Juice for Days

I have been beyond lazy when it comes to juicing lately. Today I had a lot of produce sitting in my fridge that needed some attention. Some of it was already bad and the rest was getting close. So, I sorted and cleaned. Everything that was still good was thrown in the juicer. I figure that I have dinner and all day tomorrow for juice meals-an impromptu mini fast.
The mix: chard, kale, celery, lemon, apple, pear, pomegranate, ginger, and broccoli.

Can't Juice Turkey

Well, you probably could juice turkey if you were motivated enough. I may juice today, but the main plan is to juice fast Saturday after enjoying a day or two of family fun and meals.
Happy Thanksgiving!

It's SO Ugly, It's Cute

Today's juice turned out dark brown. Not the yummy chocolate brown, but the that looks nasty brown. Beets and rainbow chard mixed with greens made an ugly but tasty concoction.
Mixing: rainbow chard, kale, dandelion greens, carrots, beet, lemon, and pear.

Carrots make it pretty

Broke my blender yesterday so had to go with old reliable. I could use a trip to the store but was able to come up with a good juice. It was bitter and I was sore from a workout, so I put in a flavored veg protein powder.
The mix: kale, dandelion greens, lemon, bok choy, apple, and carrots.

Smothilicious

Powered up a smoothie this morning. So good!
The mix: Flax milk, frozen bananas, peanut butter powder (peanut butter with the oil and a lot of calories taken out), cocoa powder, and raw veg powder.

Back in the Saddle

All prepped and ready for a week of juicing!
This week I will be combining kale, chard, collard greens, celery, ginger, carrots, pear, apple, jalapeño, and parsley. I have some radish I may throw in should the spirit move me. The lemons at the market were disappointing so none made it home with me.

Juice Break

So, no juicing lately.
I am doing a 7-8 week diet that involves severe calorie restriction and limited food choices.  I have a couple of more weeks and then will start back on the juicing path as a way to transition back into a more balanced regime.  I am using some of the powdered mixes to supplement my diet, so I am still getting some of the nutrition I would be getting from the juice.
See you soon!

Nutrition and Cancer

Today I have the privilege of introducing a guest blogger.  She is passionate about educating and helping people to understand the benefits of healthy eating.  Eating healthy can be a challenge, but even more so when battling illness.  I hope you find her information helpful.  Have a great weekend.
Thank you Jillian McKee.

The Secret to Faster Healing: Proper Nutrition for Cancer Patients

When you learn that a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, you feel like you've been hit with a ton of bricks. Although enduring through the recovery phase can be depressing and exhausting for both the victim and the family, maintaining a diet full of vitamins and minerals may help to reduce certain symptoms and aid in recovery. There are a number of positives that can come from eating the right foods when battling cancer, and some of those benefits are outlined below.

Why does nutrition matter?

With chemotherapy being the most common form of cancer therapy today, it is important to fuel the body with adequate nutrition since chemotherapy attacks cancer cells as well as other healthy cells. All cells that divide at a fast rate are targeted by this form of treatment, and they can include bone marrow, hair, skin, and more. In fact, chemotherapy might even increase the amount of general pain and fatigue that a cancer patient experiences.

Besides compensating for the negative side effects of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, proper nutrition will increase general health in any human being, including those with cancer. Cancer is an abnormal functioning of the cells in the body, but good nutrition helps all the parts of the body to function the way they should.

What are the benefits of eating right?

There are so many advantages of getting proper nutrition while afflicted with cancer that all of them can't possibly be mentioned. However, the most common benefits of eating an energy-dense diet high in vitamins and minerals are as follows: increase in mood, higher energy levels, enhanced physical strength, maintenance of a healthy body weight, decrease in infection rates, reduced sleepiness, lessened body aches and pains, and a quicker overall healing time.

What types of foods should a cancer patient eat?

