Easy & Affordable Green Juice

I fell off the juicing wagon for awhile. I think this was the first time in over four years that my juicer sat in a corner of the kitchen, unused for over six weeks.  And for some reason, I felt compelled to pry myself out of bed at 6 am on a Sunday and rush to the market to find some veggies for juicing. Now that's dedication.

This morning I was thinking about the struggles I hear from folks around juicing. Most of the time, challenges are associated with time and money so today I wanted to create a simple and easy green juice with only 3 ingredients (but packed full of nutrients!) and was affordable.

Here's how this juice breaks down in terms of cost:

• 1 small bunch (about 8 stalks) organic celery: $2.68
• 2 large organic kale leaves: $.99 ($2.98 for the bunch)
• 1 organic lemon: $.99

This comes to a total of $4.66 for a 16-oz juice which isn't that bad considering you are essentially getting two 8-oz juices for $2.33 each. I bought my produce at the market closest to me out of convenience, but I know that the co-op a few miles from my house has celery that is about $.50/lb cheaper than what I bought and Whole Foods often has deals on kale for 2 for $4 and sometimes 2 for $3. With this calculation, this could actually bring the price down to $2 (or less) per 8-oz of juice. That's more affordable than a morning latte!

A typical juice bar here in Seattle can run you around $6 for an 8-oz juice and around $10 for a 16-oz juice. Yikes. Juicing at home is much more affordable option over time, especially if you pick the right juicer. (If you're just getting started with juicing, see my guide for Picking The Right Juicer For You.)

So now that we've solved those dilemas, let's drink some juice!

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Pico De Gallo Juice

Can I share something strange with you? I am obsessed with cilantro. No, really. Obsessed. It's always interesting to me when I hear about people who don't like the taste of cilantro because I absolutely crave it. 

This strange phenomenon goes back awhile too. In fact, in my high school marketing class we were in charge of coming up with our own unique recipe and brand for salsa. Can you guess what mine was called? Cilantro Sensation. Hey, I still stand behind my product. :)

This week in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, I got inspired and wanted to see if I could turn the fresh flavors of pico de gallo into a juice. Mission accomplished! And, it's pretty dang good if I say so myself...

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Sweet Broccoli Juice

Do you end up with a pile of broccoli stalks in your kitchen? I eat a lot of broccoli so I always manage to have a growing pile of broccoli stalks in my fridge. For years I made the mistake of composting them. Of course, that was until I realized how absolutely delicious they are. If you're not eating your broccoli stalks, let me tell you right now that you are missing out.

Once you peel the outer skin of the broccoli stalk away, the inside is crisp and sweet and they make a wonderful snack by themselves. I also love using shredded broccoli stalks raw in salads and slaws or sauteing them in a quick stir-fry. 

This week I've been experimenting with adding them to juices and I am loving this spicy and sweet combo with apple, mint, and ginger. If you are one of those people who dislike the taste of broccoli, let me just warn you now that this probably isn't for you. However, if you are a broccoli fan and are looking for a new way to  use up the stalks, this is one tasty treat!

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9 Green Drinks for St. Patrick's Day!

I know that St. Patrick's Day isn't typically associated with green smoothies and juices, but I think maybe it's time we changed the tradition. If you are one of those people heading out to a weekend celebration with corned beef, Irish bread, cabbage, potatoes, or beer, I hope that you'll down one of these green drinks before embarking on the festivities. I promise your body will thank you later!

1. Mojito Juice
A juice packed with fresh enzymes that resembles a fancy cocktail? I'm in! This combination of cucumber, celery, mint, kale, and lemon will leave your tastebuds begging for more!

2. Green Smoothie 101
Green smoothie newbie? Perfect, you've come to the right place! This video tutorial will get you blending up smoothies correctly so your drink ends up healthy and enjoyable!

3. Green Lemonade
This fresh juice combo resembles my favorite childhood drink and is loaded with nutrients! The lemons help cut the "green" taste so this drink is perfect for those new to juicing.

4. Energizing Green Smoothie
If you are trying to replace your morning cup of joe with something healthier or just need a quick, filling breakfast on-the-go, this smoothie is your new best friend. It's perfect for boosting energy, detoxing, and helping you recover from a workout.

