**I wanted to get this up quickly for those that were asking me to post about this.  I will add pictures soon.**

 

Several of my friends started juicing and although curious about it, I never really felt like jumping on board.  It seemed tedious and to be honest, I just didn’t know where to start.  I didn’t have a juice extractor so I didn’t really want to make the investment if I wasn’t planning on sticking to it.

I am going to be completely honest in this blog, in hopes that it will help you.  I will share exactly what I did, what I went through, and tips and tricks.  Juicing is not easy.  If you’re planning to do this because you want to lose weight, great!  But if you think this is your easy ticket to weight loss, think again.  It is work, it is hard, and it really takes mental effort to get through a juicing program.  Let me start at the beginning of my journey.

I can’t remember exactly what I was doing, but somehow I heard about the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  I watched it and was instantly converted.  It wasn’t so much the weight loss part of it, but the health benefits.  I was stunned that this man was able to “cure” his  autoimmune disorder.  I suffer from allergies and they are incredibly annoying.  I wasn’t feeling energetic and youthful and I really wanted to do something about it.  I also wanted to drop the weight, but I wanted to be healthy about it.  Working out and eating well wasn’t giving me what I wanted.  I felt like all my efforts were being wasted on something that wasn’t working for me.  So I decided to do it.

Prepare yourself.

Don’t just dive into this juicing thing.  It really isn’t easy and chances are you will starve and feel so uncomfortable right away that you’ll cheat.  I eased myself into it.  First I had a juice for breakfast and then a light lunch and light dinner.  I had a juice for snack too.  Then I had a juice for breakfast and lunch and had a light dinner.  I did this for almost a week.  Then I stumbled upon the Jason Vale 7 lbs in 7 days app.  It is $6.99 on iTunes and worth every penny.  The app has videos and audio to help you through it, recipes, alerts, and a very helpful shopping list.  I immediately went out and bought everything I needed for the first 3 days.  It’s a lot of produce, so start with a few days.

Dealing with produce.

If you tend to be lazy, this is going to be a challenge.  I started on a Saturday, so Friday night I went shopping.  My first stop was Whole Foods.  For the most part I got organic produce, yogurt, etc.  I also bought my supplements here.  For the other things like banana or apples, I decided to get it from Krogers because I needed 35 apples and I wasn’t going to buy organic apples and be left homeless.  Lucky for me Kroger had a 3 for $0.99 sale on Golden Delicious apples.  The cashier will look at you funny when you buy this many apples.  Mine even said “Man, you guys eat a lot of apples!”  I laughed, but thought to myself, I better stick to these three days or I am going to be eating a lot of apples…

I would clean all the produce right when I got it.  I fill the sink with water and vinegar and soak the fruits and veggies for about 10-20 minutes.  Then I rinse, dry, and put them away.  I tried to display everything in my fridge or countertops.  Produce is so beautiful and when it’s arranged in a beautiful way, not crammed in a drawer or bag.  I was compelled to eat it because it was so pretty!  Some of the things like the carrots I would peel and cut and put in baggies.  Tedious work like that, I got out of the way.  I basically made it so that I could reach in the fridge, grab what I needed, and stick it in the juicer.

Create your routine.

Think about what your routine is.  Don’t let work be an excuse not to do this.  This is where the effort comes in to play.  I have a toddler that demands my attention.  My day is filled with activities, errands, and play time.  I realized my only time to make these juices were in the morning right before my son got up.  The week I started this 7 day plan my son started school, so I had to factor in getting ready, getting him ready, and being done with everything by 8 AM so I could leave to take him to school.  Crazy right?  If I can do it, so can you!  I set my alarm for 6:15 and got ready.  I pulled out what I needed to make my first three juices.  I made them, put them in travel cups, and stuck them in the fridge.  I went about the rest of my routine.  If I was running errands that day, I would take my juices in a lunch cooler and sip all day long.  The app notifies you when it’s time for a juice, basically every three hours, but I just listened to my body.  I didn’t drink every single juice all the time, some of them I skipped because I was still full.  Bottom line, plan out your day.  It gets easier once you get used to your new routine.

