If I can do it... You can!

I'm not a small woman... 5ft 10in, larger frame, definitely "big-boned."

Keeping my weight in-check has been a challenge since my "high school metabolism" slowed down.

I was a fierce athlete in high school and on into my early years of college. Always training, always exercising and always eating whatever I wanted! So when I packed my car and drove out West, I left my athletic obligations behind.

As you can imagine I slowly started to pack on the pounds. I was finally on my own, becoming financially independent and in the mind-set of indulgence!

Rich coffee drinks and flaky pastries... Burgers and fries... Chicken burritos with all the fixings... And of course beer!

Add that up and take into account my lack of activity and you have a pudgy, large boned woman pushing 200lbs.

Thank goodness for my body-conscious roommate at the time. She was able to rein me in, teaching me about good cooking habits and regular activity. Yet even with the added help, keeping my weight down was a challenge. At a minimum it took 2+ hours per day of running, lifting weights, swimming and/or yoga.

Once out of college, there was no way to maintain that lifestyle without sacrificing sleep... Of which I can not do without.

I yo-yo dieted, had my ups and downs of incorporating 45 min power workouts and cardio into my days. What I found was that my weight would maybe go down a bit but it never fully broke the plateau. I always bottomed out right around 190.

After having a child, it was especially hard to drop the pounds. I felt defeated and at a loss.

Until... My brother, Brian, introduced me to juicing. Now I am down 32 lbs from my post baby weight... I am weighing in at 178! I feel and look amazing (I feel confident enough that I can say that now)!

I'm turning heads again... And it feels damn good! So... If a woman like me can do it... SO CAN YOU!

Morning Juice - Wake up!

You are rolling out of bed, it's cold outside and all you want to do is pretend the baby isn't crying and that the dog could open the back door by herself.

Well... if your life is anything like mine, my alarm promptly reminds me that I am both a parent, a dog owner and a corporate woman.  That means that there is no sleeping in and there is no pressing snooze.  Time to wake up!

One of my favorite ingredients in my morning juice is grapefruit.  I thoroughly enjoy the bright smells and the not-too-sweet citrus flavor.  I can remember being a child and picking fresh grapefruits from my Gramma's backyard.  I would take the warm fruit and bring it right to my nose, taking in that aroma.  I would peel and eat it like an orange... juice running down my face and hands.

This fruit is a perfect wake-me-up ingredient and it's natural health benefits give you a boost right away in the morning.  Some include...

• High dose of vitamin C which helps to not only reduce inflammation but strengthen the immune system.
• Skin health through high levels of vitamin A.
• Weight loss through fat burning enzymes, apatite suppressants and metabolism boosters.

Tomorrow, why not try this simple morning juice recipe... and make sure to let me know how you feel.

Wake-up!

1 grapefruit (peeled)

1 granny smith apple

3 carrots

Handfull of spinnach

1 in cube of ginger

1/2 lemon

*Juice and drink!

Hope you have a fantastic morning!

Ginger - The World Traveler

Ginger... the smell, the taste and the feeling of ginger as it awakens those senses!

This amazing root is well known across cultures, weaving it's zingy flavor through centuries of food and herbal remedies.  From the mountains of China to the beaches of Greece, across the oceans to the US and the Caribbean, this root has just about hit every continent.

It has been a well loved spice not only in my stove-top cooking but in my juicing regimen as well.  A cube of ginger adds immense flavor and even greater health benefits to my daily routine.  I have grown to almost crave it's bite and the invigorating affect it has on my system.

What are some of these benefits?  How can a simple root have such a profound affect?

First off, ginger is in one of the top antioxidant groups.  It's volatile oils (an essential oil having the odor and flavor of the plant from which it comes) are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic which makes this a "gut's" best friend!

To name just a few digestive benefits related to this root, ginger:

• Reduces inflammation within the digestive system
• Reduces gas
• Increases nutrient absorption
• Soothes the digestive tract
• Induces mobility of the gut
• Helps digest fats by increasing bile production

Other benefits include:

• Fever reduction
• Reduced feelings of nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness
• Mood enhancing aroma therapy 
• Energizing aroma therapy

What more can I say... Ginger root detoxifies, rebuilds and stimulates all at the same time!  Hence my daily use.  

So why not give this zingy root a try in your next batch of juice?  Flavor and health all in one place... Go Ginger!

