If you follow my twitter feed and subscribe to my newsletter you know I had a blast last week testing the 2nd of the top three cleanse companies in San Francisco. First was the CAN CAN cleanse, but this is the full review of my experience with Living Greens SF.

Living Greens San Francisco is the largest, most established cleanse delivery company in the city specializing in custom designed programs. They also provide round the clock moral support through email or phone calls!

I was elated to taste and feel the three levels of intensity they offer. I chose to sip one intensity per day. Here is their simple breakdown of detox levels:

LIVING WELL – Healthy balance of fruits and vegetables
LIVING CLEAN – Heavier on the vegetables with inclusion of some fruit
LIVING GREEN – All vegetables with no fruits

Unlike the CAN CAN cleanse, I wasn’t allowed to eat. I knew this would be the ultimate challenge for me. I love to munch big salads and totally cheated last time.

The other significant difference between Living Greens SF and CAN CAN Cleanse was the freshness of the juices. Living Greens SF delivers your days worth of juice every morning to conserve the nutrients and living enzymes.

As soon as fruits or veggies are juiced the cells start to oxidize and breakdown. Pasturization kills the enzymes as well, which is why raw organic juices are best. 

The Living Green’s crew also drops off your jars where ever you need them in the morning. An important benefit because that week I was teaching at a different location each day. Such a luxury!

I learned from my first cleanse experiment that I needed to space out the juices properly and rest more. Ideally I could take time off work and just focus on healing from the inside out.

Monday Day 1- Living Well: After receiving my menu of juices, detox teas, and broths in my inbox for the day I sipped the aloe flush and green juice breakfast.

I’ve enjoyed aloe several times before, but I think it’s an acquired taste for most people. The digestive flush and anti-inflammatory nature of aloe with a squirt of lemon juice is powerful and ideally taken every day as a morning tonic.

I don’t normally like grapefruit juice, but Living Greens blend was just right. I gulped and adored the green juices! The potassium broth and probiotic tabs were a welcomed addition to my evening beverages after a day of sweet juices. It completely satisfied that savory craving.

Unfortunately I had a packed schedule of clients that day and couldn’t rest as much as I’d like, but I managed to squeeze in a sauna and yoga. I made sure to hit the sheets early for a full night of zzz’s.

Tuesday Day 2- Living Clean: I awoke with abundant energy and clarity. I loved the beet juice blend and detox teas specifically. Purple beet juice is packed full of rich phytonutrients and enough natural sugar to keep you going for hours. Another bonus was the daily coconut water straight from the coconut! I struggled with not eating, but knew I only had one more day. I read Michelle and Bryan’s inspiring emails and tweets to reaffirm my commitment to the program.

Wednesday Day 3 Living Green: Green juice all day! This was the by far the most challenging day. I had no problem with the juices, they tasted fabulous. I didn’t mind the lack of sweet fruit blends. My issue was hunger. By mid afternoon I was famished. I think in the future I will request more juice.

Overall Thoughts: Living Greens SF offers a vast array of tasty juices and special programs you can tailor to your specific goals. I know exactly how I will design my cleanse next time. More green juice, coconut water and perhaps a kombucha thrown in! My metabolism is way too fast and energy demands too high during a work week to rest sufficiently. No detox symptoms this time though, and I can’t say enough about their adorable jars and quick, friendly delivery.

Ultimately, this cleanse was an incredible reset button for my immune and digestive system. I’ve never felt so hydrated! I had several people compliment my beaming complexion and clear eyes. I was glowing. Be careful…green juice glow is addicting. I also dropped a few pounds, which I didn’t need, but welcomed.

What’s more, Michelle and Bryan, the awesome owners of Living Greens SF, are offering you a 10% discount on a cleanse! Just make sure to mention me when you order. They deliver throughout the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Marin and the East Bay.

Do you juice daily? Do you have a juicer? What’s your favorite blend?

Like green smoothies, low glycemic raw organic juices are now part of my daily routine. I just can’t wait until I’m on retreat in Bali sipping greens all day with Jillian and her delicious gourmet raw dishes after a day full of yoga, pilates, and martial arts. Tropical warmth and juices = pure bliss.

