New Year, New Me! Here’s my 6-week plan

I’ve been a huge Dr. Joel Fuhrman fan for a very long time. He seems to always feature on many of the great health documentaries I watch on Netflix. He appears most notably in Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and oversees Joe Cross’ journey from Fat & Sick to Healthy & Strong status post a 60 day juice fast. Joel Fuhrman is my kinda doctor. We need a trillion more of his kind. He focuses on teaching people how they can prevent or reverse disease through having a nutrient-rich diet. I finally picked up his all-time best seller Eat to Live a few months ago and I learned so much from it. It is hands down one of the best books I’ve read in a while on the topic of ‘health & wellness’ and has a lot of information that anyone can all apply to their lives.

Which brings to me to my plan for the New Year. I don’t know when the whole ‘lose-weight-and-get-healthy-in-the-new-year’ thing started but it’s great that most people decide to pay attention to their health at this time of the year. The fact that most of us don’t keep these promises to ourselves is a whole other blog post that I’m not going to write. We’re only being optimistic now, right?

Ok, so Joel Fuhrman outlines a great 6 week plan to get everyone jump started. I am counting tomorrow as my day 1 (of 6 weeks/42 days) for reasons that are too silly to list except to say that I just want it to end on Feb 10th/Day 42. The great thing about this plan is that I have a few pounds to lose but don’t have a scale in the house so no more weekly weigh-ins 😦 I gave it to my brother who needed it to weigh his luggage for a trip and I won’t pick it up till this is over. I want the focus to be on how to be even more creative in the kitchen and make incredibly tasty & healthy meals everyday and to see how my body responds to these choices. But yes, it is safe to say I probably will NOT be amused on Feb 11th if I haven’t lost a pound.

So here’s my plan, actually it’s our plan, my awesome hubby is joining in. I don’t know what came over him but I’m excited and still a bit shocked. It’s not ok to reproduce exactly what’s in the book (i.e. the 6-week plan) on this site, since he doesn’t on his website. It’ll take away from Dr. Fuhrman’s entire message for me to divulge it and I know he spent a lot of money, effort and time researching and writing to eventually create that plan. I don’t think/hope Dr. Fuhrman’s folks will come after me for talking about how awesome he is, telling you to go get your own copy of Eat to Live and telling you about the plan I have created for hubby and I that is inspired by his book and many other books I have read.

• We will pig out on all the raw & cooked fruits & vegetables our heart desires. Love that!
• 1 ounce of raw nuts & seeds daily. This’ll be a hard one for me! I love my nuts & seeds 🙂
• We will limit the amount of cooked starchy vegetables we have to about 1 cup per day. 
• Off limits for us will be ALL processed foods, flour, sugar, dairy products, animal products, alcohol and oils. 
• As the family’s juice-maid I will create juices that are mostly veggie based. Gotta keep juicing!

The plan sounds great, right? I love it, or at least the idea of it at this point. I really feel unsettled about conforming to the idea of starting a d**t in the new year. The truth is though that I constantly aspire to be healthier, stronger and like Oprah says Live my Best Life so I’m ok with it and actually very excited about it so here goes! and it really shouldn’t be too hard seeing as I have a reputation among friends for being ‘the healthy one’. What they don’t know is that I LOVE Moscato and crave spicy chicken wings ALL the time. Look out for the updates I will have on how it’s going. Pray for us, lol! No seriously, please pray… hard! 🙂

What’s your ‘get-healthier’ plan for the New Year? If you don’t have one, why not? If you’ve stuck to a plan before and achieved great results, what were they and what helped?

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Smoothie Recipe #5: Red Berry Banana Love

Woooooooo!!!!!!! This fruit smoothie recipe is fantastic. Most of my smoothies are green smoothies nowadays but this morning I just wanted a purely fruit smoothie. This smoothie is sweet, filling, super healthy and will have you attempting to lick the inside of your blender/Vitamix. The ingredients to make approximately 14 ounces of this yummy fruit smoothie are as follows.

