Day 10 - Beets Wonderful Beets

Weight - 131.5
Food - carrot/lettuce juice, 1 pork chop, large salad with a buckwheat salad on it (1/4 cup cooked buckwheat, half an organic tomato diced, small amount of red onion diced, parsley diced, goat cheese crumbled, half red pepper diced, lemon juice, salt, pepper), half a baked yam with organic butter
Caffiene - no
Sugar - no

I can't remember if I said this already but I bought the $8 butter but I've only used half a stick in 10 days so the price isn't really that bad if you think of it that way.  And things seem to have a nice buttery taste at that low amount of use. 

Let's see... beets.  So I baked one for around 2 hours in the oven at 350 and then ate it and it was like a treat.  I suspect it's because I'm starved for sugar and any treat is just fabulous but I'm tempted to start having beets for dessert now...  ;)  Also, I realized that the Life-force Powerade was so gross the first time I made it because I put way too little beet in.  I think I only had sliced beets from the produce section of the organic store (sort of a slaw) and not fresh beets and I truly had no idea how big they actually are.  The juice is totally drinkable with one medium beet in it.  :) Here's what Rose says about Beets:

Beets Can Take the Heat!

Despite a reputation for being too sugary and starchy, carrots and beets are really very low in sugar and starch and rich in water and flavor!  Baked beets are one of the best friends to a woman's bowel.  I recommend baking the beets in their skins - don't even cut off the rough part on the bottom.  Just rinse them and place them on a baking sheet at exactly 350 for 2 -4 hours.  Then either eat them hot or enjoy them after a night in the refrigerator - after which time they get sweeter and almost like they are caramelized.  They are delicious, filling and so good for the elimination!  Don't be alarmed if you have a burgundy-colored movement (or a pinkish tinge to your urine) the next day - it's just the beets! 

Now... depression.  This is the start of what I've found on that:

Renu,
Depression as you probably know can be due to many things happening in the brain in regards to the neurotransmitters.  Now – can gut health have an effect on mood, anxiety, depression? Yes, as Dr. Rick Sponaugle very well knows and treats.  I am not saying that if you take a probiotic it will cure your depression, but what you need to do is get your gut health checked and treated properly, as it can have an effect.  I would suggest you check into Dr. Sponaugle's clinic here in florida – called Florida Detox and Wellness Institute.   Although he treats for addictions, one of his specialties is gut/brain health.
Hope this helps.
Brenda Watson (from blog on her website)

Also:

Wed 6/23 on the Poop Scoop: The Gut/Brain Connection – Anxiety, Depression and Addiction

06/22/10 0 Comments | Posted by bwatson in General

Depression, anxiety, addiction to drugs and alcohol—they may not seem like things you’d associate with good intestinal health, but the truth may surprise you. In fact, your brain and your gut are more closely connected than you might think, and scientists are just now beginning to understand how important a healthy gut is when it comes to better brain function.
Join me and my guest, Dr. Marvin Sponaugle, the founder of Florida Detox® and a pioneer in the field of addiction treatment. Dr. Sponaugle is changing the way “brain” conditions are treated and has seen remarkable breakthroughs in his patients using natural therapies to correct hormonal/nutritional deficiencies and improve gut health. If you or someone you love suffers from addiction, anxiety or depression, don’t miss what Dr. Sponaugle has to say about the remarkable treatment techniques that can accelerate your recovery.
Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

Okay, I ended up discussing more about elimination that I expected to in this installment.  The thing is, it is about changing my intestines and that makes it hard to avoid the other topic of bathroom time...  anyhow, tomorrow I plan to write about caffeine...  I didn't have any today but I've been on and off. The morning juices make me feel lively and I don't want the caffeine then, but my friend Stacy mentioned she was depressed for a month when she went off caffeine and I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't react in a similar way...  we'll see.