What to Juice?

After I decided I wanted to start juicing I did a little research on different juicers, purchased one, and was all set to go. There was just one thing, what do I juice?

I knew that I could juice most fruits and vegetables, but I was a total newb and didn't want to come up with my own concoction without any previous experience. So, I decided I'd start off with something tried and true. I knew that in the documentary Joe talked about drinking just green juice. I did a little investigating, and found out Joe had a website with a bunch of information on juicing fruits and vegetables, as well as various recipes. On the site I found out that the juice he drank in the movie was called Mean Green juice. I looked up the recipe, purchased the ingredients, and was ready to go. 

When I was preparing it for the first time I started thinking I probably should've started off with a plain orange or apple juice. The kale (leafy greens packed full of nutrients) had me worried, but I had made it this far and I wasn't turning back now. I went ahead and made the juice, poured it over ice, and had my first drink. I was relieved. It certainly wasn't the best drink I'd ever had, but it wasn't the worst, either. It was better than I was expecting and I knew that I'd get used to it over time. 

Here I am months later and I still drink the Mean Green on a regular basis. I've experimented with a lot of other juice combinations, but the Mean Green is still one that I go back to regularly. And, just as I expected, I've developed a taste for it as well. I find it to be refreshing and energizing. Here's the recipe, along with before and after pics as well.

Mean Green Juice Recipe

• 6-8 leaves of kale
• 4 stalks of celery
• 1/2 lemon (peeled)
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 1 cucumber (peel if it isn't organic)
• 1 THUMB size of ginger

      


            As Joe Cross says...


        Juice On!

Getting Back On Track

Hey all, sorry it's been so long since my last post. I got a little sidetracked, so I'm here today to get back on track with this blog, as well as juicing in general.

When I started this blog I was juicing almost every day, sometimes even more than once a day. I was looking and feeling better, and I knew that the juice was playing a large part. Then, a few weeks ago I went to NYC over the weekend. Not only did I not consume any fresh juice while I was there, but I was stuffing my face with unhealthy foods like pizza, hot dogs, a pastrami sandwich the size of my head, you name it (see, I told you I wasn't a health freak.) When I returned from the brief getaway I vowed to pick up my juicing right where I left off. One day went by, then a few more, and before I knew it I hadn't made or consumed any fresh juice in two weeks! Something like this was bound to happen at one point or another, and that's actually one of the main reasons I wanted to make this blog about juicing. I knew that this blog would give me a little extra incentive to continue juicing and keep me accountable. Kinda reminds me of that saying, "practice what you preach." Nobody wants to read a blog about juicing if it's written by someone who doesn't juice. That wouldn't make any sense.

Last night I decided that enough was enough and that it was time to make some juice. I bought some produce, then immediately returned home and made some juice. Normally I like to consume the juice right away, (an explanation of why might be a topic of a future post) but this time I decided to put it in a mason jar and keep it in the fridge over night so that when I woke today I'd have my juice ready to go, and I wouldn't be able to make any excuses. I'm happy to announce that I'm drinking my juice while writing this post, and it's just as good as I remember. This particular juice makes me feel more awake and alert than a couple of cups of coffee in the morning, it also keeps me filling full for a few hours. I plan on having a juice tomorrow, the next day, and so on. I also plan on updating this blog more frequently.

One last thing, I know that this is an unfamiliar subject for many of you, just as it was for me, and that there will probably be some questions. I've probably asked these same questions myself. Feel free to ask any you might have and I'll do my best to answer.

How My Journey Began: Part II

...I honestly didn't know if my friend that I only kinda knew was batshit crazy (definitely possible,) or if this movie really was interesting enough to convince someone that only drinking fruit and vegetable juice for awhile is actually a good idea. One way or another I found out the documentary he watched was "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead." It's about an Aussie named Joe Cross who is overweight, on medications for a disease called urticaria (really bad hives,) and fed up and determined to make a change. The movie is thought-provoking, inspiring, with a feel good vibe, and I recommend it to anyone that likes documentaries, or anybody that's interested in improving their health. It's available on Netflix, and it's also free on Hulu here with limited commercial interruption. Check out the extended trailer below.