JUICE / RAW CLEANSE

When you are trying something new, either diet or fitness, a routine or whatever, sometimes it can be hard to see the changes taking place. We get so caught in the moment, the bigger picture can seem out of focus. And we will drop it sometimes, because we don't realize how good it really was for us!

This is what happened to me when it came to eating a vegan diet. I stepped back from it a bit in December, let myself loose in a way, and didn't think much of it. Until this past week I started to take note of all the physical and mental differences that have occurred over the last few weeks: broken out skin, lack of mental clarity, and lethargy to name a few. I wasn't OK with these steps 'backward'.  So I resolved this weekend to do a 3 day cleanse of homemade juices and raw fruits and vegetables. Hoping to jump start my body into going back into the lifestyle I didn't even acknowledge was doing me so much good.

So the plan- 3 juices a day. 2 servings of raw veggies and 2 servings of fruit. Herbal tea, water, and hot lemon water constantly. I wanted to do juice only but was concerned with working weekends I wouldn't be my best self, so the decision was made to work in raw plants. I read up on both cleanses and felt a hybrid would work just as well!

Juicing isn't all fairy dust and good health, its kind of hard work! Here are some of my juicing best practices that might help if you're new to the juicing game:

Clear out fridge and make a list-  You will need lots of space when you get home from the grocery store! Gather your recipes (I used the 3 day reboot with Joe guide) and create detailed lists. Also account for any fruits and veggies you don't want to juice.

Juice in small batches- a lot of people out there say to juice fresh, but my schedule doesn't allow that. So I store them in airtight jars and they still taste great a day later!

Prep Prep Prep! I wash, peel, cut, and dice everything and divide into bowls for each juice (Hello, Type A juicer!) according to the recipes. 

Enjoy- Nothing tastes quite like a fresh juice. Try a variety of colors and play with the balance of fruits and veggies. Its easier to enjoy fruit juices where as leafy dark green juices can be an acquired taste- but if you visualize the goodness it goes down much smoother ;)

What are your juicing successes/ best practices?  ♥

I ♥ Juicing

I have officially joined the green side ...and I love it! I started a juicing schedule where I make three days worth of juice for Nate and I, so every Wednesday and Sunday I am peeling, chopping, and refrigerating 6 jars of healthy goodness.

These particular jars contain:
2 large Kale leaves
1 Cucumber
2 Apples
2 Celery stalks
6 grapes
1 Lemon

The best part of this hobby? Knowing that Nate is getting more veggies than he ever has. And if you have some extra produce laying around that you don't want to spoil just juice it! I had a surplus of grapes and apples this morning so I made a pitcher of apple grape juice- its sweet and perfect with breakfast.

Have you tried juicing and have recipes you love? I'd love to hear about them! ♥