Thursday, February 28, 2013

FREE STUFF!!!

Check it out, y'all! If you have a Kindle or the Kindle app on your phone or tablet, you can download this book FREE today!!!




Orange, Spinach and Mint

Wow.

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING RIGHT NOW!!!

Just as I was starting to get really bored!!!! This drink is absolutely fabulous!!!! And a huge thanks to my friend Liesl for sharing this recipe with me. I will be making this one again, for sure. The mint adds the perfect touch. I can't wait to play around with mint some more!!!!










1/2 bunch of spinach
2 large naval oranges
2 mint leaves

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Two Weeks Down

I've been on my juice fast for over 2 weeks now and I've gotta say, I'm feeling pretty darn good! I haven't lost as much weight as I'd have liked BUT I feel better than I could have imagined! I have more energy than I've had since before having kids! And I feel like I have control! I feel empowered! I've gone 2 weeks without eating food. I've gone 2 weeks on a raw vegan diet. I've felt like giving up far more times than I'd like to admit, but I've stayed strong.

These past 2 weeks have been much harder than I ever imagined but I have so much more confidence than ever before. I know every single thing I've put into my body these last 2 weeks. It feels wonderful! I am in control.

I am really looking forward to eating foods and making the right choices.

I gained 1.2 lbs since yesterday but I didn't automatically hate myself for it this morning like i normally would. I didn't automatically think of ways to completely sabotage myself. I'm not cheating. I'm only putting good fruits and vegetables in my body. My body loves me and I am learning to love my body.

What about you? Where are you in YOUR journey and how do you feel?

How To Find Me :)


I have some really amazing and diverse readers and I would like to reach out and get to know you all more and I'd be honored if you would allow me to. I have a couple of ideas, so let me know what you think.


I started a strictly juicing profile on Facebook: Teela Juicing Herman

I just started a group on Facebook where you can find support, ask questions and build friendships: Juicing Journeys
 Anyone is welcomed to join the group, no matter if you just make juice for fun or if you want to go all drastic and crazy like me. I just started the group today, so come meet people, offer support, ask and answer questions. Help us start an awesome juicing group on Facebook! 


And of course, you can always leave me a comment on any of my blogs! I just LOVE getting blog comments. :)



Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Reader Request Juice!

A loyal reader, fellow blogger and wonderful source of support, Lisa, left a comment asking how grapes and kale would taste. I happened to have about a cup and a half of red seedless grapes (after my little guy stole a few handfuls first) and figured, why not give it a try?


1 bunch of curly leafed kale
1 cucumber, peeled
1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes
1/2 Granny Smith
1/2 lime, peeled

I like it! I honestly wasn't sure about adding the grapes to kale but I'm glad Lisa suggested it!! I would normally throw in some ginger, but I know she doesn't like or and I left it out especially for her! ;)

Next time I'd like to try lemon over lime (I'm currently out of lemons) and maybe a plum?

This juice was fun!! And thankfully to turned out well!! Hahaha
Do you have a request? I don't know that I'll have all the ingredients but this will be a fun way for me and my husband to try put new fruits and veggies and different combinations we'd never have thought of.


Monday, February 25, 2013

Mean Green Spinach

This is Joe Cross' Mean Green with a twist.


I used:


1 bunch of spinach (2 plants without roots as pictured above)
1 cucumber
4 stalks of celery
2 green apples
1 lime
1 thumb size chunk of ginger

And it is delicious.

What variation of Joe's drink do you like best?


And We Have Weight Loss!!!

Starting weight: 193
Current weight: 182.6 (Day 13)

I changed up my juices yesterday and the weight came off!!! I had a reader suggest I look at my juices and limit my carrots, beets and sweet potatoes and it really paid off. So thank you for that advice!

I also made sure to get in all of my water before noon. I didn't have to get up to pee in the middle of the night once!!

Day 13 and I think I finally have that juicing high they talk about!! I feel great! I've been awake since 4 am and I have more energy now than ever before.

Oh! I found myself getting annoyed that I had to keep pulling my pants up. Then I realized....IT'S BECAUSE MY PANTS ARE TOO BIG!!!!

I'm so motivated and ready to juice on!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

My Why (Day 12)

My weight loss has stopped.

