Healthy Living: Green Goodness

As many of you may have noticed, juicing is all the rage right now. Thanks in part to many a cleanse diet and documentaries like Fat Sick and Nearly Dead {which is fantastic and very inspiring if you haven't already seen it} the many positive aspects of juicing have been widely expounded upon. As one who has incorporated juicing into my everyday life, I thought I would share my experience with you all.

I started as I knew I wanted to incorporate more veggies into my diet and attempt a cleanse to get rid of all the toxins I'd collected over the past few years. I've now been juicing for well over a year, and I love it. I started initially with the Blueprint Cleanse, and have incorporated juicing into my lifestyle since completing it as the the results are pretty phenomenal. I didn't order their ship to you program, I bought the book and a Breville Icon juicer and did it at home. I knew I'd want to keep up with juicing after the cleanse. If you are super busy, or don't have a good source of organic veggies locally, I'd certainly recommend their program. Today, I currently try to start every day with a large glass of green juice. It keeps all the bodily systems moving {if you know what I mean...} gives me energy, and helps to keep my skin clear.

Here is my favorite recipe for green juice. It makes 2-3 12oz servings, so juice accordingly! ☺

Green Goodness Juice

2 large organic cucumbers
2 medium sized organic apples or pears
2 lemons
1" piece of ginger
1 good sized head of organic lacinato kale
1 bunch organic flat leaf parsley

Toss all this into your juicer, and enjoy the green goodness. If you don't have a juicer, you can also process this in a heavy duty blender and press it through a fine mesh strainer. You get the most benefits from your green juice if you drink it on an empty stomach and wait 20 minutes before eating any "real" food.

I also enjoy a veggie packed smoothie post workout a few times a week. This smoothie also make a great breakfast.

Vanilla Kale Smoothie


8 oz Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup non fat or 2% plain greek yogurt
1/2 an organic apple or pear, chopped
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped organic kale (tough stems removed) you can also use spinach!
1 Tbs raw organic almond butter
1 Tsp agave nectar
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract


Toss all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. If a thicker consistency is desired, toss in a few ice cubes made with filtered water. Enjoy!

EVERY time I make this smoothie, little one begs me to share it with her. And she doesn't like anything "green." Its just that good. The bottom line is, whether you go all out on a two week cleanse, or just throw some green goodness into your life a few days a week, the more healthy, organic, whole food goes into your mouth and the less processed and refined foods you consume, the better you will look and feel. And who wouldn't want that?

If you are interested in doing a cleanse, or reading up on your juicing techniques here are a few links with lots of resources to help you start your green journey.

Reboot Program
Just Cleansing
My Juice Cleanse

♥Jen

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