For the past two years I have been preaching the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through proper nutrition.  More specifically, I’ve shared my personal experiences as an on-again, off-again “health nut” so those looking for information online can find comfort with the fact that I’m a normal person in search of similar goals facing similar obstacles.  To sum our common goal, I want to feel and look healthy while putting in the least amount of effort in doing so.   That’s right, I juggle a career, a great relationship, four dogs, multiple hobbies and I’m an active volunteer in the community.  Who has time to focus on diet and exercise?

Well it turns out I’m not the only one who’s been less than focused on their health this fall.  January 1st is socially accepted as the day of new beginnings.  Rather than increasing staff for the holiday season like all major retailers do every November, fitness centers brace for the post-holiday season.  It’s easy to understand how most of us are not healthy for the holidays.  We get busy during the holidays with end-of-year work projects, black friday, cyber monday, taking the kids to see Santa Claus… our health can wait another month right?

Apparently not this year!  While TheJuiceJunky.com is not a true gauge of our nation’s focus on health, I can say we have experienced an unusually high volume of requests for information on juicing, cleansing and dieting tips over the past week compared to the past two years.  This begs the question… Have we all indulged so much over the summer and fall that we need to take action sooner than usual?  While this may be the case for me, it appears some of you just want to take advantage of great deals on juicing equipment on “Black Friday”.

If I was a doctor or preacher, I would say “pay attention to what you eat this holiday season and limit the number of cookies you eat”.  Since I’m not a doctor and the purpose of this blog is to motivate through sharing of stories, post your plan for the holidays below!  Will you be healthy for the holidays or will you wait for the new year to begin?

Keep on Juicin’,

The Juice Junky

It’s been a few years since my mom last flew across country, so I gave her a couple of days to get herself acclimated before we immersed her into the program.  On day two, I even brought her to a nice Sunday brunch to ease the nerves… kind of like a “last supper” feast where she could indulge in whatever she wanted one last time.

On Monday, things changed from the moment she woke up.  We start preparing the body for all of the great nutrients that will soon come her way.  You’re probably wondering why and how you “prepare” your body.  After years (or decades in most cases), your body has been processing toxins that you breathe in, drink, eat or absorb through your skin.  Your body is designed to fight and push out these toxins, but only to an extent.  Over time, your immune system is worn down and your digestive system does not process food as efficiently as it once did.  As a result, your body is not receiving the full benefits of the fruit and vegetables you eat, the fresh juice you drink or the fresh air you seek.  So how do you fix this?

Anyone who is looking to lose weight, clear your skin, gain mental clarity, expel unwanted diseases such as diabetes, thyroid disease, etc should prepare their body before starting the change in diet.  This will allow your immune system to fight harder against foreign toxins and it will allow your digestive system to process food and juices easier while at the same time absorbing more of the nutrients you ingest, giving you greater results in your quest for a healthier life.

So how do you prepare your body?  These practices are disputed by many conventional doctors, but after reading many books on the matter, speaking to many lifelong believers and of course, after testing this all myself, I’ve come to the conclusion that conventional doctors are… well, conventional.  These practices don’t involve prescriptions, expensive tests or anything else that requires their supervision so why would they endorse any of it?  This could be a debatable topic in and of itself, so let’s not dwell on that today.

Rather than re-write on topics I’ve already discussed in detail over previous blogs, I encourage you to read the following articles that are listed under the “Healthy Lifestyle” section.  I hope this gives you enough information to feel motivated and confident in preparing your own body for a healthy change in diet.

- Diet vs. Lifestyle Change, Jan. 6th 2011:  It’s easy to confuse these two views on eating but it’s important to understand if you have a serious goal of making changes to your body.

- Jumpstart Your Healthy Lifestyle, Jan. 11th 2011:  Once you understand the concept of a lifestyle change, this article will give you some great tips on getting started with cleaning out the body and simplifying your meals for easier digestion and better absorption of the nutrients you want.

- Cleansing, Jan. 18th 2011:  This article talks about starting a fast and what you must think about and prepare for before starting any type of fast or cleanse.

I hope you find these articles helpful!  In my next article we’ll talk in more detail about breaking down your eating schedule into smaller, more “food group specific” meals and how that will benefit your body.

That’s it for today!  Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on Juicin!

In preparation for my mom coming to stay with me for 30 days, I started warning her of the rules months before her arrival date so they wouldn’t be such a shock to her once she got here.  As I expected, there’s no correct amount of time to prepare yourself for giving up a life-long habit such as smoking, drinking or poor diet.  The fact is, you just need to make the decision that today is the day you stop your old habits and begin making new ones.  If you let yourself believe that… you might have a chance at actually following through on that change.

