Pomp, Circumstance, Irish Moss and Changing Pace

Where was I yesterday? I was getting ready:

For the crowning moment of the past two years of my life:

The day didn't happen without its share of toil and trouble: it all began with my big family grad dinner getting postponed because my mom and my grandmother are actually really sick. However, my mom is an amazing trooper and managed to make it out to my graduation ceremony despite not feeling well. After not being sure whether my mom would make it or not, I got off the phone just to get an email saying that my diploma was damaged by the printer and they didn't notice until the day of, meaning... no diploma for me. Really?! Who does that actually happen to? Me apparently, but better me that someone with worse coping mechanisms! And they're supposedly sending it to me by mail anyway.

However, my amazing sister and her boyfriend saved the day. After the ceremony that both my parents and Andrew made it to, the two of them took us to dinner and to see Iron Man 2. Because my sis is the sweetest person on earth, they also got me an awesome graduation present: a gift certificate from Oresta, an organic spa and confectionary right in our new neighborhood in Ottawa. How thoughtful is that?

For our weird new food of the day, I finally had my first taste of Irish Moss. I'd only ever heard of it because it's used as a coagulant in a lot of raw desserts (kind of like the raw version of vegan's use of agar agar). Irish Moss is amazing for you skin when used both topically and when ingested. It helps moisturize your skin but also helps with sunburns, eczema, and rashes. It has tons of vitamin A, B, C, and D. As a seaweed (not actually a moss), it is an excellent source of minerals, and has high levels of sulphur compounds, protein, iodine, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc, and more! Its been used to treat ulcers, bladder issues, helps prevent cancer, curbs obesity and cholesterol build up, and strengthens your hair and nails.

For our first taste of the stuff, Andrew picked up a very interesting drink tonight from Whole Foods: Bradford's B-Tonic. The company has an amazing background story, and all their products are vegan. The B-Tonic contains: Filtered Water, Organic Agave, Irish Moss, Nutrim® Oats, Green Tea, Sarsaparilla, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, All-Spice, Cloves, Star Anise, Cardamom, Flax Seed, Gum Arabic, Agar, Black Pepper, Vanilla Extract, Kosher Salt. Sounds good to me! But I never knew Irish Moss would taste so... coagulate-y. The taste was a wonderful mix of warm spices, but the texture was really something unique and that requires getting used to! It's probably one of those things you need to drink while thinking it's good for you :) (photo source)

Finally, on the food and workout-side, I think some of you may have noticed I've been in something of a minor slump. Though I've been trying lots of new recipes, I haven't been feeling as energetic and as happy as usual with myself. Workouts have been just as intense but leave me feeling meh. I think it's because I've been more focused on trying new recipes than taking care of my diet, which means an overabundance of nuts, raw grains, and dried fruit. I haven't been focusing nearly enough of fresh fruits and veggies.

To get things back on track, I've finally decided to bite the bullet. I'm going on my first REAL 7 day juice feast modeled after the idea of a Chakra Juice Feast I started a couple weeks ago but was never able to complete. I'll be sticking to chakra juices every day for the next 7 days starting tomorrow. I'll also simultaneously starting a 14 day cleanse which I'll unveil tomorrow. Finally, workout-wise, I'm super excited for Gina's new Summer Shape Up which is suppose to start on Monday. It all seems to be such synchronistic timing! Can't wait to get back on track with my health! I'll of course be sharing with you how I feel, how the detox products are working, how the juices are making me feel, and if I'm doing anything extra (workout, dry brushing, colonic, etc.) Happy Weekend!