A general balanced diet is easy to describe, but things get more complicated when cancer is involved. Eating right is a relative thing, and it depends largely on what type of cancer the individual is suffering from. Foods that may cause excessive gas or bloating should be discarded from the diets of people who have cancers that affect the digestive tract. Fiber-rich foods such as bananas, beans, whole grain breads and pastas, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables should be avoided. On the other hand, nutrition for mesothelioma and other cancers that don't affect the digestive tract usually includes fruits and veggies of all sizes and colors. Again, an appropriate diet will depend on the type of cancer a patient is afflicted with.

As a rule of thumb, all processed foods should be removed from the diet of a cancer patient. Since these types of foods contain higher levels of chemicals used for preservation, taste, and color, the weakened and altered body may not be able to tolerate them. Cancers that affect the liver and kidneys will seriously hamper the ability to filter chemicals and toxins from the body. Other foods that are high in saturated fats, grease, and sodium should not be eaten either. A proper diet for a cancer patient usually includes whole and natural foods only.

**The page the first link in the article goes to seems to be under construction.  The home page of the site is: http://www.oncolink.org/   Katie.

Back to the Juice

I am looking forward to my trip up the store to restock for some great juice this week. I may defrost some of my berries for fruity fun in the meantime!

Juice Update

Just to keep you updated...
I am leaving town at the end of the week, so I did not want to stock up on a lot of veg that I may not get to.  I did one fresh, green juice at the beginning of the week and will use store bought version the rest of the week.  I certainly plan on returning to fresh when I return.
Have a great week 8)

Revenge of the Juicer

Maybe I was just out of practice, but turning my countertop pink was not the plan. After the fast I have been using the blender and store bought juices. Today I returned to my green eyed friend.
The mix: kale, spinach, carrots, parsley, celery, lemon, apple, ginger, strawberries, blueberries, and beet root. I forgot the grace.

Day 10 of Juice Fast

I have finished my last juice of this 10 day journey. I will start to add foods back into my diet tomorrow and am looking forward to it. I drove past a chicken place on my way home and almost crashed the car because it smelled soooo good.
Today's juice: kale, chard, blueberries, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, ginger, apples, parsley, celery, and carrots.

In the Zone

Today I start day 7 of the fast. I did have another smoothie last night and added some cinnamon. Back to the green this morning. The picture is an overflow of everything besides the greens.
The mix: 1/2 squash, 1/4 cucumber, lemon, turmeric, ginger, strawberry, blueberry, green and red apples, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, parsley, kale, chard, peach, and celery.
Good mix, but I think next weeks shopping will be more simple.

Smoothie

The morning of day six of the fast found another cheat smoothie on the coaster. I lightened up on the peanut butter and added wheat grass powder.
Mix: 1c flax milk, 1 banana, 1tbsp peanut butter, 3/4tsp powder, big handful of ice.
I am going to try some store bought natural juices for lunch.

Sweet and Spicy

Juice fast day 5:
I did have another cheat smoothie yesterday.  My favorite shop also had frozen, blended bananas that felt like an ice cream cheat.
Today's blend turned out a little sweet.  I had prepped an extra pear and then remembered that I had fresh pineapple that needed to be used.  I also had a banana that was about to die so I refrigerated it, to firm it up.  Some juice did come out but I think the blender is a better destination for banana.
The rest:  kale, chard, parsley, apple, yellow carrots, tomato, and celery.  I added cayenne to this morning's glass.  A nice kick.

Cheating on My Juicer

Half way through day 4 of a juice fast and my body was yelling for something besides green juice. So I broke out the blender. Slightly breaking the rules of a fast, a smoothie appeared.

Smoothie cheat: small banana, large tablespoon of peanut butter, flax milk.

Wow, it is good. I may add wheat grass powder if I cheat again so I don't feel as guilty.

