The Resolution- 15 days

Ok, so here is the disclaimer: I am by no means an expert at juicing. I am not a nutritionist. I am only a huge fan of consuming my daily caloric intake by the form of juice. Why? I'll leave that to the other non-expert to explain. Read about Joe Cross. So, why blog about my juicing experiences?

Many people are striving to "start the new year right." Every year, we make resolutions and quickly slide back into our former-less admirable-daily routines. Juicing is the kind of lifestyle change that can change with you. The cleanse is the most challenging part. My first attempt at the cleanse brought about a roller coaster of mixed emotions and experiences. You can read about it on my blog. I only documented days 1-4 but you should know that I lasted 10 days before I had to go to North Carolina for nearly 3 weeks. I wish I never had to stop.

When I returned from NC I fit in another 5-day fast before school started. I have maintained a juicing lifestyle since. Typically, I juice for breakfast and lunch. Lunch is challenging because I don't eat until 1:00pm and it is impossible to tote my juicer along. I will either pre-make my juice the night before or bring store-bought juice. I realize that this situation is not ideal, but there are a few very good pre-made juices out there. I enjoy Jamba Juice coconut water juices (Amazon) or Bolthouse Farms juices (Wegman's). Along with fresh veggies, it is enough to tide me over until I get home.

I've not been perfect. I fall off the wagon from time to time. I might go a few weeks without a total cleanse and then I notice how sluggish I feel. It is very rewarding to start fresh and feel the goodness. I use that word a lot, goodness. Drinking fresh juice is like drinking the sun, literally. Don't laugh just yet. Try it, and you'll agree.

I am starting the new year off with a 15 day cleanse. This will be my longest stretch (think marathon of juicing). If you are not sure what you should do as your resolution, just read. Encourage me. Maybe, together, we can have a happier and healthier new year.

Day 1 Juice Recipes

Carrot-Mango-Ginger

7 long carrots
1/4 pineapple
1 mango
1 grapefruit
1 thumb ginger

makes 2 servings

Tastes like the carrot-ginger dressing you get at Japanese restaurants.
Next time, I will use less ginger. Because mango is so expensive, I am a little disappointed I can't taste it.


Cucumber-Kale-Carrot

7 long carrots
3 cucumbers
handful of kale, about 7 stalks
1 thumb ginger

makes 2 servings

Jonny says, "It tastes like the garden." Again, I'd add less ginger. But honestly, the veggie juices are just a little harder to get used to.

Overall, today felt like day 1.