Favorites: Green Juice

I know this is cliché - but, I've reacquainted myself with my taste buds. All the years of processed foods and comfort foods - I forgot how sweet a Red Delicious Apple really is.

One of the staples of my juicing is Green Juice.

I've tweaked the "recipe" to my taste. Aboy puts the kitchen sink PLUS garlic in his - it's too much going on. I understand his reasoning - he's trying to get in as much as he can in 1 shot... I have to enjoy what I'm drinking. I like the different flavors.

I wash everything thoroughly. Unless I buy farm stand cucumbers, I peel them. I leave on the lemon rind. I scrub the apples with a produce brush (and if they're "waxy" - I soak them in an apple cider vinegar & water solution).

For my green juice I always use the same base recipe and then I may add in broccoli, spinach, chard, or most recently - dandelion greens.

Base Recipe:

1/2 Bunch of Kale (4-5 leaves)
2 Long Celery Stalks
1 Cucumber
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
Thumb of Ginger (about an inch)

I may add in 2 Broccoli Crowns or a couple fistfuls of spinach.. I'm usually driven by what I have in the fridge.

There is no limit to how much I drink. This yields about 24 ounces of juice. I try to drink the juice when I make it - but if I feel "full", I may finish as a snack or filler.

There is enough vitamins, nutrients (and pick any other good word) in this recipe to replace a meal. If you're not up for fasting - this would make a great lunch. Most of the vegetables I consume are loaded with protein and calcium (plus all kinds of other stuff).

Forget slimfast - this is so much better for you!

Juice Fast: Day 4

And I'm still rolling!

Today completed Day #4 of my juice fast. I weighed myself when I woke up - I lost another 1.4 pounds. My overall loss is now 6.4 pounds.

My energy level is great.

I did get a little hungry today. Nothing a glass of water and some green juice couldn't put to rest.

I'm so lucky to work from home. If I were to do this in an office environment, I don't know if I would have the will power to resist things like... COFFEE!! At least here, if I don't make it, I don't smell it. Out of sight, out of mind (although I think the thought is still lurking in the bellows of my brain).

Aboy came home for the night on a pass through from Oklahoma to Houston. He violated my produce stash!

That actually brings up a point... I had someone ask me "Isn't juicing expensive? I would need at least 6 apples for 1 glass of juice."

Without fasting - I spend about $30 per week on produce - and my fridge is packed! I check the circulars weekly for the best deals and what I can't price match at Walmart, I get from Aldi or Sack & Save (Sack & Save is the equivalent to Compare or C-Town). I also shop at a local Natural Grocery store (surprisingly, some organic vegetables are cheaper than the sales going on). My refrigerator stays stocked and the items that I can get on a great sale, I find recipes that I can make that week to accommodate or freeze them. Broccoli, Cauliflower, Asparagus, Green Beans... all freeze very well. I try not to freeze the produce I'll juice. I may freeze some fruits (Melon, Papaya, Strawberries, etc.) and then use them in a smoothie (instead of adding ice). Like this week - I got a great sale on Peaches, Plums and Nectarines... I'll definitely cut up and freeze what I don't juice.

So far in 4 days I've gone through:
2 Bunches of Organic Kale ($3.00)
3 Bunches of Spinach ($4.50)
2 Crowns of Broccoli ($1.59)
1 Bunch of Celery (99¢)
6 Cucumbers ($3.00)
2 Bags of Green Apples ($6.94)
1 Pineapple (99¢)
1 Papaya ($1.18)
4 Grapefruits (80¢) - they were on sale this week 5 for $1 - I picked up $2 worth
6 Kiwi ($2.00)
Ginger ($1.13) - I still have another week's worth of ginger left - but I didn't know how to measure the cost of what I used.

My total for the 4 days = $26.12.

I can spend $26 in 4 days on eating out for lunch... so, $26 for 4 days of "meals" is not so bad. It works out to just under $2.20 per meal.

Think of produce as seasonal. You'll obviously get apples cheaper when apples are in season. Watermelon is very cheap right now. So, work with what you've got. I've said before, there are some things I'm going to buy regardless of sale - like Kale, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumbers... it's produce so, I can't stockpile unless I freeze.

Here's another way I look at it. Every 3,000 miles (or so) you take your car in for service. Your car may be running great and may not need it - but you know that periodic maintenance will help keep it running better. If you avoid this, you may end up with a huge bill for repairs. Your body is the same way. It is best if you put the good things in on the front end and do a little preventative maintenance. If you end up at the Doctor's because you didn't maintain your body - you end up with a huge bill (or worse!).

It just makes sense.

Juice Fast: Day 3

... Is DONE!

I'm sitting here sipping my dinner juice, as I type!

I woke up without the alarm clock this morning. A sign (for me) that my energy level is rising.

The scale tells me that I am down another 2.8 pounds. That is 5 pounds total in 2 days.

I added Chia Seeds to my dinner juice today. Just some insurance that I don't have a repeat of the issue I endured on the last Juice Fast. I'll have some herbal tea, just before I go to sleep.

So, other than that - and getting another 30 or so minutes on my bike... day 3 is a wrap!

Favorites: Beets & Apples

I hate beets. They look nasty. They have a funny crunch (like water chestnuts).  I just never liked them when I was growing up.

So, as much as I don't like them - you'd think... well, why are you drinking them?

Beets have SO many healing properties. They are a natural liver cleanser. They clean the digestive track and they clean your kidneys.

So, I told you I wasn't a big fan of juicing when Aboy first started. The idea behind trying juicing was to be able to get more fruits and vegetables in. That includes things that I wouldn't normally eat.

I try to include beets into my regimen a couple times a week.

