Juicin' On....

It's been a week since I ended my 7 day reboot and I am feeling great.  I forgot to mention before that I was down 4 lbs that week.  I can guarantee if you have weight to lose you will see some of it come off in a week of rebooting and have added energy. If you choose to move forward after the end of the reboot and eat clean and responsible you will keep it off.  Best of luck to you all that have purchased your first juicer and are embarking on the juice journey with me.

 The first morning after the reboot ended I woke up (after dreaming of green juice, odd, I know...must have been the two glasses of Riesling I consumed) and made myself a green juice. No joke. It just sounded good to me. In the days that have passed I noticed I didn't have the energy that I did on the juice (and I had my first headache in a week). I know I didn't notice much of a change when I went on it, but I can tell you with all certainty I missed it!  I'm shocked to let you know that I have been juicing daily. Having one glass a day of the green stuff.  

I've been juicing for my friends and family. I love spreading the love. However, juicing does make a big ole' dent in the pocketbook. It's not cheap to make organic glasses of juice, but it's not cheap either to be on multiple medications due to weight related illnesses. It's not cheap to take over the counter pain medications for headaches. It's not cheap to drink soda daily. It's not cheap to spend gas money traveling to and from doctors appointments. Juicing is an investment for tomorrow.  It gives you the energy you lack when you are on processed foods.  Instead of reaching for a caffeine fix of tea or coffee I've been making myself a green juice when I feel sluggish or have a headache. It truly works.

Many people ask if they can use a blender to get the same results. My answer is NO. By all means, if you don't want to get a juicer and are committed to blending spinach, fresh veggies and fruit and drinking it, DO IT! However, to get the full benefits of the reboot you must drink the juice. Juicing gives your body an incredible amount of easily digestible nutrients.  Eating the amounts of fruits and vegetables that goes into one glass, in one sitting, would be difficult and wouldn't digest as easily in your system.  Juice flushes waste and detoxifies the body.  If you suffer from any chronic illness it sure would be worth it to give a week of your life to solely live on juice.  I have read many, many positive outcomes to chronic health issues from juicing.

Best of luck to those of you brave enough to give juicing a try and being open minded in that journey. It will be worth it! I promise.

If you don't want to just go on my word alone, here are five men and their stories of rebooting....www.jointthereboot.com

The REBOOT {cleanse}-DAY SEVEN

I made it to the final day! I am beyond excited and proud I stuck it out.  

I do hope you all take the time to watch "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" and see if it inspires you to rethink your health, habits, and future. Are you getting enough fruits and vegetables daily?

By far my favorite green juice was this:

6 leaves of kale

2-3 large handfuls of spinach

1 apple

1 pear

1 cucumber

1/2 lime

This image gives you an idea of how much goes into ONE drink:

Check out how Joe Cross is doing a year later...

Here's a great link to many video answers from Joe himself about Rebooting. www.jointthereboot.com  

 I ended this day with a huge burger and fries. I've had enough fruit and veggies for one week. Juice on my clean freaks!  Day 7...done!

I'll leave you with a little juice humor...yes, apparently there is such a thing. 

The REBOOT {cleanse}- DAY SIX

I made it to day SIX. Wow. I really can't believe it! Glad I decided to keep going and finish this goal.  I woke up ready to tackle this day ahead with juice. I had great energy all day, which I found odd since I wasn't eating anything until dinner time when I had another salad.

I took this week off from my zumba since it's high impact.  I can't imagine how hungry I would have felt afterwards.  I continued to do sit up, push ups, stretching, etc.  I'm actually looking forward to getting back into the free weights and zumba next week.  Joe Cross recommends yoga, walking, swimming during a reboot and leaving the high impact for after it's over.

As I went about my day on day 6 I noticed how happy I was overall.  I was singing the kid's songs along with them as loudly and happily as they were.  I felt more focused. I had no anxiety or stress. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy for me to only consume juice (especially when we don't have handy juice bars like some cities do), but it gave me some sense of peace. I viewed the world a whole different way. 