So it begins!  I knew we had to ease my mom into some of her changes, but one thing I wasn’t willing to allow in my house was smoking cigarettes.  I warned her for months, yet she still challenged me on it as soon as she landed in Vegas.  Only after I caught her red handed on day 2 with a fresh pack of cigarettes did she finally agree to stop.  Was it her sudden desire to stop smoking that allowed her to quit that day?  No… it was most definitely the look of disappointment on my face when I caught her that helped her realize how serious I was about this 30 day “vacation” and the changes I intended on making in her life.  Every change starts with a reason and I’m okay if this is her reason for quitting.

To make matters worse, the half a pot of coffee she is use to drinking every morning also made the chopping block on day 2.  What horrible son would take away their mom’s two most cherished daily activities in one day???  For the first of many times on her trip, the words “This is for your own good” sprung from my mouth just as I’m sure she told me many times when I was a kid.

Some of my readers are probably cringing at the thought of quitting smoking and drinking coffee on the same day.  So let me tell you what you can expect if you try this at home.  And I’m paraphrasing from the conversations with my mother of course.

Day 1:  “Are you sure I can’t just have one?  What’s the big deal if I just have one a day?  Why do you hate me so much that you won’t let me just have one?”

Day 2:  “I slept like crap last night and I’m exhausted this morning.  Can’t I just have a cup of coffee if you aren’t going to let me have a cigarette?”

Day 2 – Evening: “I’ve been sleeping all day and don’t know why.  Can’t I just have a cup of coffee to help me stay awake?”

Day 3: “I feel horrible today.  I’ve had a headache all day and I’m so exhausted.  I just want to sleep… or smoke a cigarette and have some coffee.  I know I can’t but I just wanted to say it because that’s what I’m thinking.”

Day 4: “I feel better today.  I still want to smoke but my headaches gone and I slept a little better last night.”

This is just a snap shot of what was going on with my Mom the first few days of her stay with me.  After 40 years of smoking, I’m actually surprised at how civil my house was over the first week.  I knew her body would be pissed for depriving it of nicotine and caffeine.  When she made comments about having a cigarette or coffee, I didn’t get on her case about it.  I sympathized with her and then reminded her about why she feels tired, why she has a headache and how she’s going to feel once she doesn’t depend on these things to get her through the day.

Now this wouldn’t be a real Juice Junky article if I didn’t bring up juicing!  While my mom is going through the first week of a long process to quit smoking, I started her on a daily vegetable juice regimen to help rid her of all the toxins in her body so her internal systems (digestive & immune) can start to repair and rebuild.  After a day or two of juicing you will notice a quicker rebound from symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, allergies, upset stomach and so on.  While you don’t see the true effects of juicing for many months, you may find (as I did) that your mental focus is much more profound after only a week or two, your bathroom schedule is much more regular and your energy levels are reminiscent of your early 20′s.  Who in their right mind can say they don’t want those things for themselves?

Let me leave you with this final tip for those of you who want to quit smoking, kick caffeine or remove any other  toxins from your daily routine.  The best things you can do for your body during the first few days are,

1.  Hydrate your body with water and decaffeinated green tea.  A cup of fluid (water or decaff green tea only!) every hour during the hours your awake.

2.  Sleep!  Your body does it’s best work while you’re sleeping.  If your body wants to shut down, let it so it can start to fix what you’ve spent years beating up.  You might think you’re wasting days of your life by sleeping but you’re actually adding years to your life!

3.  Have someone to talk to.  There’s nothing wrong with admitting you want a cigarette, coffee or a bowl of ice cream.  Being able to talk about your cravings is much better than falling in to your cravings.

So are you motivated and ready to kick your habit???  Good, because the rest of my posts about “The Mom Makeover” are going to focus on her diet and of course, juicing!  If you want to lose weight and feel great, you’ll definitely want to tune into next weeks article which talks about the first steps to changing your diet.

That’s it for today!  Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on juicin!

For those of us in the west, spring time has finally arrived!  When I think back to my childhood, one particular project comes to mind that my folks and my brother dreaded, yet I seemed to enjoy.  What is this project??? Cleaning out the garage of course!

