happy Tuesday!!!! One day until my 30 day birthday fast kicks off so enjoying my prebirthday day:) 

If you would like more info on the 30 day juice juice detox click on products above. I start tomorrow because I look at my birthday as a fresh start so I am going to start it right!

Anywho today's recipe:

1 Cup Cantaloupe

1 Cup Pineapples

3-5 Carrots( I used rainbow carrots)

Juice and enjoy this makes about 16-20 ounces depending on your juicer.

 

Simple Recipe

2 Pears, quartered

Handful of Basil

2 Large Handfuls Spinach

1 Stalk Celery

Juice and serve over ice. 

Days 8-13

ADays 8-13, t sum it up in one word they have been ROUGH. Training for a new position and a round of the stomach virus at work, juicing, waiting to hear about Bjs position, school started back for the kids and 4 family birthdays well let's just say on day 10 this happened:

Baumhowers Gooey Fries, curly fries topped with queso blanco and Conecuh bacon. I will admit that back in the day lol aka before my journey I would have put away a large and thought nothing about it. 4 fries in though I got the worst headache. Hard reminder that I can't fuel myself with crap anymore especially not while juice. I ended up throwing this away after sharing with coworkers who were supposed to be dieting to lol. Note to self you can't cheat on a lifestyle and this is why diets fail. I got back on track though with my next meal but only started feeling better today.

This lovely creation is my favorite juice of the week and it's simply half of a watermelon and two lemons juiced, chilled it is summer in a jar beyond delicious, also how I made it through dinner yesterday. Bighead is out of town this seeking reliving college glory days so I took this chance to do some deep cleaning in the kitchen. Call it mean spirited but this is the first time I've had the opportunity to get rid of all of the junk out of the kitchen and boy did I. 

All paleo friendly and healthy, I know he is going to have a fit but it was a blast rearranging and our fridge is completely empty save a few juice ingredients so tomorrow I am shopping, really looking forward to it :) and finally this weeks progress pic:

There are 20 weeks left in 2014 and my goal is to transform this diva into a lean mean fighting machine. Trying not to get stuck by the number on the scale but I will lose 100lbs by 2015 with juicing and a Paleo lifestyle. That will shift from my 60 day fast to a more practical goal. I've learned to time my  juice fasts and right now though I can juice at least once a day I can't focus like I want so I will continue to have at least 32 ounces of juice a day and keep up my workouts, I will update my progress pic once a month. Well that's all for this week so thanks for reading, see you guys next week!

Live, love, juice,

Cici

Days 1-7 Wrap Up

Well I have made it to the end of the first 7 days, 53 more to go and I feel much more prepared to handle the m. I set a goal to lose 60 lbs in 60 days with juicing. Weighed in this morning and in the last 7 days I have lost 12.8 lbs so I am on track to hit that goal just have to stay the course. 

A few of my favorite recipes from this week are:

AppleAde

2 Green Apples

1 Lemon (peeled)

2 Large Handfuls of Spinach

Juice and serve over ice.

Carrot Lemonade

12-14 Carrots

1 Large Lemon 

Juice and serve over ice.

I didn't manage to get in as much exercise as I wanted but I will be working on that this week as well.

Goals for days 8-14

Get in 5 Black Girls Workout Too Workouts

7 Miles in Nike Running Plus

Drink at least 96 oz. of water each day.

Lose 7 lbs.

Journal daily. 

Try to get in 2 blogs this week.

Continue to juice at least twice daily and vegetarian meals.

Choosing A Juicer

How To Choose A Juicer

I get asked this a lot and I think after all the juicers I've been through(7 to date) I can make a good suggestion on what works and what's not worth wasting money on.

Let me start by saying these opinions are my own and I do not receive any endorsments for reviews, I just know what works for me.

In the pic above are my top 4 picks for centrifugal(high speed) juicers. I have also used the Omega J8006 and Dash Squeeze Slow juicers as well.

CLOCKWISE:
Breville 5 Speed Juice Fountain 199.99
Breville Compact Juice Fountain 99.99
Dash 800 Watt(normally 149.99 on Group On for 49.oo)
Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer 59.99

I bought my Breville from EarthFare, my Dash from Kohl's and the Big Mouth from WalMart. You can also find these at Bed,Bath and Beyond, Target, and amazon.com and the respective websites.

Easiest one to access because most WalMarts carry them you may be able to find some for 40 or so if you shop around. This one does feature a pretty nice sized feed chute that will accommodate a full size fruit. I don't recommend feeding whole apples in though. Once its dropped it sits in the turning blades and you would have to press down hard to get it moving. This makes the motor work harder and will lead to it burning up sooner than later. Trust me on this :). Overall this juicer will give you a decent amount of juice though the pulp is still pretty wet, and rejuicing pulp doesn't really give much more juice. It is easy to clean and store though so it gets points for that. Overall if you need a good beginner juice this is a good model.

Breville Compact Fountain and Dash Premium Juice Extractors.

I recommend the Breville because I've bought them for other people and they have loved them. They are a smaller model it fits on most countertops without taking up too much space. Breville also uses a technology that doesn't heat the juice although it is a high speed juicer so if juices are stored properly they can last up to 3 days. Brevilles are a little harder clean due to the fine mesh basket.  You end up with a smoother less pulpy juice as a result but need to scrub the basket down as soon as possible.  The Dash os easier to clean but takes up more space and makes less juice. Also since you can tell the machine heats up just by touching it you should try to drink the juice within 24 hours if possible.