Thinking back to the days before I went {clean}, I can remember that feeling of disappointment in myself often. I remember feeling tired a lot. Before dumping all the processed food and artificial sweeteners I was often starving (and sucking down a Diet Coke)! I can remember ordering carry out more times than I should in a week.  I remember never planning snacks and always ending up grabbing something out in a pinch. I can remember being so hungry in the evenings I would over snack on cheese and crackers. I remember my stomach buckling in pain after MANY meals because of some reaction I had to a chemical additive. Many of those meals I made for my family with processed foods thinking they were healthy.  All I can say is that during this journey of {eating clean} I no longer feel weighed down (no pun intended) with food.  This juice cleanse has only driven the point home to me.  Don't let poor food choices choose your destiny. They are simply NOT worth it.  There may come a day when you are the heaviest you have ever been and you regret eating all those poor choices.  If you are there now, there is hope if YOU are ready to commit.   I love {clean eating} because it has shown me light. Nutrient dense foods DO help you.  

If you love chocolate cake, then work on making a cleaner version and treat yourself weekly to a piece of cake.  If you love ice cream, buy organic {all natural} ice cream and do the same.  Or, better yet, try {all natural} frozen yogurt.  If you love chips, purchase all natural chips and treat yourself weekly.  My {clean} journey is not about given up everything, it's about ridding my life of all chemicals, additives, and such. It's about getting back to the basics.

I feel truly blessed that I decided to take control of my life and start on this journey in the fall of 2010.  My family and myself has seen the benefits. It's also a blessing to see friends and family members making positive changes to their lives through all my hard work and dedication.

Get out there....start your journey to a better you!

Day 6.....D.O.N.E!

  

The REBOOT {cleanse}-DAY FIVE

When day five rolled around I was on the fence. On one hand I was proud I had even made it to day FIVE (that's good enough, right?) and on the other I wanted to just stop (and shove a handful of raw nuts into my mouth)! Yes, I've been graving raw pistachios and almonds.  And, of course, a billion other food items go through my head that I can't eat right now.  

During a reboot cleanse it's VERY important to focus on consuming GREEN juices with lots of vegetables.  Kale, Spinach, Romaine lettuce, Cucumbers, Celery to name a few.  Fruits are added to give it a nice balance, but really only should be used in moderation because of all the sugar.

This cleanse teaches you a LOT about your eating habits.  Prior to the cleanse I was accustomed to grabbing fruit, veggies, hummus or nuts for a snack throughout the day to avoid feeling hungry.  I found it particularly hard on day five not to accidentally put something in my mouth. This wouldn't be so hard if I wasn't still preparing three meals a day for my family. (I know, I should get some sort of medal for being SO nice)  This cleanse I chose to do allows fresh fruit and raw veggies. I have a salad (which is just lettuce, veggies, and a drizzle of dressing) once a day in the evening, because I find that is when I crave food the most.  I am used to a big plate of food at the end of my day. 

By the end of day 5 I had to reevaluate things. I had to dig deep for that inner power.  I had to realize that I had set a goal and I could reach that goal in TWO more days. Never give up because you will only have regrets. With every personal goal you set and accomplish (big or small) comes peace to your heart and empowerment to your soul.  Remember that.

 I hadn't really eaten anything in 5 days but yet I still functioned as though I had been eating my {clean} lifestyle.  The stranger on the street wouldn't dare guess all I had consumed for 5 days was basically green juice.  Typically I'm a pretty happy, optimistic person but I felt there was an added bounce in my step.  I felt like I could tackle anything. Nothing was holding me down. 

As late evening rolled around (and with a little added encouragement from my hubby) I had decided I would finish this goal and experience it completely.

Day FIVE.....barely.....DONE!

