Spicy kale... and cilantro

Wow.  I just read the wonderful health benefits of cilantro.  The biggest one is that it actually binds to heavy metals and helps escort them out of your body.

Cilantro benefits


So I made a Spicy Kale juice today.  Matt and I are back on the juice diet - juice during the day and then a healthy dinner.  This made 4 servings (2 each) to act as our mid-morning and our mid-afternoon juice.

Spicy Kale
bunch kale
5 celery stalks
2 large cucumbers
2 oranges
1 lemon
4 granny smith apples

Juicing works

This is my weight loss flow chart that was started in 2008.  I was given this by my doctor on Thursday. Note the dramatic drop since my last visit in July 2013.  I actually lost all of that since January.

Labs are next.  My lipids were slightly elevated.  I am anxious to see my new labs.

This works as long as you set your mind that it will work for you.

Shortcuts

I am all for shortcuts in juicing as long as they are healthy.  I have resisted those pre-packaged juices you can get from the stores, but I guess in a pinch they will work if there is nothing else.  Just check the labels.

So today Memorial Day, I have decided to use a short cut juice to add sweetness to a kale juice.  I got the BoltHouse Juice - Mango Madness.  First off, mangoes are a pain to peel and slice.  So this makes sense.

I took 2 big Ball jars and divided the juice in it.

Then, in the Breville, I juiced a bunch of kale, 4 cucumbers, many stalks of celery and added it to the jars.

I will drink the one on the right today and the other, more full, is for tomorrow.

The Bolthouse added the right amount of sweetness and I added my own fresh blend to get even more nutrients in to the juice.  Sweet, delicious and good for me.

Enjoy the holiday and remember those that served and serve to protect our freedom.

So many juices, so little time...

Been playing catch up since coming home from vacation and then having my husband and 2 of the dogs come home earlier this weeks.

I will start with 2 juices I used fresh raspberries in.  Not a fan of that; however, that being said, perhaps if I added some honey it would have sweetened it up a bit and I would have liked it more.  Both were a little too green for me.  I used spinach in one and kale in another, a pint of fresh raspberries, banana, almonds and water.  Neither one were very "Smoothie" like and both had a very raw green taste to them.  Not a favorite.  Why do I post?  Because maybe someone will add honey and then post that it was a good juice.

The next juices are simply favorites of mine that I will use when I am doing a day fast.

Carrot Favorite

8 carrots
4 celery
4 apples
Thru the Breville juicer.

I simply love this juice.  Sweet, tasty, has a mild celery kick and it goes down easy.

Another favorite actually contains beets!  Yep.  BEETS

Sunshine Beet (right one)
2 peeled grapefruits
4 peeled oranges
1 lemon
1/2 large beet
thru the Breville.

I love this citrus juice.  Smooth, refreshing and good for you!

The rest are NutriBlasts

Smooth Yellow
Kale/spinach blend
banana
pineapple/mango blend
ginger
scoop vanilla protein

Has a hint of ginger.  The protein fills me up and gets me thru til lunch.

My goal this week to juice all day and eat sensibly at dinner.  I had gained a little weight on vacation and I am happy to report that I have shed those 5 pounds.  It was super hard these past 2 weeks since I had been eating food during the day while on vacation and I missed that.  Slowly, I re-trained my body, stomach, mouth and mind to get back on the juice and I am happy at the results.

I still have 20-30 more to go.

Back from Vacation

I spent 10 days up in the New Jersey/Pennsylvania area.  I did manage to juice on the road and in the hotel.  Have Nutribullet, can travel.

Traveling overnight to our destination, we packed a cooler with fresh ingredients - spinach, berries, protein, almonds.  One at our destination hotel, we made sure we got a fridge and freezer and bought frozen berries and a bigger bag of greens.  I kept everything in one bag so I wasn't rummaging all over the place for the ingredients.

We juiced every morning.  The rest of the day was a bust.  I gained 3 pounds.  

Today, I am juice fasting all day long.  I will NutriBlast my breakfast and lunch and I made my favorite juicer juice for snacks.

Favorite Juice

8 carrots

4 pears

4 stalks celery

small lemon

Through the Breville

Kid Friendly juices

Trying to get your kids to drink fresh juice?  I have 2 recipes that may help.

Kid Carrot
6 carrots
10 celery sticks
2 apples
3 pears

This juice is delicious.  Sweet, a little tart and I think definitely kid friendly.  It has the taste of celery, but then the sweet comes thru.

My next juice is a watermelon cooler.  I did not peel the rind off and you may want to if you are trying to get kids to dink this juice.

Watermelon Cooler
1 small watermelon
1/2 lemon

Lemony with a hint of the watermelon.

So here is a progress report.  We started this juice diet January 6, 2014.

Matt has lost 50 pounds and I have lost 30.  We have tapered off since we have started eating lunches more often.  Both of us know we need to get back on the diet.  I want to lose 20 more pounds.  He wants to lose 10 more pounds.

We have more energy and less body aches and pains.  Neither one of us has taken antacid pills and we take less naps.  Matt's blood pressure has stabilized.  I will have mine checked when I go to the doctor next time.

Here's to your health, too.

The morning after...

I hope everyone celebrating had a Happy Easter.

I overdid it this week end and I am thankful for no weight gain and thankful that I learned a lesson and thankful that I am ready to detox - no matter how painful it may be.

I had 1.5 cinnamon sugar muffins, a cinnamon biscuit, french toast and syrup along with eggs and potatoes. My body did not like me.  I felt nauseous for the rest of the day.  Luckily I was able to start functioning in the afternoon.

Lesson learned.  No sugar.  No carbs in high doses.

I have a recipe to share from Friday because I have finally found my beet recipe.  This was a delicious juice!

Awesome Beet
1/2 red beet
4 peeled oranges
1/2 lemon
1/2 bunch dandelion leaves
4 carrots
nub ginger
nub turmeric.
Of course that juice is pictured on the right.

The juice on the left was not my favorite.  I will share the recipe anyhow

Green
1/2 romaine head
bunch kale
2 cucumbers
dill
ginger
turmeric
2 apples
1/2 lemon

One thing I have learned about apples?  Get either Gala or Granny Smith.  The red delicious do not impart enough sweetness to a juice and that is what this juice needed.

Today, my Monday, I have made the detox Green juice

Detox Green
Kale
1/2 romaine
1/2 pineapple
4 carrots
2 cucumbers
5 celery
1/2 lemon

I will drink this as a snack and have a Bullet for Breakfast and lunch today.