What juicer to get.

I started out juicing on a regular centrifugal juicer.  Nothing heavy duty.  But with these juices needing apples, and needing to juice several times a day, I needed something that could take the beating.  I also wanted one that wouldn’t heat up the juice in the process because you lose nutrients that way.  I settled on the Breville Elite.  Amazing machine.  The chute is big enough to put a whole apple in.  This drastically cuts down the prep work.  I am able to just put whole things in, minimal cutting or peeling.  Plus it’s fun.

What it feels like.

The first day I had crazy amounts of energy.  I felt good, I was excited.  Towards the evening I started to feel hungry.  Make sure you have a support system or a way to stay motivated.  Without that it is really easy to cheat.  It is worth it if you stick it out.  My husband is a gem of a man.  He would hug me and tell me he was proud of me, and remind me of my goals.  He wouldn’t ever say no you can’t eat this or that.  He would tell me ‘You could eat that, but what’s the point of all this if you’re going to modify the program?’  And just like that I would find my spirit and keep on juicing.

The second day was HORRIBLE.  I had a migraine, I was nauseous.  It was the worst.  I was at work and had finished two clients when all of a sudden I just couldn’t think past what I was feeling.  This feeling will make you want to quit.  It is one of the worst feelings I’ve experienced.  That feeling is the toxins leaving your body.  Drink water and it will pass.  Again, I ran home to my husband and listened to his words of motivation.  He has been my rock during this.  I wanted to gain control of my body again, I wanted to be healthy, I want to fit back into my bikinis!  He reminded me of the benefits and again I was back at it.

Day 3 is better, but the juices started tasting too sweet.  I added Chat Masala to a few of my juices to make it more palatable.  Chat masala also helps alleviate any gas issues you might have.  Once I hit day four I was on a roll.

I would step on the scale every morning and notice the steady drop.  It lifted me up in the morning.  Knowing that it was working.  I could see my face was different, I felt amazing, and all my clothes were fitting the way they should.  My belly was gone and I was starting to see my abs again.

Here I am on day 7, 15 lbs lighter, and feeling great.  My skin is glowing, and my waist is small again.  I went from looking unhealthy and bloated to looking fit.  It’s not just the weight, you lose the toxins and so your body isn’t inflamed anymore.  My body is now alkaline and functioning at it’s best.  I can’t tell you enough how amazing this feels.  Worth every grueling minute of it.

I plan to continue juicing for parts of my day.  Like a juice for breakfast to start my day, followed by light meals.  Of course, I will indulge every now and then, but plan to detox from time to time just to maintain what I feel now.

So what’s the plan?  How did I do this?  I will list the recipes and what I did for the 7 days, but I urge you to get the app and use it to guide you.  It will put it all right at your fingertips.  Not to mention, some of the audio is exactly what you need to hear at times.  Jason Vale is a great inspiration and his bubbly personality and enthusiastic attitude keep you going when you feel like you can’t.

Good luck if you decide to try this.  It changed my life and I hope it has the same positive effects on yours.  If you have ANY health concerns please PLEASE consult your doctor before starting any juice program.  This is my personal experience and I am a healthy 31 year old with no health concerns.

Day 1:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Super Juice

11:00 am: Super Juice

2:00 pm: Super Chute Juice

5:00 pm: Turbo Express

8:00 pm: Lemon-Ginger Zinger

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Day 2:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Super Juice

11:00 am: Super Juice

2:00 pm: Super Chute Juice

5:00 pm: Turbo Express

8:00 pm: Turbo Express

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Day 3:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Lemon-Ginger Zinger

11:00 am: Super Juice

2:00 pm: Passion 4 Juice Master

5:00 pm: Turbo Express

8:00 pm: Turbo Express

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Day 4:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Super Juice

11:00 am: Super Juice

2:00 pm: Super Detox Juice

5:00 pm: Turbo Express

8:00 pm: Turbo Express

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Day 5:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Super Chute Juice

