juice january {nutition, balance + harmony}

okay so i am assuming you made the pasta i posted yesterday. you're carbo loaded from last night + like me you managed to try every holiday cocktail, cookie, dip and chip in site....now it's time for a cleanse.

i start every year this way loading up on nutrients and protein. i add juicing to my regime. along with my usual work outs and of course real food comes into the mix.  as you know by now i am all about balance. i must stress this is how i do it, i am not a doctor or nutrition specialist. but it is a nice break for my digestive system and a great way it add nutrients in an effortless way to my diet.

i have a very large winter garden and pull kale, and cabbage and herbs from it to make tasty juice for myself and my family. i must stress that diet and exercise is a daily part of my life. i cook and grow as much of my own food and shop at fresh markets and eat as much unprocessed food as possible.

i do enjoy a cocktail and this is the hardest thing for me to give up for 21 days but i do it. you should to. i always tell my friends the number one thing you can do to eat healthy and even loose weight, (if this is your goal) is to stop eating out, cut down drinking alcohol, prepare and eat unprocessed food, and move everyday. it's just that simple.

my approach is easy, therefore conducive to sticking to juicing for 21 days.
here's how i do 21 days of adding juice to my diet.

1.cut out alcohol, yes, for 21 days ( eat home cooked meals in other words don't eat out, as much as possible for 21 days)

2.invest in a good juicer i own the breville juice fountain . it has a great engine and blade and you can throw everything but the engine in the dishwasher. easy is key!

3. juice in the morning. make 1 or 2 pitchers of my yummy combos* see some of my combinations below. and put in the fridge, if you don't work at home take 3 to 8 oz. go cups or a thermous filled with juice with you and store in the fridge. Fresh juice is only good for one day so make enough for only one day.

4. eat breakfast, make it light and healthy. you know what to do. Have your coffee, just one cup.

5. at around 10:00 have a full glass of juice, at noon another, and at 3 or 4 another. eat a light dinner around 6p.m. (preferably one you have prepared) and finish off the balance of the juice at night.
that's it. That's right I skip lunch.

This is not intended for weight lose for me (or my family), it just gives my digestive system a healthy break and makes me feel lighter and full of energy. I believe in eating and chewing is essential to feel satisfied. So breakfast and dinner are a must for me.
I may even drink juice out of a martini glass at night to fool myself into thinking it's a cocktail, yes i am just that kooky.

my juicer and some choices for the next 2 days.

here are some combinations i love
* add protein powder to any of these as you wish. the protein powder i use is Bio Chem Greens and Whey, whichever powder you choose make sure that you mix enough into the juice to make the calorie count 100 or less per serving.

beet,apple, kumquats, carrots and ginger
beets, carrot, parsley and cucumber
kale, celery, ginger, cucumber, baby pea shoots
apple, celery, parsley, kale
spinach, apple, and lemon, and ginger
carrots, kale and lemon
parsely, apple, pear, and ginger
red pepper, cucumber, ginger, baby pea shoots lemon

beet+apple+kumquats+carrots+ginger

yum

the ingredients are simple + affordable.
I love to go to local asian or ethnic markets and buy fresh fruits and veggies, why ethnic markets??? first off they are less expensive, fresher and have more interesting items, like baby pea shoots. i think it's a big waste of money to go on diet programs (sorry it's just how i feel, all the foods are processed, blech) making your own food is easy and so healthy, and cheaper! grow things in containers, don't get me started! i have very strong feeling about how americans eat!)

the breville site has some fantastic ideas and creative recipes as well . let me hear from you about your favorite combinations, and let me know how it goes! good luck and happy juicing!