Day Three of Juice Fast

At the end of day three I feel...
Hungry! I managed to get some produce on the way home and made a monster juice that should last through tomorrow. I am taking it one juice at a time and hope I can make day 4. I do feel less bloated and my energy is about average for a Friday. There more noises from my gut than usual.
My monster juice: kale, chard, parsley, celery, lemon, ginger, turmeric, pear, yellow carrots, pineapple, tomato, broccoli, and cauliflower. It tastes good, a little peppery. I may add the fruit flavored protein mix tomorrow morning.

Juice Fast Day 2

I have talked myself into a fast. One day down, two pounds lost. After three weeks of some questionable food choices I was feeling a bit bloated. I am using the vegan protein mix once a day and I will take some supplements today- B complex, vitamin D, and fish oil.
Today's mix: mixed greens, apple, watermelon, lemon, garlic, yellow squash, acai juice, broccoli, cucumber, and kiwi.
I didn't stock up for a fast, so I am taking it one juice at a time.
Who needs chewing? 8)

Back in the Saddle

After a bit of a break, I am ready to juice again. While my juicer was on vacation, I did have some of those powdered green mixes with water. It just is not the same.
Prepared tonight for tomorrow's juice: spinach, yellow carrots, blueberries, pear, lemon, turmeric, beet root, broccoli, cucumber, tomato, and garlic.

Juice for 2

I have an old friend in town this morning and decided to make a juice. I left out some of the more bitter greens like kale and chard to make it a little more palatable.
The juice: romaine, lemon with no rind, pear, grapes, carrot, and cucumber.
The verdict: it was great. My friend even had seconds. I learned I can lighten up juice and not over complicate things all the time.

Change of Pace

I was on the Whole Foods side of town this weekend so I have a few different things to add to the juice.
Today's mix: mustard greens, kale, dandelion, carrots, red grapes, jalapeño, lemon, pear, fennel, and tomato.
It had a different flavor than usual and was quite good. It was nice to have something new on the palate.

 

Today, I returned to berry mix.  I have not had one of these, since I dropped the bag into the juicer.
It was really good!

Cheaper Greens

My favorite organic shop packs up greens that are either a little older or were separated from their bunch into bags. So, I can get a nice mix of greens for less. They also were giving away sprouts on their 'purchase by' date. I added some pear, orange, lemon, tomato, and blueberry. I keep forgetting the ginger. Still, pretty tastey

Juice and Go

I thought tonight's post would be a warning about juicing in the AM and leaving the mess until after work. It was so much easier to clean than I had expected. So, if you're running short on time, the clean up can wait.
The picture is from the cleaning pool tonight.  Tip: take the stickers off before the wash..oops

Time Matters

Today, I timed myself while making a small juice. From couch to couch, it took me 13 minutes. Cleaning the produce the night before would have saved 6 minutes.
I used kale, chard, dandelion greens, broccoli, carrots, oranges, and frozen pack of acai juice.
It was good but I could taste the orange rind I left on (about 1/4 area of one small orange).

Lining Up For the Wash

My juice for the next two days:
Kale, chard, dandelion greens, parsley, beet root, carrots, pears, oranges, a small bit of leftover cauliflower, and celery.
I mixed some super green protein berry flavored powder before I tasted it so, I will not know how it tastes until later.

What's Up With That

The pulp magically elevated to the top cover today instead of its assigned bin. The texture and moisture level was the same as usual. Gravity must have stopped for awhile.
Today's orange tasting drink: kale, celery, beet greens, broccoli, cauliflower, orange, lemon, pear, and carrots.

What I could not Juice

Look at those beautiful berries. I just refused to subject them to the mean old juicer. They were saved for snacks. The juice did miss the berries but was still good.
Kale, romaine, beet greens, beet, celery, dikon, pear, lemon, orange, tomato, cauliflower, broccoli, and turmeric.

Everything Tastes Good When Your Hungry

So today's mix tasted great.  I am not sure if it was because it was good or because the last 2 days' were so bad.  It had: kale, chard, pear, apple, asparagus, watermelon, tomato, cucumber, scallion, blueberry, lemon and broccoli.