11:00 am: Super Chute Juice

2:00 pm: Super Detox Juice

5:00 pm: Super Juice

8:00 pm: Super Juice

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Day 6:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Passion 4 Juice Master

11:00 am: Passion 4 Juice Master

2:00 pm: Pure Green Super Juice

5:00 pm: Boost Juice

8:00 pm: Boost Juice

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Day 7:

Waking: Hot water with  kick (lemon, fennel, mint, etc)

8:00 am: Super Juice

11:00 am: Super Juice

2:00 pm: Passion 4 Juice Master

5:00 pm: Sherbet Lemonade

8:00 pm: Boost Juice

9:00 pm: Hot n Spicy

Recipes

Boost Juice

2 Apples

1/2 cup Alfalfa sprouts

1/2 cup Watercress

1/2 cup Parsley

1/2 cup Kale

1/2 cup Broccoli

1/2 Pineapple

1 shot wheatgrass

1/4 cup ice

Drop apple into chute, pack in all the leafy greens, kale, broccoli, and finish with second apple.  The tighter you pack, the more juice you will get from the greens.  Push through pineapple.  Mix in wheatgrass, pour over ice. (Use wheatgrass powder instead of actual wheatgrass.)

Lemon-Ginger Zinger

2 Carrots

2 Apples

1″ Ginger root

1″ Lemon

1/4 cup ice

Juice everything and pour over ice.

Passion 4 Juice Master

1 Apple

1/4 Pineapple

1/4 Banana

3/4 cup Bio-Live Yogurt

1 tsp. Spirulina

Juice apple and pineapple.  Pour juice into blender along with banana, yogurt, and spirulina.  Blend until smooth.

Pure Green Super Juice

2 stalks Celery

1/2 Cucumber

1/2 cup Baby Spinach Leaves

1 shot wheatgrass

1/4 Orange

1/4 cup ice

Juice celery, cucumber, spinach.  Add wheatgrass and pour over ice.  After each mouthful of juice, take a bite of orange. (Don’t chug this juice, it tastes like the butthole of a celery, but take a sip, swish it in your mouth, and then swallow.  This juice is PACKED with nutrients that the enzymes in your mouth break down much better.)

Sherbet Lemonade

2 Apples

1/3 lemon

1/4 cup ice

Put in chute: apple, lemon, apple, like a apple lemon sandwich.  Juice and pour over ice.

Super Chute Juice

2 Apples

1″ Carrot

1/2 Stalk Celery

3/4 cup Mixed Green Leaves

1″ Cucumber

1/2″ Broccoli

1/4 cup Alfalfa sprouts

1/2″ Red Beet

1/2″ Zucchini

1″ Lemon

1/2″ Ginger Root

1/4 Cup ice

Put one apple in the chute, followed by the other ingredients, then the second apple.  Juice and pour over ice.

Super Detox Juice

2 Apples

1/4 Cucumber

1 stalk Celery

1/2 cup Baby Spinach Leaves

1 tsp Superfood (or a bunch of mixed leaves)

1/4 cup ice

Juice everything and pour over ice, unless you use Superfood supplement, blend it with the juice.

Super Juice

2 Apples

1/4 Pineapple

1/4 Cucumber

1/2 Lime

1/4 Avocado

1 shot Wheatgrass

1 tsp Spirulina

1 capsule Friendly Bacteria

1/4 cup ice

Peel the lime, leave the pith on.  Juice apple, pineappe, cucumber, and lime.  Pour juice into blender, scoop in avocado flesh, wheatgrass, spirulina, ice, and powder from friendly bacteria capsule.  Blend until smooth.

Turbo Express

2 Apples

1/2 cup Baby Spinach Leaves

1/2 stalk Celery

1″ Cucumber

1/4 Lime

1/3 Pineapple

1/4 Avocado

1/4 cup ice

Peel the lime, leave the pith on.  Put one apple in the chute.  Tightly pack spinach, celery, cucumber, and lime, and finish with the other apple.  Push through and then juice the pineapple.Scoop avocado flesh into blender with ice, and extracted juice.  Blend until smooth.