Twenty years later, I’ve invited my mom to stay with me for a month this spring so we can “clean out her garage” so to speak.  To give you a little background, my mother has smoked for over 40 years of her life.  She’s endured multiple heart attacks from as early as 44 years old, thyroid problems, kidney stones, skin cancer and a plethora of other problems, including 7 major back surgeries that to this day keep her from working, or even walking at any great lengths!

So how do you clean up someone who has all of these problems and is physically unable to run or lift weights like the general public would do to lose weight or at least keep the heart in shape?   For 30 days, my mother is going to quit smoking, quit drinking caffeinated coffee, eat by my program and of course, start drinking fresh vegetable juice!  If after 30 days, she doesn’t notice a big enough difference in her weight, cholesterol level, mental clarity and overall well-being, I told her she can go ahead and pick up any of her old habits she wants.   I’m convinced that she will see such great results that she will not want to go back to those old habits and her overall health will continue to improve to the point that SOME of her 18 daily medications will no longer be needed.

For the next 30 days I will continue to write a brief update of the progress she is making.  I’m also going to be announcing a “30 Day Challenge” that goes out to all of my readers.  I hope that the progress of my mother will intrigue some of you, who have far fewer problems stacked against you in your quest for a healthier lifestyle.  If you think you’re ready to “clean out your garage”, you better start preparing yourself mentally that change is about to take place, and it’s for your own good.  Welcoming these changes is the first step to making it happen.

That’s it for today!  Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on juicin!

One of the biggest reasons people never try juicing is because they don’t know what combination of vegetables to try.  As with most cooking recipes, it’s usually a lot easier than you think!

There are many great resources out there to help you find your favorite recipes, but it’s going to take some time to try the endless mixtures to see what makes it into your daily routine.  Remember, you need to change it up on a regular basis so your body receives a variety of vitamins and nutrients rather than the same ones day in and day out.

My first recipes came from The Juicing Bible, 2nd Edition, written by Pat Crocker.  In addition to providing you with delicious recipes for both fruit juices and vegetable juices, it covers every fruit and vegetable on the market with great detail about what vitamins and minerals are absorbed from the item as well as what the benefits you will gain by drinking the juice of that fruit or vegetable.  This will help you single out certain produce if you have a specific ailment you want to focus your energy on.

Since The Juicing Bible, 2nd Edition helped jump start my addiction to juicing, I’m going to share my four favorite recipes from the book.   These beginner juice recipes are all vegetable juices but they are much more flavorful than the heavy green vegetable juices I make today.  By starting with these juices, you are easing your digestive system into the juicing process.

The Chiller (page 185) consists of 1 part carrot, 2 parts celery, 1 part apple, 1/2 part cucumber, 1/2 part zucchini and 1/2 part red bell pepper.  This was by far my favorite concoction during my first week, but as I stated earlier… don’t get used to drinking the same recipe day after day.

Pepper Please (page 193) consists of 1 part red bell pepper, 1 part green bell pepper, 1/2 part cucumber and 1 part carrot.

Root Combo (page 194) is made up of 1 part parsnip, 2 parts carrot, 1 part beet and 1 part apple.  I was nervous to try this one because of the parsnip and beet but I have to admit, this is a delicious recipe!  Be careful when using beets though.  You should cut this dense vegetable into pieces before putting into your juicer and the juice will stain just about anything it touches.  Also, be sure to include the stems of the beet in your juice.  They carry a lot of great nutrients, which you can read more about in the book.

Leafy Greens (page 191) includes 8 parts spinach, 2 parts kale, 1 part beet, 2 parts celery and 1 part apple.  This is a great recipe to incorporate into your rotation after a week of these other recipes.  Why? You guessed it!  The spinach and kale are great anti-oxidants that might “cleanse” your digestive tract a little more intensely than the cucumber and celery will.

You may have noticed that 3 out of 4 recipes include an apple.  While mixing most fruits and vegetables is not advised, you will find many vegetable recipes that call for an apple, lemon or lime to be added.  Trust me when I say, this is probably the most important ingredient that will keep you juicing on a regular basis.  These 3 items (not to all be used in the same recipe) will give your otherwise earthy vegetable juice a little sweetness that makes it an enjoyable beverage.

I also recommend juicing cold produce rather than room temperature.  If you do keep your vegetables at room temperature, be prepared with some ice cubes to chill the juice while you drink it.  Remember, the best time to drink juice is immediately after it’s made.  So don’t think you can make your juice and stick it in the refrigerator for an hour and then drink it.  By the time you get around to drinking it, the juice has oxidized to the point that all the vitamins and minerals you intended to gain are now gone.

