Thankful Thursday

While I would love to take credit for this awesome idea, a sweet friend of mine does this beautiful Facebook status message every Thursday highlighting a few things she's thankful for that week (or just in general). What a great idea, right!?! I know that as a family and personally, I give thanks to God daily when I pray, but that's private. I want something a little more public, but still serious.

I have a lot to be thankful for so I'll limit myself to 7 since it's my favorite number!

I am thankful for my husband. He works so very hard to ensure that his family has a good life. When he gets home, he helps out with the kids and the housework. My husband was the one who got me to watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, which helped change my life and he has also been instrumental in giving me the love and support that I needed during my 40 day fast. He is amazing and I am one lucky gal.

I am thankful for all of my children but I will focus on just one per week and I guess I'll just go in order.

This is Little Man 1.0. I am so thankful to have such a loving and empathetic son. He always puts others first, he loves sharing and he is very thoughtful. He came home from school upset that a little girl from another class had lost her field trip money. He didn't even know what her name was but he was really concerned that she wasn't going to be able to go on the field trip if someone didn't help her find it (or return it, if it were stolen). It MADE HIS WEEK when I told him that we would get the money together and give it to the girl's teacher so we would ensure she could go. Seriously, you would have thought he won the lottery the next day when he came home from school and he had been awarded for doing that. He warms my heart.

I am thankful for rainy, chilly days. Sometimes it just feels good to just wear your PJ's all day, thankyouverymuch!

I was thinking today, I'm thankful I am able to vacuum my house. I've not yet (completely) lost my mind, i promise! Hear me out! I'm thankful I can afford the home to vacuum and I am thankful I can afford the actual vacuum to clean. But most importantly, I am thankful I have the health to vacuum and clean my house. I can bend, push, pull with ease.

I am thankful for Omas (Grandmas)who are willing to take ALL THREE sons overnight so their daughter (ME!) and son-in-law (my husband, duh, keep up!) can have a date night this Saturday! Woot! Woot!

I'm thankful to have such loving and supporting family, friends and even church family. I've only got a few Negative Nancy's and Ned's in my life currently but I am doing well at distancing myself from them, thus helping me stay happy, healthy, and positive!

I'm thankful for this blog! Corny, I know! I know! But it's true! Each and every week it brings at least one person into my life that I'm either able to help, they are able to help me, or as in most cases, we help one another! It's amazing to reach out and get involved in someone else's life. Getting and giving help is a wonderful feeling.


Okay. That's it for this Thursday! I just wanted to try something different. I challenge you all to do the same! It doesn't have to be a blogpost. It could be a status message, a journal/diary entry, a note to a loved one about a few things you are thankful about because of them, or just not them down on paper. It's nice to have something to look back on and remember that life IS good, even on bad days.

:) Stay strong and juice on!
Teela Juicing Herman

All About YOU!

Would you like to be featured in my blog?

Do you have a story you want to share?

Your story can be about juicing or have absolutely nothing at all to do with juicing. I just want to know more about you and share your success with my readers.

Let's show everyone that there are MANY ways to a healthy lifestyle and that no matter your background, you CAN be successful!!!



Here are some questions for you to answer if you'd like. These questions are just a guide. Be as short or as long winded as you'd like. Be creative! Just be yourself. :)

*Tell us about yourself: (where you are from, your story, your age-only if you want to share, your family, work and school schedule, ect)

*What was your "rock bottom"? What made you want to change? And what changes did you start off with?

*What was the hardest struggle for you? And how did you overcome it?

*How do you feel now versus when you reached your "rock bottom"?

*What did your daily diet consist of before you decided to make a change?

*What does your current diet (as in the foods you consume, not "diet" diet) consist mostly of today?

*Did you set long term or short term goals to begin with?

*What is your best advice for someone who feels like it's too hard or that it's just not worth it?

Feel free to add anything you'd like, photos, blog links, ect. and email them to me at teelasbackup@gmail.com
or send me a message on my Facebook profile Teela Juicing Herman and I will get you featured.

Coincidence? A Sign? God.

As I'm sure you can tell from my last post, things have not been easy. I've been struggling internally a lot lately. Although I will say and type over and over, "weight loss does NOT equal success" I am going on a week of not losing any weight (weight log)and quite honestly, I'm getting burnt out. I'm questioning if what I'm doing is really going to make a difference. I feel like giving up so desperately at times it hurts. Today I had a frank conversation with God.

I don't know what your relationship with God is like, if you have a relationship with Him at all, or if you've simply never had one....and to me, it doesn't matter. I do not judge.  God and I have been round and round. I first started out loving Him because I was told that's what you do. I started out trusting in Him because the Bible told me so.
Then I started to believe that prayer was the same thing as bargaining or making a deal. "Dearest and most precious Lord, I know I don't pray to you often enough but I've really been trying to get Eric to notice me soooooo if you make him see what an awesome, beautiful, and loving girl I am and have him ask me out, I promise to pray more often." When that didn't work, I started to beg him and threaten him. "Alright now. I'm not even sure if you exist or not. They say you can do ANYTHING, right? Well, prove it to me! Let me wake up tomorrow 10 pounds lighter or else I'm just going to stop believing in you."
I had questions about my faith but I dare not ask my dad. "God is good, trust in God. If you don't, you will burn for eternity in hell." And if that was true, then I'm sorry, but I didn't care to get to know God. I felt I had a right to ask questions. There came a point on my life where I just didn't trust anymore. I didn't know of He really existed or not but if he did,, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Him.