“Liquids for three days straight? Hell no. There’s no way I can sustain my physical energy demands and mental clarity with apple juice and cayenne.”

These were my rambling thoughts six months ago. For the past three years juicing and green smoothie blending have been staples in my high raw vegan lifestyle, but the thought of existing only on light juices for a 3-5 day detox cleanse?  How could I survive without kale chips and kombucha, salads and my one true love, almond butter?!!

Never the less, I’ve read extensive research on liquid fasting and cleanses, watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead a few times and witnessed others around me reset negative eating patterns, kick start weight loss and miraculously heal from diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The only thing left to do was give it try. What was holding me back? Fear of the unknown. I don’t need to lose weight or lower my blood pressure, but I was curious to see how I’d feel. I was also inundated over new years with clients, meet-up members and readers asking for recommendations of local San Francisco delivery cleanse programs. Instead of buying a juicer and fumbling with random recipes, everyone wanted a quick and cost effective way to cleanse and reboot for 2012. Preferably packaged and dropped on their doorstep.

I decided I’d play guinea pig for you. I chose the top three local cleanse delivery companies and sipped through my first 3-day cleanse last weekend! The adorable CAN CAN Cleanse was up first. A wholesome 3-day liquid cleanse made from organic fruits, veggies, teas, nuts, herbs & spices. Below is my detox tale.

Thursday night 7pm: I could hardly wait for my cleanse to arrive! After reading through the 8 nutrient dense beverages  and chatting with the darling owner Teresa, I nearly fell out of my chair when the little glass jars arrived.

As a high raw vegan I already lived the pre-cleanse warm-up guidelines. I was ready to forgo chewing for the weekend.

These were my simple guidelines:

THE SPA RETREAT FOR YOUR INSIDES…

24 refreshing and warming beverages.

Each day, consume the same seasonal menu of 8 nutrient-rich beverages:

• 2 Fruit Juices
• 2 Green Vegetable Juices
• 2 Herbal Teas
• 1 Nut Milk
• 1 Savory Soup

Approximately 1000 calories per day

DRINK UP!

Timeline for consumption*

8:00am  Lemon Ginger Juice

9:00am  Green Juice

10:30am Dandelion Tea

12:30pm Winter Orange Soup

2:30pm   Spiced Apple Juice

5:00pm  Green Juice

7:00pm  Mixed Nut Milk

8:00pm  Echinacea Lemongrass Tea

*Skew the times according to when you wake-up. If you consume a beverage earlier or late, not to worry. These are guidelines that should be adjusted to fit your lifestyle. Remember to listen to your body and do what feels best for you!

Friday Day 1: I woke up hungry as normal. My typical breakfast includes copious amounts of fresh fruit or filling green smoothie after at least 8 hours of fasting during sleep. I gulped the lemon water, herbal tea and green juice in about 30 mins and reached for the tasty soup an hour later.

By the afternoon I had sipped my 8 beverages for the day and was feeling fantastic! Hydrated, energetic and light in body. As 6pm rolled around I started to get shaky and light headed. I know that I tend towards hypoglycemia. I have to eat nutrients every few hours or my blood sugar drops too much. Lesson #1- spread the beverages throughout the day.

I totally cheated and added a green smoothie for dinner. I drifted off to sleep under my down comforters, happy as a clam.

Saturday Day 2: Again I jumped on the juices with wreckless abandon. It was such a luxury to have fresh green juice twice a day! Who needs coffee when we have greens? The nut milk blend of almonds, hazel and brazil nut was a drool worthy evening delight.

I spread my sipping properly over the hours and couldn’t believe my clarity. I hit up the gym sauna around 2pm after a dance class in the morning. Sweating during a cleanse increases detox, but light exercise is recommended.

But… The Yoga Journal Conference was in town. It comes once a year and I wasn’t about to miss out on the fun community classes, market place and meeting new friends. I added a superfood green smoothie to my day and hit up the conference floor to bust a move.

I popped in to say hi to the gorgeous ToeSox crew. Having just come from dance, I was still wearing my new black pair.

Samazon Acai was sampling their delicious sorbets and juices. Why do you support labeling GMO’s?