Day Two

I rolled out of bed on day two to find that I was not as hungry as I was when I went to bed.  Oddly enough, I felt great and I was craving water more than anything else.

I marched into the kitchen to face the juicer once more... ready for the yummy goodness it has in store for me.

That day's regimen was to try and fit in six glasses of juice.  All of which consisted of dark green vegetables, lemon and ginger.  The act of throwing the produce into the juicer and hearing it 'wiz' through the process was becoming therapeutic and I quickly learned that the smells emitted were cutting down on my 'wake-up' time.  I'm energized and excited to juice today.

I honestly thought that I would have a more sullen view on this and that I might even have given up by day two.  So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I continued to be motivated and actually enjoyed this experience.

The morning and mid-morning juices were easy to chug.  This combined with a busy morning at work helped me get to my mid-day tea outing in no time!

My sister and I decided to check out some mountain bike paths down in River Falls, WI.  They were amazing... the sun just peaking through the trees, the late summer air smelled fantastic and for the first time in what seemed like forever, my mind was open, clear and not focused on food.

That night, I felt like I was breaking through brick walls of past eating habits and I began to feel a little emotional.  I realized I had held so much emotion within the pounds that I had gained and held onto.

It was time to let go and release this weight.  It no longer served me or my life.

My First Day

For the first three days of my initial fast, I felt as if I was having an out of body experience.  As if I was on the outside looking in, watching this 'juicing thing' happen to me.

Day #1:

I felt anxious and scared, actually.  The idea of not eating anything solid created an unrealistic sense of scarcity within me.  I remember periodically reaching for my 'snack drawer' at work, not even comprehending what I was doing... as if it was a normal as breathing.  I would have the wrapper off of a granola bar before I realized my actions.  Quickly I threw it in the garbage before I had time to smell it's chocolaty goodness.

Noon rolled around and I felt as though my stomach was going to literally implode.  I had drank four glasses of water and 3 glasses of juice.  Logically speaking, I had enough calories built up in body for at least a week, plus I had consumed enough calories to support myself for days with the juice I had just drank.  There was no grounded fear for what I was feeling.  I kept reminding myself that the mind is powerful and that I am literally breaking a habit... my food routine.

Mid-afternoon snack time, or as others might call it, 3:00 pm, rolled around and there was nothing I wanted more than one, salty corn chip.  Even a small nibble of one of the corners would do.  I tried all the techniques, drinking more water, drinking more juice and going for a walk.  Nothing could take my mind off of salt.

I noted that my body was going through the flavors.  First sugar cravings, then salt cravings... the next was fat.  I wanted meat... bacon actually.  I felt nauseous and my head felt fuzzy.  I almost felt as though I had drank a huge glass of wine without the fun part of actually drinking it!

What got me through?  It was actually going back to my sports days when I would train my body for athletic performance.  I learned early on that you can work through difficult physical exercises with the goal that 'it will get easier.'  

I kept that in mind and began to think of ways for me to cheat without actually cheating.  Time to trick the mind!  So, I decided that during my lunch hour every day, I would go into town and 'buy lunch.'  This included the trip to one of my favorite cafés, waiting in line, and physically purchasing and selecting a really yummy cup of tea.  I would go through the process of steeping the tea and then my sister and I would explore walking paths in the area.  We would seek out a new one every day.

This technique worked!  I had something to look forward to and a 'yummy surprise' that helped get me through the latter half of my day.

By the end of Day #1, I was completely exhausted.  How was I going to make it through six days?

Why do I Juice?

So, now that we're getting things started, I thought I'd let you all know the why behind Juice Up Life.

A year ago, my brother recommended a documentary to me, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.  He claimed that this documentary changed the way he thought about his body and his life.  Though I am a health nut at heart, I was still skeptical of the thought that juice alone can heal, maintain and nourish a body.  In a society where meat, milk and grains are the stable of our existence... not to mention white foods (sugar, flour and other processed foods), I had a hard time buying the concept.

Needless to say, I gave in and watched the documentary.  It was an impressive video and being a knowledge hound, I soaked up the statistics and references like a sponge.  I took the information, processed and researched until late hours of the night.  If you were looking for me the weekend I watched this, you could find me on my iPhone, curled up in a blanket, holding the screen to my face and reading... reading... reading.