The REBOOT {cleanse}- DAY FOUR

Day four was even easier. Except when I ended up parking next to a Mexican restaurant and aroma about did me in. Having the proper juicer is key! My kids love the juicer too so it's a great addition to our kitchen.  Last night they made fresh orange juice with dinner. They loved it! My daughter even tried a fruit juice with spinach and she liked it!

I hear you are supposed to have this burst of energy while drinking the green juice. I am not really feeling that different. However, I don't really have lack of energy much since going {clean}.  I'm confident that the typical American going on this cleanse would reap rewarding results in their energy level. 

This cleanse is teaching me a lot about how we correlate food with everyday life.  There are so many bad influences that we are faced with daily that try to sabotage our efforts of living {clean}.  I'm so far into my {clean eating} journey that I can now drive down the street and not be tempted to head to the nearest McDonald's for a fix.   If everyone spent as much effort and time in the grocery store reading labels or discussing the purpose of food with their families as they did sitting in the drive-thru line this country would be in better shape overall! 

If poor food choices or overeating are some of the things you battle with you should give this a try.  It not only makes you stop and focus on putting ONLY nutrient dense foods into your body, it teaches you that life will go on with or without you eating that typical lunch time meal out with friends that does nothing but make you sluggish afterwards. Or opting for take out at dinner time because you didn't plan ahead.  This cleanse is empowering. 

Remember that Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead Joe from my Day THREE post?

Well, here's the new JOE! Isn't he a hotty!?

Day FOUR....DONE!

Straight from Joe's mouth...

What’s so powerful about fruits and vegetables?

Well, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk for things like cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and mental illness. Fruits and vegetables have also been credited with alleviating the day-to-day effects of painful, chronic conditions such as constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and migraines. Each color family is rich in unique and important micronutrients that help protect our immune systems and keep our bodies strong, so it’s key to vary your fruits and veggies. That’s why I say eat a rainbow every day. 

The REBOOT {cleanse} -DAY THREE

Day 3 was the first full day that I had my juicer and it made a world of difference. When I was hungry I would just make a green juice. I didn't even have the desire to eat many fruits or vegetables either so I ended that evening with some celery and Braggs dressing & a banana. I'm SHOCKED to say this, but I don't mind the Kale in my juices at all. 

In the documentary film, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", Joe Cross talks about the first 3 days being the most difficult.  I'm going to trust this man since he did this juice cleanse for 60 days with great long term success and continue with this journey.  There was, however, a point in day 3 that I thought to myself...WOW! Joe Cross is amazing. He is a rock. The fact that I am on a quest of just 7 days and he did 60. AMAZING! He has the willpower and determination all Americans should have. On the other hand, I live a pretty {clean} life now and don't have much weight to lose so I don't have the need to even attempt the 60 days of juicing. 

For those of you that haven't had the chance to watch the film, here's a picture of Joe prior to taking control of his life.  I won't give away all the details because I want you to watch the film. BUT I will say, if you have a chronic illness of any kind this is a must watch! 

310 lbs

If you want to jump start your {clean eating} and don't know where to begin, this cleanse would be an awesome way to start. You will FOR SURE drop weight. If you don't have much to lose and you just need to detox your body then I would still suggest doing so for 7-10 days. 

By the end of day 3 I was proud of myself! I went to sleep determined to make it to day 7!....DAY THREE, done!

The Reboot {cleanse} - DAY TWO

Day two was much easier than day one. I woke up that morning and was shocked that I wasn't starving. I cherished my one cup of coffee knowing it was all the caffeine I would have for one day.  I was on a mission to get a real juicer. Especially after I juiced a glass by hand through a cheesecloth. Never again was I going to do that. Try everything once, right?

I thought it would be an easy task. Go to a store and get a moderately priced juicer and be done. Well....that wasn't quite the outcome. My mother in law watched our kids so we could go on this "juicer mission". I honestly thought this mission would end of the local Wal-mart in her town. Not the case. I wanted to spend around $50-60 for the juicer. Any of their display options in that price point were not on the shelves. Bummer. 