Sunday Funday Day 3: After a night of random detox headaches I popped out of bed eager to pick up my buddy and head to yoga at Urban Flow. Light exercise is something I obviously don’t understand. I had the energy to power through my favorite class and then some. I noticed my joints felt more lubricated and it was easier to thoroughly enjoy shavasana.

I rounded out the evening with a few clients at Rainbow Grocery. We strolled the isles, chatted nutrition, bought in bulk and stocked up for the week.

Final Thoughts:  I’d CAN CAN again in a heart beat. Every beverage was delicious. Especially the nut milk and squash carrot soup! The ease of sipping from reusable jars throughout the day saved hours of food prep. I used that time to enjoy my day more fully with friends, reading, relaxing and setting intentions. The nightly motivation emails from Teresa rocked as well! I also appreciated the seasonal menu. Seasonal and local eating is best for the body and the planet.

During my next cleanse I plan to chill more. I have a fast metabolism and workout at least a few hours per day. It’s challenging for me to rest my bones, but it’s necessary for proper fasting. The energy I saved from not digesting, was spent performing movement. Luckily, I didn’t experience detox symptoms, beyond a headache, thanks to my high raw living.

Stay tuned for my next adventure on the 5- day Deep Green Cleanse from Juice To You!

Have you tried a cleanse? 

At the ripe young age of 13 I was doubled over in back pain daily. Stress fractures in my lumbar 4 and 5 vertebrae threatened my ability to twirl and fly across the floor in ballet. After months of chiropractic adjustments, massage and serious core workouts I was able to continue dancing without further damage. But, the pain never disappeared. I was content with the chronic dull ache and sharp knifing pains after a long day of rehearsal. I was determined to dance no matter the cost to my joint longevity. That is, until college rocked my world.

My 20 unit dance load equated to 6 hours of class and rehearsal per day. And of course being merely a member of the university dance company wasn’t enough. I had to be a principle soloist and student company director. My former Type A perfectionist persona! I needed help. There was no way my body would with stand the madness my brain was willing.

Luckily, all freshmen had to enroll in pilates mat conditioning. After a few weeks of working the mat, finding new muscle groups, and figuring out my bone alignment issues, my back pain disappeared. I reached out to my professor and downloaded my soloist dreams. For the next several months we worked side by side on the mat to balance my body. I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a pain free body that could withstand the physical demands of a professional dance career. Two years later I graduated as a principle, company student director, with a wild passion for the pilates method.

I learned early on to reach out to mentors. In dance, in finance, in business, in teaching, in life. My online mentors inspire me everyday through social media platforms and blogs. Ever wonder why I’ve made San Francisco my home base? Because I take morning classes from some of the worlds best dance, yoga and pilates teachers. I absorb their nuggets of wisdom and pass them onto my clients and students.

If I want to create my most epic self I need to learn from those who shine the brightest. There is no point in settling for less. Settling for mediocre training, mind numbing jobs, and passionless moments. Life awaits.

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I use H&R block to file my taxes online as a small business owner. I highly recommend their tax experts. I’ve only had to meet in person once to clarify my deductions, but otherwise their online system is easy breezy!

2012 is a year of conscious transformation. We are at a vital tipping point in our history and have a simple choice. Continue down the spiral of environmental degradation and unconscious habitual self destruction or chose to transform our external world by turning inward to work on ourselves.

As we step into the new year, new day and new moment many of us set goals and intentions. “I want to lose 20lbs, I want to find balance, I want to de-stress!” are all wishes I’ve heard gushing from clients this week. Many want to detox and jump start new habits. And while this passion lasts for typically the first few months of the year, by March most have fallen off the wagon once again. This is exactly why I’m offering my next all inclusive retreat at the end of March!

Healthy habits must be absorbed and practiced consistently for an entire month to stick long term. My upcoming epic training retreat is designed to not only experience vibrant mind, body, spirit techniques, but teach you how to maintain them in your every day life back home.