 

• 1 cup of frozen organic strawberries
• 1/2 cup of frozen organic raspberries
• 4 organic baby bananas/ 1 large regular banana
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal
• 1 date, pitted
• 6 ounces of filtered water

 

This is a great starter smoothie recipe for easing your way into making and enjoying super green smoothies or just having a healthier breakfast. This is a wonderful example that being healthy does not mean enduring terrible tasting/looking foods. I mean, isn’t this the prettiest smoothie you’ve ever seen?

 

~Blend & Enjoy!~

Smoothie Recipe #4: Emerald Green Smoothie

Breakfast today was a smoothie that had a beautiful deep green hue that (randomly) reminded me of emeralds. I literally filled my Vitamix halfway with baby spinach. I’m pretty sure I’m still subconsciously trying to make up for my over-indulgence on Christmas day. I seriously need to learn to rotate my greens though. I’ve been doing way too much spinach. In an effort to make my smoothies simpler, this breakfast green smoothie recipe only calls for 4 ingredients. Here goes…

• 2 extremely large handfuls of organic baby spinach
• 1 frozen organic banana
• 1 cup of organic frozen strawberries
• 3/4 cup of organic peaches

I blended all the above with 8 ounces of filtered water. It came out perfectly smooth, delicious and was about 24 ounces. Thanks Vitamix. I am so grateful for this kitchen appliance. I get sooooo much use out of it. Here’s to many more green smoothies in the new year and an  abundance of health 🙂

Check out the very first green smoothie I made with my Vitamix. Boy was I (and still am) a very happy girl. Vitamixes (is that a word?) ROCK!

~Blend & Be Happy~

Juice Recipe #24: Green To-Go Juice aka ‘Christmas-Guilt’ Juice

I did not survive Christmas very well. Like many people, I could not resist over-indulging on my mother and mother-in-law’s delicious culinary creations.  I do not feel one ounce of guilt though *total lie* because I know that I’ll more than make up for it in the days and weeks to come and because it was only one gosh-darn day of gluttony. I went to bed Tuesday night vowing to have something.. .anything green for breakfast. I was beyond exhausted of course, so I slept in and woke up with only enough time to shower, dress, juice and go! Here’s the seriously yummy light and refreshing green juice recipe I created with left-over fruits that I’d cut up for a breakfast on Monday.

I made 32 ounces of it but the measurements below are for approximately 16 ounces.

• 6 stalks of organic celery
• 1 large pink grapefruit
• 1 organic granny smith apple
• 1  handful of red seedless grapes

This green juice was so good I’d barely driven 3 miles before it was all gone. It’s a winner 🙂

~Juice & go!~

 

5 Incredible Benefits of Juicing

Here is a look at just 5 of the many incredible benefits of juicing.

1. The Standard American Diet (or any diet that is full of highly processed foods) is deficient in nutrients necessary for optimal health and filled with toxins that contribute to the chronic degenerative diseases many suffer from. Juices are a great way to provide an abundance of nutrients. They are full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants that are sure to help the body heal from the inside out. Fresh juices are an easy way to consume nutrients found in a large amount of produce. They are in no way though, a substitute for eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. Juices are energizing! Fresh, raw juices have living energy and are assimilated into the body very quickly. It is extremely important to drink juices immediately after they have been prepared in order to get the most benefits. Juices begin to oxidize and lose their nutritive power the longer they are stored.
3. For anyone concerned about calories, juices have few calories, a high amount of nutrients and are very filling. They are a great addition to any weight-loss plan.
4. Juicing an array of fruits and vegetables provides your body with an immense number of nutrients which boost immunity such as vitamins A, B, C & E as well as carotenoids, manganese and selenium.
5. Juices, mostly those of leafy greens, are highly alkaline and help counteract the acidic state found in those who consume a mostly Standard American Diet. An optimal pH for the body is extremely important for all metabolic processes. Check out this detailed article by Dr. Robert and Shelley Young to find out exactly why consuming mostly alkaline foods is necessary. They also have an acid-alkaline food chart which makes a great guide for anyone.

I can attest to having experienced all these benefits since I began juicing exactly four years ago. If you think you’re ready to start juicing and improve your health, the next step is choosing a juicer. Read this to figure out the best type of juicer that will fit your needs and budget. Lastly, here is one of many free juice recipes on this site to get you started.

What benefits have you experienced from juicing?

