I started a juice diet about 2 weeks ago, and I am a type 1 diabetic.  I want to share my process and results with people who may be interested and find this helpful.

BACKGROUND STORY: 

I typically have a range of blood sugars ranging anywhere from 30 to the high 300's, with an average on my glucometer of around 170. And this is with close careful monitoring. I check my blood sugar usually 6 times a day and correct often. (being also a bit insulin resistant has made managing my type 1 even more challenging). 

I have never been very overweight, but recently put a few pounds on. I Leave for a bathing suit vacation in Costa Rica in 2 months, and was not feeling great about my body. 

I started a juice diet with the goal to look my best in a bathing suit by the time I leave for my trip. I didn't carefully consider the effects of diabetes (which is probably stupid). 

THE BEGINNING: 

I started during the 3 day Memorial Day weekend. I woke up that morning, went to the health store around the corner and had a few fresh squeezed veggie juices made. When I got home I announced to my boyfriend "I am just juicing for the 3 day weekend". (Being an avid health and diet nut himself), He thought it was a great idea. He suggested I do it for a week. That sounded like a lot of pressure for someone who has never been a diet, so I insisted that this would be a 3 day venture. 

The first 3 days sucked. I was hungry and CRAVING solid foods. The 3rd day, at night I cracked and cheated with a handful of vanilla wafer cookies and peanut butter. When I woke up the next morning for work, I thought... "What the hell, let's try this for another day or 2. There are juice places near my office!" By the end of day 4, I had lost all my food cravings and had more energy than I can ever remember having. (I should also note that I unwillingly gave up coffee 3 months earlier because it was making me sick to my stomach).

When I got home from work that day I had come to the conclusion that juicing was a very good thing, and that perhaps this should be a more long term process. If I feel this good, how could I stop?! I was allowing myself a nutrigrain bar or protien bar once a day. Usually I eat half of one just when I have a real hunger pange. It is enough to satisfy that. I save the other half for later or the next day.

A week and a half later, I have a brand new top-rated juicer in my kitchen (thanks to my wonderful boyfriend). 

DIABETES: 

What about my diabetes? My range of numbers from 30 - 300's has shifted to be around 50 - 170. A MAJOR change. I am taking the same basal dose of my long acting Lantis insulin. BUT my low carb diet has reduced the amount of short acting novolog I take very siginificantly. I used to take between 15-25 units of short acting insulin every day, both for food consumption and correction factors. Since juicing, I take only around 3-5 units of short acting insulin a day. Not to mention I have to inject myself much less often. I should note that I am continuing to check my blood sugar 6-7 times a day to make sure that I am maintaining optimal health. This can not be a guessing game. 

I still get some low blood sugars. Especially over night, which was an issue even before I started juicing. I have found it helps quite a bit if (I check my sugar before bed, and assuming my blood sugar is at an ideal level...) I eat a protien bar or nutrigrain bar and DO NOT take insuliln to compensate for the food. When I wake up in the morning my blood sugars range from 75-110. This means that the carbs I took in may cause a slight sugar spike, but prevent the drop I was experiencing at night. By morning everything has leveled itself off perfectly. 

MODIFYING THE DIET TO WORK FOR ME: 

So my juice diet is slightly modified and imperfect, much like me. I am allowing for some foods, but sticking to mostly liquids. And ALL VEGGIES. Fruit would change things a lot, although occasionally I add small amounts of lemon for preservation. 

I am also, if I feel very hungry allowing myself to eat small amounts of raw veggies. But only raw, and only veggies. Carrots, cucumbers, radishes and spinach mainly. This means I am taking in only the foods I would take in while juicing, but allowing myself some of the fiber. It helps when I have the urge to eat. But I don't go crazy with it, I keep it to small enough amounts that I would not need insulin. Like a handful of baby carrots or half a cucumber. 

Also an occasional handful of almonds for protein. Concerned about taking in enough protein, I occasionally add protein powder to my juices, though I don't love the taste it gives them. So the protein bars once a day make me feel better about taking in what I need. 