Hear all the fun adventures and training we have planned…

Raw Yoga Jedi Retreat

March 24th-31st 2012

Michael Franti’s Soul Shine Villas in Ubud, Bali

For all retreat details and registration head over to our main website RawYogaJedi.com

My buddy Cody McKibben from Thrilling Heroics, just spent a glorious week at Soul Shine Villas and recapped his stunning experience here.

Remember! If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area you can pop into one of our free demo workshops. The next one is schedule for tomorrow night Tuesday, January 10th at 7pm. RSVP here and I’ll see you there!

Repeat after me… “I am worth it!” Change begins now.

As I sit bundled in a cozy cafe in Ocean Beach, San Diego surrounded by smiling, laughing people I can’t help but feel complete. The holiday season is absolute magic! I just landed after an unforgettable family vacation of a lifetime on the Caribbean island of Anguilla. This year, instead of buying stuff we don’t need, my family decided travel, adventure and time together was more important. Yes! I’m rubbing off on them. And though I desperately needed to unplug and relax I couldn’t forget about you!

My clients, subscribers, friends and family are always in the my thoughts. You inspire me. You are why I create. How can I give more? How can I show my complete appreciation for your radiance? My gift to you this year is a rockin mind, body, spirit workout straight from the beaches of Rendezvous Bay.

Follow me as I flow through a special pilates and yoga sequence designed to break a sweat, and open every nook and cranny, while calming the mind and soothing the spirit. Listen to the rolling waves and breathe in the tropics with me. Take a break from the holiday mayhem to feel your body from the inside out and gain instant clarity.

I just uploaded all the pics from our adventure on facebook here. From delicious organic hydroponic grown meals, to island hopping, to horse back riding, I made sure to enjoy every second.

Wherever you find yourself this moment smile and breathe. You are here. Thank yourself for showing up, for putting in the work and discipline to better yourself, and thus the world around you. Know that from this second forward you create your reality. Every moment a limitless possibility. I look forward to helping you shape your experience in 2012 and beyond!

Begin right now by downloading my free wellness ebook. My info packed guide goes indepth with my top 12 nutrition secrets, and abundant natural beauty and self care tips. I list my top web and book resources as well. If you haven’t downloaded it already just enter your name and email in the main sidebar. Yay more gifts!
I’m teaching all next week at Rancho La Puerta in Baja, but will be back in San Francisco to ring in the new year. A sweet surprise is coming your way from the ranch as well. And when I thought life couldn’t get sweeter, I woke up.

Want to join me in paradise for real?

Check out my next all inclusive training retreat in Bali, March 2012. 

Julianna Hever is the fabulous nutritionist and author behind The Complete Idiots Guide to Plant Based Nutrition. With a twitter handle like The Plant Dietitian and appearances on the Dr. Oz show, she’s a wonderful go-to source of tips and strategies for thriving on a plant based diet.

At GreenFest Los Angeles I was immediately struck by her glowing radiance and enthusiasm for epic health. Obviously she lives by example. I couldn’t wait to pull her aside after the expert panel discussion.

Soak in her infectious passion below when I ask her; What does she do to maintain mind, body, spirit balance? What are her top three plant based eating tips for beginners?

Like myself, eating plants completely changed Julianna’s life and clients results. As a health and fitness professional for the last 20 years she’s seen complete disease reversals and drastic transformations. Yet, despite the miraculous personal changes that take place when switching your diet, most people struggle with family, friends and traditions. Julianna encourages us with…

I’m sure Julianna and I could chat for hours! I can’t wait to try some of her yummy recipes in her latest book, The Complete Guide to Gluten Free, Vegan Cooking. You’ll have to catch her thorough discussion with the other 5 panelists when it launches next week.

In your experience, what is the biggest personal or external road block to eating more plants?

When was your last annual check up? The snap of latex gloves, stench of rubbing alcohol, and pinch of a needle prick sends chills up your spine and flashes childhood memories across your cortex. Inhale and exhale…Thankfully, that brutal clinical Western med experience is fusing with holistic Eastern traditions around the country. It’s taken me years to find a doctor who resinates with my wellness research and personal beliefs. A doctor who actually heals the whole person by teaching preventive medicine.

Enter Dr. Michael Klaper. A resident physician at the esteemed True North Health Center, with over forty years experience in general practice and acute care medicine. His #1 focus with all patients? A whole foods plant based diet.

