared. For me, one of the biggest parts of eating well consistently is to be prepared. When I’m traveling I always try and have a few apples and oranges with me. Lara Bars also travel well.

A simple, yet flavorful cooking philosophy Eating clean regularly is full of challenges. Being inspired by “good for you” foods is key. I often don’t have a lot of time during the week to make labor and time intensive recipes, so I more “prepare” my meals. It just takes a little out-of-the-box thinking. These five detox-diet friendly dishes are some of my favorite go-to meals, some parts of these meals (like the quinoa) I make in advance and enjoy in a few different meals throughout a given week. I leave time intensive and ingredient heavy recipes out of my repertoire mid-week, and save those for when I can really enjoy the meditative art of cooking.
Exercise. Get moving. You’ll just feel better. In my experience the sweat, and the sun during an outdoor run, for instance, just feels amazing. Exercise also enhances the feel good effects of a healthy diet.

Conclusion: No one way of eating is right for everyone. As I have poured myself into learning more about a natural, whole food diet, I have been presented with a broad spectrum of diets and individuals within this movement. The key is to have fun and play around with the many different ways of living and enjoying this cleansing and rejuvenating lifestyle and see what feels right to you. What feels right will often change based on the season, your emotions, your workload as well as other demands, so just relax and enjoy the journey equipped with the right tools.

Vitamix Vs Blendtec: Customer Reviews

noelle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:00:05 +0000

Following additional clarity on the “which high powered blender is better debate” a few of your wrote in to share what you love about your blenders. Thank you all for sharing! I hope these thoughts might help some of you who are on the fence about these blenders.

Also Green Lemonade reader Shari asked if we could expect an all glass container, instead of the BPA free plastic containers which are currently included with both the Vitamix and Blendtec blenders. Unfortunately at this time it seems as though the challenge with a glass container on a high speed blender is that the glass is either too heavy for the motor (causing too much strain) or too light (which leads to chipping). Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for the future. A glass container would be nice in so many ways.

You may also enjoy these articles comparing the Vitamix and the Blendtec.

Vitamix Customer Reviews

Ally writes: I am trying to eat more fresh, organic foods and the Vitamix is making it a lot easier for me! I look forward to my green smoothie every morning!
Kate writes: I was nervous to spend the money on such an expensive kitchen appliance, but the Vitamix has helped me whip up a healthy green smoothie when I’m crunched for time. Before I would have just eaten lots of toasted bread and peanut butter!
Heather writes: I love my Vitamix! My kids are eating fresh spinach every morning now! I sneak it into their green smoothies!
Sue writes: I love how my Vitamix makes my smoothies and roasted vegetable soups so c-r-e-a-m-y!
Erica writes: I throw everything in my Vitamix, and there hasn’t been any smoking yet!

Blendtec Customer Reviews

Silvia writes: I owned a Vitamix in the past and gave it up in a move. This time I went with a Blendtec. I love how you don’t have to take everything apart. It’s also smaller than the Vitamix which fits nicely on my counter.
Lynn writes: My husband and I have a green drink inspired by Dr. Oz every morning. The Blendtec just makes it taste so much better.
Anne writes: I live in a small studio apartment in New York City, the Blendtec fits perfectly in my tiny kitchen. I have been using it for everything, including some terrific summer gazpachos!
John writes: The Blendtec is amazingly quick to clean. It literally takes me less than 2 minutes. No excuse not to make one before work. Thanks Noelle!
Julia writes: I love the one-touch buttons. I can throw everything in a blender, press the appropriate smoothie button and go. It’s great.

Late Summer Is A Great Time To Detox

noelle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:45:08 +0000

Late summer is a great time to detox. Why? Summer’s heat can actually accelerate detoxification. Combine a short juice fast with these warm summer days to cleanse, restore and rejuvenate your mind and body. Not ready for just juice? A few days of fresh pressed juices, green smoothies and some delicious farm stand fruit and vegetables are also a great, gentle alternative. You might be interested in this 1 day at home juice fasting menu. Not ready for just juice? Try this 1 Day Whole Foods Rejuvenation Menu. There is something for everyone when it comes to a few days of spa eating and self-pampering to look and feel your best. You can make up an eating plan at home, or if you’d like a bit more structure consider one of these resources.

