All about the Juice

It’s been 2 months since I discovered Juice (with a capital J) and it’s time I write about it here. I am in love with juice, completely and totally hooked. Here’s why.

I discovered the idea of juicing when Ryan and I watched the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. The documentary follows the story of one overweight and disease-plagued Australian in his quest to lose weight and get healthy once and for all. He travels around the United States for two months and talks with people about what they eat and why. During this time he goes on a juice fast, drinking only green juice for the entire 60 days. He loses a lot of weight, his health is drastically improved and he is a changed man. The most incredible story in the movie is actually about a truck driver he meets along the way and inspires to change his entire life. Drinking only green juice for months on end is drastic and not recommended without doctor supervision, but what I like about this approach was that it included real food and no diet gimmicks. The juice was made from fruits and vegetables purchased at grocery stores, Walmarts and Farmer’s Markets. He lost the weight through juicing and then established a healthy lifestyle around whole foods and home cooked, healthy meals. 

Ryan bought me a juicer for Mother’s Day (he knows just what makes my heart go pitter patter) and my love affair began. I like switching up my diet now and then to give my body a jolt, so I did a three day juice reboot (I’ve done a 21 day cleanse in the past as well) to really understand what juicing is all about. I lost about 5 lbs and have kept it off – not just because of the three day juice but as a result of changes I’ve made to my diet since then.

We bought the Breville juicer, the same one used in the Fat, Sick movie. The kids really liked the boxes it came in!

The three day reboot is no joke. This is only some of the fruits and veggies I prepped to get me through the three days. But just imagine putting all that healthy food in your body and nothing else. It's like rocket fuel for your body!

This picture above shows all the ingredients that would go into one (mostly) green juice. How can that not make you feel healthy?! Some of the nutrients are lost through juicing, and most of the healthy fiber. This is why you wouldn't want to juice always and forever. But on average 70% of the nutrients are present in the juice and considering how much you are taking in, it adds up.

The three day reboot taught me I could eat less and not feel hungry, and reminded me of how good it feels to feel less full (I learned this from the 21 day cleanse, but it is easy to forget). Since the three day juice reboot, I’ve been having juice at least once a day for breakfast and several days a week for lunch. I feel fantastic! Like I said, I’ve kept the weight off (a total of about 8 lbs since last January which is also due to my new dedicated and consistent exercise routine, details in another post) and I feel invigorated. I drink only one cup of coffee in the morning, don’t experience a crash in the afternoons, and over all have a much higher energy level than before. My skin looks brighter and better (at least to me) and I really do feel refreshed inside and out.

Ryan and I always try to eat healthy. For the past two years our weekday breakfast routine has been a shake, usually including frozen fruit, kale, avocado and almond milk. The juices feel like a slightly healthier and more nutrient packed version of this routine. And they taste really, really good! (Except the ones with beets. We’ve decided we just really don’t care for the beets.) When my schedule is tight, a juice lunch is an easy way to stay fueled in a hurry. A snack of almonds, maybe a piece of fruit in the afternoon gets me through the day.

We try to keep most of our juices about 70-80% vegetables, this cuts down on the sugar and calories. But I don’t feel the need to calorie count with the juices – I really don’t think you could drink enough to gain weight on juice. They leave you feeling pretty full.

I bought this cookbook recently to give us more juicing ideas and I like how the sections are divided into different types of juices. 

The Fuel juices are best for meal replacement and have some added fat or fiber in the form of nut milk, avocado or coconut oil.

Ryan is the world's best sport - always willing to fully support these new things I try. How many husbands would drink only juice for days on end because their wives think it's a good idea? He may be a little hungry, but he is healthy! The kids also love the juices, though Charlie prefers ones with mostly fruit. They don't drink only juice for breakfast like we do, but I will give them a glass of juice when they ask for it. With none of the additives of the store bought versions, it is truly healthy for them. 

We’re just scratching the surface but I’m really loving this health habit. I take a break from juicing on the weekends and I find myself craving that Monday morning pick me up. A juicer is not cheap, but we consider it is an investment in our health, our future. If you live in the KC area, there is a really great juice bar called T. Loft with two locations, one dangerously close to our house. The juices aren’t cheap but they are the real deal (their sugar free baked goods are also really good!).

This is a picture of my birthday breakfast this year, enjoyed on the back deck. I may have added another year to the calendar, but I feel like I've taken several off in the last 6 months through a healthy diet and exercise. Here's to getting older!