Some things that you should know (so you don't freak out)...
Beets will turn your pee orange (almost red)
Beets will make your poop change colors
Beets work pretty quickly - if you know what I mean
Beets are not for the weak!!

For my Beet Juice I use 1 Beet + 4 Apples. I also like to add in a thumb (about an inch) of Ginger.

Aboy prefers Red Delicious. I use whatever Apples I have.

I cut off the dirty parts that I can't get clean with my produce brush. Mud in my juice is not cool. I wash the apples and ginger off  too.

Everything goes in the juicer.

 

 

 

Juice Fast: Day 2

Day 2 is (almost) in the books. I've gotta finish drinking my "dinner" juice and It will be official.

I started getting another headache last night. I went with it and took a couple ibuprofens and drank a big glass of water. I was asleep before 9 pm and I was up a little after 7 am. My body was trying to tell me something - I obliged.

Today was a much better day.

So, good news for today is - no headaches. I weighed myself this morning and I dropped 2.2 pounds since yesterday. Energy level is improving and no cravings. I road the bike for 45 minutes.

Strategically, I try to get to the stores early on Sundays before the church crowd hits and the heat kicks in. I can't deal with both those circumstances at the same time. Someone will get cursed out.

I'm approaching the coasting stage.

Day 1 is in the books

Today was OK.

Generally the first few days are tough. It's such an extreme (food) makeover - no matter how much you prepare, there's still an adjustment period.

I'm glad I started on the weekend. I had a headache earlier, but it's gone now. I didn't really have any plans for the weekend - so I took a much needed nap. I'll have to go out tomorrow for some more kale and cucumbers. Sack & Save has grapefruits on sale so, I'll stock up on them too.

I'm not hungry. The steak and potatoes Raquel is making for dinner smells good. I made my dinner juice and came back into the room (no need to torture myself!).

My Breakfast:
1/4 Pineapple
3 Kiwi

My Lunch:
4 Kale leaves
2 Broccoli Crowns
2 Long Celery Stalks
1 Cucumber
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
an inch of Ginger

My Dinner:
4 Kale leaves
2 Fistful's of Spinach
2 Long Celery Stalks
1 Cucumber
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
an inch of Ginger

There was extra Green Juice from lunch & dinner - so, that is my snack in between meals.

I rode the bike for about 7 miles (just over 30 minutes). I may get some more spins in later - depends on what's interesting on TV.

This is definitely a mental and physical challenge. Aboy texted me words of encouragement. He is not the type to fast. He does drink juices daily - but more as a meal replacement or supplement.

So, from a food perspective - Day 1 is in the books.

 

Before the party starts...

I did a juice fast about a year and a half ago.  It's really not that hard.  My intentions were to juice for 30 days.  I made it to 15. I had to stop because I got "backed up".  Go Figure!!

 

I did lose 23 lbs.

 

Since then, I've done A LOT of research. I've joined different groups on Facebook. Read some books. Watched some more movies.  I think this time around I'm much more prepared for any "obstacles" that I incur and how I'll overcome them.

 

The thing that I will do differently this time:

• Drink LOTS more water throughout the day
• Mix up my juices (I've got some GREAT recipes)
• Drink an herbal tea before bedtime
• Exercise more
• and did I mention... Drink A LOT more water throughout the day

 In preparation too, I started weaning off of the "can't haves" over the past few weeks.  I slowed down on consuming meat and animal products. I started removing all processed food and food like products (BTW, this is a conscious lifestyle change for me - more in a different post on that!). I also started adding more produce to my diet and have started drinking A LOT of water throughout the day.

 

My motive for this fast

• Detox my body
• Drop a few pounds

So, I'm sure you're saying - "but, if you slowed down on meat, removed processed food and food-like products shouldn't that be enough?"... Well, kinda.  I do feel much better!  What's weird - I'm not really losing a lot of weight. I am slimmer though. Aboy said I'm "deflating". I think with the addition of some of the good things and the reduction in some of the harmful things - any "inflammation" has been reduced and my body is starting to repair itself. HOWEVER, I feel like some of the toxins are still inside my body (I am recently recovering from walking pneumonia & sinusitis)... so, a Juice Fast will really cleanse me down to my cells and give my body a chance to recuperate and heal itself.

 

Plus, it won't hurt to drop a few pounds either.

 

I will keep a "diary" of my progress. I'll post some of the different juices that I use. Plus, if you have any questions - feel free to ask.  You guys already know - anything I do... I do it whole-heartedly - so, I will do my best to find answers if I don't know them off the top of my head.

 

Staples for my juice fast are

• Green Apples (Granny Smiths)
• Ginger
• Cucumbers
• Celery
• Kale

At least 2 of my "meals" per day will have all of those ingredients.  I like to add things in like broccoli, spinach, chard and other leafy greens.  I will also be juicing with root vegetables (beets, turnips, carrots).  

 

I try to stay aware of calorie intake. Fruits tend to be higher in calories than vegetables - so, my fruit juices I usually limit to breakfast and maybe a small "snack".
 

Depending on how "hungry" I am - I will drink between 3-5 juices per day. You'd be amazed at how full you feel after drinking an extra-large glass of green juice! It's pure nutrients and your body starts losing the cravings for things you don't need.
 

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A Juice Fast is not for the weak. It takes a lot of commitment, determination and will-power. This is not something that you can just jump into. Another thing that can hurt you is if you don't wean yourself back onto solid foods - you can really do damage. Think about your stomach - it hasn't had to chew food for a couple weeks... then you jump into a 6 ounce rib-eye - that could wreak havoc on your digestive system.  As I draw closer to the end, I'll share with you how I prepare to transition back to solid food and how I was able to keep almost all of that 23 pounds off from the first time.