I adore my male readers and for your sake, if you happen to be male and you happened upon this blog post, just look to your right and pick another topic, okay? I hate to exclude men (and I promise not to do it but once a month) but I'm married to one and I know even he doesn't want to read about this.

Last warning.

I woke up on Thursday (Day 9) feeling like I could eat the face off my children, okay? The day before, the cravings were so strong I felt crazy and Thursday morning I realized why. Mother Monthly came for a visit. Unannounced. I was not prepared for her and I never thought that PMS cravings would be so difficult. I also never imagined the weight gain simply from my period. Wow. I got on the scale that morning and I wanted to pick up the scale and smash it into little bitty pieces. Now, I love my husband dearly but for good measure, I wanted to take the scale and bash him in the head with it. Truthfully. I did. He continued to lose weight while I struggled, stuck to the juice and GAINED!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? weight?? Oh yes. I. gained. weight.

I want to tell you how well I managed my anger. I want to tell you have very rational I was about everything and about how seeing that weight gain only motivated me to keep doing what I was doing. I want to tell you how I told myself that water retention was not within my control. I want to tell you a lot of things...but I also don't want to lie.

I broke down. I cried and cried and cried. I got SO furious, not just with myself but with my husband (because if I can't lose weight, he'd better not lose any either, right???) and with God. I shook my fists. I screamed, "Why???????" Why!?!?! Why am I doing this!?!? Why is it so difficult??? Why can't God wave his magical wand and JUST MAKE IT ALL BETTER!?!?!

And then I prayed.

And I found some calm.
And then I made some juice.

Why am I doing this?
Because I love myself.
Because I deserve to live a happy and HEALTHY life.
Because my family deserves to have me around for as long as possible.
Because even if the scale has temporarily stopped, I FEEL better, my pants fit better and I look better.
Because I know I am making healthy decision for myself and for my family.

So, why are YOU doing this? What's YOUR why?

I've changed my comment settings so anyone should be able to comment now!!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Citrus!

Ummm...maybe I'm just hungry....but I doubt it! This one is good.




1 pound of carrots
1 medium grapefruit
1 medium sweet potato
1 tangelo
1 lemon, peeled

(This yielded about 32 ounces)
Next time I might add some ginger, but this is pretty close to perfect for me. This one is kid approved, too! I'm going to add this as a go-to drink.

Tangelos just so happened to be on sale at the grocery store this week. If you don't have access to tangelos or just want to replace them with something else, a tangerine or orange would do just fine.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Mama Called The Doctor (and the doctor said)

I'm floored.

A very long and very boring story short(er?), I ended up going to see my family care physician yesterday due to a persistent ear infection. I explained to him my new "diet" for lent, I explained my addiction to bad foods, I explained what I am consuming (gave him an example of a day of juice for me) and that I am consuming it only through juice, told him that I have been feeling wonderful (aside from the pesky ear infection) and I thought he was going to tell me, "Well you stupid little girl, no wonder you are sick!!! You can't do this! This is NOT GOOD!" And then I even imagined him telling me that it would be just fine to stop and grab a hamburger at my local drive thru on the way home!!!!

And boy was I wrong!

He listened. He flipped through my chart and noted that I last saw him in August and I was 216 lbs then. He applauded me. He told me that while he thought that what I was doing was a bit "drastic," he was very happy with the changes in my life and he wanted me to continue!!!

After I told him that I take a daily multivitamin, omega 3's and vitamin D drops, the only suggestion he had was protein powder, although he said he understood my reasonings for doing this through lent and he was fine with me going without protein that long.

I asked him if he wanted to run any special blood work on me to monitor me during this fast and he said he did not. He felt completely comfortable with my lifestyle change and he complete supports it. He asked that I see him again in 6 months and I am going to schedule a physical then, as well.

One thing I've not mentioned is my Crohn's disease. I was on medicine and was pain daily due to this disease and I have had no Crohn's related pain since starting my fast. I've read that cabbage juice (I try to get in cabbage almost daily) helps reduce the inflammation of ulcers, so it makes sense.


I am NOT a doctor, so please see your own family care physician to get the go-ahead. I feel so great after I saw my doctor. I know it's only been slightly over a week, but I decided to post a before and during photo. I've hit a plateau and decided its best for me to stop weighing in daily. I did these side by side photos and it makes me feel better already. If I can make that kind of change in just a week, imagine the change at the end of my 40 days!?!?