Do you remember my visit to True North Health Center in July? That’s where I learned about SOS addiction, viewed Forks Over Knives for the first time, and had my annual check up/blood work done.

After his main stage panel discussion at Green Festival San Francisco, I had a few moments with Michael in between his magazine interviews.

Michael shares his remarkable career and patient success stories on a plant based diet in part one of our interview. From reversing diabetes and heart disease to curing auto immune disorders, prevention through diet and lifestyle has beat them all. I wanted to know his definition of ultimate health. What does he recommend to his patients for mind, body spirit balance and happiness? You’ll have to watch to discover his secrets.

In part two Dr. Klaper answers once and for all…the protein question! Americans eat way too much protein. After 40 years of practice with plant based diets he’s never seen protein deficiency. Check out his guidelines for all eaters. My favorite line…“You are NOT what you eat, you are what you ABSORB. Chew!”

Thanks to Dr. Klaper, and a simple blood test, my B12 levels and fatty acid ratio is now perfect. I currently take a B12 supplement twice a week and make sure to toss walnuts, flax, and hemp seed into my salads, smoothies and wraps.

What’s the best piece of advice Dr. Klaper gave you through these videos?

What would you do if you discovered you were sterile, or cancer sprouted up all over your body? I don’t mean to alarm you, but we are eating genetically engineered whole foods everyday that contribute to these health issues. I sat down with Jeffrey Smith, the #1 leading expert on GMO’s, for a rapid fire download of the latest research. In our three part interview, Jeffrey outlines the human health and planetary repercussions of munching bioengineered food, teaches us how to avoid GMO’s, and arms us with the necessary action steps to pass GMO labeling legislation.

Let’s get right to it!

Jeffrey opens with some of the horrifying science and dangers of eating mutant crop.

In segment two he breaks down how we, as consumers, can take action with our spending dollars. Jeffrey points us to free buying guides and lists the top 7 foods to completely avoid. A must watch. Protect yourself and family.

Jeffrey then breaks down why GMO’s are still not labeled or banned in the US and what steps we can take to push beyond the current tipping point in legislation.

Thank you Jeffrey for your wealth of information and resources! For more in-depth information check out his main website and best selling books. I especially adore 10 Reasons To Avoid GMO’S.

A special shout out to Earth Balance and Green Festival for connecting us. We are on the brink of massive change and I plan to help in anyway I can. More specifically, as soon as the bill gets placed on the ballot in California I will be helping collect signatures and spread the awareness.

Vote with your dollars beginning today!

Wow can you believe Thanksgiving is over! I hope you had an incredible day with friends, and family, relaxed to your souls content and dazzled your taste buds with healthy eats. I spent the week teaching at Rancho La Puerta and had the pleasure of feasting with all the staff. I made a super yummy low glycemic, raw vegan pudding for the crew. They loved it! Here is the recipe:

1 jar of raw almond butter (Artisana is my local brand)
1/2 cup of ground flaxseed
3 frozen bananas
1 bag/basket of frozen blueberries
the juice of 1 lemon
mint (as much as you like, peppermint oil is another fab option)
raw vanilla bean (vanilla extract is not raw, but will work as well)
1/2 cup of raw carob powder (carob is a glycemic and calorie alternative to raw chocolate)

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix or strong blender. Layer the fruit in first and then add the denser items. Add fresh, instead of frozen, banana and blueberries to make it sweeter and more smoothie like. Freezing the fruit gives it thick, like icecream, consistency. Makes a blender full to share with a group.

Save one banana to slice and decorate the top. Add a few blueberries and mint sprigs and you’re ready to go.

What healthy, mouth watering treats did you make?

Speaking of amazing holiday recipes… back at GreenFest San Francisco on Nov 12th I had a blast interviewing the plant based nutrition experts. After the panel discussion on main stage I couldn’t wait to chat with Colleen Holland, Associate Publisher and co-creator of VegNews Magazine.

As a long time reader of the mag and web based resources I wondered what Colleen’s normal day looked like. What does she eat? How does she stay balance mind, body and spirit with an entire magazine to run?! And, what are her recommended resources for veggie lovers?

