So I decided to do it. The documentary really inspired me. I spent a few days enjoying one juice a day for the health benefits, enjoyed a food frenzy of birthday celebration over the weekend and then yesterday started full on juicing.
I stocked up on fruits and veggies…
Got myself a juicer (I love this one by the way, the only drawback is it fills up with pulp fairly quickly and needs to be cleaned out before you can go on)…
And started making juice…
They aren't pretty, in fact Ella said it's a good thing they taste good because they look like swamp water, and she's right. They do taste good though, apples, carrots and pineapple are a great way to sweeten things up a bit.
I've been juicing a lot of spinach because it's on a great sale right now and it's just so darn good for you.
I made the mistake of juicing an orange without peeling it and I'm passing this on to you…don't do that. Lemons seem to be ok but orange peel is very bitter and even with a few extra apples the aftertaste of that juice was not pleasant.
Apples, carrots and cucumbers give you a ton of juice, spinach is pretty good and you get almost nothing from kale….which could be a good thing because it's not delicious and is better in small quantities.
Remember to juice a lot of different colours (doing beets today) and really "taste the rainbow" to borrow the skittles line. The more variation in colours the better.
I've had a lot of people ask me what the difference is between juicing and blending and I've borrowed this great explanation from the Juicing for Dummies Facebook page:
What’s the difference between juicing with a juicer and making fruit and veggie-based drinks with a blender.
Both are amazing additions to any diet.
Juice allows us to work with the freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs to create drinks that are deliciously vibrant, deliver an amazing nutritional punch and are incredibly easy to digest.
Smoothies have their place in a daily menu as well. They can offer fiber, good fats and opportunities for adding more protein into your diet all while tasting deliciously decadent.
So what’s the difference?
When people ask me what the difference is I love to use the example using carrots. I can juice 2 pounds of carrots and drink them but there is no way I can blend 2 pounds and drink them.
JUICING
When you juice you push clean produce through the chute of a juicer. This process removes the insoluble fiber (but the soluble fiber remains in the juice). Important micro nutrients typically more difficult to absorb become accessible to the human body. These nutrients include digestive enzymes and certain. Also, by creating an all liquid product, the body and consume more of these phytonutrients at once.
It amazes new Rebooters sometimes how small the juice yield is from vegetables like kale, and makes it clear that it’s a lot easier to drink a head of kale than to eat it!
BLENDING
When you make smoothies, you load up a blender with clean, fresh or frozen fruits, and green leafy veggies and liquid like coconut water, juice or almond milk. You can also add ingredients like almonds, hemp or soy milk, cacao nibs or chia seed for fun.
When you drink smoothies, your body benefits from the phytonutrients found in the skin and flesh of fruits and veggies. You also benefit from the large amounts of fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber is important for regulating blood sugar, keeping bowels regular, aiding in hunger control, and it may help prevent certain types of cancers.
Nutritional Tip
Remember: some juices and smoothies are meant to serve as full meals, while others are supplements. It’s important to look at your entire diet each day to ensure you are meeting your body’s nutritional needs while keeping your caloric intake in check.
Both smoothies and fresh juice can be a healthy and delicious way to boost the amount of micro nutrients.
Both are amazing additions to any diet.
Juice allows us to work with the freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs to create drinks that are deliciously vibrant, deliver an amazing nutritional punch and are incredibly easy to digest.
Smoothies have their place in a daily menu as well. They can offer fiber, good fats and opportunities for adding more protein into your diet all while tasting deliciously decadent.
So what’s the difference?
When people ask me what the difference is I love to use the example using carrots. I can juice 2 pounds of carrots and drink them but there is no way I can blend 2 pounds and drink them.
JUICING
When you juice you push clean produce through the chute of a juicer. This process removes the insoluble fiber (but the soluble fiber remains in the juice). Important micro nutrients typically more difficult to absorb become accessible to the human body. These nutrients include digestive enzymes and certain. Also, by creating an all liquid product, the body and consume more of these phytonutrients at once.
It amazes new Rebooters sometimes how small the juice yield is from vegetables like kale, and makes it clear that it’s a lot easier to drink a head of kale than to eat it!
BLENDING
When you make smoothies, you load up a blender with clean, fresh or frozen fruits, and green leafy veggies and liquid like coconut water, juice or almond milk. You can also add ingredients like almonds, hemp or soy milk, cacao nibs or chia seed for fun.
When you drink smoothies, your body benefits from the phytonutrients found in the skin and flesh of fruits and veggies. You also benefit from the large amounts of fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber is important for regulating blood sugar, keeping bowels regular, aiding in hunger control, and it may help prevent certain types of cancers.
Nutritional Tip
Remember: some juices and smoothies are meant to serve as full meals, while others are supplements. It’s important to look at your entire diet each day to ensure you are meeting your body’s nutritional needs while keeping your caloric intake in check.
Both smoothies and fresh juice can be a healthy and delicious way to boost the amount of micro nutrients.
Yesterday was not easy, I was really hungry but it seemed to come in waves. I would feel like I was starving but it only lasted a few minutes and would go away but it happened fairly frequently and by the end of the day I had a mild headache. Making spaghetti dinner for everyone was difficult but I did it. I had a great sleep last night and woke up three pounds lighter this morning. It's only just after 10am here but so far so good today, I don't feel too bad. Talking to others it sounds like the first 3 to 4 days of a juice fast are pretty difficult but after that you feel really good, I can't wait to get there.
If you are juicing with me I hope things are going well for you (please share in the comments section below!) and if you're not and would like to please follow along with the blog and "like" the Random Thoughts Facebook page as I will be posting regular updates there.
Here's to a healthy 2014!
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