That lead us to leaving that town (yes, Wal-mart was the only option there) for more stores. I HAD to get more pure juice into my system. STAT!  After another 4-5 stores (I lost count) we ended up at Sears in the middle of a run down mall (it truly was our last hope in this town). There is was, the juicer I actually really wanted from Wal-mart in the first place. Regular $79.99. On sale for $59.99. Score!

 It was the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Blender. I practically hugged the box. I later apologized to the cashier since I was acting a little "off" aka grumpy from lack of juice. At one point my husband and I both laughed as if we were on a mission that would never end in success and I would just shrivel away to nothing. You can tell by the picture the poor lighting in this Sears. HA!

That evening for dinner I made a HUGE salad with spinach, mixed greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes (with a small amount of fresh salsa as dressing). I thought for sure I could eat ALL that salad from the way I felt. I made it half way through, had myself a nice hot decaf green tea and called it a day.

Day TWO...Done!

The Reboot {cleanse} DAY ONE

Let the fun begin...I have always wanted to do a cleanse but never felt that I was ready to commit to days without eating.  Rebooting your life is about taking a set amount of time to drink freshly made juice concoctions. I decided after talking with some friends that were coming off their cleanse that I would start Saturday! I knew the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was about juicing so I decided to watch it Friday night to prepare me mentally for the benefits of a cleanse. WOW! I loved the film. It was funny, educational, and inspiring. I will be watching it again.

I logged on to www.jointhereboot.com and inputted my goals and it suggested I do a 10 day cleanse(juice + eating). That meant I would consume juice + raw fruits and vegetables. My personal goal is 7 days. Please follow me in my journey of REBOOT!

DAY ONE:

I typically eat 6 meals a day so my mind is always on what is next to eat(and having clean options handy). I woke up that morning knowing I was in for a challenge. I decided to keep one cup of coffee in with this cleanse. One thing I suggest doing before you decide to cleanse is to buy a nice juicer. I wasn't going to get to buy one until Sunday so I stopped in Kroger to get some Bolthouse Farms juices to be ready for morning.  They were buy one get one. SCORE!

I had a charity auction to work on the whole day at someone else's house. I thought this could get interesting. I packed my cooler with my juices, fruits and veggies and off I went. Determined to make it through DAY ONE!  Luckily when I arrived the host had fresh fruit out for breakfast(and some sort of cake, I didn't even look at it) and then lots of veggies for lunch. It was HARD because they also had homemade hummus(a weakness of mine), pita chips, tortilla chips, chicken salad, croissants (which i would have had one if not on the cleanse), and many other items. I consumed a lot of veggies. And the nastiest beverage I have tasted to date. Never again! I can't get my juicer soon enough at this point, but I can't leave my duties that I came to do.

I was actually fine until about 4pm and then the hunger hit. WOW! I was famished. I'm hoping DAY TWO is better since I will have a juicer and can juice whenever I am hungry.  I left the meeting and headed home around dinner time (like I cared much about dinner time at this point). I wasn't myself, that's for sure. Weak. My family had been away at church and were getting home late so I decided to make them some dinner. It took all I had in me not to eat anything I was preparing. When they arrived home I had to get out of the kitchen because at that point I could have eaten a piece of cardboard. 

FINALLY, after consuming 2 bottles of juice, watermelon, and a hot green tea my hungry stopped. I decided to play it safe(and get sleep) and ate a small spinach and tomato salad with a drizzle of Bolthouse balsamic dressing around 10pm. It was a Bolthouse day.

I will say I LOVE the Bolthouse juices without the protein.  They are delicious.

I slept through the night and didn't even wake up hungry. I was shocked. DAY ONE...done. 

UPDATE 2013: Bolthouse has a lot of juice concentrates in it. It doesn't give you the same effects of true green juicing. I am always learning and wanted to share. I did NOT do a good day on Day one. Looking back, I should have waited a day to start AFTER I had a juicer.