TAKING A BREAK: 

I am now 2 weeks in, and have decided to take a break from the juicing for the weekend. Why? That euphoric energized state I felt the 1st week is gone. My energy levels are rather depleted, and I am finding that I am REALLY missing the way I felt last week. According to my boyfriend, my body has now used up all of it's stored glycogen, which provides the body with energy. From what I can read online, lots of juicers and raw-foodies take a break once every week or 2 to restore their glycogen levels. I did not know much about glycogen before all of this, so if you need more info try the wikipedia link: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycogen
I think it explains things pretty clearly. So with my much depleted energy levels, I have decided to take a break from the juicing for the weekend. I am being careful not to eat processed foods and not to binge or over eat. I am sticking with whole wheats and whole grains. Last night I had a small bowl of whole wheat pasta (mixed with some cooked carrots and raw bell pepper wedges, topped with a small amount of pesto sauce). I also have been snacking on a carrot and zuchini bread that I baked using the left over pulp from my juicer. I used whole wheat flour, honey, instead of sugar, and in smaller moderation than the recipe called for. I also added almonds for protein, of course. (This bread was a huge hit at my office).

I am looking forward to start my juicing again on Monday. But it is nice to know that I can do this and take time off from it occasionally to still eat the foods I enjoy. Now those foods are treats that I look forward to, rather than the staple of my diet. 

THE RESULT: 

In 2 weeks I fit back into the majority of my pants. They are still a little snug, but 3 weeks ago I couldn't even get some of them all the way up around my butt. Now I can put them on AND zip them up. My diabetes is MUCh more well managed. Overall, I feel the best I have ever felt. 

For me, the key is not to put too much pressure on myself. If I am super rigid and strict, I simply won't do it. If I am easy on myself and allow a (small) cheat here and there, it relieves the pressure and makes it feel less like I am torturing myself and more like I am giving myself a gift. I understand that this method may not work for everyone, and some people need to be very rigid and strict because the little cheats can turn into more and lead to not doing the diet at all. But for me this works. 

My boyfriend says he sees a difference and that I look slimmer all around. But I am not where I want to be yet. 

I do not own a scale, and don't want to. In the past when I have had a scale in my apartment I obsess about it. I check my weight twice a day and it has become unhealthy, unproductive, and just stupid. Now, I choose to focus on how I look and feel, and not think too much about or obsess over a number. I am guessing that I have lost about 7 pounds in the past 2 weeks. For a 5' tall girl that is significant. But like I said, it is an estimate and I am aiming to lose more. Next time I am around a scale I can determine for sure. 

This has also been combined with adding more excercize into my life. As a New Yorker, I am naturally more active than people not living in a city, simply because I walk all over the place. I am now trying to have some form of excercize routine 4-5 days a week. One day it may be an active yoga, another day it may be a brisk 3 mile walk around central park. I have started doing squats and hip excercizes combined with P90x Ab Ripper X 15 minute ab routine (that one is a killer) to work on the parts of my body I'd like to see trimmer in a bathing suit. 

I want to note that the most important change I have experienced in the last 2 weeks is not weight loss. It is the easier management of my type 1 diabetes, and the overall way that I feel physically (including the increased energy). If I lose no weight at all and look exactly the same, this new lifestyle is worth it for these reasons. And I am so thrilled to say this, because it is not at all the reason I started this in the first place. But my results are much more and much better than what I would have hoped for.

Dawn helps save wildlife in BP oil spill

I saw this commercial the other day and thought it was an excellent response to the BP oil spill disaster.  Dawn is showing their support.  Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGcZrqP4f98

Indoor Air Pollution: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Indoor Air Pollution

It is the start of a new millennium and being “green friendly” is on everybody’s mind.  People are talking about issues like pollution, global warming, and sustainable living all over the world right now.  However, our outdoor environment is not the only environment that poses a threat to human health.  The indoor environment can actually be considerably worse—up to ten times worse than the polluted air outside!

Indoor air-pollution is a serious, growing problem that few people are even aware of.  In recent years, there have been drastic increases in many health related illnesses and symptoms due to indoor air pollution. In Fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ranked indoor air pollution in the top five threats to human health.  Polluted indoor air can be problematic in any building: the home, office, classroom, shopping mall, etc.  Numerous things contribute to poor air quality.  Luckily though, with a little bit of discipline and knowledge there is hope for cleaner, healthier air indoors.

