Orange Juice (Romaine, Carrot, Ginger, Apple)

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The first winter holiday has come and gone, and you might find yourself in serious need of rejuvenation. Between stuffing, pie, and wine, your body gets a little confused about what the heck is going on. After you've 'over-celebrated,' juicing some nutrient-rich veggies can be a quick way to get your body back on track.

This juice might be orange, but there are no oranges in it. Instead, it's filled with some hard-to-beat ingredients that will give you energy and help you fight cancer.

Other benefits it offers...

• ENERGY! Carrots contain a significant amount of B vitamins (B1 and B6 to be exact) which increase your energy levels in a steady, no-2:30-crash kind of way.
  
• ANTIOXIDANTS! Carotenes, the famous ingredient after which carrots take their name, are a powerful antioxidant that combats a laundry list of diseases (acne, anemia, cancer, congestion, constipation, fertility, ulcers, and so on - see the list here). Apples also offer a host of antioxidants.
  
• ANTI-INFLAMMATORY! Ginger is known to reduce inflammation, which is common after the holiday binge cycle (especially if you are unknowingly gluten sensitive).
  
• DETOX! Apples and carrots are both natural diuretics which will help your body rid itself from those nasty toxins brought in by holiday pie and that extra glass of wine.
  
• ANTI-ALLERGY! Romaine lettuce's high folate content helps combat allergies.
  
• FIGHT YOUR COLD! That's right. Everything in this juice is packed with immune support and cold-fighting ninjas.
  
• DIGESTIVE SUPPORT! Ginger is the king of gut support, and thus a natural way to combat stomach and intestinal issues you may be experiencing.

Orange Juice (Romaine, Carrot, Ginger, Apple)
Servings: 1 large glass
Ingredients:

• 1 head romaine
• 2 long carrots
• 1 tbsp ginger or approximately 1 inch of natural ginger
• 2 apples

Directions:

1. Rinse/wash everything. Do not skip this unless you're interested in drinking a glass full of chemicals and pesticides.
2. Throw em all in a juicer and go, baby, go! (NOTE: If you do not have a juicer, you can blend everything very well and then strain using a cheese cloth or fine mesh strainer)

Sources:
Health Benefits of Carrots, Juicing-For-Health.Com
15 Health Benefits of Eating Apples, BestHealthMag.Ca
5 Health Benefits of Romaine, HealWithFood.Com
10 Health Benefits of Ginger, FoodMatters.tv

Juicing Like a Victoria's Secret Model

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I don't typically watch the Victoria's Secret fashion shows, but this year, I noticed that a lot of my friends did. After watching the show, a lot of people felt inspired to make good choices, because let's be real, watching a parade of super fit and beautiful women prancing down a runway can have that effect on you.

That said, it's important that that inspiration lead us to make healthy choices instead of just skipping a meal or depriving ourselves. I follow one of my favorite Victoria's Secret models, Izabel Goulart, on Instagram because she is upbeat and honest about her regimen, and tries to share healthy secrets and recipes with her followers. She also frequently posts videos of her workouts on Instagram (like this video of a TRX workout move), or uploads pictures of her morning juices. Also, she does hilarious stuff like jump into a pool with shoes on, so she's got that going for her.

(Photo screen-shotted from Iza's Instagram)

Having recently gotten really into juicing, I was excited when she posted the recipe to her red juice this week. I immediately took a screen shot and made it the next day, because I happened to have everything on hand besides collard greens, which I picked up (seriously... does anyone have collard greens on hand? teach me your ways...).

The juice ended up being very good. It is significantly milder than the red juice I have been making lately, which I think is partially due to the fact that adding so much coconut water dilutes the strong flavor of the beets and ginger. I think it depends on the person, here... I actually like beets, so I wouldn't mind it being a bit stronger, but I may be in the minority here. 

So, if you're looking for a milder taste, either because that's your preference or because you're just getting into juicing, this recipe will be great for you. If you're a beet fan like me, this juicing recipe might even help you reign it in (if you have ever juiced too many beets, you might understand why this is necessary... it tends to dye you red on the inside if you have too much). 

