Beet and Orange Juice, Raw Vegan Reflections

Half of 2014 is already gone! I can’t help but feel that I should be reflective on what has transpired during the first 6 months of this year as it pertains to my new mostly raw vegan lifestyle. In summary…IT ROCKS!!!! It’s amazing, it’s fun, it’s filling and fulfilling, it’s energizing, it’s everything I dreamed it would be and so much more. Let me make it perfectly clear that I have not been 100% raw vegan the entire time, if I had to give it a number I would say 90% on average with very very very many 100% days. I went with ‘the flow’ as they say and I did not beat myself up for indulging in unhealthy eats. What I found instead was that after eating ‘clean’ my body became hyper sensitive to processed/unhealthy food that I naturally didn’t want any of it. I often felt sick, had an upset stomach and severe acid reflux after eating such food. I still really struggle with social gatherings. There are often absolutely no options to eat a raw, fresh fruit and/or vegetable meal in restaurants and even in people’s homes which I think is really sad. I have to say that eating this way has brought me so much JOY and I have experienced enormous benefits from eating this way. I will try and outline some of them below.

• Grocery shopping is effortless and fun. I don’t need to look at labels. I simply purchase organic, whole, fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. That’s it! A few other things I also buy are dates, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds and dehydrated unsweetened coconut. A plant-based diet made up of whole foods (fruits and vegetables) is the way to go!
• Meal prep is so fast and there are no stinky lingering oil/cooked food smells in the house. Every meal/dish is always so colorful. Radiant is the word actually!
• Fruits and Vegetables are delicious in their most natural state. There is nothing like a ripe fresh mango, crunchy & salty celery, a sweet & juicy orange or smooth & creamy avocado. Nature/God is PERFECTION.
• I have boundless energy all the time and I have released (lost) 20 pounds 🙂 which is FANTASTIC. I truly feel like my body is healing itself from the inside out with fruits and vegetables. I have indulged in the most delicious juices, smoothies and salads the past 6 months and I can’t wait to see what the next 6 months brings. The weight loss was a nice bonus. My creative side has evolved and I feel so inspired when I’m in the kitchen now so much so that I made this new recipe this morning and I’m calling it BEETASTIC! Try it y’all. I know you will love it.

BEETASTIC JUICE

1 Beet and 2 Oranges. That’s it! 🙂 As always, use organic ingredients if possible.

 

~Juice, Try Something New & Enjoy!~

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Orange, Apple, Pineapple and Lemon Juice

I really enjoy my super green juices but sometimes there’s nothing more satisfying than a sweet juice, especially for breakfast. I was a little bored with my usual orange juice so I came up with this blend and added 1/4 lemon to make it tart and not overly sweet. This juice is loaded with Vitamin C and will give you energy to get (and keep) you going all day! This juice is also a crowd pleaser so feel free to make and share this juice with your family and friends. Use all organic ingredients if possible 🙂

• 3 oranges
• 1/4 pineapple
• 2 apples
• 1/4 lemon

~Juice&Enjoy!~

Grapefruit, Cucumber, Apple and Orange Juice

I looooooove juicing grapefruit. I made these juices for company and they were a hit!

• 1 Grapefruit
• 1 cucumber
• 1 Apple
• 1 orange

The pink juices are my usual fave Grapefruit and Apple Juice combo

If any of you are on Instagram, it’s my new favorite addiction and I post recipes pretty instantaneously on it (like this recipe) along with other great raw food (juice, smoothie, fruit and salad) eats. Follow me @mapleavenuejuice and let’s inspire each other. I love it! Don’t know what took me so long to join.

Here is one of many pictures I posted on Instagram that was absolutely delicious. Don’t you want to eat it NOW?

~Juice&Inspire~

 

 

 

 

Maple Avenue Juice Recipe Index

Grapefruit and Apple Juice

Sweet Potato and Orange Juice

Celery, Kale, Cilantro, Lemon and Apple Juice

Celery, Cucumber, Kale and Apple Juice

Carrot and Ginger Juice

Orange Juice

Apple, Beet, Carrot and Ginger Juice

Cucumber, Kale, Spinach, Celery, Apple and Lemon Juice

Apple and Lemon Juice

Beets, Grapefruit, Apple and Carrot Juice

Celery, Carrot, Orange and Lemon Juice

Tropical Bliss

My ‘Everything’ Juice

My ‘Everything’ Green Juice

Romaine, Apple, Broccoli and Lemon

Bright Orange Goodness

Thanksgiving Juice

Not-so-green Juice

Lean Green Juice

Green to-go Juice

Three Greens Juice

Joyful Juice (2 recipes)