I hope you find these recipes to be as enjoyable as I did when first starting out.  Whether you’re an novice juicer or a junky like me, I highly recommend The Juicing Bible, 2nd Edition for great information on the various fruits and vegetables as well as the many great recipes that are included.

That’s it for today! Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on juicin!

It’s pretty common knowledge around my office that I’m a juicing fanatic.  In fact, not a day goes by where I don’t bring up the topic of juicing with at least one co-worker, client or friend.   All it takes to get me started is a mumbled comment like “I don’t feel well” or “I’m really tired lately”.  My immediate response is always, “You should really try juicing”.  Now obviously, there might be more to their problem than a general lack of nutrition, but it opens the door to a more in depth conversation about the benefits of juicing IF they’re interested in learning more.  This is how I like to “pass it on”.

After weeks of joking about bringing my juicer into the office, last week I finally did it.  I brought in a bag of fresh vegetables like broccoli, spinach, kale, beets, carrots, red chard, parsley and of course some apples to sweeten up all those green vegetables enough to make it a delicious drink for a first timer.  After making up a pitcher of juice for everyone to try, I realized how complex my juice combinations  have developed since I first started.  This might not have been the best starter juice to subject them to but 4 out of 6 who tried it said they liked it.  The other 2 had it set in their mind ahead of time that they wouldn’t like it so I didn’t get upset when they made a big fuss about trying it.

Perhaps I should have gone with something simple like when I started juicing.  I’ll never forget my first batch of juice I made at home.  The Juicing Bible, 2nd Edition calls it The Chiller.  1 carrot, 2 celery stalks, 1 apple, 1/2 of a cucumber, 1/2 of a zucchini and 1/2 of a red bell pepper.  This has to be the most refreshing vegetable juice I have tasted to date.  Next time I’m lugging my juicer around town to recruit a new group of juice junkies, this will be the recipe of choice.  After all, it took me a good month of daily juicing before I started making up my own recipes so I can’t expect a first timer to like what I drink these days.

What I want you all to take away from this today is not only a great beginner recipe, but a renewed interest in passing on the good word about juicing.  If your day is anything like mine, you have at least one person each day who complains about fatigue, weight gain, headaches or one of many other common ailments that can usually be cured or reduced by making a few simple changes to their diet.  As a fellow juice junky, don’t you want to be the one who helped a friend, co-worker or perfect stranger by passing on your passion for juicing?  Each day I get emails from people I’ve never met, asking me for advice on juice machines, recipes and diet plans.  Nothing has been more rewarding than answering their emails and getting follow up messages that tell me how great they feel 30 and 60 days later.

So when you head in to work today, keep your ears on alert and don’t pass up the opportunity to pass it on!

That’s it for today!  Here’s to you from the Juice Junky.  Keep on juicin!

*If you’re looking for additional great recipes for beginner juicers, look for my next article which will cover all of the great recipes that got me hooked on juicing.

TheJuiceJunky.com has made some great strides over the past month and I’m very excited to share them with you!  In January, our new logo gave some character to our brand thanks to our man Greg Stenson, who has done some great work for us in the past and continues to knock it out of the ballpark with this piece.

Once we had the new logo, we began thinking about a new website layout that would catch the attention of new readers and offer a fresh look for those who browse websites all day, seeing the same thing site after site.  What you see now is our first update with a centrally located directory, which I love!  Thanks to all of the hard work put in by my business partner George Wilson, updates are being made daily in order to make this an easier site to use for everyone.  In the coming months you’ll find more features to keep you coming back for recipes, videos, chat rooms, etc.  In the mean time, be patient if you find some bugs in the site and always feel free to send in ideas on what you’d like to see on TheJuiceJunky.com.

That’s it for today!  Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on juicin!

What can I say about Jack LaLanne?  To be honest, I didn’t know him personally so anything I write here would just be a reprint of another persons words, so let me sum up my fondest memory of this man.

As was the case for many of us, my first memories of Jack were from when I was a teenager flipping through the channels on the TV, which I watched WAY too much of.  It seemed like the Jack LaLanne juicing machine infomercial had a dedicated channel because it was always being aired.  Twenty years ago, I was far from worried about my health or what I ate, so naturally I watched a minute or two of his show and flipped to the next channel.  What I remember most is the footage of this 70 year old man swimming across the water with a string of row boats tied to him.  Who does that??? I always questioned, could fresh juice really give him the strength to do that?  Obviously now looking back, it was Jack’s well balanced lifestyle which included juicing, consistently healthy diet and regular exercise that allowed him the strength and endurance to pull it off.

