Why I Juice & My Favorite Juice Recipes!

About 2 years ago I came across a documentary on Netflix called Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. Despite the chilling and off putting (but honest) title, it is an incredibly inspiring film about a man who sets off to change his health by embarking on a 60 day juice fast. He starts out the film suffering from an autoimmune disease, overweight and on a number of medications. I won't spoil the end because I want you to see it, but you would be shocked by his results!

I was so inspired by him and his message that I have had at least one veggie juice almost every single day since I saw the film. People close to me have gotten used to my daily "green monster" drinks, but I am still asked all the time why I do it.

Below is a picture of a typical amount of veggies that go into my juices. Most people could not eat that amount in a sitting. But it can easily be sipped down in a juice! By drinking a veggie juice you get a much higher amount of nutrients and phytonutrients than you normally would by just simply consuming them because you are drinking them in higher quantities  When you drink a veggie juice you are essentially flooding your body with high amounts of vitamins, minerals and disease fighting nutrients.

I have heard arguments against veggie juices saying they are not good because you miss out on all the fiber from the fruits and vegetables. It's true, you do miss out on the fiber, which is why I recommend using juice as a supplement to your diet while still consuming veggies and whole fruits to get that fiber you need. I treat my daily veggie juice as my multi vitamin. What better source for your vitamins to come from than nature itself?! If you'd like to read a little more about juicing vs. blending here is a great article on it.

WHAT I PUT IN MY JUICES
I have a few staple veggies as my "base" that I always put in and then I throw in different combos of fruits and vegetables to make different tastes for different days!

My base is:

• Cucumber
• Celery
• Kale
• Parsley
• Cilantro

Then I will add any combo of these fruits and veggies:

• Lemon (good for detoxing)
• Beet (good for detoxing)
• Pineapple
• Apple
• Pear
• Carrot
• Bell Pepper
• Collard Greens
• Chard
• Broccoli
• Garlic (I add this to my juices when I feel like I am getting sick. It has incredible anti viral properties)
• Orange (I also add this to my juices when I feel like I am getting sick. Vitamin C boosts the immune system)

MY FAVORITE JUICE RECIPES:

#1

• Cucumber
• Celery
• Kale
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Apple
• lemon

#2

• Cucumber
• Celery
• Kale
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Beet
• Pineapple

#3

• Cucumber
• Celery
• Kale
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Carrot
• Red Bell Pepper

#4- Immune Booster

• Cucumber
• Celery
• Kale
• Parsley
• Orange
• Cilantro
• Garlic
• Carrot
• Beet

Since I started juicing my skin glows, my cravings for unhealthy food are almost non-existant and I have never felt better in my life!

ODWALLA/NAKED JUICES
Please don't be fooled by these "healthy alternatives". They are processed and heated at super high temperatures (otherwise known as pasteurization) which kills off all the beneficial vitamins and minerals. They have no true health benefits, you are better off making your own smoothies at home. They are also all fruit based, most don't contain vegetables at all and the amount of fruit in them shouldn't be consumed in one sitting without some sort of fiber to slow down all that sugar from hitting your bloodstream. They are nothing more than sugary, high empty calorie drinks.

If you are looking for a convenient on the go veggie juice I highly recommend Blueprint or Suja (both of which are carried in Whole Foods)

Here I am drinking my juice I got this morning at Whole Foods (Cucumber, Kale, Celery, Parsley, Cilantro & Apple)

Cheers to your health!

Courtney