I'm not crazy, am I? Can you see the change? The "before" shirt is an XL and the pink shirt is a size L. Same pants.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

One Week Down (end of Day 8)

Whew. It's not easy. I'm craving junk right now.

Everyone keeps asking if I am hungry.

I am not hungry.
I DO miss chewing. I DO miss food. But there is a difference between missing food and actually being hungry.
I crave food but I am not hungry.

I'm not sure if it is safe for me to continue to weigh myself daily. I know I didn't lose any weight at all since yesterday and today was emotionally very hard. I have been very tempted to just say, "Oh well, I tried." and go get myself a hamburger and I think it's because of the weight loss plateau. It's not fair to be so critical of myself...and like someone said to me today, "just because you don't see the weight loss doesn't mean you aren't losing inches. Don't look at the scale, ask yourself how you feel." And the truth is, aside from my horrible ear infection, I feel great!

I will post an updated photo on my Photo/Weight Log tomorrow.

Until then, goodnight and juice on!

The (yummy) Pink Granny

Oh, yum! I made this today when I was really craving junk food today and it it a great snack juice. I meant to add in some carrots, so maybe next time.


This yielded about 30 oz of juice and made for a perfect snack for my husband and I to split.

1 slice of beet (play around with the amount you like, start off small and add more)
1 thumb size knob of ginger
1 green pear
1 Granny Smith apple
1 pink lady apple




Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Tropical Cabbage

Hahaha





Beautiful, isn't she? And she tastes just as good. My 18 month old gives this two thumbs up.

1/3 head green cabbage
1/4 pineapple
1 heaping handful of strawberries

What do you think???

Monday, February 18, 2013

Rabbit Juice

8 carrots
1/4 fresh pineapple
2 grapefruits
2 small naval oranges

Mmmmmm


Even the kids love it!

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Day 4- Urgent Care

Whew. What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I woke up this morning with a lot of pressure in my left ear. I was bound and determined to make it to our small local farmer's market so I pushed on.

We got to the market, bought lots of fresh greens and we met some nice farmers. We told them about our juicing reboot and some of the farmers had no idea what we were talking about and then others had their own recommendation of mixed greens that is usually a big hit with other juicers. Cool!

Oh, and classic Teela. I saw these beautiful green, almost flower looking things? I knew it was probably a vegetable but I didn't really know what it was, I just knew I wanted it. So I walk up to this booth and patiently wait for all the other customers to leave (boy, I'm glad I waited) and then asked, "These look great! What is it?"


"Broccoli."


Uh huh. Smooth one, Teela. Smooth.


Anyway, the pressure in my ear soon turned painful and by the time we got home, I was nearly in tears. My husband urged me to go to Urgent Care. Once the doctor put the scope in my ear he said, "Oh man! That is one ugly, pissed off infection. Your eardrum is about to burst." He sent me away with some antibiotics and numbing drops for my ear. I get home and my husband gets ready to get my medicine and the pharmacy says they don't have the drops and that they won't be in until Monday. Today is Saturday. My eardrum is about to explode, I haven't had food in 4 days, I'm in pain, and they tell me I'll have to wait until Monday?!?! Ummm.....I was on the verge of murdering someone!!!

Long story short, we transferred the prescription to another pharmacy and after being in intense pain for 5 hours, my wonderful husband was home with numbing drops for my ear. God, I love him.

But during all of this, I got mad. I got angry. I wanted to give up. I cried and cried and cried.

Why is this so hard??? Why is my natural reaction to anything negative that happens in my life, to overeat and to overeat on such trash?

Because for years, whenever I was happy, I would eat. Whenever I was sad, I would eat. Whenever I was worried or anxious, I would eat. Whenever I wanted to celebrate, I would eat. Whenever I hung out with friends or family, I would eat. I would eat.
I would eat.
I would eat.
It didn't matter the occasion.
It didn't matter the emotion.
I rewarded myself with food.
I've done this for years. Of course breaking a nasty habit won't happen overnight. It's going to take work and dedication. I'm going to struggle but I am so gracious that I have the support of my husband and friends.