5 Day Juice Fast With Organic Avenue

This past week a combination of summer laziness, access to a limited kitchen and tremendous heat here on the East Coast inspired me to indulge in a 5 day juice fast. I have been wanting to try one of the unique cleansing programs from Organic Avenue so I signed up for their Love Deep 5 day juice cleanse. While I traditionally prefer to do a combination of juices and some food when cleansing, this week I felt like going a little deeper. All five days of cleansing were pre-planned and completely prepared. Each day I followed the daily menu provided and drank my juices in the order as suggested. With each juice brimming with vital nutrients, it was a welcome break from the mental debate of what to prepare to eat.

Sample Day

Here is a bit more insight into Organic Avenue’s Love Deep 5 day juice fast menu. Each day’s menu varied slightly which I appreciated.

Love Deep 1 (approx 8/9am) 1 Chlorophyll: Chlorophyll
FYI: Drink this straight as a shot, or you can mix it in some purified water. Chlorophyll has the power to regenerate our bodies at the molecular and cellular level and is known to help cleanse the body, fight infection, help heal wounds, and promote the health of the circulatory, digestive, immune, and detoxification systems. Chlorophyll consumption increases the number of red blood cells and, therefore, increase oxygen utilization by the body.

Love Deep 2 (approx 10/11am) 1 Lemonade: Lemon, Lime, Alkaline Water, Ginger, Agave Nectar, Himalayan Salt
FYI: Ginger is known to have more than twelve types of anti-oxidants, making it useful for treatment of many disorders. Like other spices, it has aphrodisiac properties and is used widely for medicinal purposes. This herb contains essential oils, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, choline, folic acid, inositol, manganese, panthotenic acid, silicon, and a small amount of vitamin B3.

This particular morning juice varied over the course of my five days. Throughout the week I also enjoyed a fresh pressed grapefruit juice, apple juice, and even a pear juice.

Love Deep 3 (approx 11/12pm) 1 Young Love: Spinach, Cucumber, Celery
FYI: The benefits of spinach are many. Leafy greens like spinach provide more nutrients than any other food, when compared calorie for calorie. Here are some spinach facts to consider: very nutrient-dense food, loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals, is a heart-healthy food, promotes gastrointestinal health, has anti-inflammatory properties, helps keep your brain young and agile, is protective against eye diseases, and an excellent source of iron. That’s a lot of good stuff!

Love Deep 4 (approx 1/2pm) 1 Master Tonic: Lemon, Alkaline Water, Yacon Syrup, Cayenne Pepper
FYI: Cayenne can do everything from kill cancer cells in the prostate, lungs, and pancreas to immediately stop a heart attack within 30 seconds.

Love Deep 5 (approx 3/4pm) 1 Veggie Vibe: Lemon, Carrot, Spinach, Cucumber, Celery, Parsley, Beet
FYI: The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent. Beets’ potential effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been demonstrated in several studies.

Love Deep 6 (approx 5/6pm) 1 Mellow Love: Spinach, Cucumber, Celery, Romaine, Parsley, Himalayan Salt
FYI: Parsley is a particularly good source of vitamin K. Vitamin K is important for healthy blood clotting and, recently, a study showed that one form of vitamin K may help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Parsley is also a good source of vitamins A and C which have strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

This early evening juice also rotated over the course of my five day juice fast. Throughout the week I also enjoyed a simple cucumber juice. One day I also sipped on a delicious fresh pressed carrot juice.

Love Deep 7 (approx 7/8pm) 1 Coconut Water:
FYI: Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help: Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature, Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage, Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells, Naturally replenish your body’s fluids after exercising, Raise your metabolism, Promote weight loss, Boost your immune system, Detoxify and fight viruses, Cleanse your digestive tract, Control diabetes, Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS, Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer, Treat kidney and urethral stones, and Boost poor circulation.

Interested in learning more about young coconuts? You can often find them in the produce section at Whole Foods as well as your local health food store. Read more here.

Feeling great now! Some challenges along the way…..

