{What Will Ate} Apple, Pear, Carrot + Orange Juice

I was hopeful that our house would make it through the Winter months without getting sick, but near the middle of February, Will was a sniffly mess and Mark and I followed closely behind him. Thankfully, he bounced back quickly and with a lot of good rest and TLC, he was back to himself in no time.

I have never given Will juice because of the added sugars and general junk that is always added in. He drinks milk with his meals and water throughout the day and that is it. When he was sick, I wanted to make sure that he was taking in extra fluids and staying hydrated. I pulled out my juicer and came up with this tasty concoction. He loved sipping on this during his sick days at home and I felt good knowing that he was getting all of the good nutrients. 

If you have a juicer, try this combo! It's bright and refreshing and especially tasty in the morning.

Apple, Pear, Carrot + Orange Juice

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into quarters

1 large D'anjou pear, cored and cut into quarters

2 large carrots, peeled

1 large orange, peeled

Juice ingredients according to juicer manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Skinny Limits: Juice Cleanse Review

Guess what? I completed a three day juice cleanse compliments of the friendly people at Skinny Limits of Austin, Texas...and the verdict is...well...you will just have to keep reading to find out.

At first, my plan was to write daily posts while I was on the cleanse but halfway through the first day, I decided it would be better to consolidate my thoughts in one place. If you asked me how I liked the cleanse at the end of the first day, I would have told you I hated it, and that I never wanted to another one again, but by the end of the third day, I can honestly say that my attitude took a 180 degree turn.

A juice cleanse is something that I have always had the desire to do, but have never bit the bullet to make it happen. When the friendly people at Skinny Limits contacted me to see if I would like to try one of their 3 day cleanses, I was all over it. I own a juicer, but because of the prep and cleanup, I don't take it out as much as I would like. After a three day cleanse, that is definitely going to change!

Some benefits of a juice cleanse include:

- increased energy
- reduced inflammation in your skin and other parts of your body
- reduced bloating
- an overall "reset" button on your body
- flushing out toxins

I chose the Standard Juice Cleanse, which included four varieties of juice to drink throughout the day. After reading some reviews from other bloggers, I wish I had chosen the Variety Cleanse- the Lotus beet juice has my name all over it! Each bottle was labeled and numbered, so that I knew which order to drink the juices in. The Standard Juice Cleanse includes the following tasty juices:

Pure & Simple- Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Celery, Lemon
Balance- Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Ginger
Scorpion Lemonade- Lemons, Agave Nectar, Cayenne and Filtered Water
Crescent Moon- Raw cashews, Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, Agave Nectar, Filtered Water

These juices were all full of fresh flavor and I honestly enjoyed drinking them. I have had a few other raw juices before and Skinny Limits juices are by far some of the best tasting. The Pure & Simple was so fresh tasting and has tons of flavor. I was surprised at how much I loved the scorpion lemonade and am looking forward to juicing my own similar blend at home. And the Crescent Moon...well that was like a milkshake at the end of the day. So, so good. I kept some personal notes each day, so that I could track how I was feeling and thoughts that I had over the three day experience.

DAY 1-
My juice arrived via overnight Fedex at 9:30 on Wednesday morning. I literally paced around after Will went down for a nap waiting anxiously for my box of juices. I was instructed to start my cleanse no later than the following day to preserve freshness of the juice. As soon as I opened the box, I popped open my first bottle. The thought of only drinking seemed like such an abstract thing for me to do. I love my time in the kitchen and I enjoy preparing meals for my family so thinking about skipping that part of my day and just opening a bottle of juice was a strange feeling for me. I skipped coffee that morning and drank a cup of Earl Grey instead. At lunchtime, I ate about 1/4 of an avocado because I felt like I needed something. The rest of the day was pretty good and although I didn't feel hungry, the thought of two more days of just juice were somewhat annoying to me.

DAY 2-
I actually felt awesome waking up on day 2. I opened up my first juice of the day almost immediately after waking up and guzzled it down. It tasted great, and I was ready to take on my day. In hindsight, I wish that I would have weaned off of my morning coffee but since I didn't, I had one cup with a little half and half after my first juice. The real test would be an Easter brunch that Will and I had with our playgroup that morning. I downed my second juice of the day on our way to the party and I was feeling good. There was a kitchen island full of delicious food and I didn't touch a thing! I shared a little bit of avocado at lunchtime with Will and had a couple of slices of deli roasted turkey breast for some protein. I was hungry at night and roasted a little bit of cauliflower to eat before I drank my last juice of the day. 