Hello, I am Teela and I am addicted to unhealthy food. I am addicted to food that WILL kill me.

Kid Juice!

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Orange ya glad I didn't say carrot?!?!?

No, I do not tell the twins what's in their juice, especially if it is a vegetable of any sort.

This is just a quick and simple early morning treat for the twins.


2 naval oranges
1 carrot

Easy. Simple. Delicious. Kid friendly.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Day 3

Not bad! Not bad!

My energy levels have been fine.
I've not had a headache since Day 1.
So far (as of 1:30 pm) I've not been very hungry at all.
No nausea since Day 1.
No terrible cravings to report.

All in all, it's been a very nice day and I am down 4.4 lbs since the start of my journey just 2 1/2 days ago.

Updated

So around 2 pm I started to get a killer headache but I pushed on. As the night went on, I started feeling worse and worse. My husband and I had plans to paint the living room and I honestly just could not force myself to paint. I was ached all over and I did not want to do anything.

So I went to bed.
At 8.
And I was bad.
I didn't drink enough juice OR water yesterday (because I didn't feel hungry). I wouldn't be surprised if my body went into a true starvation mode and I don't lose any weight. :(

Day 3 has been the hardest so far.

Here's to hoping Day 4 is better.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Day 2 AKA The Dreaded Chocolate Holiday AKA Valentine's Day

Today I was tempted even more than Day 1.

I was the Pizza Mom for the class party today. I had to pick up and deliver the pizza's to school. My husband and I rode in the car for about 15 minutes with the smell of fresh baked bread, gooey cheese, tomato sauce and garlic. Dear Lord, I'm salivating right now.

Then guess who gets put in charge of the chocolate fondu station!?!?!?!?!? Yes, yours truly.

If you don't know me, chocolate covered strawberries are an absolute MUST for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Plain and simple. That is my staple. And there I sat.....right next to a fountain of chocolates and fresh strawberries!!!! And that fat girl mentality was saying, "You can have a strawberry!!! It's raw fruit. It's not cheating as long as you don't get the chocolate." And lets be honest, for some people on a juicing fast, one single strawberry as a treat on Valentine's Day is probably not cheating.....but for me, IT IS. I'm an addict. I am going through food rehab. There is no word in the English dictionary that describes how terrible I am at self control when it comes to food and I am going to change that!

And....guess what?!?! I survived!!!! I resisted! I didn't cave. I stood strong and i am damn proud! I said the serenity prayer about a million times, and just as He promised, He was there for me. He gives me strength.



Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Photo and Weight Log

Here it is.

(I'm so nervous to be posting this so publicly)
Here are my before photos taken at 5 am (so please be kind) this morning (February 13, 2013)






And now....the part I'm really dreading...my starting weight:

193.0 (February 13, 2013)
191.2 (02/14/13-down 1.8 lbs)
188.6 (02/15/13-down 4.4 lbs)
187.6 (02/16/13-down 5.4 lbs)
186.2 (02/17/13-down 6.8 lbs)
185.2 (02/18/13-down 7.8 lbs)
183.8 (02/19/13-down 9.2 lbs)
183.8 (02/20/13-down 9.2 lbs)
I jumped around and refused to officially track my weight due to starting my period
182.6 (02/25/13-down 10.4 lbs)
181.4 (02/26/13-down 11.6 lbs)
182.6 (02/27/13-down 10.4 lbs)
181.4 (02/28/13-down 11.6 lbs)
181.2 (02/28/13-down 11.8 lbs)
182.6 (03/04/13-down 10.4 lbs)
180.8 (03/05/13-down 12.2 lbs)
179.4 (03/06/13-down 13.6 lbs)
178.4 (03/07/13-down 14.6 lbs)
177.6 (03/08/13-down 15.4 lbs)
176.0 (03/09/13-down 16.0 lbs)
174.8 (03/10/13-down 17.2 lbs)
175.8 (03/12/13-down 16.2 lbs)
175.4 (03/13/13-down 17.6 lbs)
03/13-3/15 out of town and my husband refused to let me bring the scale. We had no room. :/ Wish me luck.
173.6 (03/17/13-down 19.4 lbs)
171.2 (03/19/13-down 21.8 lbs)
169.2 (03/21/13-down 23.8 lbs)
169.9 (03/22/13-down 23.1 lbs)
168.7 (03/23/13-down 24.3 lbs)
DAY 40!!!!!
167.9 (03/24/13-down 25.1 lbs)


I will be updating my weight daily and I will update with photos as I see fit (heehee. Get it? As I see fit? Yes, I know. It does not take much to amuse me) so please check back often!



