Holidays and Juicing

Hey busy ladies, how do you prepare the looming holiday season?  Do you take it one holiday at a time, or are you already planning ahead for them all?  What’s your best kept secret for surviving this fast approaching holiday season? On top of the holidays my son will be turning 4! It’s hard to imagine, he will no longer be classified as a toddler. I am struggling with an idea for his birthday party, it will be too cold and dreary for an outside soirée and the bounce house thing is used for everything plus they cost an arm and a leg so I am looking into other options. If you have had a successful indoor party to entertain 10 four year olds let me know!

So in preparation for the holidays I decided to go on a juice fast, just to kick start a healthy eating habit during all these temptations. In 3 days I lost 6lbs! It wasn’t the best tasting I must admit however it wasn’t horrible. I am not condoning not eating and defiantly do not juice if you are pregnant or breast feeding because you need more calories for your wee one. First you might ask why…. why would anyone want to do a juice feast for heavens sake? The answer is “to jump start your health journey” especially if you are not well, or you have low energy which is mine and most mommies issue. Drinking juiced vegetables will give your body incredible, easily absorbed nutrition that it has most likely been craving for many years. I know that some of the weight lost is water weight and I am not expecting it to stay off but it’s a great kick off for healthy eating.

On that note, I suggest that all of my friends read the book Skinny Bitch. Don’t be put off by the title. It’s a great quick read that will open your eyes to the food industry and how they push horrible food products on us to fatten their pockets and our bellies. You may not agree with everything in the book but it will surely get you thinking and perhaps make a few easy changes in your pantry.

Below are some juicing recipes. I know it’s hard to spend a lot of money on fruit and vegetables but think about it, do you blink when spending $4 at Starbucks or going out for lunch at work? Do you scoff and dropping $20+ at Target on crap you don’t really need, yet we will him and haw at spending money on something that is good for us and keeps us around longer and more energetic for our kids?  Plus if your kids see you eating healthy it’s likely that they will want to follow and a lot of these recipes can be altered to be more kid friendly. That’s just my two cents…

Refreshing cleansing juice
2 pears
4 stalks celery
2 cucumbers
Juice in juicer and drink throughout the day
Green lemonade
4-8 leaves of romaine lettuce and/or kale
2 large apples
2 lemons
Optional (carrot)
Stir in agave nectar for sweetness if needed. You can also add a carrot if you want to cut the astringent flavor more. Drink this and your skin will be glowing!
Carrots & green juice
2-4 carrots
4-8 leaves romaine, spinach and/or kale
2 apples (optional to cut astringent taste)
Carrots are great because they contain natural sugars that your body will crave during a fast.

Tropical Enzyme Booster JuiceIngredients:
1/2 pineapple, small
1small papaya
1 small mango

Rejuvenating Veggie Juice

Ingredients:
4 medium carrots
1 large beet
3 stalks of celery
2 large kale leaves
1 inch piece ginger

Power Cleanser Juice

Ingredients:
4 medium carrots
1 large beet
10 sprigs of parsley
4 inch piece of cucumber

Tomato Vegetable Juice

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots
1 small beet
10 sprigs of parsley
2 tomatoes
2 stalks of celery
1 clove of garlic
1/2 onion, small

Carrot and Beet Juice

Ingredients:
4 medium carrots
1 large beet

Apple, Pear, Lemon, Lime and Ginger Cleanser Juice

Ingredients:
3 medium organic apples
3 large organic pears
1/2 small organic lime
1/2 small organic lemon
1 inch piece of fresh organic ginger