Juicing in July

I must say, that the thought of juicing for a week seemed like a task much too big for me to achieve. I really love to cook, create, taste and eat food. I am a plant-strong whole foodie. And while I have been diligent in my vegan pursuit, I have come to realize two things:

1. I still have a relationship with food and portion control is the hardest thing for me to do. I had expected my excess weight to roll off like wax on a burning candle. Not the case for this post-menopausal lady. Nope.

2. I was moving less than I thought...and that has been the key.

I had purchased an inexpensive heart monitor that also measured caloric burn. It appealed to me because you didn't need to wear a chest strap. The down side, it really didn't register well for me. I would finish a six mile work out and the watch's face would read that I had burned 100 calories. Are you kidding me?

So, I stepped it up a notch. I splurged and got a swanky and fancy Polar heart rate monitor that wanted to know my age, my sex, my weight, height, etc. The only thing it didn't ask for was a nick-name. Not happy about the chest strap, though, because it makes me feel as though I am wearing two bras.

The reality of this tool is that I move far less than I thought. Even with a six mile workout, at the end of the day, my watch would tell me that I burned 1800 calories. Not the one million I had thought in my magical mind field.

My solution? Aside to move more, I decided to juice for one week. And quite honestly, I feel AMAZING. Just great. In one week, I have lost five pounds. The weight has slithered off. Raw. Juice. Smoothie. POWER. I have decided that I am going to juice for a week, once a month.

Here's one juice I love, and I hope you will, too. If you like to pucker, this will make you one happy camper.

Super Juice

2 organic grapefruits, peeled and cut up into pieces.
3 organic lemons, peeled and cut up into pieces.
Piece of ginger, about the size of a small thumb
1 teaspoon of date sugar
2 cups of spring water

You can use a juicer, but I like the fiber and bulk, so I through into "Vita" and let her do all the work. You will get a thick and creamy smoothie that tastes yummy. For variety, I also add spinach (two cups). Makes it very rich in iron.

Do you like to juice? Have a recipe you'd like to share?

Enjoy each day. As my Mom used to say, "Reach for the Stars!" Keep moving!!