Back To Work Tomorrow Morning.

Getting ready to make my juice for tomorrow. It is going to be a Mean Green Juice day. I am glad I have juice energized through the day. It is easy and nutritious. No it's not as convenient as a frozen dinner you could pop in the microwave, but that old type of food is what brought me to this point in the first place!

The difference in the nutrition value etc is not even on the same page! Fat, salt laden dead food vs live, vitamin, mineral, enzyme packed live foods. Less calories for the amount of quality nutritional fuel your body is getting out of it.

It also works well with my crazy work schedule at my job. Two morning shifts, followed by two swing shifts. Here is a picture of the ingredients as I am getting ready to make a batch of the Mean Green Juice. The photo is shaky, I took it on my cell phone and the lighting isn't the best in the kitchen.

What Was Old Is New

I have a winter jacket that I have not been able to wear for about three years now. When I came home from work for my lunch break tonight it was 32 degrees. A hoodie just wasn't doing the job...

I grabbed the jacket out of the closet and guess what? It fit with room to spare! Also, I relieved the staff in a different dorm for their dinner break. It is a female dorm. One of the young ladies noticed I had lost allot of weight and said I looked good, that made me feel good and totally made my day! Think about it, a cute blonde young lady in her 20's noticing me was proof that what I am doing is working.

I went to the gym after work again and did an absolute brutal lower body, legs and abs workout, followed by half an hour in the sauna. Life is good, I like the juice!

Woot, it is my Friday !!!

Today is my "Friday" it work! I always look forward to my days off... I didn't go to the gym last night because I didn't get off until 1:00 AM and then had to be back at 8:30 AM to take a 4 hour CPR recertification course. Now I have to be back to work my regular shift this evening. The CPR class was a good workout in and of itself too. I am going to the gym tonight at the end of my shift. It is the dreaded legs and abs night, ugghhh they really kick my butt...

I experimented the last couple of days with my juice. It was still the basic Mean Green Juice but I added a few different ingredients. Yesterday I added green onions from my coworkers garden and a seeded jalapeno pepper. Today it was the same but without the green onions, I didn't seed the jalapeno pepper and I added 3 cloves of garlic. They both are good, but I prefer yesterdays recipe more.

My daily intake of fruit and vegetable juice is now usually made up of the Mean Green Juice, except on days when I have more time to make a treat or something different. Here is what I am currently using each day produce wise:

1 large bunch of kale
4 Granny Smith apples
1 whole lemon
1 piece ginger, thumb sized
8 carrots
8 stalks celery
2 cucumbers
2 zucchini

There is allot of nutrition packed in all that produce, and it would be a hearty endeavor to consume all of that without juicing it! I also strive to drink about 1 gallon of water a day, especially when I work out in the gym.

Getting Back Ontrack...

The last few days I took some time off from the juice fast. I wasn't feeling really well and could tell my body was telling me to take a break, eat some solid food and to lay off the working out for a few days also.

I am back fasting and working out again. I drank my Mean Green Juice today and then this morning after work I went and did a kick butt upper body workout and then did a session in the sauna.

You could say I am fortunate, one of the perks of my job is a complete gymnasium that rivals a college gym. Weight rooms, basketball courts, swimming pool, handball courts and sauna in the staff locker room.

I recently tried mustard greens when there was no kale to be found at the market. I warn you, mustard greens are very strong and pungent. If you use them I recommend doing so sparingly. For me it was overpowering, and I couldn't drink all the juice I had made.

Support your local Farmers Market.

This time of year is perfect for getting out and supporting your local Farmers Market. These gatherings are a great source for fresh, locally grown and often organic fruits and vegetables.

I live North of Salt Lake City Utah where they have a fantastic Farmers Market. You will find these venues all around the country in large cities and small towns alike. Here is a link to the Salt Lake City Farmers Market:

http://www.slcfarmersmarket.org/

I wonder ???

I wonder if you can juice this bad boy?

Living Foods After The Fast

After your juice fast is over, you will be transitioning back to solid, whole foods. I highly recommend sprouts. These super live foods are inexpensive, easy to grow and absolutely packed with storehouses of nutrients!

Sprouts are widely recognized as being some of the most nutritious foods on the planet. And since sprouts are so easily digested and absorbed by your body, you can be confident that all those vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients are actually being absorbed, instead of passing through your body.
There are essentially three different categories of sprouts. Some are rich in vitamins and minerals. These are “greens.” Others have fewer vitamins and minerals but are filling and provide lots of protein. We call these the “high protein” sprouts. And lastly, there are those that have high fiber content and enzymes to help with digestion and assimilation. These are the “fiber/health” sprouts.

GREENS:

• Alfalfa - Vitamins A, B, C, E, K, and minerals. These vitamins are essential for healthy reproduction, vision, immune function, healthy bones, and regulating bodily functions.

• Radish - Potassium, Vitamin C. Potassium is essential for regulating healthy blood pressure, is involved in muscle contraction (movement), and nerve impulses (the brain telling the body what to do).

• Broccoli - Vitamins A, C, antioxidants, and minerals. These nutrients help regulate brain function, aid in absorption and use of Vitamin E, and are involved in collagen production (cell building and replacement—your body’s ability to heal).

PROTEIN/VITAMINS:

• Garbonzo - Protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. These beans are your go-to sprouts for emergency fresh food, fast. They even provide enough calories and nutrients for a few days of subsistence diet.

• Green Lentils - Vitamin C, Protein, Iron, and other minerals. Lentils are another incredibly healthy sprout, and essential to good muscle and cardiovascular health.

• Black Eyed Peas - Carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. These are another “meal in a handful” and provide essential calories and protein for a subsistence diet.

• Mung Bean - Protein, Iron, Potassium, and Vitamin C. This sprout is integral in muscle health and retention.

FIBER/HEALTH:

• Pea - Protein, vitamin C, and fiber.  Fiber helps the digestive system.  Protein and amino acids help the body grow, repair, and build new muscle.

• Wheat -:
•  Carbohydrates, protein, Vitamins B & E, and phosphorous. Phosphorous is a VITAL nutrient used in DNA synthesis—the building block of the body’s ability to grow, repair, and replace old cells.  Phosphorous is also needed in order for the body to use carbohydrates and regulate the pH of the blood.

• Fenugreek - Iron & Phosphorous. In this one sprout are nutrients to support DNA replication, repair, and production of blood cells.