The Juicing Chronicles

A couple months ago, I shared my desire to start juicing. Shortly after my initial post, I asked some friends on Facebook if anyone had a spare juicer that I would be able to borrow. Luckily, I have amazingly generous friends and I was able to get my hands on one (thanks Cindy!). I am so grateful she let me borrow hers so that I can see if I really should invest in one of my own.

As it turns out, I use the stinkin' juicer almost every single day! I've gotten into a habit of buying my fruits and vegetables from a local produce stand on Sundays and then juicing them throughout the week. I've begun substituting juice for breakfast rather than the sugary cereal I was eating at work, and I even made juice popsicles this past weekend. I'm a bonafide juicer!

I have noticed that I have a bit more energy when I start my day with juice, but more than that, I really like knowing what I'm drinking. There is something very freeing about consuming a meal that only contains 3 or 4 natural ingredients. It's completely guilt-free and totally rewarding. If you are interested in juicing yourself, here are some of my recommendations:

• If you are unable to borrow a juicer, start with smoothies. All you need is a blender and you're ready to go! 
• Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables to juice. It is packed full of nutrients, but not strong enough to be tasted in the juice (it's perfectly hidden). 
• If you are going to use kale, put it in a smoothie. I've found kale to be super dry and difficult to juice. Instead, I like to add it to smoothies so that I can still get it's benefits without tasting it. 
• Make sure you always include a fruit "sweetener". This is a fruit (i.e. carrots, apples, strawberries) that will sweeten up other tart fruits and vegetables (i.e. pears, kale, rhubarb). It helps to make sure nothing is too bitter or sour.
• Pure orange juice (with a little spinach) is AMAZING. 
• Start experimenting with different flavor combinations, you never know what you'll like best until you try it. 

Have you tried juicing fruits and vegetables? Do you have any recommendations or favorite recipes? 

Finding Balance

One thing that Robbie and I have been struggling with in our lives and relationship is balance. I'm sure you can tell from any one of my weekend posts (here or here, for example) that any free time we have fills up fast. We are finding ourselves busy almost every evening during the week and throughout the day on weekends. I'd like to think that it is all going to work itself out, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to be a bit more proactive than that.

We've talked about how we need to really prioritize our time and decide where we would like to dedicate our attention and focus. We've even given ourself homework and asked each other to identify what takes the most time and create goals around activities we would like to make more of a priority. Now it's time for the rubber to meet the road; no more talking, it's time for action! I've always said that we are doing good things and there is not really much I'd like to give up, but something is going to have to give.

So dear friends, I've asked before, but what do you do for balance? Andrew, you've said before that "life slows down when you make it slow down". How do you do that? Maybe I'm dense, but I'm not sure where or how to start. 

Surgery Day

Today our sweet dog, Zoey, is going into surgery. She has a condition called, Luxating Patella (or "floating kneecap"), and it needs to be corrected so that she can walk and run correctly. If we don't take care of it now, then her kneecap will eventually disintegrate and she won't be able to use her leg at all.

Robbie and I are feeling pretty good about the surgery itself, but are more concerned with recovery period. For the first two weeks, she will hardly be able to move; we have to limit her activity almost completely. The following two weeks, her activity can increase, but very slowly. She is a super active pup who loves to run, loves to play with other dogs, and loves to be involved in everything we do. After the four-week recovery is finished, she should be back to normal. Wish us luck!

Juicing

Do you know much about juicing? No, I am not talking about 'roids or growth hormones, I'm talking about turning fruits and vegetables into juice. My brother has been juicing almost everyday since December and he completely loves it. A friend at work raves about her recipes and swears I have to try it. I've never really thought much about it, so I want to learn more about the process before I invest in an actual juicer.

So, do you have any recommendations on where I should start? Any favorite recipes I should try first? Is there a "must have"juicer I need to know about? Any reasons why I should stay away from juicing?

Boot Camp

Just last week, my company began offering a weekly boot camp for employees. It is cost-free for participants and takes place during lunch. I expected the whole experience to be totally lame and extremely embarrassing, but I'm happy to say I was wrong. I mean, it was a little embarrassing running around our parking lot, trying to complete as many burpees as possible without looking completely foolish, but overall I really enjoyed myself.

This week was our second session and I was a LOT less motivated than last week. I pushed through my hesitation and I'm glad I did. I completed more push ups than I thought I would, I lasted through more crunches than I have in a while, and I was able to stretch a little further than I normally can. Even if it was just a little bit, I improved from last week. Heck, I'm even looking forward to feeling the "good" sore tomorrow.

Do you work out regularly? Do you have any tips for staying motivated?
(Photo: Shape)