Apple Banana Strawberry Cabbage Combo :)

For those who know me personally, they know that I have an active lifestyle and I'm conscious of the food  I eat. You'll seldom see me munching on fast food, junk foods or street foods, only on cheat days. I've been going through a lot these past months and just found myself eating the most unhealthy foods there are. I temporarily forgot the meaning of the phrase "in moderation". Eating unhealthily three times a day certainly's not the best decision I've made in this lifetime. I don't usually stare at myself in the mirror but when I did, after a long time, I barely recognized myself. For the first time, I didn't like what I saw. I gained more pounds than I thought I had, my skin's dull and rough and I don't have that sunny aura anymore. That's when I snapped, all these unhealthy eating has to stop. Now that the holidays are over,  It's time to get my life back, no more excuses. 

I decided to do a 7-day raw green smoothie detox. I drink lemon or cucumber water for detox almost everyday but it's my first time to do an all out raw detox. For seven days, I'll be replacing my meals with raw green smoothies. I did a lot of research, read a lot of blogs and articles regarding this kind of detox, what it does to your body and just what to expect. I didn't consult my physician before doing this, though, as prescribed by the articles. I guess I just know my body a little to much. It's also advisable to keep a journal of your detox experience on a daily basis. Here's mine. (Also, I'll be sharing my raw green smoothie combinations and recipes at the bottom of this blog.)

DAY 1: 

I woke up late so I skipped my breakfast smoothie. Lunch smoothie was alright, I was full but not for long. After two hours, my stomach was growling. I started salivating for the coconut pie and french fries on our dining table. Seeing your family eating to their hearts content while you're sipping your green smoothie, it felt like your being tortured. I fought the urge (soooo badly) to grab a handful of fries and just stuff them in  my mouth. I survived the same scenario during supper. The first night of the detox was just terrible, I had mild headaches every now and then and I just can't sleep. I was able to finally sleep at around 2 in the morning, just to woken up at 3am. Terrible, just terrible. I've read from an article that this is normal to feel these things for the first three days of the detox since the body is still adjusting and undergoing the withdrawal phase, so, moving on.

DAY 2:

I woke up earlier than expected, drank my pre-prepared smoothie and to my surprise, I was energized. I was able to do all the chores without feeling hungry or any cravings. Enjoyed my smoothies up to their last drop, had no headaches whatsoever. I guess my body's already getting used to it. Way to go!

DAY 3:
Today, I got out of bed really exhausted, my knees can barely support my weight. I wasn't sure if its due to the detox again or because I stayed up all night. I was light headed most of the time. Aside from that though, everything was alright. No cravings and I didn't feel hungry. Great news was, I saw a significant improvement on my mid section. No more protruding bloated belly. No significant changes on my arms, love handles and thighs, though.

DAY 4:
With everything that has been going on lately, I'm starting to feel a little loopy. Today, I decided to add a little more fruit on my lunch smoothie, just cause I badly needed sugar to finish all today's work. I miss eating normal food, but I'm not craving for meat or carbs, I'm happy on all the fibers I'm getting.

DAY 5:
This has to be the worst feeling I had since I started the detox. I was light headed the entire afternoon, so I had to chew on a few bites of trail food (yes, I stock them on  a regular basis, in case I had to go on an spur-of-the-moment hike) and it did the trick. Regardless, I'm still determined to finish my 7-day detox.
Friendly tip, surround yourself with people who fully understand and support your cleansing. As for me, my mom, despite knowing I'm under detox, bought me pizza and chicken for dinner. I'm not sure if she's being thoughtful or she's just teasing me.

DAY 6:
I woke up feeling okay. I looked in the mirror thinking if I'm just imagining things or am I really getting thinner. So I measured my arms and waist, I've lost an inch on both! It wasn't much, I know, but I guess that's all I needed. Now I'm much inspired to continue the detox. Who knows maybe I can go beyond 7-days. :)

DAY 7:
Alright. Last Day. Yep, I decided it will just be 7 days for now. I wanna start working out again and for that I guess I need to take in normal food to get all the nutrients I can  get to support my muscles. Good day today, I don't have any cravings but I'm excited to eat normal food again. Quite frankly, I'm not bothered by the taste o raw smoothies at all but I'm getting tired of the texture, so I'm pretty excited to try other textures in my palate again. :D

So there you go, I give you my one week detox diary and as I break my detox, let me share you a few of my favorite green smoothie combinations. Before I started my detox, I researched for possible recipes but realized that most of the ingredients are either not available in the Philippines or too expensive, i.e kale, berries, arugula, etc., so I came up with my own Filipino style detox recipes. Hope you'll try them. 