5. Bok Choy Green Juice
This juice is simple and refreshing. I love that it only contains two ingredients and makes me feel amazing anytime I drink it.

6. Kale Smoothie For Kids
No green smoothie round-up would be complete without this one! This smoothie is perfect for transforming "picky-eaters" -- adults included.

7. Kale Smoothie For Ladies
This green smoothie naturally boosts energy (without caffeine!), balances hormones, alleviates cramps, helps stabilize blood sugar, and tastes like chocolate. Enough said.

8. Kale Smoothie With Pear and Herbs
This smoothie is one of my favorites in fall when fresh pears are first available at the market, but I love its refreshing quality in spring. The herbs add a beautiful zest that makes me feel like winter is finally over!

9. Mean Green Juice
Don't be intimidated by its name - this juice is incredibly friendly! This post also has a great video to help you get started with the basics of juicing. Drink up!

I hope you enjoyed this green drink round-up! Have a healthy weekend!

Cheers,
Sonnet


Psst, if you enjoyed this, be sure to share it with your friends!

The Flu Buster Juice

I will always remember January as the month when I couldn't get out of bed for over a week straight. That dang flu bug took me down this year and I fell hard. I honestly haven't been that sick in over six years! 

Since I try to rely on natural remedies as opposed to drug store versions, I tried practically every home remedy I could get my hands on. The winners included gargling with salt water (to ease a sore throat), a hot bath with eucalyptus oil (to clear out the sinuses) and this Flu Buster Juice (to ease general symptoms/immune support). 

I won’t lie: this juice is intense. This juice is a powerful punch of lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper to top it off. It’s powerful enough that just two ounces will do the trick.  Bottoms up!

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Mean Green Juice [Video]

It's time for another green juice! In January, I became addicted to juicing and it's been exciting to connect with all of you on a similar juicing journey! I've gotten several emails from folks who were inspired by the juicing posts so this is something I will continue to keep up. (If you have recipes or photos to share, please share them with me over on the Facebook page or on Twitter.)

Today I have a special juicing video to share with you that includes a special (unplanned) guest appearance from my cat. And, for anyone that's curious, you'll also get to see my Hurom Slow Juicer at work. Let's get juicing!

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Mojito Juice

I've learned that I am a very indecisive person when it comes to buying produce.  It usually takes me three rounds in the produce section or at the farmers market before I feel ready to make some commitments.  And apparently, my indecisiveness is even worse when I'm buying produce online.

Picking out my SPUD juicing box each week has been the most excruciating process because I love them all!  Do I try something new?  Do I stick with an old favorite?  The options! In the end I went with my favorite Organic Dynamic Beauty Juicing Box for this week and I'm definitely glad I did because I discovered a brand new green juice combination that I adore.


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Carrot and Cilantro Juice

I am surrounded by germs at the moment. Between my office and home, almost everyone is sick. I felt a little under the weather for several days, but so far I've been able to ward it off.  I'm definitely convinced that my strengthened immunity is due to all the fresh juices I've been drinking!

For this week's SPUD juicing box I opted for the Organic Dynamic Beauty Juicing Box, which is a beautiful combination of apples, beets, carrots, celery, chard, cilantro, cucumber, ginger, kale, lemons, green bell peppers, and spearmint. This was the first box that I tried from SPUD and I love all the different flavor combinations you can make with these juices. 

This week I've been playing around with lots of carrot-based juices. If you are new to juicing, I definitely recommend starting with a carrot-based juice because it will be incredibly sweet, even without the addition of fruit! Some of my favorite combinations from this week's produce box include: 

• 5 carrots, 3 kale leaves, and 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 3 carrots, 2 beets, 1/4 apple, and 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 3 chard leaves, and small handful of mint
• 3 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, and small handful of mint

And, of course, this carrot cilantro juice.

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Picking The Right Juicer

(Image sources: Jack LaLanne's and Hurom Slow Juicer)

This month I have been focusing on adding more fresh juices into my routine and I have to say that I am loving all the feedback and excitement from our blog community! I’ve gotten so many comments, emails, and messages with your photos, recipes, and questions! Keep ‘em coming!

