Let's Juice

Let's Juice!! 

What are some reasons you like to juice? Some choose to do a cleanse or a detox of some kind. Others may want an immediate boost of nutrients into their blood stream. Others may just like the taste of fresh juice and drink it in place of store bought kinds. I juice for all these reasons. I also find that it helps me eat less red light foods (more information about that here). To me, juice is filling. I add a lot of leafy greens and in most cases, more vegetables than fruit. 

This post came about because I challenged my friends to join me by juicing every day until 2014. I started on 12/23 and I would juice for 9 days but then I decided to make it even and juiced for 10 ending on 1/1/14. Four of my friends said they'd join me and I asked them to tag me on Instagram or Facebook sharing their images and recipes. I was proud of their determination to juice! I've owned my Breville since 2000 and she's still going strong. I can juice from start to finish in 5 minutes or less with my Breville. Very little prep is required. 

In my professional opinion, juicing is not a diet. It is part of a health regimen. If you want to juice daily - go for it! If you want to do it once a week - great! Never juiced before but are determined to stay committed to the process? Buy the Breville. If you're really on the fence, you can find a cheaper model like Black and Decker at stores that is a fraction of the cost. I'm not sure of the prep required or how well it cleans up so I won't share a link to one. I have personal experience with the Breville and with the Omega (a friend owns one). If you have a traditional (soil) garden, you can keep the pulp from the juice to add to your compost. 

Here are some images and their recipes but you don't really need a recipe. Just make sure you always have a variety of fruits and vegetables at your disposal. One vegetable you won't see in my juices is celery. The benefits are numerous so if you like it, be sure to add them to your green juices.

Choose, eat, and live well! =) 
Translates to: Choose Well. Eat Well. Live Well!

Grateful help - #Juicing

[This is a post that was scheduled and bumped several times. Information is solid but it's overdue to be shared.]

I am grateful that my son shows enthusiasm for helping me in the kitchen and around the home. At the beginning of August [2012], I started juicing again. Nothing really changed other than moving to a new climate. I eat my Juice Plus+ daily and because of these two factors - new environment and the adage: 'you are what you eat,' I've been wanting to get back into juicing. [I had taken a several month break from juicing.]

If you would like to learn more about how Juice Plus+ is made, please visit their YouTube channel and watch a 2 minute video. You'll be pleased to find out that we juice raw fruits and veggies including pulp and seeds/ stems, etc.  Basically what I'm doing when I juice at home! 

I own a Breville juicer that I purchased probably 8 years ago. It's easy to set up, requires very little food preparation and it's easy to clean up. Those are important features to look for. 

On this particular day, we juiced apples and carrots but we have many other favorites that you can check out on my Facebook page, Convey Awareness, under my Notes. 

On average, I juice every other day and on alternate days, I make a green smoothie. In a 3 day span that I had juiced, I learned that I had spent $11 for two people for only 4 fruits/veggies! 

The cost to juice:

1 Watermelon (49 cents a pound): $3

1 Cantaloupe (99 cents each) and water cress ($2): $3

9 Apples and 6 carrots: $5

Total = $11 divided for two people over three days 
                                  = $1.80 per day per person for 4 fruits/veggies

The cost of Juice Plus+ for 15 fruits, veggies is $1.50 a day!

This brings me to the fact that juicing is beneficial to your health and if you simply want to get more nutrients from whole foods, Juice Plus+ is an option that will provide a variety of produce daily!  

We are subscribers to a farm-share (like a CSA) so we get an abundance of produce and I simply cannot help myself when I'm in the produce aisle of any grocery store! I won't let produce go to waste - I will juice them! We do not compost (yet) so very little goes into the trash. Plus depending on what you've juiced, you can turn the pulp into the base for a veggie burger. 

If you're interested in learning more about how you can bridge the gap and eat a variety of fruits and vegetables for yourself and family, please leave a comment. I will contact you privately. 

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)