Now moving forward twenty years, one of the first things I put in my Juice Junky “idea tank” was to reach out to Jack LaLanne and interview this man so I can take away some of the best advice he had and pass it on to my readers.  Sadly now, this will not happen due to his death over the weekend, at the age of 96.

With the passing of Mr. LaLanne, where does that leave the juicing industry in regards to infomercials, books and spokespeople?  Did the LaLanne empire drive the industry or will all of the less brand savvy manufacturers finally step out from the shadows of his empire?  No matter what your motivation was to start juicing, I hope you’ll go back and read some of Jack’s books to be re-inspired by what he has preached for over 60 years.

R.I.P. Jack LaLanne

Only a couple weeks in to the new year, some people are still making a plan to become healthier, some are beginning to find a routine, and some… well, some have already given up.  For those who are still planning, I wanted to touch upon the concept of “cleansing” or “detoxing”, as this seems to be a popular strategy for many who want to lose weight.  The problem is, even with it’s popularity, many do not do enough research before giving this a try.

I would have written about this earlier, but as with just about every article I write, I wanted to give it a try first so I knew what I was talking about.  Now I’m not an expert on the subject, but I did spend over a month reading up on the various types of cleansing programs.  I  spoke with dozens of people who have been detoxing for years so I could see the similarities and differences in their programs.  After all of my research, I even went on a 14-day cleanse myself just so I can give you a first hand point-of-view on the mental struggles you will have to endure.  After all of this, here’s what I can pass along to you…

Do Your Research. Everyone knows somebody who has either gone through a cleanse in the past or is currently going through a detox program.  Before you jump on board with your friends program, do your research and see what you think is best for you and your body.  There are many books and articles online talking about the various methods used, all of varying severity.  If you have any type of medical condition that requires you to be on medication, I strongly recommend you speak with your doctor first.  The combination of medication on an empty stomach could do irreversible damage to your organs.  You can detox while eating select organic foods if you don’t think fasting will work for you.  I opted to do a 14-day organic cleanse from ReNew Life in conjunction with a 7-day juice fast for the first week.  I’m now on day 12 and I’ve incorporated solid foods such as rice, beans, raw fruit and vegetables back into my diet.

There are other things to consider when doing a cleanse/detox program.  For a total body cleanse, you will want to schedule a colon cleanse at least 2-3 times during a 7 to 14 day cleanse so all of the toxins that are deposited in your intestines are removed before cycling back into your body.  You will also want to schedule deep tissue massages to break up the toxins in your muscles so you can flush them out with water.  Other great practices to consider include daily visits to the sauna so you can sweat out toxins from the skin as well as brushing your skin in the shower with a skin brush, which will remove unwanted dead skin cells and clear your pours so they can receive the oxygen they need for a young and healthy look.

Prepare Your Mind. Once you’ve determined what program you want to use, it’s time to prepare your mind for what you’re about to go through.  All too often you hear people talk about the cleanse they tried, but after 2 days or 4 days they cracked and couldn’t complete the 7, 10 or 14 day cleanse.  While they should be applauded for trying, you can prevent this from happening if you prepare your mind before you start.  As I come to an end of my 14-day program, I can tell you that days 1-4 are TOUGH!  Depending on how you eat now, you will most likely experience headaches, dizziness, fatigue, unclear thoughts and lack of focus, among other possible side effects.  Factors that affect this include your addictions to caffeine and sugar.  After day 4, you should find your energy again but you could still find yourself dizzy at times so be careful.  You will probably find your hardest times when you’re sitting at home with nothing to do.  Prepare yourself with books or hobbies so you are not watching TV or hanging out at a bar with your friends where there is temptation.  Do you know how many commercials have to do with food?  The more temptations you can eliminate from your life for this program, the easier it will be to last the entire period.  Just remember, if it were easy, everybody would do it.  The truth is, it’s NOT easy and not that many people complete these cleanse programs to the full extent of their intentions.

Commit To Change.  My last point I wanted to talk about is committing to change.  If you are going to put yourself through all of the mental agony of a 7-14 day cleanse, you should be committed to living the rest of your life eating healthier foods, working out and eliminating any of the bad habits you may have developed over the years, whether it’s your addiction to smoking, coffee or that bag of candies you keep in your office drawer.  Before you start your cleanse, develop a plan for when you complete the program.  I want to point out that no matter how long you detox for, don’t expect to celebrate your completion with a beer or your favorite junk food you missed so much.  You are essentially programming your body to accept healthy food and you need to give it what it wants.  Sure you can indulge in your favorites from time to time, but make these occasions the exception, not the rule.