One of the things that I know everyone is curious about is picking the right juicer so I hope to explore this topic a bit more in-depth in this post. (Please know that I am only sharing my personal experience here and am not being paid to mention the brands I compare below.) I first began juicing in 2007 when I was working at a vegan and raw foods restaurant. I started my juicing journey using an industrial-sized centrifugal juicer. It was a beast! When it comes to juicers, there are two basic kinds: centrifugal juicers and masticating juicers.

The basics:

Centrifugal juicers are usually upright models with a rapidly spinning blade and mesh basket. The blade shreds the vegetables/fruits into pulp while the spinning motion pulls the juice through the mesh filter and out into the chute. 

Masticating juicers can be horizontal or vertical, but the newer versions tend to be vertical. Masticating juicers are all a little different, but they generally work by slowly crushing the vegetables/fruits and pushing the juice out through the screen.  

Cost: Centrifugal juicers are common because they tend to be more affordable (they generally range from $80 - $160).  On the other hand, masticating juicers are more expensive and generally start around $200.

Time: Centrifugal juicers are fast and efficient. If you are looking for a speedy juicer that juices efficiently, a centrifugal juicer is for you. Masticating juicers are much more time-consuming to produce juice and to clean. Since the juice is produced by crushing the fruits and vegetables, they must be chopped into smaller pieces and the juicer will take much longer to produce juice. 

Juice Quality and Quantity: The differences in cost and time are important, but perhaps the most important factor is the juice quality and quantity. That is the whole point of juicing, right?

One of the things to consider is that slow juicers produce better quality juice. Since the blade and basket in the centrifugal juicer rapidly spins, this adds a lot of oxygen to the juice, causing it to oxidize at a much-quicker rate. Hurom has a great picture that shows this oxidation (see below). If you are using a centrifugal juicer, you must drink the juice right away because it will immediately start losing nutrients. Since masticating juicers crush the fruits and vegetables, this helps to retain nutrients so you can make the juice in the morning and drink it later in the day.  

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Green Goddess Juice

If it wasn't for SPUD's Juicing at Home Program, there is a very good chance I would be sitting here eating a cupcake right now. We've finally got all of our boxes and furniture moved into our new place and things are getting a bit settled, but after hauling heavy boxes up and down stairs for three hours my body is craving less-than-healthy things. Luckily, instead of reaching for something sweet, I made a glass of this tasty green goodness. I think my cells are grateful.

If you read my post last week, you know that I'm testing out SPUD's new produce boxes specifically for juicing and they are absolutely fabulous! This week I ordered their Organic All Vegetable Juicing Box, which included beets, carrots, celery, chard, cilantro, cucumbers, kale, parsley, a red bell pepper, and tomatoes. 

With the moving craziness this week it was too hard to make it to the grocery store and having this produce box was a lifesaver! Being part of the juicing program has made it so easy for me to drink more fresh juice, even with my busy schedule the last couple of weeks. I can't say enough good things about SPUD as a company (especially their commitment to sustainability) and the incredible convenience of having local, organic produce delivered. (I mentioned this last week, but if you are curious about trying out SPUD's juicing program, now is the time because they have a couple of awesome juicing promotions going on this month!)

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Love Your Liver Juice & SPUD Juicing Program

I'm really excited to share something fun with you today.  I was recently contacted by SPUD (Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery) and asked if I would be willing to try out their new juicing produce boxes and share them with you. An excuse to juice more fresh, local produce? Of course I was up for the challenge!

I've seen SPUD's delivery trucks around Seattle, but didn't know too much about their company until recently. The more I learn about them, the more I love their mission. SPUD was founded in 1997 as a sustainable way to directly connect local farmers with customers. 100% of their produce is either certified organic or locally and sustainable produced and over 50% of their products are sourced locally.

One of the things I love most about SPUD is that it's incredibly convenient to order produce online and since the deliveries are consolidated into specific routes, one of their vans leaves with their warehouse with over 100 orders, reducing both pollution and traffic. Pretty cool, huh? SPUD currently serves 6 urban areas in North America: Seattle and the Eastern Puget Sound, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and Orange County, Vancouver, Victoria and Vancouver Island to Nanaimo, and Calgary (see their full delivery map here).