In 1973-74 the United States faced a national energy crisis.  In order preserve energy and lower costs, hermetically sealing buildings quickly became the norm.  As well as buildings being sealed air tight, fuel consumption was further reduced when people began receiving tax deductions for adding additional insulation to their homes.  While these changes to the building industry made indoor heating and cooling more efficient, it also lead to some unfortunate consequences.  Harmful chemicals and gases found in the air inside are now completely sealed from the outside world with nowhere to disperse.  Trapping these gases inside means that individual people, families, children and pets are suffering dangerous side effects from breathing in such fumes. With people spending up to 9/10ths of their lives indoors, the repercussions can be tragic.

Harmful Potential Effects

Many health problems have been associated with indoor air pollution.  While the exact effects of indoor air pollution are still being discovered, scientists are finding more and more evidence to suggest that indoor air pollution is a very dangerous problem.  “Sick building syndrome” is a term that now goes hand in hand with “Indoor air pollution”.  Sick building syndrome describes symptoms that people experience when they live or work in a certain building for extended periods of time.  These symptoms are likely to go away when the individual leaves for a given time.  Common symptoms that have been linked to sick building syndrome include allergies, asthma, sinus irritations and congestion, respiratory congestion, fatigue, headache and nervous system disorders.  The numbers of all of these health conditions has increased steadily over the past 25 years in regions where buildings are hermetically sealed.

Sadly, it is now believed that symptoms related to sick building syndrome may not even be the worst of the health related problems that are caused by indoor air pollution.  Sick building syndrome generally refers to symptoms that can be eliminated under better air quality conditions.  Conditions like ADHD, autism, genetic damage, immune system disorders, memory loss, and lower IQ may not correct themselves simply by changing the environment.  The number of children born with some form of autism has increased ten times over the past ten years, and the number of children with ADHD has increased even more drastically.  Childhood cancer rates in the US has increased more than 20% since the 1970’s.  A quote from Dierdre Imus’ book (pg 41), “Green This!” details the startling repercussions of indoor air pollution:

“Researches at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the Boston University School of Public Health have linked these steadily increasing cancer rates to various environmental contaminants: car emissions, pesticides, and parents’ exposures to the toxins commonly found in paints and petroleum-based solvents.  Many of these exposures take place before birth—the toxic substance can cross the placenta and damage the developing fetus—or even prior to conception, particularly if parents work in a heavily polluted environment”. 

This explains an increase in birth defects in recent years.  Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has also been linked to indoor air pollution.  SIDS occurs for unknown reasons and is always unexpected.  SIDS occurs most commonly in infants between the ages of 2 and 4 months.  Researches now consider one cause of SIDS to be toxins in the air that infants do not yet have immunity to, or that damaged the fetus before birth.  SIDS has also been associated with tobacco smoke, a harmful contributor to indoor air pollution.

Causes

What are the main causes of indoor air pollution?  There are many. Chemical production has increased worldwide at alarming rates over the past 80 years.  Even knowing the dangers, our government does practically nothing to restrict use and production of these chemicals.  Complete health information is only available for  a small portion of chemicals used in household products.

Harmful chemicals come from an alarming number of other unexpected places as well.  Furniture, fabric, plastics, and other basic materials found around the home and office emit harmful chemicals into the air.  The use of synthetic materials has had a dramatic effect on air quality.  Synthetic materials emit harmful gases into the air.  Materials like particleboard, teflon, carpet, and wallpaper could all be emitting toxic particles.  Cleaning products, soaps, adhesives, cosmetics, computer printers, nail polish, paints, paper towels, and dry cleaned clothing are a small sample of common household products that contribute to indoor air pollution.  These products and materials give off a wide range of dangerous chemicals including formaldehyde, xylene, benzene, ammonia, acetate and the list goes on and on.