If you’re still considering attempting a cleanse, I hope this encourages you to take it seriously and put some more thought into why you are doing it and what you want to gain from the experience once it’s over.  A cleanse or detox program is the start to a healthier mind and body.  I wish you the best of luck!

That’s it for today!  Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on Juicin!

Congratulations on choosing to jump start your healthy lifestyle rather than look for a quick, yet temporary fix to your weight problem.  This adventure can be one of the most stressful transitions of your life, but it will most certainly be the most rewarding challenge you have ever tasked yourself with.

Let me start by saying, I am not a nutritionist.  As I have said in past articles, I am writing about the successes… and failures throughout my quest for a healthier mind and body.  My studies and trials come from the recommendations of authors, professors and friends who have practiced natural living to various extents for the better portion of their lives.  It is my opinion that those who practice what they preach and do so with great success are the ones who should be listened to.

With that said, here is my list of things to consider when you jump start your healthy lifestyle.

Remove Existing Toxins: Over the years, your body has absorbed toxins but much of it has stayed in your system.  Before you attempt to flood your body with vitamins and minerals, get rid of the toxins that are slowing or even blocking the absorption of these great nutrients.  This can be accomplished with a combination of colon cleanses, spending time in the sauna and brushing your skin while in the shower.  Don’t forget, your skin is the largest organ you have!  For those comfortable with detox programs, I also recommend an organic herbal cleanse system such as Renew Life Organic Total Body Cleanse to be taken 1-2 times per year.

Change Your Drink of Choice: Two key toxins you will remove from your system include caffeine and sugar.  It does no good to go through the cleansing process if you’re just going to put it all right back in your body, so now is a good time to gradually say goodbye to caffeinated coffee, sodas and sugar filled juices.   If you can go cold turkey, great!  If not, it’s okay to gradually work your way down to having Starbucks as your reward drink.  Try replacing these drinks with water, natural fruit juices, fresh vegetable juice (you knew that was coming!) and organic decaffeinated green tea.   Green tea is a great detoxifying drink you can enjoy hot or cold.

Choose Your Supplements Wisely: There’s really no reason to spend hundreds of dollars in supplements if you’re eating properly, but here are a few that I recommend you start with.  Everyone should take a multi-vitamin just to fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements, even if you are eating healthy.  I also recommend Udo’s Oil, a great tasting flax seed oil that provides you with all of the Omega 3-6-9 fatty acids your body needs.  I smear this on my toast in the morning in place of butter and it tastes great!  Apple Cider Vinegar is another essential element to my daily supplements.  Some may not agree but some studies show apple cider vinegar can help prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol and even promote weight loss.  My final two recommendations are to assist in your digestion process.  Daily I take a digestive enzyme supplement with each meal that helps break down the food I consume, and I take a probiotic supplement to promote healthy bacteria growth in my intestines.  For more information on these and other supplements, speak to your doctor or send me a message and we’ll help you find the answers you’re looking for.

Simplify Your Meals: Your body is working hard to process the food you ingest as well as the toxins you absorb through food, air and fluids.  Take some of the load off your digestive system by splitting your meals into single food groups.  When you put fruit and protein in your stomach, your body requires different digestive enzymes to break down the different foods.  This slows digestion and can cause gas, bloating or other problems.  By consuming JUST fruit or JUST meat, your system will quickly process the food allowing your body to digest more efficiently.  I have done this a few times over the years with great success in weight loss.  Most recently I ate this way for 6 months and lost 40lbs with very little exercise.  The key is to eat small amounts of a single food group throughout the day.  I like to eat my proteins every other meal, fruits in the morning and afternoon, vegetables in the evening.  If you try this, just be sure you are still taking in enough calories to meet your daily needs.

Get Your Heart Beating: This is an easy one!  You need to get your exercise, even if it’s only 3 times a week.  I know we are all busy and some weeks are worse than others.  If daily exercise doesn’t fit your schedule, don’t use that as an excuse to not workout at all.  When my schedule is crazy, I knock out some push-ups and sit-ups in my bedroom before work.  Other days I make it to the gym for 30 minutes of cardio.  The key is to be consistent with your frequency but change up the exercises so your body is constantly being challenged.  Whether you need a friend to workout with or some good tunes on your ipod, try to enjoy your workout as this is supposed to relieve stress, not add to it!

That’s it for today! Here’s to you from The Juice Junky.  Keep on Juicin!