Cucumber, Romaine, Pineapple and Orange Juice

Orange Glow

Saturday Morning Green Juice

Keeps-the-doctor-away Juice

Juice Recipes from China! (9 recipes)

Amazing Mint Green Juice

Romaine, Celery, Apple, Spinach, Lemon and Mint Green Juice

This green juice is AMAZING. It is award-worthy, dream-of-it-in-your-sleep AMAZING. I’ve never had a green juice like it and I can’t help but get incredibly excited when the ‘magic’ happens in my kitchen. I live for these moments. If all else (material possessions) fades away, I only need my juicer and my greens to remain. Life has felt especially busy these last few weeks and I feel like I’m constantly playing catch up. I revel in simplicity, quiet and consistency in my life. I have a stay-cation coming up and I look forward to catching up mentally, emotionally and physically with myself. It sounds awfully strange but I’m sure someone out there gets it! This past Saturday morning I had one of these beautiful moments and this recipe was the outcome. I made this in my Omega J8006.

• 1 romaine Heart
• 4-5 celery stalks
• 1 green apple
• 2-3 cups of spinach
• 1/2 lemon
• 4-5 mint leaves

Perfectly green, perfectly organic, perfectly sweet, perfectly refreshing, just perfect in every way.

~Juice, juice, juice & don’t stop juicing!~

5 Juice Recipes for Weight Loss

Many of us have a few (or more) extra pounds that we have and just can’t seem to get rid of. It’s annoying. We want to look and feel our best so why not take a chance and add 2-4 glasses of fresh fruit and vegetable juice to your daily diet and see what happens! I highly recommend starting your day with these juices. It sets the tone for the rest of the day which makes it more likely for you to make healthier choices throughout the day.

Here are 5 Juice Recipes for Weight Loss you will want to make to help you become the most healthful version of yourself you can be. These recipes yield 2-4 glasses.

1. Apple and Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruits are available year round, have lots of potassium, vitamin C and aid in digestion. The combination of grapefruit juice’s sour and tart taste with the sweetness of apple juice is fantastic. I make this juice for family and friends and it’s always a hit.

-2 apples
-2 grapefruit

2. Celery, Romaine and Apple Juice

This is one of the most simple and tasty green juices you can make. Almost any green juice I make will have celery because it is a powerful diuretic which means it’ll get rid of excess water you may be retaining and help you look leaner in no time! Go celery!

-4 celery stalks
-2 apples
-1 romaine heart

3. Celery, Cucumber, Kale and Apple Juice

Green juices are the most powerful juices you can make if weight loss is your primary goal. Greens pack a ton of nutrients, are low in calories and are very filling so they can help you get in shape. Juice those greens away. I highly recommend a masticating juicer like an Omega J8006 if you want to get the most out of your greens.
-4 celery stalks
-1 cucumber
-2 kale leaves
-1 apple

4. Apple, Beet and Carrot Juice

It just wouldn’t be right if this juice recipe wasn’t on the list. I make it so incredibly often (like today!) and I have happily released a few pounds in the past few weeks. It’s filling, it satisfies the craving for something sweet so well and it’s loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, potassium and a slew of other nutrients.
-1 apple
-2 beets
-5/6 carrots
-feel free to add a 1/2 inch of ginger for an extra kick!

5. Cucumber, Romaine, Pineapple and Orange Juice

To round out this list I just have to add yet another green juice recipe. They are that amazing. Greens rock! Get creative in the kitchen and don’t be afraid to throw in a few extra greens or fruits. Many a recipe posted on this website were highly experimental. You might just create a masterpiece. Here is juice recipe #5.

-1 cucumber
-1 head of romaine lettuce
-1/2 pineapple
-1 orange

 

If you’re ready to start juicing but don’t have a juicer yet please read Types of Juicers to figure out which one will work best for you.

