Beet Juice!

I’ve been juicing and guzzling smoothies for a few weeks now. I can’t say I’ve been only doing those two things, but I’ve certainly been combining them with very healthy food choices. Some whole vegetable soups, some nuts and sprouted bread, some cooked vegetables and wholesome salads. I’m starting to feel like it’s all making a difference. I haven’t been weighing myself too much lately. But, I’m starting to feel lets just say, better. A little lighter, a little more energy a touch happier. Baby steps……

I’ve been experimenting with lots of flavors for my juices and have to say, that not only is this one lovely to look at it’s also nice to drink! I really like adding lemon into most of my juices by the way. It adds a nice spark, a bit of tartness.

Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots, washed and chopped
• 1/2 lemon peeled and chopped
• 1/2 large beet root, chopped
• 1 large pear

Directions:

Place everything in your juicer and enjoy!

 

Carrot, Apple Smoothie

Place all of the ingredients in your Nutribullet or Vitamix.

• 2 large carrots, washed and chopped
• 1 large sweet apple, washed, cored and chopped
• the juice of one lemon
• 1/4 of a sweet potato, washed and chopped

Blend until smooth.

Now, I’ve already talked about the health benefits of carrots so how about we discuss what’s up with sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are very high in Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps reduce the chemical homocysteine in our bodies.  Homocysteine has been linked with degenerative diseases, including the prevention of heart attacks.

Heavenly Honeydew Juice/Reboot with Joe

Honestly, I’m just putting this one in here so I can remember to make it! I’t from Joe Cross’s blog about Juicing. And, just a reminder. If you haven’t yet seen Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, you must see it ASAP!

Fill your body full of nutrition with this healthy juice. It’s a perfect combination for your palate, because the melon adds a little sweetness next to the stronger more bitter spinach and cucumber skin.

I decided to calculate the amounts of some of the key nutrients to determine just how healthy this juice really is. It has surprising nutrient content with quite high levels and for some nutrients, it almost covers your entire days’ recommended intake. No wonder we all feel so fabulous when we juice!

Here’s a look at the numbers:
This juice is high in magnesium (242mg), calcium (325mg), Iron (7.9mg), Vitamin E (5mg), Vitamin A (22,500IU), Vitamin C (160mg), Vitamin K (1200mcg), Folate (511mcg) and Potassium (2,167mg) along with other nutrients such as Protein (9.8g). ENJOY!

Ingredients:
1 handful of spinach with stems (350 g. was the weight of half my bunch from the market)
¼ of a honeydew, rind removed
1 cucumber
1 lemon, peeled

Directions:

1.)    Peel the lemon or scrub thoroughly. 

2.)    Wash & chop the ingredients to fit through your juicer. 

3.)    Juice all produce and enjoy!

Substitutions:
Spinach – kale (Tuscan cabbage), dandelion leaves, lettuce, watercress, choy sum
Honeydew – rockmelon (cantaloupe), pineapple, apple
Cucumber – celery, zucchini, celeriac root
Lemon – lime, grapefruit, orange

Pink Berry Super Smoothie

OK, I’m on a bit of a smoothie kick. Actually my attempt for the next 10, 9 days (now) is to do a juice fast. For me that means all and only fruits and vegetables similar to what Joe and many others did in Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. So wish me luck! I’m not sticking to a Reboot plan, I’m simply doing my own thing. But, it will be mostly all-natural smoothes and some oil-free, meat-free home made soups.

I actually can’t believe I stuck to this diet for even one day. I thought it would be much harder than it was. But, I didn’t feel really hungry or deprived. But then again, I just kept remembering all the pounds I packed on the past few years. I kept remembering the abundance of cakes and cookies I’ve consumed and I thought, OK, Jessica, you can handle 10 days of fruits and veggies because Lord knows you’ve had your fill of gluttony. My body will thank me for this. And, I’m already down two pounds from yesterday!

My cousin’s husband showed up a few years ago to a family party and was super skinny. Much of my family resembles your typical Americans- either over weight, or struggling to keep their weight down. Of course we all huddled around him begging to know his secrets. Well, he had juiced for about 21 days and I’m pretty sure had lost about as much weight as days.

Yesterday I had three big smoothies and a giant bowl of home made tomato soup. I’ll probably post about the soup this week.

I don’t plan to use avocados or bananas in everyone of my smoothies, but I think once a day or so they’ll just make me feel a little more satiated.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup whole fresh cranberries
• 1 TBSP Nutiva Organic Chia Seed

Directions:

Place all ingredients in your blender, cover with water, and whip it all up in a nutri-bullet or high speed blender and you’re good to go!

*It’s best to consume this juice right away when the fruits and veggies are just blended.

xoxo,

Jess

Happy New Year! And I’ve missed you.

So, here’s the thing. I’ve been gone for way too long. I get it. I’ve been ignoring you. I’m sorry. But, more importantly and even worse, I’ve been ignoring me. I knew the New Year was coming. So, I decided to avoid a few things. I went a few weeks without a workout. I went on a cruise, we both know what that means. Endless food. It was Thanksgiving and a trip to California, lots of ice cream and sweets. There was my birthday, cake There was my boyfriend’s birthday, yet more cake. There was Chanukah and Christmas with their sprinkly cookies and sticky frosting and happy hours along the way. Eggnog cheer and festive and frosty cocktails along the way. But along the way I didn’t forget. The time was coming. This binge-fest can’t last much longer. It just can’t. I have to wake up, I have to take responsibility. It’s cliche, I know but I don’t care. Let’s dust off our sugar coated pants and try again.

I’ve just watched three incredible documentaries. You’ve probably seen them, but if you have not, now is the time. I should have watched these long ago. I regret not having seen them they have officially changed my entire life. They will change yours too.

I’m not going to tell you anything about them. I just want you to see them for yourselves. Just sit back, watch and learn and enjoy.

1. Hungry For Change

2. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

3. Forks Over Knives

Let’s make 2014 the year we take care of ourselves. Look at yourself in the mirror every single day, and say “I love me right now, just the way that I am”. You’ll start taking better care of yourself. Once you start taking better care of yourself, you’ll start loving yourself even more. You’ll start feeling better, you’ll start looking better. Then you’ll be able to take better care of your loved ones. Let’s do this together and we’ll make a big giant difference in this world.

xoxo,

Jess