Weekly Weigh In: Unleash Your Sexy Beast!

This week I used a combination of juicing and eating. After a 7-day Juicing Jump Start, I felt so good that I wanted to continue it. Unfortunately, we had three days in a row with events, at which we ate some not so good food (and too much, considering how much we have been taking in).


The interesting thing to me was the contrast in how I slept and felt after eating vs. how I slept and felt the next day after juicing. When I was juicing only, I always felt energetic and alert. I fell asleep quickly and slept more deeply than I have in years. I normally require 8 hours of sleep to feel great. During the week of juicing I got 6-6.5 hours each night and felt wonderful. It wasn't that I set my alarm and only allowed myself that amount of sleep. I still went to bed expecting to get 8 hours, but I would wake up after about 6 hours, feeling fully rested, wide awake and energetic. I am still absolutely impressed with the incredible amount of energy I have when juicing.

I start every morning with a pint jar of fresh citrus juice. Citrus is full of natural sugar so it is instant energy. I never need caffeine or sugar. It's worth noting that since starting my 7-days of juicing I haven't craved sugar AT ALL! It is amazing how the body does not crave sugar when it gets plenty of natural sugars (fruit) and intense nutrition satisfying what our bodies really need.


Even though you may be eating a lot, if you are not getting the nutrition that your body needs, you are actually creating a malnutrition situation. We tend to think of malnutrition in the context of people who don't get enough food and are dying of starvation. The truth is, you can actually be overweight and suffering from malnutrition. The definition of malnutrition is: "Lack of proper nutrition; inadequate or unbalanced nutrition". Your body has certain nutritional requirements in order to function properly. When those needs aren't met, your body starts craving. Without proper nutrition your body feels lethargic and tired and craves energy. In a nutshell, that's when you find yourself craving sugar for quick energy. If you notice that you crave food in general, and sugar specifically, when you haven't had enough sleep, that is what's happening. It isn't that you are extra hungry that day; it's that your body is craving energy and nutrition.

Back to the citrus juice. This time of year we have plenty of fresh citrus on the trees in Arizona, USA. In our yard we have oranges and tangelos. We have two trees of those little "cuties" you see ads for, enticing kids to eat them. They are really sweet and have great flavor. The only problem is that they have a lot of seeds. Because they are small and have lots of seeds, they are difficult to cut with this awesome Citrus Technique. They do make great juice however. I regularly juice them along with oranges and grapefruits (plenty of friends with extra grapefruits on their trees) so there is always a pitcher of fresh citrus juice in the fridge. Yes, mix all the juice together...equal parts grapefruit and orange. It makes the most fabulous fresh juice!

However, I like my citrus juice REALLY pulpy. So I will take a couple grapefruits and oranges (about 8 regular size oranges to 2 grapefruits), cut them up using the Citrus Technique  and then throw them in my Vita-mix on low speed. I fill my pint jars half way with this blended citrus and then fill them the rest of the way with regular citrus juice from the pitcher in the fridge. YUM! Super pulpy and filling. If you don't like all the pulp, then juice them regularly and fill your jars.


I have learned that when I go to bed with an empty stomach I sleep much better. If your body isn't spending all night trying to digest and process the food sitting in your stomach when you go to bed, it can relax and regenerate. It definitely makes for a more restful night of sleep.


So, what about weight loss this week? I did lose 2.5 lbs this week. I'm pretty happy to have lost anything considering all the events around food this week. I'm going to juice again for a few days. And definitely lay low this weekend (read:stay away from events which revolve around food!) I have 29 lbs to go and exactly 10 weeks to lose it to meet my goal by my birthday, June 7th. I'm on a roll!


I read this on the internet the other day: "They say you are what you eat. I don't remember eating a sexy beast this morning!" That's where we're headed friends! Find a reason. Make a commitment. Join in! Unleash your sexy beast!!






What is your health goal?

Juicy Gossip: 2COP Juice

It's day five of our seven day juice diet. I feel great. I am sleeping better. My body feels lighter, more energetic. But you don't have to do a 100% juice diet to reap the benefit of juicing. Even juicing once a day will improve your health and how you feel. The intense concentration of vitamins you get from juicing is like pouring energy straight into your veins. For that reason, I like to juice for breakfast. It helps me start my day with a clear mind and high energy. However, if you prefer to juice for dinner you will be getting all the nutrition you need without filling your stomach full of food that may sit heavy all night long.

A friend  of ours received a juicer as a wedding gift. It had been sitting in the attic for over a year. He was interested in juicing, but didn't know where to start. I invited him over and we made four or five juices so he could taste the difference and ask any questions he had about the equipment or the fruits and veggies. He went home and decided that he would juice for breakfast each morning. Other than that, he has changed nothing about his daily activity or diet. (I've known him since 1983 and rarely a day goes by that he doesn't have his BBQ or steak; a true carnivore.) He has now been juicing a little over 3 months. He just told me that he has lost 15 pounds. And he wasn't even trying! He feels healthier and more energetic as well.

Some of you have asked for specific juice recipes to try. I have lots, and I'm trying new combinations all the time. I will share one or two every couple of days. If you want something specific and I haven't posted it yet, let me know.

There are sweet juices and savory juices. Sweet juice does not mean it only has fruit in it. Certain veggies when combined with fruit will give you the nutrition of the veggie and the sweetness of the fruit.

I typically like to start my day with a sweet juice. Fruits are natural carbohydrates. Your body uses carbs for energy. I want to start my day with energy. Drinking a juice with fruit is like pouring energy straight into my bloodstream.

Side note on carbs...carbs themselves are not bad for you. Our bodies require carbohydrates for energy. What is bad for us is processed carbs. If it has white flour in it is processed. If you look at the ingredients of most wheat breads on the shelf they will have enriched, processed white flour in them. If you want the "staff of life" carbohydrates, you should look for 100% whole grain. If it says "enriched", "refined", "bleached", "unbleached" it is processed. In fact, "enriched" means that they have added vitamins back into the flour that were stripped away in the refining process. Crazy, isn't it? If we stick with the whole grain before refining, we get all the natural nutrition and carbs that the body can process well. Unfortunately, even white rice has been processed.

The bottom line is, when you get your carbs from fruit and whole grains your body can process it into energy and it doesn't sit and turn into fat. So don't be afraid of carbs, be afraid of PROCESSED CARBS!!

Anyway, that's why I like to start my day with sweet juices and end it with savory juices. One of my favorites is Mickey Mouse Juice. Click to see why I call it Mickey Mouse. Perfect example of getting veggies in with my fruit, but the juice is sweet and perfect for morning.

Another favorite is this 2COP juice. The name reminds me what ingredients I need...2 C's an O and a P.

2COP Juice

3 Carrots

1 Cucumber

1 Orange

1 Pear

This juice is has a good variety of vitamins while the fruit is the dominant flavor, making it another great morning drink. 

How frequently do you juice? Is there a fruit that you haven't been able to work into a juice yet?