Do you have a juice recipe you really enjoy and seem to make over and over? Has juicing improved your health? Kindly share…

9 New Juice Recipes from my vacation in China

I spent last week on vacation in China. Yup! I said China. My beloved cousin/sister-from-another-mother/BFF/maid-of-honor/ok… I think y’all get it, lives there. There is simply no other reason I would go to China. Don’t get me wrong, I love to travel, but my preference is almost always to go to a place with sun, white sand, clear blue waters and cute English-speaking beach boys. That aside, I had THE time of my life! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there (Shanghai and Nanjing) and took time to really soak in all the sights and sounds. China is a beautiful country, with a fascinating history and is quite the experience when it comes to food. As it pertains to this blog, I am so excited to share with you the incredibly delicious juices I enjoyed during my 6 day adventure there.

I did not look for all the great juice bars my cousin and I came across. They were simply everywhere. Everywhere. In malls, train stations, the airport and were street shops on busy roads. It was such an incredibly exciting find for a juice-lover like me. All the juices were affordable and ranged in price from $2-$4.

As soon as I arrived in Nanjing from Shanghai, with luggage in hand at the train station we came across this juice bar. My excitement was palpable. I thought I’d died and gone to juice heaven. He had what looked like an Omega VERT 350 and a Vitamix. Some of the juice recipes were combos of fruits juiced and then blended in the Vitamix i.e. my first juice was apple and mango. He juiced the apples and then blended the juice in the Vitamix with the mango. I hardly ever do this at home because I only want to clean one appliance but this juice was such a delicious treat and I appreciated his effort to make my first juice in China!

LEFT: Apple and Mango 

RIGHT: Orange, Pear and Lemon

Our second juice bar encounter was in Fashion Lady Shopping Center. We got our juices much faster at this juice bar because they had everything prepped and sitting in many different stainless steel bins waiting to be juiced/blended. They were both super tasty!

LEFT: Papaya and Orange (the oranges were juiced and then blended with the papaya)

RIGHT: Watermelon and Strawberry (this was just blended)

Our third juice bar experience was in a mall. I got to finally enjoy a green juice, I noticed that almost all the juice bars had recipes with just fruit which is ok because it’s better than no juice but I was craving something green and was thrilled to find cucumber on the menu. We enjoyed…

LEFT: Apple and Grapefruit

RIGHT: Carrot, Apple and Pear

BELOW (green juice): 2 Cucumbers and 1 Lemon, I actually paid attention to the proportions when they were making this one:-)

It was nice to see that they used my first and one of my favorite juicers, a Breville Juice Fountain Plus.

Our fourth and last juice bar encounter was on my second to last day in China. It was the perfect breakfast!

LEFT: Orange and Mango

RIGHT: Watermelon and Mango

Anyone travel to a city/country with lots of juice bars? Kindly share… 

~Juice, Travel & Be Merry!~

Green Juice Recipe (#32) and 3 Easy Healthy Habits

I love healthy habits and I love them even more when they just happen naturally. It’s not fun to always have to work at creating them but when you’re finally there, at that effortless space where it just happens, it’s magic, it’s fun and you enjoy the benefits. I realized this past Saturday that anytime I’m off on a Saturday (I work some weekends), I make a huge batch of green juice, sit on the couch (or in bed) in complete silence preferably and savor every last drop of my juice while doing absolutely nothing else. It’s meditative and I enjoy every second of it. I juice several times a week but for some reason I really look forward to my next Saturday morning juice feast. I’ve worked annoyingly hard to create other healthy habits, many of which haven’t stuck, so it was fun to realize I had incidentally created this one. So since healthy habits don’t always happen effortlessly for me or many others I thought I’d come up with a list of 3 other healthy habits I’d like to practice. Feel free to join me.

1. Going to bed and waking up at the same time. I love sleep, who doesn’t? My problem, like many of you probably, is that on my days off I tend to stay up late, not being very productive, and wake up late. When I wake up later in the day, by the time I’m dressed and ready to conquer my day I’m annoyed with myself because I feel like half my day is gone. If I made an effort to sleep at the same time, wake up at the same time and physically get out of bed I’m sure I’d feel a million times better. Although, truth be told, there’s nothing like having a day once in a while spent in bed 🙂

2. Exercise at least 3 times per week. I know y’all saw this coming. I have serious working out issues. I go through phases where I live and breath my workouts and then it all comes to a screeching halt when I have a break in my schedule like a 3 day holiday out of town or heavens knows what! It’s sad, it’s pathetic and I want to be in the space where working out at least thrice a week just happens, like going to work, like juicing, like taking out the trash. Aaaaaarrrgghhh, can I just be there already?