The Save

So yesterday's juice was bad. What to do with the left overs?
I squeezed in some grapefruit juice and it made it much more palatable. Tomorrow, a fresh batch with lesson learned.

Roots

I got this big idea to put a bunch of roots together today. I used dikon radish, beet, celery root and turnip. I only used parts of each. I won't bother to tell you what else I used because it tasted like starchy soap. I think the turnip was to blame. On the plus side, it has calcium, vitamin C and B6.

Permission to be a Couch Potato

Fig Infused and Balsamic Vinegar

Inspired by a fellow blogger, I attempted a new chicken dish.  Please check Eat GFCF for the recipe.
So I tried it, with alterations.  Instead of raspberry jam, I used the pulp and some juice from sweet dark cherries (I'm such a juice head).  I used some balsamic vinegar but also substituted fig infused vinegar for some of it.  It is a little sweeter and thought it might help make up the difference for the jam.  (and I was looking for an excuse to use it).  I didn't have fresh rosemary so I used general poultry seasoning.  It still resulted in a nice new way to give chicken a kick.  I think it needed a starch and a glass of wine.  I had neither but a bed of fresh spinach worked out.

Holy Juice Batman

Today I used more veggies and fruit with a little less leafy product. I was prepared for a little extra juice but when my back up was full before I started the cucumber....wow.
Tip: finish with the cucumber, the basket is easier to clean.

the list:  kale, green leaf lettuce, cucumber, lemon, 2 pears, one apple, 2 tomatoes, and asparagus.

The Lighter Side of Green

Today I used only one kale leaf and no chard. It made for a lighter feel to the drink.
The mix: romaine, spinach, kale, cucumber, tomato, orange, 2 pears, and yellow carrots.

Shelf Life

I was out of town this weekend, so today's juice is mainly last weeks produce. I am a little surprised that it made it.
The list: kale, chard, turmeric, apple, orange, grapefruit, and blueberries. I threw in some chia seeds, for this morning, but not in my to go lunch cup.

The Leaves

The base of most of my juices are kale and chard. They seem to produce a fair amount of juice and have a lot of good vitamins. I use spinach most of the time as well.

Today I added to it: orange, peach, scallion, and tomato.

Juice to Go

Kale, chard, carrots, orange, grapes, tomato, and grapefruit in a coffee cup to go. Drink some now, save some for later. :)

It tastes better fresh and the vitamins probably start to die off with time, but it is still a better snack or lunch than many alternatives.

Leaking Vitamins

I am not completely sure why the water turned purple. My current theory is that I used some chopped kale and the vinegar may have helped draw out the color.


Today's juice: purple and green kale, rainbow chard, tomato, spinach, grapes, blueberries, pear, yellow carrots, cauliflower, orange, and half of an apple (I wanted to eat the rest).  It was a really nice blend.

Shopping

I knew something was wrong when the fridge wasn't full after my grocery trip. It is only Tuesday and I am almost out of kale. I do have plenty of spinach left. They did not have any chard this week so I think I just did not adjust correctly.
Today's juice: kale, scallion, turmeric, oranges, half a jalapeño, and a grapefruit. Not my best effort, but ok.

The Details

I thought I would add some general details about what and how I juice.
My vinegar wash has a little over a cup of vinegar in that big bowl that I pictured in a previous post. I really am not sure if that is the perfect mix, but it works for me so far.
The produce I use is almost always labeled organic. I was told by Paul, the gentleman that runs my favorite, local Sustain grocery store that there are somethings that can't be labeled/found organic but they are grown that way. I think that may go for some of the more small farm, exotic stuff. Some of the grocery store chains have also begun to carry organic goods. Whole Foods is another option but they are just too far from me to go to very often.
I wash my juicer right after I juice.  Sometimes, I use the dishwasher and occasionally I soak the wire basket in a strong vinegar-water bath.