Watch as we giggle together live from Greenfest…

Isn’t Colleen wonderful! Did you write down those free holiday recipe resources at the end of the video? Here they are again. Check Vegnews.com and Vegweb.com  for thousands of recipes and how-to videos.

What’s one way you made your Thanksgiving more green this year?

The temps are dropping, black clouds circle the skies and x-mas trees are popping up far too early. It’s a time to roll in the autumn leaves, gather loved ones, and eat! Thanksgiving is less than a week away, but it’s not too late to make this usually over indulgent, eat yourself into a coma holiday, a time to thrive.

You’ll be surrounded by processed and unhealthful foods that taunt your normal steadfast willpower. This is a perfect opportunity to pump that discipline muscle and chose a different path for yourself. A path of light body, and clear energized mind.

Instead of waking up at 5am on black Friday in a sugar haze, replace your habits with these THRIVal tactics. We don’t have to just survive; chose to thrive!

New Twists On Tradition Recipes: I spent last weekend at a holiday raw food mini expo put together by Raw Bay Area. The day long event pulled together the top raw food chefs, educators and green vendors for a day of “uncooking” classes. Hundreds of curious vegetarians, vegans and raw foodists came out to learn innovative ways to take a traditional Thanksgiving meal to a healthier, high vibing level. Why cook artery clogging concoctions when there are scrumptious healthy alternative?

Why dump a can of cranberry sauce in a bowl when you could whip up….

Cranberry Orange Relish

2 cups- fresh cranberries
1/4 cup- raw cane sugar or date paste
2 tsp orange zest
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground psyllium husk or Mila (chia seed)

Place the cranberries, raw cane sugar, orange zest, orange segments, and ginger in a food processor and process until the mixture is chopped but still has some texture. Add the ground psyllium, if using and process to incorporate. Chill for at least 30 minuets before serving. Will keep for up to two weeks in fridge.

Or how about swapping breadcrumb, butter filled stuffing with delicious, gluten free, and enzyme rich raw….

Almond Stuffing
2 cups-almonds soaked 8-12 hours, drained, and rinsed (about 2 1/2 cups after soaking)
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
2 tbsp ground golden flax seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp tamari
1/2 sea salt
2 tsp poultry seasoning

Place the soaked almonds in a food processor and process until crumbly. Add the apple, garlic and onion and pulse briefly to incorporate and chop slightly. Remove the almond mixture to a mixing bowl and add the celery, ground flax, olive oil, tamari, sea salt, and poultry seasoning. Mix well. Crumble the stuffing onto a dehydrator mesh sheet (no teflex needed) and dehydrate at 105 degrees F for 5 hours. Serves 4 and will keep for up to five days in fridge.

Raw desserts are even more tasty then the baked variety, provide real whole food nutrition and are super quick to make, leaving you more time to have fun. Bring a warm smile to anyone’s face with a festive raw pumpkin pie.

Need to bring an appetizer or thank you gift? Try Diana Stobo’s Pumpkin Spiced Party Nut Mix. I spent a few hours getting to know Diana and her SAD diet to raw food story during the raw day event. She is the real deal! A radiant, inspirational, gorgeous mom of three. Beyond her book Get Naked Fast, Diana offers a ton of yummy recipes with vibrant pictures and video on her site. I’ve tried almost all of them!

Switch Your Food Focus: Inevitably most of us spend the entire Thanksgiving day preparing the feast. We sit, chat, munch on appetizers, and repeat. By the time the bird is ready we waddle over to the table already full. Why do we do this to ourselves? Spend the day moving instead.

If you’re hosting the feast: aim to get most of the dinner prepped early so you can enjoy some time away from food and focus on loved ones and activities. Food is just one aspect of the holiday. Share the load with helping hands so you can all get out of the kitchen quicker.

If you’re not the host: suggest a game of football on the front lawn, a breezy walk with the dogs before dinner, or even a board game. You can easily change the energy and focus of an event by leading by example.

I always try to get my family on the mat with me for some pilates/yoga. We’ll see how much I can inspire them this season! Tough crowd I tell you.

What are your thrival tactics?