DAY 3-
I felt even better waking up on Day 3 and skipped my morning coffee and didn't even switch it with tea. Drinking juice felt like a normal thing to do and while I was excited that it was my last day of the cleanse, my body was craving a giant salad or a bowl of roasted vegetables- it wasn't craving junk. Day 3 was by far the best because I just felt so good.

When I woke up on Saturday morning and my cleanse was over, I felt super light and healthy. I found that my body was craving clean and healthy foods and I truly felt like a "reset" button had been pushed on my body. I was actually craving juice to start my day off!

A few things that I learned.
I am a VERY habitual eater. It's part of my routine and as a person that thrives on a daily routine, it was hard for me to skip that part of my day. With that being said, I also learned that I'm probably not always hungry for a 3pm snack of apple and almond butter, but because it has become a daily thing, I feel like I need it. I'm learning to listen to my body more. I wasn't necessarily hungry while on the cleanse, I just didn't feel satisfied. I'm not a person that can eat the same thing two days in a row, let alone meals in a row, so the lack in variety was hard for me. And I missed cooking!  I also reaffirmed that healthy eating habits take your food cravings in a healthier direction. I was putting all of those good nutrients into my system and when I thought about the foods I would eat when I was done, my focus was on anything fresh and healthy.

Would I do a juice cleanse again? 
Absolutely! I am a healthy eater but I am also human and like to splurge every now and again. If we go out of town, or if it's the week after a holiday, and I feel the need to clean up my eating again and get back on track, I think this is a great way to do it. It's a little pricey, but well worth it, especially if you don't own a juicer. I also believe that a juice cleanse is a great way to keep your body and your cravings in check.

How to Order?
Skinny Limits is based in Austin, Texas and they ship nationwide. You can place your order online. A 3-day juice cleanse will cost you $147, which is on par with many of the other cleanses available. 

If you are interested in learning more about juicing, the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a good one to watch. 

Thank you, Dave, and the rest of the Skinny Limits team, for the tasty juices and for providing me with a great overall experience!

Health + Fitness Friday: Adventures in Juicing

I've officially jumped on the juicing train and I am in liquid love. A juicer arrived on our doorstep in the form of a birthday present a couple of weeks ago- such a sweet husband! After months of watching food documentaries, reading articles and drooling over the juice recipes that cross my path as I browse Pinterest, I finally have my own juice bar open for business in our kitchen. This is also after the very same months in which I had to educate Mark Moore and convince him that a juicer is a much different species than a blender. Case closed.

Making healthy juices in my own kitchen is so much fun. I can't wait to experiment with different flavor combinations and really take advantage of produce that's in season. My friend Danica gave me some good advice and said that as often as you can, make your juices GREEN. I think this is great to remember because as tasty as fruit juices can be, they are also very high in sugar and should be enjoyed in moderation. The greener your juice, the better! I don't think that juicing can solve all of your problems and I certainly don't tout it to be a health miracle worker, but I do think that in addition to an already healthy diet and active lifestyle. 

I have mixed up the following delicious combinations so far:

apple, carrot + kale

pine apple + mango + orange + cucumber

grapefruit + ginger

The apple, carrot and kale combination is SO GOOD. Mark actually really liked it, too! I've been drinking a small glass of grapefruit ginger in the mornings this week and it's so refreshing! With a baby still cooking for another 9 weeks or so, I won't be doing a juice cleanse anytime soon, but that is definitely on the horizon! One thing I am struggling with is what to do with all of the pulp! We plan on using some of it for compost for our yard, but I have heard there are various sites that actually have recipes for juicer pulp. I'm a little skeptical but I also am not one to turn down a culinary challenge! 

I have the Breville Juice Fountain Multi- Speed Juicer and so far, I am loving it. Breville appliances are some of my favorites so it's no surprise that this juicer is good quality. Since juicing can be a bit messy, all of the pieces to this juicer are dishwasher safe making for an easier cleanup! Two weeks into this relationship, I would definitely recommend this juicer if you have the space.

I'll be sure to keep you all posted as I embark on more juicing adventures and mixing up some crazy combos. 

It's all about juicing over here today but pop over to A Daily Dose of Davis to see what is on everyone else's Health + Fitness Friday mind this week. 

Enjoy the weekend, friends!