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Hi Friends!

If you've been hanging out around my Facebook page lately you can see I have been drinking a lot of fresh pressed juice.  There have been a lot of questions about recipes and why I decided to do it, so I thought I would answer all of it in a blog.  

I decided to add juice to my overall diet for a couple of reasons.  With getting married, honeymooning, and the holiday's all rolled into 3 crazy months, I felt like I wasn't making good decisions with the foods that I ate.  It was a lot of indulgence that led me to feel a little sluggish at the end of the year and I wanted to empower myself to do something good health wise.

The decision to start adding juice to my diet was not in effort to lose weight, but in effort to add some really good "stuff" into my diet without making it feel like I was forcing myself to sit down and eat only fruits and veggies.  So far it's been quite delicious and been a great addition to my diet.  

Juicing vs. The Vitamix

That's a question I've been getting a lot lately and I'm here to tell you I love both for entirely separate reasons.  Juicing is a great addition to any meal.  I try to have a fresh pressed juice with either lunch or add it to a snack.  Not only does juice kick it up a notch when it comes to nutrients but it gives me a boost of energy that I am so dependent on throughout the day.     

I use the  Vitamix when I want to replace a meal.  The Vitamix blends everything when it comes to whole fruits and veggies and that includes the fiber.  When making a juice out of the Vitamix I add greek yogurt, a banana, and chia seeds to make it a super filling power smoothie.   The reason I don't make a smoothie everyday is because I don't want to become bored or feel like I have to do it, so I try to switch back and forth as often as possible.  

Juicing and making smoothies have become an enjoyable part of my diet so far (3 weeks into January, I know what you must be thinking).  I feel like I have more energy that ever and honestly it hasn't felt like I made the New Year's Resolution to go on a "diet." 

Here are some recipes that you've been asking about for both juicing and the Vitamix.

The juicing recipes I got from a book written by Joe Cross.  Here is the Green Lemonade I live by daily:

1 apple

2 handfuls spinach

8 kale leaves

1/2 cucumber

2 ribs celery

1 Lemon

The next one from Joe is my go-to for when I'm having cravings for something sweet.  It's a little sweet and a little spicy thanks to the ginger.  

4 carrots

2 red apples

1 Lemon

2 inch piece of ginger or more if you prefer

Here's his Juice Recipe for an excellent Bloody Mary without all of the sodium.

4 tomatoes

2 red bell peppers 

1 carrot

1 zucchini

2 ribs celery

1 small handful parsley

1 small handful oregano

1 small handful basil

pinch of sea salt 

1tsp olive oil

For the Vitamix, My go-to power smoothie.

2 handfuls spinach

2 handfuls of chopped kale

1 banana

1 serving non-fat greek plain yogurt

1 tbsp chia seeds

( On occasion I have also been known to add cucumber, an apple, or berries to this mixture.  I just depends on what I have around and if I'm feeling inspired to throw them in.)

I hope you enjoy these recipes that have gotten me through the month of January.  If you have any juice or smoothie recipes please share below!

Cheers to a happy and healthy 2015!

XO,CC

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