The Breville 5 Speed Juice Fountain plus. ♡♡♥♥♥♡♡♡ I am in love with this machine and really wished instead of trying to find a cheaper machine that I had started with a Breville.  One thing about the high speed juicers people complain about is how they handle greens. On the first setting for the soft fruit gives me the most juice I've gotten from a machine so far. So to me that automatically puts it at the top of the list. Sizewise it does take up quite a bit of space, but easily dismantles. I recommend this over all the others especially if you like to juice in large batches and be done for a few days.

Hope this was helpful!

Live, love, juice,

Cici

The Juicy RX FAQs

I get a lot of questions about juicing on Instagram so here are a few FAQs. 

1. What is juicing?
Juicing uses a machine to turn veggies and fruit into an easy drinkable form.

2. Why juice instead of green smoothies?
I started juicing when I was undergoing chemotherapy. Up until then I used my Nutribullet on a pretty regular basis and loved green smoothies. Chemo though made me nauseous most of the time and to be honest I was a little depressed so my appetite was shot when I wasn’t nauseous. Juicing gave me a way of being able to get all of my nutrients and vitamins into one glass. That way if it was a day I was having a hard time keeping something down I still had all of my nutrition bases covered.

Since the fruits and veggies were already in liquid form my did not have to work to break them down which for my chemo course was perfect.

3. What is a juice fast?
A juice fast is replacing all meals with a veggie/fruit juice for a set amount of time. Some people do 3 day weekend cleanses for quick reboots and some people can go up to 30-60 days on a full juice fast. As with anything if you have any health concerns you should check with your doctor before doing a fast. 

4. How much weight has you lost?
Somewhere around 130 lbs but I started hormone therapy at the beginning of this year to combat earlt onset menopause (I'm 28), so I regained due to the medication. My goal for the end of this year is to complete a 60 day fast and lose 100 more lbs. I’ve been juicing as a supplement to my daily meals for nearly a year now and have done 2 10 Day Fasts and one 30 Day Fast. I juice just about everyday.

5. Doesn’t chemotherapy make you lose weight automatically?
Nope. Chemo is a truly double sided sword. It makes you nauseous and low on energy so you are given steroids to combat that. The steroids make you gain weight ridiculously easy, even though your food intake may be much smaller.

6. What type of juicer do you recommend for beginners?
check my previous post on choosing a juicer. If you’re in it for the long haul I recommend going for a Breville.

7. How long can I fast?
For beginners I recommend 5 days to begin with. The reason for that is days 3-4 can be horrible due to detox symptoms so some people may end it early without reaping the full benefits.

8. What’s the longest you can go?
Without medical supervision I don’t suggest anything over 30 days, though some people go 60 or more days.

9. How much do I need to drink daily? At a minimum 64 ounces or more if you feel hungry. Juicing is not a time when less is more. If you don’t drink enough your body will hold onto weight and go into starvation mode. You can juice up to a gallon of green juice a day. 

10. What type of juicer do you use?

A Breville 5 Speed, I got my juicer from Earth fare for 239 with taxes. You can find them online through Breville, Amazon, etc.

11. How much juice do your recipes make?Where do you get your recipes?
16-20 ounces depending on your juicer, and the recipes I use are pretty much what I've learned from trial and error over the last year and a half, but there are plenty of juicing books you can find on amazon, and many bookstores.

12. Can I chew gum while fasting?
Yes.

13. Can I exercise?
Yes, no intensive weight lifting or high intensity cardio but you can still workout moderately while fasting but listen to your body.

14. Are herbal teas required?
No they are a great way to give you a variety of tastes but if you’re not a tea person that’s ok. Coffee should not be drunk while fasting.

15. I feel nauseous, why?
Nausea is one of the most common detox symptoms along with headaches and feeling tired. Keep in mind that as you fast your body is doing a major cleanup process so make sure you drink enough water to keep the toxins flushed out and the feeling will pass in a few days.

16. Can I just buy premade juices and fast on those?
No. Brands I recommend in a pinch are Blueprint, Ardens Garden, Evolution Fresh, and Its Raaw are what’s available in my area. Most health food stores, Earthfare, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods probably carry others just look for Cold Pressed juices. Naked and Bolt house are not good choices. Even with the ones mentioned you should aim for no more than 1 a day. Commercial juice companies tend to go heavy on the fruit and when fasting you want your juices to be mainly vegetables.

17. How do you store and how long can you store your juices?
I use a low heat juicer so that my juices don’t oxidize as quickly. Heat kills nutrients. My personal preference is to store juices 24-48 hours max. I use glass bottles and mason jars to store them. Fill them to the top and seal.

18. What do you do for protein?
A common misconception is that juicing removes all the protein which it doesn’t only fiber. You can also add chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp protein and hemp hearts for additional protein.

19. Do you take any supplements?
Currently B12, Maca and Manetabolism.

20. Can I fast while pregnant or nursing?
No. As always consult your doctor but a full juice is not recommended while nursing or pregnant.



Hope that helps and Happy Juicing!

Live Life Green,

Cici

60 Day Juice Feast

Prepping for the Fast

Alright loves, on 08/04 I will begin a 60 Day Juice Feast so this weekend is the time to prep to have the best results from the program.

I will post what I am having througout the cleanse, though be advised if you would like to follow along you can access the plan through the store.

I plan to do 64 to 80 ounces of juices and smoothies each day as well as daily exercise and meditation.