Chia and Wheat Grass

Picked up a couple of things to throw in the juice, chia seeds and freeze dried wheat grass juice powder. The rest: kale, spinach, orange, grapefruit, and a scallion. Tasted mostly of grapefruit with little chewy bits coming through the straw.

Giant Chard

Using what I have left: chard, kale, 2 colors of carrots, apple and orange.

What Not to Juice

My frozen berry treat got a little more exciting today. Just a tip for juicing frozen berries: don't drop the bag in the juicer! Oops

Pulp and Eggs

The not raw part of my morning was some pulp in 2 eggs, one yolk.
The juice was a greens mix with, celery, orange, carrots, apple and tomato.

Green Monster

There is usually a couple of colors in the juice, but today all I could see was green.
It had: kale, romaine, chard, pear, turmeric, garlic, tomato, and parsley.

Confetti and Bubbles

Today I used the leftover prep from the last juice and added a little bit of hot pepper. A great kick start to my day!

Why We Wash

Today's dirty veggies were washed last night. There was: kale, romaine, chard, spinach, carrots, celery, ginger, tomato, pear, apple, and orange.

Raw Food Makeover

After

Before

The juice: ginger, pineapple, grapes, tomato, chard, parsley, kale, yellow carrots, garlic, and dandelion.

Piña

A simpler one today: pineapple, celery, spinach, carrots, and acai juice from the frozen packets I wrote about before.
It was good but I think the acai left a little bit of an odd background flavor.

Plug It In

Important lesson learned today: plug in the juicer, it works a little better that way :)
The juice: turmeric, asparagus, kale, beet greens, rainbow chard, grapes, parsley, pear, orange, blueberries, and an apple. I am getting the veg to fruit ratio down to how I like it, so I am consistently liking the final product.

Rainbow Chard

I love color!  There was some beautiful rainbow chard at the market this week.  I added to it: kale, touch of cabbage, ginger, a tiny bit of turmeric, grapes, orange, pear, apple, beet greens, blueberries, parsley, celery, half of a hot pepper, and dandelion greens.  It was fantastic!

Kale chips

I tried to make kale chips for the first time.  I started with purple kale so they turned out better than they may look.  I do think that I will get better the more times that I do it.  I used a cooking spray and then sprinkled on some sea salt, garlic powder and a little too much cayenne pepper.  I adapted the recipe from:  http://crazycowboywife.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/kale-chips-done-right/

Having Seconds

I really enjoyed today's juice of: one medium beet, about 4 kale leaves, handful of spinach, 2 small oranges, what I could rescue from a mango, 4ish celery stalks and a tomato.  I had to go back for a second glass that I had been planning on saving for later.

Acai

 





Today I added Acai juice to my frozen berry, mid-week treat.  I also put in a couple of shots of coconut water.  I will be doing this again.  The Acai comes frozen.  There are 4 packets in each bag. 

Ginger

I threw in a small piece of ginger with kale, parsley, pear, orange, tomato, spinach, broccoli, yellow squash, lime and carrots. I could taste the ginger. It was a nice layer of flavor but any more would have been too much.

Juice Overflow

So, I got a little carried away and had a bit of a spill.
In that spill: kale, parsley, carrots, oranges, pear, a small beet, blueberries, spinach, and tomato.

Hot Broccoli

Today was pretty much a-use everything before it goes bad-day. That means that my ratios were off. There was way to much broccoli but with the hot pepper is was ok enough to drink. It was like stepping into a hot tub that feels to hot at first but great once you get used to it.

Preparation

Last night, I cleaned up all the produce for this morning's juice. I did not cut up anything to avoid oxidation. It made the morning a little less hectic.
Today's juice: kale, parsley, scallion, carrot, mango, cauliflower, broccoli, and tomato.

Tastes Better Than it Looks

Today I used a little kale, 3 mushrooms, some parsley, a pear, half a lemon, a handful of yellow carrots, a touch of broccoli, and cauliflower. I also threw in a bag of blueberries. It looked great going in but like a greenish-brown mess coming out.
It tasted really good.