SPUD recently started a new Juicing at Home program and now offers Organic Juicing Boxes for people who are looking to boost their health by juicing and want a convenient way to save time and money. They have five different produce boxes to choose from and, if you need a juicer, you can even purchase one through their weekly payment program and start using it right away. (I love this idea!)

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Juicing 101 [Video]

If you are looking to change your health, juicing is one of the best things you can do for yourself. I will readily admit that I am a juicing addict and I'm super excited to get you juicing as well! In today's video I'll show you how to make a basic juice at home, but first, let's talk about some important benefits:

• Drinking fresh vegetable juice allows you to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables, which we all know are full of good things like vitamins, minerals, and (since you are consuming them raw) beneficial enzymes. Fresh juice is also loaded with antioxidants that bind to toxins and help remove them from the body.
• Fresh vegetable juice is very alkalizing, meaning that it helps to restore the body to its proper pH and  assist the body in detoxing. 
• Most of the foods in the Standard American Diet cause the body to be too acidic (e.g. animal products, sugar, fried foods, bread, alcohol, etc) and this acidity builds up over time causing inflammation and creating stress for our organs and tissues. 
• On the other hand, eating fresh, alkaline-forming foods like vegetables, vegetable juice, nuts, seeds, most legumes, water and some fruits, helps to strengthen the body and keep it healthy. 
• Since the juicer extracts the insoluable fiber from the fruits and veggies, fresh juice is very easy on the digestive track (making it perfect for anyone with digestive issues) and it makes the nutrients easy to absorb. Plus, since your digestive system doesn't have to expend as much energy to break down juice, your body can spend that energy on healing your cells. 

Drinking fresh vegetable juice is one of the best ways to increase your energy and detox your system! 

I know from personal experience that I feel more energized when I drink fresh juice on a regular basis. It's basically like a supercharged liquid vitamin for your cells! I have also found that drinking fresh vegetable juice helps to curb sugar cravings!


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Cranberry Rosemary Refresher

I have been told by numerous people that the life of a food blogger seems really glamorous. I think sometimes when we see a picture of a beautiful dish, we imagine the chef/photographer standing in their kitchen, leisurely making a delicious meal about to be served to their family, while casually stopping to snap a photograph or two. As a food blogger, I can tell you that this is rarely how it happens. At least, not in my house.

Instead, here's the scene: a rainy Saturday morning.  At home, alone, with two crazy cats. The best light in my house is in my living room, with giant windows that face a main road. There I am, still in my pajamas, standing on a stool above a table to get the best angle as people walk by and shoot me puzzled looks.

Randomly a rogue cranberry falls from the table, inspiring one of my cats to bat it around the living room with all his might. As I'm trying to balance on a stool, ignore the passerbys, and get a decent shot, I knock over the martini glass and spill cranberry juice across my living room.  By now both of my cats are engaged in a cranberry-chasing battle and all of this running has managed to make one of them lose his lunch. Clean-up on aisle five, please?

Nevertheless, I managed to get a decent photograph of an amazing drink that you need to try this holiday season. Whether you leisurely enjoy this at a beautiful dinner with your loved ones, or simply use it as a reward for cat clean-up duty, I promise that it will energize your taste buds while flooding your body with nutrients.

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Beet Detox Juice

If you live in the United States like me, yesterday was Thanksgiving; a time when most people eat their weight in stuffing and gravy. After all that heavy holiday food, I'm guessing that some of you might need a break. At the very least, maybe your digestive system does? I have just the thing: my favorite beet detox juice.

I'm a big fan of fresh vegetable juices and I always notice a huge difference in my body when I juice regularly.  (If you're new to juicing, check out my vegetable juice tutorial.)  I'm not one of those people who advocate extreme juice fasts, but I think there are a lot of benefits to adding juice to a healthy diet.  

This detox juice is one of my favorites because it's naturally sweet, even without adding fruits to the juice.  If I've had a big dinner the night before, I like to start my day with a glass of water and then drink this juice before my morning smoothie.  Beets are loaded with iron, antioxidants, and a cancer-fighting agent called betacyanin (the pigment that is responsible for its purple-red color), making this juice a powerful blood cleanser.  Drink up!