P.S. it's taken me HOURS to get the guts to publish this. If I can do it, trust me, you can too!!!

My newest photo update!!



Monday, February 11, 2013

Kickin Carrot Juice

Simple.
Delicious.
Healthy.



2 large carrots
1 large naval orange
1/2 lime (peeled)
Slice ginger

I will make this one again. Maybe even add some celery.

Why carrots?
-improved vision
-anti-aging
The high level of beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant to cell damage done to the body through regular metabolism. It help slows down the aging of cells.
-healthy glowing skin
Vitamin A prevents premature wrinkling, acne, dry skin, pigmentation, blemishes, and uneven skin tone.
-prevents heart disease
Studies show that diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
-prevents stroke
A Harvard University study showed that people who ate more than six carrots a week are less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate only one carrot a month or less.

Did you know? There are more than 100 different species of carrot.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-benefits-of-carrots.html#ixzz2Kc7AYwt5

Playing With Parsley

This was dinner last night:



Handful of parsley
Handful of kale
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
2 Granny Smith apples
2 naval oranges
1 red pear

Oooohhhhhhh! So pretty!!!



I was scared to try parsley in my drink but I couldn't taste it at all. Next time I'll have to add more. I've read that parsley is good for cleaning out your kidneys, lowering blood pressure and also increasing milk supply for breast feeding mothers!

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Scrap Juice

Well, I don't know about you but I am running low on the fresh fruits and vegetables at my house so this morning I made what I'll call Scrap Juice.

It's quite easy. Anyone with a juicer and something to juice can do it!

Open your fridge, grab out what little you have left, like this:





And create something like this:



1 orange
What little celery I had left
2 small carrots
Half a lemon (with the peel left on)

The lemon is a little overpowering for my taste (and I love lemon) so next time I will probably juice an entire lemon but peel it beforehand. Half a lemon peel was too much for this small glass.

Friday, February 8, 2013

The Mean Green Juice

I finally did it!!! I broke down and tried Joe Cross' Mean Green Juice.

I was scared!

1 cucumber
4 stalks of celery
8 leaves of kale
2 apples
1/2 lemon
Small knob of ginger


Guess what?!?! It's pretty refreshing! I don't mind adding this one to my daily recipes. And I love all the vegetables it has in it. Have you tried this yet? Do you make your own variation? Please feel free to share your favorite recipes and I will feature you and your recipe in this blog.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

My Plan


Bottom Line: To coincide with lent, I am going on a 40 day juicing fast.

Details:
I am a 30 year old wife and mother to 3 young boys.
I am overweight (I will update this with my starting weight on February 12th) and I need to get healthy.
I have Crohn's disease.

Starting on February 13, 2013 I will be starting a 40 day long juice fast. I am doing this to break my addiction to unhealthy foods, to reboot my system, to allow my body to heal itself on the inside, and to become healthy for once in my life.

I will not be eating any foods. I will not be drinking any coffee, caffeine or alcohol. I will consume only raw fruits and vegetables along with lots and lots of water. I should be drinking about 80 ounces of fresh juice (consisting of about 80% vegetable to 20% fruit ratio) along with at least 60 ounces of water a day, every day, for 40 days.

I am not doing this for the sole reason of losing weight, I am doing this to change my entire life. I don't want to ever go back to my current lifestyle. I don't want to wake up craving unhealthy foods. I want to set a good example of health for my children and I wat to live a healthy life. I don't want to feel so tired and run down all the time. 2012 WILL be the last unhealthy year of my life.

Other benefits to rebooting:
Beautiful hair and skin
Increased energy
Improved immune system
Mental clarity
And just overall better health and happiness

Why juice? Joe Cross explains it best here, but here is a visual:

Allllllll of this fresh goodness





ended up becoming this



which was one very delicious (and VERY filling) lunch!

Daily Routine

People have asked what my daily routine is.