My brother asked that each of us family members go with him on a 6 day juice cleanse to reboot the system.  I figured, anyone can do this for 6 days.  What is the worst that will happen...nothing?

He invested in a juicer for my household and that Monday, I went to work with four jars of homemade juice.  I still remember the looks I got when I unscrewed the first jar and chugged it right before going into a presentation I had with my team.  My team knows my views on health, but even this was out there for me.

Little did I know that morning would change my life forever.  My journey is to be continued...

I have come to the conclusion that juicing has come into my life for a distinct purpose.  The past six months have had such a profound impact that I can't help but share this experience.  Through my story, I can only hope that you will come to know the health, joy and vitality that has flourished in my life.

A Lemon's Zesty Benefits

The lemon, such a simple, bright and beautiful fruit.  Just the visual of a lemon brings thoughts of summertime, warmth and sunshine.  The nostrils perk up and our salivary glands start to anticipate the sour tang of its goodness.

Lemon is another staple in our juice programs.  Not just because it makes us all feel 'happy,' but this miraculous fruit adds a nutrient rich punch with just drops of its juice.

In ancient times the lemon was thought to protect individuals against sickness and infection.  Both drinking the juice and using the juice as a topical treatment was a regular practice in fighting off some of the basic diseases that plagued our planet at that time.

These same testimonials reign true to this day!  We are just now able to scientifically prove out the claims this bundle of sunshine brings.  To start:

• It has both antibacterial and antiviral properties... very rare to find both in one source.  
• It is an immune boosting fruit.
• It promotes weight loss through its digestive aid and liver cleansing properties.
• It is an alkaline food and contrary to popular belief it neutralizes the acidic affects within the body.  Thus reducing inflammation and reducing most pain caused by inflammation.

Besides flavor, this zesty fruit packs a nutrient punch as well!  A few of these nutrients are:

• Citric Acid
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C
• Bioflavonoids
• Pectin
• Limonene

As if this fruit couldn't do anything more... it comes through to help with:

• Aroma therapy to lift the mood, reduce anxiety and energize the body, mind and spirit!
• A general skin tonic that can help heal almost anything from acne and bug bites to Eczema and other rashes.

This bright, juicy 'power fruit' is a must-have when juicing.  It not only helps to brighten up the flavor of our juice, it has many very important jobs to perform.  Joy and health through juice... is there a better way to accomplish that?  We think not!

Greens - Greens - Greens!

Green... it's not just a color anymore.  It's a way of life.  

People are living, breathing and being Green.  If you look at a green lifestyle, individuals are working to align their lives with nature.  Embracing the aspects of nature that enhance and support our world.  Individuals are choosing to be more Eco-conscious when it comes to the buying of products, utilizing of certain brands and in general, within their everyday practices.  Entire companies, families and communities are Going Green!

Green is not just in how we live, though.  Greens have become the building blocks for our most successful juicing programs.  Greens are now recognized as super-foods in their own right, taking on a shape and personality all their own.  Think about it... a food group that detoxifies, promotes digestive and organ health, cleanses, increases blood health and supports the nervous system.  Talk about powerful!

What are these magical greens I speak of?

They are the dark green, rich and sometimes leafy vegetables, grasses and algae found throughout the globe.  A short list of my top pics are below.  But mind you, there are many, many, many more to be found and had!

• Kale
• Chards
• Asparagus
• Cabbage
• Celery
• Spinach
• Parsley
• Cucumber
• Broccoli
• Okra
• Spirulina
• Wheat grass
• Herbs (mint, basil, sage, rosemary...) 
• And so many more!

So what happens when you juice these greens?

When you juice, you are basically injecting the nutrients directly into the digestive system.  Juicing allows for seamless and easy absorption of the nutrients that are sometimes overshadowed by other foods and the 'ruffage' that goes along with them.  I'm all for 'ruffage,' trust me!  Whole foods and healthy, alive produce is an important part of my diet.  Juicing, though, brings things to a whole new level.  It is a core way of life (for me anyways) that allows these nutrients to hit the system at a micro-level. 

The power of these greens comes through in the nutrients they bring to the table:

• Magnesium
• Vitamins A, C, K, B6
• Folic Acid
• Copper
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Chlorophyll
• Phytonutrients
• And the list goes on!

Moral of the story... GREENS - GREENS - GREENS!  They are the building block of our program and philosophy   We can't wait to share more!