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Rainbow Carrot Immune Booster

Right now I've got a mega-cold, a cat with severe skin allergies, and a cat that's just plain crazy waiting for me at home.  Life is a bit complicated. 

Let's uncomplicate things a bit, shall we?  I think it's time for a fresh juice.  This one is an intense immune-booster.  This healing concoction involves rainbow carrots, garlic, and ginger for a powerful punch.  It's a cure for the common cold, vampires, and crazy cats.  Okay, maybe just the cold.

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Green Lemonade

I drink fresh vegetable juice almost daily, but I tend to filter the juices I show here. See, I have a feeling that if I posted a juice recipe that said "juice 1 giant bunch of kale and a peeled lemon" some of you might actually drink it.  And, if you aren't a hard-core juice fanatic, you'd take one sip of that and never come back here. 

But this green juice?  This one is actually doable.  Let's talk about it.
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Ginger Orange Carrot Juice

Sometimes, when I am really on top of things in my life, I monitor where web traffic comes from. Most people stumble here through Foodgawker, Pinterest, Finding Vegan, or Google searches. If you do any Google searches for kale smoothies, roasted beets, or kale chips, apparently I'm your gal.

And, as I learned the other day, if you search for "images of nasty looking but good food," you will find your way here as well.  Or more specifically, you will find your way to a very old post where I once made a rather gross-looking, but amazing split pea and yam soup (aka Sexy Ugly Stew) and told some jokes about how Mick Jagger is "sexy ugly." Oh how your internet past will haunt you.

Lucky for me I refuse to make sexy ugly food anymore. Just sexy food. Food that is beautiful and will make you feel beautiful from the inside out.  Hello ginger-carrot-orange goodness...
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Fresh Cantaloupe & Beet Juice

I hate to admit this, but I think I've fallen victim to bad reality television.

It all started about a month ago when I decided it was time to find out more about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Three different people mentioned it to me within the same week and I figured it was worth checking out.  So I downloaded ABC's media player and began searching for episodes.  But ads for The Bachelorette kept popping up.

I'd heard of The Bachelor before, but The Bachelorette?  This sounded worse... and yet, somehow interesting.  I thought it would be really funny to watch five minutes.  Then five minutes turned into an hour.  I should have gotten out then, but I figured I might as well finish the episode.

And if you watch one episode?  Well, you might as well watch another, right?  That's how they get you.  You've been warned, my friend.

So every Monday night, there I sit on my couch... watching Ashley Hebert in her quest to find her true love and secretly rooting for her to pick JP.

The only thing that redeemed me last night was this juice.  I usually don't put fruit in my juice, but I was in the mood for something sweet and this fit the bill perfectly.  If you think you hate beets, I would definitely encourage you to try this because the sweetness of the melon complements the beet perfectly and gets rid of that "earthy" taste that tends to go along with beets.  If you're really nervous about the beet flavor, you can also leave out the beet greens or use a more mild green like spinach.  And if you're new to juicing, check out Vegetable Juice 101 for some basics.


Fresh Cantaloupe and Beet Juice
Serves 2 (or 1 giant juice just for you!)

3 medium beets
1/2 cup beet greens
1/2 cucumber
1 lemon, peeled
2 large sprigs of basil or 1 sprig of mint
1/4 of a medium cantaloupe, rind removed
1/2 cup watermelon, rind removed

Run the ingredients through your juicer.  Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Vegetable Juice 101

There is a ton of information out there about the benefits of drinking fresh vegetable juice.  Not only does it give you added vitamins that are easier for your body to absorb, but it aids in digestion, increases your body's immunity, and adds more vegetables to your diet.  I know from personal experience that I feel more energized and healthy when I drink fresh juice on a regular basis.  It also helps curb sugar cravings!

Juicing is very easy once you understand the basics, but it can be a little intimidating for those just getting started.  Hopefully this tutorial will inspire you to start making fresh juice on your own!

