I am told that I have an obsessive personality. I won't deny that, but merely reply with, "I could be obsessed with worse things than I am." And those who know me well, know that one of those things I'm obsessed with is finding ways to live healthier. I exercise...OK, am "obsessed" with hot yoga. So much so that I have had to make myself take a few days off because of a strained muscle. That IS the problem with having an obsessive personality; you think you can continue on with the activity even through an injury. Well, I have learned that is not true. However, I have recently found another "obsession" that I believe EVERYONE should try...JUICING!
About a year ago, Ryan asked for a juicer for Christmas. In researching them for him, we not only purchased one for a present, but also one for ourselves (that happens a lot; it's how we ended up with our gelatto machine!). Ryan experimented with the best way to use his juicer and then passed his knowledge on to us. And while I am sure he occasionally uses his to make fresh juice, I, on the other hand have taken this juicing thing to another level!
Anyone can and should juice, in my opinion. There are many benefits to it as well (
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/13/benefits-of-juicing.aspx). The type of juicer I got is a Breville. You can shop for these online to get the best deal on a good one with an extractor (an extractor is a "must"!); Amazon is a good place to start.
So, once you have purchased a juicer, you need to stock up on lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. I usually buy a variety so I can mix things up; apples, oranges, grapefruits and pears are a good place to begin.
And don't forget your berries; black berries, blue berries and strawberries. I also like to add kiwi, carrots, spinach and cucumbers to my juices.
Here is my juicer all set up and ready to go. You might be asking yourself what the deal is with the bag attached to it. This is one of the tricks that Ryan taught us. If you place a plastic bag in the extractor, you will have less clean up when you are finished making your juice.
This is where all the extracted parts of the fruit go while the juice is being sent to the other side. Now, you can put most fruit in whole; whole apples, berries, grapes, pears, kiwi. However, you must peel oranges and grapefruits before putting them into the juicer. Once you have finished making your juice and it's time to clean the juicer, if you have placed a bag in the extractor, you simply remove it and throw it away.
Here is what I chose one day to make my juice out of: grapefruit, apple, kiwi, strawberries and carrot.
I even had a little help from Parker Ann! And I found that by letting her help me make my juice, she was more likely to drink it. I think this is a great way to get kids to "drink" their nutrients, especially if they are picky eaters.
And here is the finished product! Remember, however, if you use lots of green fruits or veggies, your juice will be green in color. I wasn't sure at first if I could drink a green juice but it was delicious!
Clean up after juicing is really important. I don't use any type of soap to clean my juicer with because I don't want to take the chance that there will be a soapy residue and my future juices will have that taste. So, I just run the water really hot and clean out every part of the juicer and let it air dry. This part you see here is where the blade is. It has a very fine screen around it and must be cleaned thoroughly with the little black brush that comes with the juicer.
So, how about it... Are you ready to join me in my "obsession"? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by juicing. Fresh glowing skin, more energy, better absorption of many different vitamins and disease fighting antioxidants galore! Give it a try...I'm sure you won't be sorry you did. and who knows...you just might find yourself a "New Obsession" too!
There is evidence that a lower carbohydrate diet is best for cardiovascular health. We have been taught that restricting fat intake is the key to lowering cholesterol. That theory has now been challenged by proponents of low carbohydrate and low sugar diets. Excess starch and sugar in our meal plans is likely what contributes to expanding bellies and clogged arteries. If you would like to read an excellent article with great, healthy diet options, click on this Link
to Muscle Zone. You will discover the Complete List of Low Carb. Foods and a plethora of information about every food group. This is definitely an article you will want to print and save for further reference.
Remember, there is no better time than the present to get on track with a healthy lifestyle!
.JPG)
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