Juice Recipe #23: Lean Green Juice!

This green juice recipe is sure to make you feel & look great. It was the perfect light and super healthy breakfast recipe and it has super ‘green’ powers to make anyone lean (after lots of doses on a consistent basis alongside a healthy diet of course). Yes, being lean doesn’t come easy. I know because I’m still on that path but I love and appreciate every step I make in the right direction. And by lean, I don’t mean skinny, I mean… ‘right & tight’ 🙂 I just can’t think of a better way to describe it. Feel free to help me out.

Anyway, here’s the recipe to this delicious and refreshing green juice. Your whole body will thank you for it. This made exactly 32 ounces which is a whole lot but I woke up starving, ran a few miles and needed that much. Cut ingredients in half to make the usual 16oz.

• 4 medium/large collard green leaves
• 5 celery stalks
• one handful of mint leaves
• 3 granny smith apples
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 lemon (I juice with the peel on)

Some of the benefits of this green juice, just to name a few, are that it is anti-inflammatory, alkaline, a diuretic, promotes weight loss and improves immunity.

Ingredients of The Lean Green Juice

Lean Green Frothy Goodness

Lean, green and filled to the brim.

Settling in

~Juice & Get Lean!~

Sources:

Benefits of Juicing Collard Greens

The Incredible Powers of Celery Juice

Sweet Clemetine Salad

Clementines are not safe in our house. I bought a box of them and between my husband and I they were gone in four days. I don’t know how many the box holds but I would estimate probably about 35. They were perfect to have for breakfast, as a snack and as you will see in today’s post, they were a great addition to this salad. This salad was incredibly filling, delicious, crunchy, sweet and a little tangy thanks to the yummy dressing I used.

Here’s the simple recipe:

• Organic mixed greens
• Organic baby carrots
• Organic cherry tomatoes, halved
• One clementine

Yup! That’s it! Simple is best. I used Cindy’s Kitchen Sundried Tomato dressing which I purchased at my local Whole Foods Market but feel free to use whatever dressing you have on hand or better yet make one.

Clementines have Folate, Potassium, Fiber and are of course loaded with Vitamin C.

~Munch & Enjoy!~

Juice Recipe #22: Not-So-Green Juice

I was craving a green juice today and made this tasty juice that looks anything but green. In fact, I’m not fond of its color but it packs some serious nutrient power so whatever! I purchased some collard greens at my local supermarket a few days ago that were calling my name. I’m sure I’m not the only weirdo that sees a gorgeous veggie in the market and just has to have them. That’s how I felt about these collards when I laid eyes on them. They were fresh, large, leafy and the most gorgeous shade of green.

I LOVE Collard Greens or what I grew up referring to as Sukuma Wiki, google that! Collards and Kale are definitely my favorite greens. I grew up eating them sauteed with onions and tomatoes. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. But given that this is a juicing blog and I was craving one I thought I would create a juice around them. It just refused to become green though thanks to the carrots. Go carotene! I also was excited to drink a veggie juice out of the glass in the picture. It was a wedding favor from a wedding I attended two weeks ago and I can’t say I’ve ever been more excited about a favor. Silly, I know!

Collard greens are loaded with Vitamin A, C and K, along with calcium, potassium and omega 3 fatty acids. Greens are definitely nature’s secret weapon. Here’s one recipe that helps you drink your greens and get filled up on these nutrients.

• 2-3 large collard green leaves, thouroughly washed, stem and all!
• 5-6 carrots
• 1 apple
• 1 inch piece of ginger

~Juice & Enjoy!~

If you want to taste and see a ‘real’ green juice, check out the most popular green juice recipe MAJ has so far… Juice Recipe #4

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Check out this great blog and a wonderful adaption of a Maple Avenue Juice recipe.

The State of Motherhood

Here is a juice recipe from Maple Avenue Juice with just a small change. I added coconut water and adapted it for the Vitamix. Definitely check out Maple Avenue Juice for other awesome juice and smoothie recipes.

Pineapple Ginger Jazz

• 2 cups coconut water
• 2 cups frozen pineapple
• 2 whole, peeled mandarin oranges
• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled

Blend for 1 minute. Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

 

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