Solutions

What can a person do to protect themselves and their family, friends and pets from the detrimental effects of indoor air pollution?  Fortunately, there are a number of steps that can be taken to help improve the air quality around the home and workplace.  Increasing ventilation, buying all natural and or using home made cleaning products, using air filters, and keeping plants around, are all positive steps in the direction toward a healthier, less polluted indoor environment.  Some of these options may take time, discipline and research.  But the difference taking these actions could make in people’s overall health and wellbeing is well worth the effort.

One of the simplest things that can be done to improve indoor air quality is also one of the most important.  It’s easy; open a window.  Ventilation is crucial for both human comfort and health.  Today’s well-sealed buildings trap air inside.  By opening a window, stale air that is filled with pollutants has a chance to disperse into the atmosphere outdoors, and in turn, fresh air is cycled in.  The easiest way to eliminate the harmful particles given off by your furniture, and household products is simply not to trap them inside!

Unfortunately, depending on where an occupant resides, opening a window may not be an option for extended periods of time in extreme cold and severe weather conditions.  Don’t lose hope.  There are other things that can be done.  Some of the highest contributors to indoor air pollution are everyday cleaning products.  Instead of running to the store to buy conventional dishwashing detergents, wet Swiffer mops, and Febreeze odor eliminators, consider using more natural products.  In today’s consumer driven society it is easy to run to the drug store or grocery store when you need these products.  People generally don’t give much thought to what is actually in the product.  All natural cleaning products are out there, but can be difficult to find, and costly. Consumers should be aware that just because a product says “all natural” does not always mean that it contains no harmful chemicals. There is another option.  Cleaning products can be made at home out of harmless ingredients that work as well as many of the products you find in the stores.  Vinegar, liquid castile soap and baking soda are excellent examples of ingredients that are virtually harmless, but mixed with a few other safe ingredients can make fantastic cleaning products.  Anyone interested in making their own cleaning products to better the air quality in their home or workplace should read the books “Green This”, by Deirdre Imus and “Clean House, Clean Planet”, by Karen Logan.  Both books offer easy solutions for homemade remedies to replace the harmful products that most people use today.

Nowadays people are turning to furniture made of particleboard rather than wood, and plastics rather than glass and metal.  These options tend to be more affordable, lighter in weight, and easier to come by.  But the economical solution is not always the healthy solution.  Unfortunately, synthetics give off considerable amounts of harmful chemicals.  Keeping fewer synthetic materials around the home and workplace will help lead to better air quality.

Many people today are turning to air purifiers to clean their air.  These machines do help some, but only minimally. Air purifiers help to remove dust and lint from the air more than they are able to remove harmful chemicals.  There is however, a better, natural air purifier that works better than any product developed by man at purifying the air.  Plants.  Plants are the most important thing on our planet for sustaining the balance of life.  This fact is no different indoors from out.  By keeping plants in the home and workplace, people are making huge improvements in the quality of the air that they breathe.  Through the process of photosynthesis, plants naturally breathe in harmful gases and convert those harmful gases into oxygen, which will help the quality of human’s ability to breathe.

All plants are beneficial toward cleaner air.  However, some plants are better at eliminating certain chemicals from the air than others.  For example, a tulip can be very good for removing ammonia from the air, but not as successful at eliminating xylene and toluene.  Other plants, like the Peace Lilly and the Dumb Cane are exceptional at cleaning numerous gases from the air.  For more information on how individual species of plants effect air quality indoors, read Dr. B.C. Wolverton’s excellent book, “How to Grow Fresh Air”.  Taking care of plants can be a difficult process, but it can also be a rewarding one.  Caring for plants requires research and patience.  For people who are not good at remembering to water plants on a regular basis, there are low maintenance, easy to care for options.  Some of the lower maintenance plants are actually some of the most successful at eliminating harmful gases from the air.

Sources and Additional Recommended Reading

Imus, Deirdre. Green This. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 2007.

Logan, Karen. Clean House, Clean Planet. New York City: Pocket Books, 1997.

Wolverton, Dr. B.c. How to Grow Fresh Air. New York City: Penguin Books, 1997.