3. Have (more of) an attitude of gratitude. I used to be a master at this. This used to be my constant state of being and then my job happened, more bills happened and more, more, more nonsense. They’re all excuses really. When you consistently practice having an attitude of gratitude no matter what happens in your day, you are happy, you are calm, you feel abundant, blessed and only more wonderful things/experiences come your way. It’s a fact. It’s really simple and I intend to practice it more. You can make a list every morning of what you’re grateful for, you can do it at the dinner table with your family or you can do it in the car while sitting in traffic. Anytime is the perfect time to have an attitude of gratitude for any or every thing in your life.

So here’s the juice I made this past Saturday morning. It was lightly sweet, it was a gorgeous green and I was grateful for every last drop of it.

Saturday Morning Green Juice

• 2 very large organic European cucumbers
• 4 organic apples
• 1 organic lemon, peeled
• 3 cups of organic baby spinach

I used my Omega J8006 to make this green juice and it juiced my spinach so well. All the pulp was bone dry! Unlike the Breville though, it works better if you peel the lemon which is fine because it only takes an extra 15 seconds. Check out Types of Juicers if you still haven’t decided what juicer you think would work best for you.

 

What healthy habits do you have that you appreciate? or would like to start? Kindly share…

~Juice & Start A New Healthy Habit Today!~

NEW Juicer Alert! Omega J8006 and Birthday Joy

I’m in love. Yes, love. It feels real. It’s the new kind. The one that makes you skip, hop and sing. I can’t believe it. I’m telling everyone and anyone that cares (or doesn’t) about the new love of my life. She’s shiny and new, sturdy and strong, sleek and sexy! She does a whole lot but I honestly just care that she juices.

It’s the month of my birthday and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to get a new juicer. After months of research, which pretty much consisted of reading reviews and watching YouTube videos, I finally decided on purchasing the Omega  J8006 masticating juicer. I have owned my beloved Breville Fountain Juice Plus for 5 years now and it has served me more than well. I purchased it for $120 at Macy’s (with a coupon) in December of 2008. I unfortunately began to notice over the past few months that my pulp was getting wetter and wetter which meant wasted nutrients and money! Not cool. I am beyond thankful for my beloved Breville and for the little bit it cost me, it has rewarded me with great health and for that there is no price! I will more than likely still use my Breville from time to time but for now the star in my kitchen is my Omega J8006 masticating juicer.

Feel free to check out my post on Types of Juicers to get a simple rundown on the different kinds of juicers, their pros and cons, price points and what juicer will probably work best for you.

After only having experienced a centrifugal juicer, I knew I had to try something different. I purchased the Omega J8006 at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $239 with the 20% off coupon you can sign up for online and receive in the mail. It normally retails for $299. Thanks BBB, gotta love a deal 🙂 🙂 🙂 The Omega J8006 is sooooooo much better at juicing leafy greens and clean up is a breeze because the parts are so much smaller. My first juice recipe with my new juicer had to be the first juice recipe I ever posted on this blog (most popular one too) and one of my favorites, Grapefruit & Apple Juice Recipe.

Here she is…

~Happy Birthday to me & Happy Juicing!~

Joyful Juice Recipes, #29 and #30

I’m so glad I’m back to juicing and blogging about it. I took a very long break from doing both most of this year to pursue other personal goals that suffice it to say left me feeling drained and hopeless. I am finally beginning to feel like my true happy self again and I owe much of that to my beloved 5 year old Breville juicer and my yummy hubby. While in the throes of my sadness I forced myself to think of (and act on) activities that bring me joy and juicing was pretty much at the top of the list. Ok, so maybe juicing tied with sleeping 9+ hours on my days off regardless of how many ‘important’ and  ‘timely’ errands I needed to run. So here are two recipes that I made on a day I literally slept in till 11am! These recipes are raw, fresh, mostly organic and quite delicious. Give them a try!I had one for breakfast, at 12pm 🙂 and one for lunch at 3pm 🙂 🙂 with lots of water in between.

BEET JOY JUICE RECIPE (32 ounces)

• 6 large carrots
• 3 beets, thoroughly washed
• 2 granny smith apples
• 1/4 large fresh pineapple
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 3-4 leaves of beet greens

GREEN JOY JUICE RECIPE (24 ounces)

• 4 stalks of celery
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 2 granny smith apples
• 1/2 lime
• 2 leaves of mustard greens

Juice and Be Joyful!