Greens: either Kangkong, Cabbage, Lettuce (any will do but I use romaine, leaf and iceburg) or mix of the three

1. Strawberry + Banana + Greens
2. Banana + Apple + Greens
3. Pineapple + Orange + Greens
4. Mango + Banana + Greens
5. Apple + Carrots + Greens
6. Pineapple + Carrots + Greens
7. Apple + Carrots + Pineapple + Greens
8. Apple + Strawberry + Greens


Note:
Ratio is 1/2 greens/veggies , 1/2 mixed fruits
Make sure to rotate your greens to avoid alkaline build up.
Once in a while I add celery or apple cider vinegar just because for added nutrients. 
If you're new to the raw taste of veggies, you can add a little of fruit juice mixed with water to balance the taste.
Don't forget to add just the right amount of water or tea to your smoothie. 

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We are now in the era where everything is just within our reach. Within a click of a button, information dissemination has never been so easy. What most people don't know, though, is that with every click, comes a bit more of responsibility. 

With this post, I give you my thoughts on sharing photos and giving credits to photographers. 

Photos are products of the creative eyes and minds of every photographer. I'm not just referring to professional photographers but to anyone who takes photos. I have said this before but I will say it again, I am not a professional photographer, not even close to being one. Whoever said that amateurs and hobbyists don't have the right to rant, to be credited or cited, they're wrong!  Photos  take minutes and even hours to compose, to capture and to post process. One shouldn't just simply share photos without acknowledging their rightful owners. 

Owning the camera doesn't always makes you the owner of the photo. So, what makes a photo yours?

(1) You took the photo. By that I mean, you composed the frame,  set the necessary camera settings, and finally, pressed the shutter. If you used a tripod or timer and still did the aforementioned then, by all means, the photo is yours.

I adjusted the camera settings, even set it on an improvised tripod, but asked someone to press the shutter since I'm on the photo.

(2) Pressing the shutter, however, doesn't always make you the photographer. For all you know, you're just used as a human tripod. If you set the camera settings, composed the frame, but asked another person to press the shutter for you (because you're part of the photo), then the photo should be still credited to you. In other words, other than pressing the shutter, s/he has no other contribution to the framing and composition of the photo. Take the image above as an example. I made all the necessary details to make this photo possible. I even set the camera on an improvised tripod. This is considered as a modified version of a self-portrait. However, if in any case that person framed and composed the photo at his or her own will, then the photo is his or hers, even if you set all the necessary camera settings. 

This copycat situation's getting out of hand that I have no choice but to put watermarks on my works. 

Are you not allowed to share photos that are not yours? Well, you still are. After all, nobody can really stop you. Some photos needed permission before being shared but most photos are just Google-able and so easy to share. 

We get it, our captures are so awesome (kidding, but you get the gist) that you want to share or use the photos as your cover or profile picture in numerous social networking sites. BUUUT, using other's photos as your entry in a photography contest,  now that's just shameless. Someone did this to me and trust me, it's not the best feeling in the world. You could be sued, you know? I don't want to discuss all the details of copyright here, just simply give credits to the photographers whenever you use their photos. If you don't know how to properly credit them, then simply acknowledge that's not your photo/shot. Have the slightest decency, don't claim it.  Be responsible, have the balls to acknowledge that it's not your work.

Respect others, respect their work and creativity, but more importantly, respect your own creativity. Would you rather be known and praised for the works that (you knew) are not yours? I don't think so. Remember this the next time you click that "Save As" or "Copy". Think before you click. Give credits, don't be a copycat.

If you want to know more on how to give credit where credit is due, read this article by Chris Gampat , Sharing is Caring: The Proper Way to Credit Photographers. I swear this article made my day. I'm just a shutterbug but I can totally relate to him, well said and no filters, if you know what I mean. :)

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Here's to a love found regardless of age and gender.

That which gets braver with every misjudgment and every doubt. 

Here's to a love that stands stronger amidst disagreements and despair. 

Here's to lovers, who at the end of each day, can still look into each others eyes and say "I love you" with all sincerity.

Here's to a love that withstands all odds.