#1: The Juicer
There are a lot of different models out there, but you don't have to spend a ton of money to get a decent juicer.  I purchased Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer in 2008 and it still works great.  This is a great beginner model --very easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to find available online or in stores.

You want to find a model that only has a few parts (thus, quick and easy to clean) and with a wide chute that will allow to you insert different kinds of fruits and vegetables.  I would also recommend investing in a model that has a splash guard in the front (mine does not).  This keeps the juice from splashing you as it squirts out, and if you plan on juicing red beets it is definitely worth the investment.

#2: What to Juice?
Now that you have the juicer, what do you want to juice?  Primarily fruit juice?  Mostly vegetable juice?  I highly recommend a combination juice of fruit and vegetables to get started.  As you get used to drinking fresh juice, then you can increase the vegetables and decease the fruit.  Once you start experimenting, you can discover tasty combinations of your own.  Here are some of my favorite fruits and veggies to juice: 
 

Celery 
Lettuce
Carrots
Cucumber
Fennel
Kale
Beets
Garlic
Ginger
Lemon
Oranges
Grapefruit
Apple
Pear

#3: Tips and Tricks
Always wash your fruits and vegetables before juicing and use organic produce whenever possible.  The fresher your produce is, the fresher your juice will taste and the more vitamins and nutrients you will get from it.


When juicing, make sure you don't overstuff the chute or veggies can get stuck.  Push items through slowly using the pusher.  Items with a bitter or thick peel should be peeled (e.g. lemon, oranges, limes, melons, etc), but thin and juicy peels are okay (e.g. apples).  When juicing leafy items like lettuce or kale, it will juice better when the leaves are tightly balled up and sandwiched between other fruits and vegetables.  I usually alternate kale or lettuce leaves with beets, lemon, carrots, or apple slices. 

 
#4: Drink Up!
Now you've succeeded in making a tasty, healthy juice for yourself!  Always drink juice immediately because it is at its peak when it is fresh.  The longer it sits, the more the vitamins begin to lose their potency.

However, you don't want to chug it!  It is best to swish the juice around in your mouth or "chew" it because this helps it mix with your saliva and aids in better digestion and absorption of the nutrients.  I know it sounds a little weird, but it makes a difference.

If you want to get some of the health benefits of fresh juice without committing to a juicer of your own, you can find a local juice bar in your area instead.  Just note that it is more cost-efficient to purchase your own juicer and produce if you plan to consume fresh juice on a regular basis.  



Basic Juice Recipe
Makes 12 ounces

3 stalks celery
1 lemon, peeled
1/2 apple, sliced
3 carrots
1/2 fennel bulb
4 kale leaves
1 small piece of ginger

Grapefruit & Carrot Juice

Right now I'm all about cleaning. I don't know what it is about spring, but it makes me want to clean everything and start fresh. I think it all started a couple of weeks ago when I began reading The Raw Detox Diet. It started out, simply enough, as a quest for information for a friend. Then I got hooked.

Why shouldn't I be detoxing too? I thought. That was when all the crazy juicing started. Juicing this, raw vegetables that, eating proper food combinations at every meal. I'm usually not a gal to follow a specific diet plan, but this one intrigues me. When I have more time in my life to devote to eating raw, I hope to be able to get into this more.

The one good message that I am following right now is about cleaning. Not just cleaning and detoxing my body, but detoxing my life. There are so many things I have been holding onto - literally as well as figuratively. What are you holding onto? I feel like there is so much stuff in my apartment that I could get rid of, but somehow it always ends up back in my closet. Well, not today.

What's interesting is that there have been many messages in my life lately about cleaning. When I took my intensive coaching course about a month ago, my teacher told us that when she has a client going through a transition, she tells them to clean their house. By cleaning up their space and getting rid of clutter, they are literally making room in their life for something new and prosperous to come. Wow, have I got some cleaning to do.

Lucky for me, this juice is super energizing and refreshing. My favorite combination is carrot and orange, but this is a fun, springy twist. Enjoy!


3-4 medium carrots
1 grapefruit
ginger (optional)

For a slight ginger taste, use ginger about half the size of your pinky; for a more intense ginger taste, use ginger about the size of your whole pinky. I know this is a weird measurement, but it works!