Wolverton, Dr. B.c. "Sources of Chemical Emissions." 15 Nov.-Dec. 2007 <http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com/chem.htm>.

http://www.wolvertonenvironmental.com/ - An excellent website for information on Indoor Air Pollution and Clean Water from a NASA researcher.

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ - Useful information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Indoor Air Pollution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_air_quality - wikipedia gives details of specific allergens and harmful chemicals which could be effecting air quality and "greener design".

Green Rebel Recipe: World's Greatest Grilled Cheese

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese?  This recipe is for the gourmet grilled cheese deluxe.  This is for the grilled cheese connoisseur.  It is absolutely the world's greatest grilled cheese.

Ingredients:

-2 slices of bread of choice (I typically like Whole Wheat, Rye,
 or Pumpernickel for a bread with some added flavor)
-cheddar cheese
-shaved parmesan cheese
-red bell pepper
-sliced mushroom (optional)
-margarine (for health purposes I typically opt for olive oil  
 butter, instead)
-pesto sauce

Get Cooking:

To prepare, slice the cheese into thin squares.  Then chop the red pepper into thumbnail size bits, and slice mushrooms if you are including them.

Start by slathering one side of each slice of bread in margarine.  Next slap the the bottom slice of bread on a frying pan, buttered side down, and turn the stove on - set to low heat.  Slather the top half of the bread with a generous layer of pesto sauce.  Add slices of cheddar cheese, covering the bread.  Leave room at the edges so the cheese doesn't ooze out the sides.  Add pepper bits and mushroom slices (spread apart from each other so each piece can melt into the cheese).  Add a layer of shaved parmesan on top, and then place the top layer of bread over everything, butter side facing up.  Using a spatula, push down on the sandwich to help the layers stick together.

Now comes the tricky part.  It should be about time to flip.  I find the best way to do this is with two spatula's (or a spatula and a knife if you can't find two).  Slip the spatula under the bottom layer of bread, and put the second one on top.  Lift the sandwich off the pan.  Keep a firm grip, and carefully turn the sandwich around and place it back on the pan.  Pat yourself on the back for getting past that point, spin around once and count to three.  It should be done!  The second side cooks much quicker than the first, so get it off the pan quickly before it burns, and put it on a plate.  Cut diagonally down the center, and enjoy.

This sandwhich is so good, you will probably want to make a second one!

Can't lie

I can't lie... it is a little disheartening that between a fashion blog, an art in nyc blog, and an organic living blog... the organic living generates the least attention.

Where are the Green Rebels?

BP Oil Spill

As most of you probably already know, there was a recent tragic oil spill off the Gulf coast near Louisiana.  Tragically reports estimate that more oil has already spilled into the ocean than in the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska many years ago.  Until now, that spill was the worst in history.  Tragically, the oil is still spilling into the ocean.  BP, coastguards and government are all at a loss in the situation.  Nobody knows the exact cause of the leak, but worse yet, nobody knows how to stop it and oil continues to contaminate the ocean as I am typing this.

Photo of dead turtle by Joe Raedle / Getty Images News

As an environmentalist and passionate wild-life protection advocate, this news is truly heartbreaking.  My heart bleeds for the abundant sea-life which will suffer devastating tragedies over this terrible human blunder.  This will also inevitably harm coastal businesses for miles and miles along the Gulf coast.

My thoughts are with the whales, dolphins, sharks, sea otters, sea lions, fish, shrimp, turtles and other marine life, as well as the birds who feed off of them and the businesses which thrived on the healthy balanced sea.

This is a tragedy of magnificent proportions.  It is important to be aware of the potential and inevitable damages this will cause, and in the coming months to look for opportunities to help return the region back to a healthy balanced ecosystem.

For more information on the spill (such as damages, numbers, and even how Kevin Costner is helping attempt a clean-up) go to the following website: http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/oil-spill-live-feed-link-watch-video-bp-heavily-criticised-2619794.html

Super Vegan

Recent awesome Rebel In Green discovery for New York vegetarians, or visiting vegetarians:

Super Vegan is an awesome website devoted to animal friendly dieters.  This website has a fantastic list of veggie restaurants with reviews of each place!  It also has event listings and a blog spot.  Check it out:

Supervegan.com