All in all, it was a fabulous five days. I had one or two tough patches – that sprung up in the afternoons on the first two days of my all juice cleanse, but after that it was smooth sailing. During those “rough” patches I just headed outside for a walk for a little fresh air and a distraction. This usually worked for me when I was feeling the need to “chew.” One day I nibbled on a fresh fig or two, but for the most part I was able to stand strong! I think the key was being in a warm, hot place…my appetite had definitely waned over these past few days as a result of the heat. I also found that heading to bed early at night helped me curb any late night cravings. Most nights I was in bed by 10pm. I was glad to a complete 5 days on just juice, but my preference definitely lies in cleanses which combine fresh juice and some food. Next time I would like to give Organic Avenue’s Love Easy (Level I) or Love Fast (Level II) a try. Both of these cleansing levels combine juice and some food.

If you’re looking for a little change of pace, and want to reset a few habits – I would definitely consider a few days on “just juice and some food” this time of year. If you live in New York City call up Organic Avenue and speak with one of their nutritional counselors about coordinating a cleanse (or let’s call it a “reset diet”) for you. You’ll be glad you did. After drinking nothing but fresh, yummy juices for a few days (and perhaps even indulging in one of their fresh juice and raw food cleanses) you’ll feel recharged and invigorated. If you live outside of New York City contact me and I will be happy to suggest some other alternatives. And don’t forget to let me know how it goes!

More on Organic Avenue

For those of you not familiar with the company, Organic Avenue is a hip and cool fresh pressed juice, smoothie and natural food wonderland in New York City and now Southampton, New York. They have some of the best drinks, cleansing programs and organic treats around. Everyone who has the opportunity to experience the LOVE (Live Organic Vegan Experience) there adores it.

The cleanses from Organic Avenue appeal to newcomers embarking on their first cleanse to the most enthusiastic cleanser. As many of you now know there is a broad spectrum when it comes to this invigorating and restorative way of living. There is something for everyone. Learn more about cleansing here.

Rejuvenation Day At Gurney’s Inn, Montauk

noelle — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:00:07 +0000

After 4 days of rain out here in Montauk, vacationers were getting a little anxious. The yoga studios were packed, the mini-golf course was jammed even as a light drizzle streamed down on the players. The movie theaters were mobbed and all the local pizza spots in town were bursting at the seams. It is summer after all. Everyone out here is craving the beach, the sun and the ocean. On the 4th day of rain, I decided to check out Gurney’s Inn – a favorite spot of the locals out here year round. The first weekend I was here this summer, a group of locals told me how in the winter they ride their bikes to Gurney’s Inn and spend the day at the indoor saltwater pool swimming and enjoying the jacuzzi, steam room and the sauna. There is a rumor that even during a snowstorm, locals pull out their bikes and snow goggles and will ride to Gurney’s in a few inches of snow to take advantage of the fitness center and an off-season massage. Actually, it’s not a rumor. One lovely couple that I met this summer don’t own a car and operate purely by bicycle year round. This winter, while her boyfriend was surfing in the snow, Isabelle took the snow goggles that Dennis got for her and ventured out on her daily ride over to Gurney’s…in the snow. Is that an image or what? I love this couple. It’s a 6 mile ride, roundtrip! After hearing so much about this Inn, I decided that I wanted to check the place out and see what all the hype was about. So I headed over to Gurney’s on Wednesday for a few hours. Gurney’s is beautifully situated on a cliff overlooking the ocean along Old Montauk Highway. The Inn is nestled between some beautiful estates (one of which was formerly owned by Bernie Madoff) along a beautiful stretch of beach. Upon arriving at the Inn, I’m pretty sure I found half of the population vacationing in Montauk this week at the resort. The sun popped out for a few hours, luring everyone down to a comfy lounge chair on the beach. Unlike some of the other beaches out here in Montauk, characterized by a more rocky shoreline, this stretch of beach was sandy and stretched for miles. I’m pretty sure I could walk to the neighboring town, just along the beach.

Anyway, next time you’re in Montauk and stuck with a rainy day, consider spending a few hours at Gurney’s Inn. The saltwater pool and the indoor jacuzzi, sauna and steam room are a nice rejuvenating break from a gray day. And if you have a rainy day collection in one of your piggy banks, a massage just might be a nice treat too. The massages are not like the experience at Parrot Cay (probably the best massage I’ve EVER had), but hey they’re not bad either. Hope you all have a great weekend.