Morning Routine

Monday through Friday is a notch above chaotic. I wake up just before 5 am and I spend about 30 minutes just mentally preparing myself for the day. I might check my emails or my blog. Maybe write out a grocery list or something super responsible sounding (sadly, I will most likely leave said grocery list sitting on the dinning room table, but hey! Don't judge!). Or just surf Facebook for the cute and inspiring news stories and videos.

5:30 am
I start packing lunches for our twins (the Big Boys), out out all the medicine and vitamins for the day and try to hunt down matching socks. I also take this time to make myself and my husband a breakfast juice and then my husband leaves for work.

6:00 am
I wake up the Big Boys, we pick out their clothes and then they each take turns getting in the shower. Next they get dressed and we go downstairs for breakfast.

6:20 am
I'll get breakfast set out for the older boys, they take their vitamins and medicine and then it's time to wake our 18 month old (Little Dude) and get him dressed and fed and ready for the day.

6:50 am
I brush all kids' teeth, brush hair, wash faces, double check that homework and lunch boxes are in the backpack and then we out the door no later than

7:15 am (hopefully)
drive and drop off older boys.

Then I won't bore you with details but Little Dude and I either go home and read books, play and clean or we run errands. Or all of the above.

Afternoon Routine

10:30/11:00 am
Lunch time for Little Dude. I make him a variety of snack items and I'll make myself a sandwich or a juice.

11:00/11:30
Little Dude goes down for a nap.
I use this time for myself. I like to watch a show on Netflix or the Ipad. Sometimes I'll read a book. I'll also use this time to straighten up the mess that Little Guy did throughout the day. I basically recharge myself. I get ready for the next hectic part of the day.......after school.

2:00 pm
Little Dude wakes from his nap and we play around for a few minutes and get ready to pick up the Big Boys from school.

3:00 pm
Wait in pick-up line at school.
Get kids.
Go home.

3:30 pm
Homework with Big Boys while Little Dude screams and demands my attention (frustration on all of the kids and myself)

4:15 pm
I tear myself away from homework and the Little Dude to start cooking dinner.

5:00 pm
The Husband gets home

5:15
Dinner time.

6:00 pm
Bath time for Little Dude
More reading/homework with Big Boys

6:30
Bedtime for Big Boys and Little Dude.

Whew.

I'll have to post my Evening Routine soon. Just writing that down wore me out!






SIX MORE DAYS!

I'm less than one week away from my fast and I am PUMPED!

I am a wife and mother to three young boys. I prepare every meal, everyday, without fail. I am just a normal stay at home mom on a single income. We have no hidden chef, personal chef or nanny to pick up the slack and cook for my family. It's all me. I am going to face a lot of hurdles that I am unable to avoid. I know that these 40 days won't be easy but I have been spending the last 2-3 weeks doing my research and preparing myself mentally for what I'm about to go through and I hope it helps a little.

We got our juicer just over a week ago and all I've done differently is replace a meal or two a day with juice and i have noticed my taste buds have already started to change. I have also lost about 4 lbs this past week. I find myself craving juice over foods which is brand new to me. I'm hoping that by introducing so many fruit and vegetable juices to my diet before starting my 40 day fast will make the transition a little easier on me.

I've read that the first 5 days are usually the hardest, when people feel the most run down and grumpy. Most people say that by day 10, they are on a "high" and have much more mental clarity. I want to blog at least once a day the first 10 days to report on my mood. And for those of you who know me, you know I have no problem being a little too honest.

I had an awesome feeling a couple days ago when a friend of mine from Facebook told me that because of all of my posts about juicing, she went out and got a juicer and LOVES it! She said she was not a fan of vegetables at all. It now she has been drinking lots of vegetables thanks to her new juicer! It feels good to help other people feel good!

What about YOU? Do you juice? Have you done a juice cleanse? How did you come across this blog? What would you like to hear more about?



Sweet Potato: Attempt #1

I turned this


1 sweet potato
2 naval oranges
1 Braeburn apple
1/2 lime


Into this beautiful drink




I will admit, I was scared to try this. My sweet potato experience is very limited. The closest I get to a sweet potato is around Christmas time when I turn up my nose and pass them by.