And what changed? I didn't have some epic life changing moment. I didn't have some Devine vision from God. I just realized that I wasn't seeing the big picture. I was angry that my phone line to God wasn't getting me immediate results and I was ignoring all the beauty that He WAS blessing me with. I realized that though my husband and I were fighting through infertility, and even though it was so unbelievably unfair, God had placed some pretty amazing friends in my life to help pull me through. I might have had to wait 3 years, countless exams, tests, fertility medicine, surgeries and thousands and thousands of dollars down the drain (and for all of that in the end to have failed), but I had the love and support of most of my family and all of my friends. I was (and still am) blessed, even in my darkest of days.

So I found my way back to God and of course, my church and church family also played (and continues to play) a very important role in that. I found a church where I didn't have to pretend I was perfect. I didn't have to pretend that I never once questioned my faith, that there was never a point in my life where I despised God. I could truly be myself and they would love me for it. And even if they don't ALL love me, they do not condemn me.

I suppose I'm really getting off topic here.

So what am I saying? God and I are on a fist name basis. God and I are closer now than we've ever been before. When I pray, I'm usually doing one of two things, if not both. I praise Him for all He has blessed me with and I ask for clarity. I constantly want to know that the decisions I am making are not just the right decisions, but the best decisions.

Which bring me to today. This morning.

I'm in my kitchen after getting on the horrid scale. I'm frustrated, mad, and desperate. I'm stressed out. I'm talking to God. I'm trying to reason with Him, asking why my efforts don't feel enough. I'm begging for some peace of mind. I need to know that what I am doing will pay off. I just want to know that I am doing well.

There was no voice talking back to me but I did feel a sense of peace. Some calmness.

Then I came across this video. It's not long, I promise. It's work and kid friendly. Check it out.

If you are obese, the likelihood your child will be obese increases by 50%.

Fifty percent. FIFTY percent. Holy cow. That's very alarming. And it was my answer.

The scale is my enemy. The scale makes me want to quit and give in but my body and mind keep telling me the I feel wonderful. My mind keeps telling me to keep going. Logic says that if all I am giving my body is fresh vegetables and fruits, I'm bettering my health. It's not complicated at all. Fresh, natural foods are better for you than processed crap. Even my 5 year olds know that.

Anyway, I really hope that no matter where you are on your journey, you are able to find peace somewhere and faith in the fact that what we are doing is an amazing gift to ourselves and for our children.

Juice on!

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?

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

Wait. What!?!?

"He thinks he can go sixty days, only drinking juice, and not eating any food??? Uh huh." was my first thought when my husband told me he thought I should watch a movie called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

If you've never seen this movie, I highly recommend it. By clicking on the above link, it will take you to the official website which directs you to various places to watch this movie for free. If you are unable to watch it and want a quick synopsis, this is taken from the website:


100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well....

What spoke to me the most was the fact that this man was a normal guy. He wasn't some crazy health nut. He loved his food just like me so I could relate.

Do I need to lose weight? Absolutely. Am I doing this to lose weight? I am. But there is no way I would have even considered doing something as crazy as not eating any food for 40 days JUST to lose weight. Without boring you to tears, I also have some medical conditions that would either greatly improve or completely disappear with a cleanse like this. And let me be clear, I am under no disillusion that once I am done with this fast, I can go right back to my current lifestyle. Absolutely not. Not to mention, I don't want to go 40 days without eating food to not make this a lifestyle change. I want to completely change my life. I am sick of being sick and fat.

In the movie, there is a man who breaks my heart. He is a father of six and had recently undergone open heart surgery so you just assume that this father will see the benefits of changing your lifestyle but instead, he breaks your heart. He basically says that he only has a few years left of his life and the way he sees it, he would rather die at 55 eating what he wanted than live to be 65.

Ouch.

I had just turned 28 when my dad (only 59 years ole) died of a heart attack due to not eating well and not taking care of his body. My dad was just really getting to know his twin grandsons who had just turned 3. They were just starting to become little guys and he was gone. Taken from me far too soon. He has missed out on so much in the last 2.5 years that it makes me heart ache at times. He never got to meet our newest son. He missed the twins' first day of school. I can't count the number of times I've felt I've desperately needed my dad in the last 2.5 years and I don't have him.

And then I look in the mirror, I see the size of my clothes, or I step on the scale and I think to myself, "you fool. You hypocritical fool."

I am extremely overweight. The only thing I have on my side is the fact that I am fairly young. If I am being completely honest with myself, if I continue going the way I'm going, I fully expect to be dead by 60...and that would mean I'm currently in the middle of my life. That terrifies me. I hae so much more to do. I not only want to be there to see my sons get married, I want to dance at their children's wedding, much like my grandmother did at mine and I know if that is going to happen, I need to get serious and change my life.

The plan? On February 13, 2013 I will start my 40 days of juicing. I'm picking this date because its the start of lent and I am going to use this to completely change my life and at the same time, gaining a closer relationship with God.

I want to break my addiction to unhealthy foods. I want to feel good from the outside in. I want to get off of the pharmaceutical drugs I'm on. I want to have a healthy BMI. I want to live a healthy life.

I can't help but go back and think of the father at the diner with his younger son. Maybe he was laughing and making fun of the situation to hide behind his pain? I'm not sure. What I do know is the pain of losing your father at a relatively young age and while I know that simply eating healthy is no guarantee that you will live as long as you'd like, I want to do what I can to show my children how to live healthy and as their parent I feel it's my responsibility to be around for them as long as I can.