Category Archives: Stay Fit

Gluten-Free / Juice Cleanse / Stay Fit / Stay Healthy / Vegetarian

January: A 3-Day Juice Cleanse

January 10, 2012

Normally, a juice cleanse is something I would never, ever do. First of all, I hate being hungry. Second, I love me anything gluten-based. And third, I don’t really believe in “detoxing.” So why, why in the world would I choose to go on a juice cleanse? Well, I don’t know. Ok, I do know. Despite my general feelings toward cleanses, I’ve always been somewhat curious about them. A morbid curiosity I suppose you’d call it. And, well, we got a juicer as a wedding gift (which I quickly became obsessed with after we first experimented with juicing apples and carrots in it). Also, after 2 weeks of non-stop eating following our wedding, I felt as though my system needed a little jolt to get back to reality.

I’d looked into some cleanses previously, and had found the Blue Print Cleanse which I thought looked fairly doable and not crazy like The Master Cleanse (I’m sorry, but you’re drinking nothing but water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for days? The have a name for that, it’s called starvation). A friend of mine sent me the link to a mock Blue Print-style Cleanse (here) you could do at home with a juicer, and I decided to try it out.

Today is day 1 of the cleanse, and here are my thoughts so far (just for the preparation. I’ll talk about being on the actual cleanse later):

I did all the juicing for the 3 day cleanse last night. I wasn’t sure whether I’d go a day at a time when I started juicing, but it makes more sense to get it all done at once. All in all, it took about 2 hours to juice everything. Had I really taken notice of the amount of effort it would take to juice everything, I would not have started juicing at 10pm like I did last night.
It’s messy, and the recipes on the website are not exact (the green apple juice and parsnip pear juices made wayyyy more than they said they would).
If I were doing this again (which I sort of doubt I will), I would cut out the parsnip juice and make more of the green juice I think, because I still have plenty of green veggies left unjuiced to probably cover 3 days (this would help cut down on cost). I’d also do the juicing outside somewhere if I could. It would be way easier to clean up, especially if you could just dump everything into a nearby compost pile (seriously).
The total cost was probably around $70-$80. It seems expensive, but broken up over 3 days it’s not so bad, and it’s wayyy cheaper than ordering the juice online ($75/day — yes, per DAY).

Anyhoo, for those interested, here’s the breakdown of the cleanse. It’s 3 days, and you drink 6 16oz juices each day in the order listed. The juices are listed below with their recipes linked. Unless specified otherwise, all information is from this site.

Green Apple Juice: surprisingly tasty, despite it’s smell. The recipe (as I made it) produced way more juice than it claimed it would, so I would sub this juice for the parsnip juice in a later cleanse (ha ha, as though I’ll be cleansing again. Let’s not hold our breath, people.) Also note, the parsnip juice isn’t used in the traditional Blue Print Cleanse, the BPC uses a second helping of the green juice in its place so this would make the cleanse more authentic as well.
Pineapple Apple Mint: definitely drinkable, but a little sweet for my taste. I should have considered the fact that I actually don’t like juice that much before starting this cleanse…
Spicy Lemonade: Basically this is what you drink on The Master Cleanse. I don’t think it has much nutritional value, given the ingredients. Also, I bought new cayenne before I made this and the lemonade basically burned my face off. Awesome. Don’t know that I’ll be drinking/finishing these all 3 days.
Carrot Apple Beet Ginger Lemon: You can definitely smell and taste the beets in this. I may have also overdone it on the ginger in this one (I didn’t really measure it out, I kind of just cut off a chunk and juiced it. Result: super gingery and spicy. Not so fun after having cayenne pepper basically poured all over my face.) Oh yeah, also it’s so red it makes you look like you’re drinking blood. So if you’re a Twilight fan or something, great. If not, shut your office door and hope that no one sees you (me).
Parsnip Pears and Celery: Haven’t tried this one yet; but again, it made way more juice than the recipe said it would. As a result, I’ve got 2 large parsnips and about 6 pears just chillin’ at home. This would be great except KC hates pears (I kind of doubt he even knows what a parsnip is), and I think I’m going to be in no mood to down 6 pears come Friday when I’m off this juicy fruit-fest.
Cashew Nut Milk: This is pretty much the only reason I actually agreed (with myself… Just go with it, ok?) to go on this cleanse. The cashew nut milk adds protein and fat, so you’re not just battering your body with nothing but fruits and veggies (which, don’t get me wrong, is healthy — but you need some balance). Haven’t tried this yet, so I’ll have to let you know how it is later.

Fun facts:

I didn’t do the ease in suggested online. I doubt I’ll do the ease out. We’ll see if I die as a result. Also, I didn’t give up coffee, because, y’know, let’s not get too crazy.

You’re apparently supposed to drink 16 oz of water with each juice, meaning you’d be drinking 32 oz of fluids every two hours. Um, maybe it’s just me, but that doesn’t seem physically possible for my bladder right now.

Did you know that if you drink straight beet juice it can paralyze your vocal chords? Yeah, “what the F…” was my reaction too.

KC has started referring to my cleanse as the “V8 Mega Splash.” Makes it more fun-sounding, I think.

Currently: kind of hungry, and my tongue feels like I’ve been licking a lemon. 2.5 days to go.

Stay Fit

A Random Fitness Post

July 9, 2010

I just read this article and thought it was really interesting and useful, so I figured I’d share it with y’all. Read it to find out more about common workout misconceptions.

Remember: workout smart and you’ll see results!