This drink tastes like....not much at all, surprisingly. I guess sweet potatoes are pretty bland? but I've been a little congested so that could be why everything has been pretty bland lately. My husband said it was good so if you try this recipe, let me know what you think.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Broccoli, Celery, Citrus!

1 bunch of broccoli
1 stalk of celery
2 carrots
2 naval oranges
1 red apple
1 lemon (with the peel)

This is another tasty one but my favorite green juice so far was my Lipsmackin GREEN Limeade

Monday, February 4, 2013

Lipsmackin GREEN Limeade

This thing is DELICIOUS!

1 1/2 naval oranges
1 large Granny Smith
1 bunch of spinach
1 stalk of celery
1 lime (I juiced the peel this time and it was awesome!!)

I will be trying this one again. It's so green, so healthy and so tangy!




Sunday, February 3, 2013

Hidden Greens

Look at this beautiful drink!

Since I am so new to juicing, I have a hard time drinking the really green veggies and I need to mask the taste. I woke up this morning inspired to get more greens in for breakfast.

This juice has a Fuji apple, a small grapefruit, half of a lemon, a small naval orange, half a cucumber, a large stalk of celery, a large handful of teen cabbage, a large carrot and a small knob of ginger.

It's as lovely to look at as it is to drink.


Saturday, February 2, 2013

How We Started Juicing

Where would you be without the friends in your life?

I've thought about this question a lot and the only answer I can come up with is that I have no idea where I'd be without my friends but I most certainly do not want to find out.

I have the most amazing and supportive friends a girl could ever ask for. A dear friend of mine joined a Facebook weight loss support group I started about a year ago and along with another 5-10 members, we've struggled alongside one another with our weight loss for the past year. I was having a rough couple days and I went to my wonderful group of women and did a little venting. About 10 minutes after my little rant, my dear friend Jennifer sends me an email and tells me that a Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer will be delivered to my house by the end of January....and I couldn't fight her on it because he already paid for it! I was (and still am!!!) speechless. I am still humbled, almost 2 weeks later.

Well, my juicer came in and I LOVE it! My husband loves it! Our twin 5 year old sons love it! Our 18 month old little guy loves it! If you are on the fence about buying one, JUST DO IT!!! You won't regret it.



We've made all kinds of juice. I've had a few different people ask me to post recipes and I promise I will start. Right now I am playing around with different fruits, vegetables and tastes but my hope is that I am able to post a photo (with recipe and my personal review) of at least 2 juices a day during my 40 day juice fast. Fingers crossed!

I made a super fast snack of a carrot and a large naval orange and it has been my favorite so far.


Here was a quick breakfast juice with fruits, a beet and celery. This probably made 3 servings.



And here is the beautiful juice it made.



We have replaced all of our snacks and desserts with fresh juice. It's THE thing in our house right now! Do I have anyone else who juices a lot? If so, what recipes are your favorites?

About Me

Why, hello there! And welcome to my humble little blog!













I guess I should tell you a little about myself.

I am 30 years old.
I am married and I have 3 sons, ages 5 and under.
I live in Texas and I am a stay at home mom.
I love French fries and fast food.
Right now I have a BMI of 32 so I am considered obese.
I've been overweight since at least as early as High School.
My dad died of a heart attack when he was just 59 years old (I was only 28).
I'm scared the same thing will happen to me.


I've been thinking about how much of myself I should share. I know I need to post a before picture and I'll want to share photos of my juices along with recipes (and let you know if it's kid friendly). What scares me most though is publicly admitting my current weight. Maybe it's because I will have to become completely accountable? Maybe because I know that anyone will be able to search my name, find this blog, and find out how much I weigh? I can't hide behind clothes. I NEED to be completely transparent but I am scared!!! I feel like posting my weight is admitting I've failed. I've been failing my body for years and years and to be honest, it's embarrassing but it's time to get serious. It's time to be honest with myself and I think the best and most effective way for me to be honest with myself is to put it all out there. To air my dirty laundry, so to speak, and to CHANGE.

My goal is not just for weight loss. My goal is to change! To change my life! To change my way of thinking and living. So stay tuned. I will be posting my current weight soon.


I don't know if you've seen this quote, but I need it printed on a shirt and I need to wear it daily:

What about you? Are any of you out there planning on doing a juice cleanse or fast?