Stay Fit

Working On Your Fitness

June 23, 2010

Working out regularly is not easy. Everybody’s busy, you’ve got a million things you “should be” doing, and probably a million other things you’d rather be doing than spending time at the gym. But no one ever said the road to flat abs, toned arms and great legs was going to be a walk in the park.

If you already eat healthy, good for you, that’s half the battle. But, the other half of feeling and being healthy is… you guessed it, exercising.

Here are some tips to help you get started if you’re not currently on an exercise regimen, or stay motivated if you’re already on the fitness train:

Make a commitment to yourself: You should want to look and feel healthy first and foremost for YOURSELF. Make a workout plan that fits your life and schedule, and commit to it. Draw up a contract and sign it if you want. Post it in plain view and tell other people about your commitment (studies have shown that you’ll be less likely to back out if other people know about it).
Set realistic goals: Make a timeline for yourself if necessary. Though saying you’re going to lose 30 pounds by the end of the week is certainly tenacious, it’s not exactly realistic. Set goals that have more to do with your commitment as a whole, and less with physical results. If you set goals like “I’m going to do 30 minutes of cardio instead of 20 this week” or “I’m going to work on my pushups until I can do 25 straight on my toes”, you’ll see the results. These types of goals help keep you motivated without making you focus on how you haven’t achieved Jennifer Aniston-type legs in a mere 6 weeks.
Put it on your calendar: Treat working out like anything else that’s important in your life. If you had a lunch date or a doctor’s appointment you’d probably put it on your calendar, right? Well, you need to schedule your workouts the same way. Working out is just as important as most of your other commitments, so treat it that way. Schedule it, tell people about it, stick to it.
Invest in your health: If you spend $200 on a pair of jeans, you’d be motivated to wear them, right? Well, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on your workout, BUT, it’s a really good motivator to invest in your health. If you’re anything like me, you live on a budget; but when you find something you really want, you find a way to get it. So, if you can pony up the cash for the premium cable package and that fancy cell phone plan, you can find a way to budget for exercise. Find something you like, whether it’s a fancy gym, a pilates class, or private sessions with that cute trainer, and invest in it. If you’re shelling out the cash and like what you’re buying, you’re more likely to stick with it.
Enlist a friend: This one’s easy. If you have a friend (or friends) involved, you’ll be less likely to flake out on your workout. Plus, you can work in small rewards like a coffee date after a Saturday morning workout or a new yoga top when you’ve both completed 2 months of classes.
Ignore the scale: I cannot say this enough: your weight matters a little, IT DOESN’T MATTER A LOT. I don’t own a scale. In fact, I’m weighed only once a year sometimes when I go to the doctor. Being healthy and seeing results comes in the form of a smaller waist size, seeing that your clothes fit differently, and feeling better and more energized throughout the day. Much of the time, these results also take the form of lower numbers on the scale, but don’t get hung up on the fact that you’ve been working out and the number isn’t changing as quickly as you think it should. Focus on how you feel, not what you weigh.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are washboard abs: This is important: results take time. It can take weeks, months, even years to see the changes you’re looking for. What will come earlier is a change in how you feel physically — stronger and healthier. Also, there may be changes happening you’re not aware of — lower blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat… the list goes on.
Eat to workout, don’t workout to eat: Think of the food you eat as nourishing your body so you can exercise and be healthy. Don’t think of exercise as an excuse to chow down on burgers and pizza nightly. Think of it this way: you prepare yourself on the outside to exercise — workout pants, a supportive top, and comfortable shoes, not a turtleneck, slacks, and pumps; so you should prepare yourself on the inside the same way — fruits, veggies, lean protein and dairy, not high-fat carbs and processed sugars.
Reward yourself: It’s important when you make a commitment and work hard to reward your efforts occasionally. If you’re staying on the straight and narrow the majority of the time, know that it’s ok to give yourself a night off or a night out. I like to stay motivated by indulging in high-end workout wear (hello lover). I said 6 months of Bar Method at 4 times a week and I could buy the insanely overpriced pants I’d been drooling over. Sounds silly, but it keeps me motivated on those days when I’d rather just head home at 6:30pm, rather than throwing on the spandex for an hour of pain and shaky muscles.

Ok, time to head off to bed. If you’ve got any tips you’d like to share on how you stay motivated in your workout routine, we’d love to hear them!

Stay Fit / Stay Healthy

Go for 30, err… Go for 17: Staying Fit and Healthy on a Busy Schedule

June 13, 2010

So I have dropped the ball on the blog for June. Yes, I was a tad overwhelmed by my newfound employment (and our trip to New York), so I didn’t have a challenge for y’all to follow — sorry! Well, I’m back from New York and I’ve been working for a week now, so I feel like I should get back to things and challenge myself once again.

All too often I hear people talk about how it’s so difficult to stay healthy and fit while working full time and having a life on top of that. Now that I’m finally a part of the working world, I can definitely relate to this struggle. It’s really hard to work 40+ hours, while taking care of everything and everyone in your life, and find time for yourself to relax, much less get in a workout or a decent meal on top of that.

Over the next 3ish weeks, I’ll be posting about my own challenge to stay fit and healthy with a full-time job. I’ll also try to integrate some tips which help me stay on track.

If there’s anything in particular you’d like to know about my own health/fitness challenges, please feel free to email me or post a comment. I’d be happy to share!

I hope you all will follow along, and maybe even post a comment or two about how you make time to stay fit and healthy amidst your busy schedule — we’d love to hear it!