Please excuse the ridiculous that is my hair.

Here's the recipe!

Izabel Goulart's Red Detox Juice

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot
• Half cucumber
• 1 beet
• A bunch of mint
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger
• 2 leafs collard greens
• Juice from 1/2 lemon (don't put the entire lemon in there, just add the juice after)
• 1 cup coconut water

Directions:

1. Put the first 5 ingredients (not lemon juice and coconut water) in a juicer and go, baby, go! Add coconut water and lemon to the juice, stir, and serve. 

Notes:

• If you do not have a juicer, combine all ingredients in a high powered blender (don't forget to juice the lemon first instead of adding the whole thing) and blend well. The coconut water and lemon juice will add enough liquid for blending. Then, strain the finished product through a cheese cloth or very tight strainer to end up with just the juice. Or, if you'd prefer to drink it as a smoothie, feel free to drink as is.
• Don't put lemon rind in your juicer or blender! It will not end well for either party. ;-)

So, now you know how to make the juice, but you might be a little curious about her workouts since I have already blabbed about it. Want to check out some new workout moves? I have no idea what these moves are really called (she does not name them), so here are some super basic descriptions.

• Iza's TRX V Ups (Elevated plank and down dog)
• Iza's TRX Air Lunges (Lunges without tapping your foot, plus a knee up)
• Iza's Half Burpee Plank Push-Ups (Like doing a plank at your knees with a push up, except you send yourself into the air for a second. Kind of like clapping push ups)
• Go box!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Do you follow any celebrity recipes or juicing plans?

Have you tried any celebrity workouts? What about Megan Fox's Butt workout?

What I Ate Wednesday

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I have wanted to do What I Ate Wednesday posts for a while, but was too lazy to take pictures. After Sierra started doing it, I felt compelled to jump on the bandwagon.

What I Ate Wednesday via Peas & Crayons

Warning: You are about to read a What I Ate Wednesday post that is going to portray me as extremely lazy. I only actually made one of the meals I ate. It was a super busy day, so I am just being honest here!

I made a few pieces of bacon for my husband before work and had two slices, but didn't' have time for a proper breakfast.

Next, I dug into an Apple Pie Quest Bar at work. If I don't have time to make a proper breakfast, I typically start the day with a Cookie Dough Flavored bar (COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST? YES). But, I had recently hit up GNC and stocked up on a few fun flavors. I was not particularly impressed with this flavor, and will still be sticking with Cookie Dough in the future.

For lunch, I had an errand to run, and no time to properly sit down and eat. So, I had an apple [not pictured] as I walked and then I stopped at Kramer's Health Food market and picked up a juice of Apple, Kale, Spinach, Celery, Parsley, Cucumber, and Lemon. It hit the spot nutrient-wise.

Around 2 or 3, I started getting hungry for some crunch, so I dug into the Thunderbird bar I had also grabbed at Kramer's. It was delicious and I will definitely be back for more.

Dinner was the first time during the day that I actually indulged in something I had created. I made a huge batch of chili over the weekend, so I had a big bowl of that topped with mixed cheeses. The chili consists of lean ground beef, black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, and tons of tomato.

I topped it off with some dessert "ice cream." 1 and a half frozen bananas, a few tbsp coconut milk, some stevia, and some cinnamon, all in the Vitamix. Not pictured, because I devoured it in record time.

What About You?

• What did YOU eat yesterday?

Peeled Juice Cleanse Day 2

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**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

I slept like a freaking baby last night. 8 hours and 54 minutes of sheer unconscious bliss. The write up on Cashew Milk said it would prepare my body for a good night's sleep... and that, it did. I woke up with a slight headache, but that almost always happens to me when I sleep more than 8 full hours, so I'm not sure if that is cleanse related or not.

Juice 1: Green Lantern

I left for work at 8am. After packing my mid day juices in my trusty back pack, I grabbed my Green Lantern and drank it in transit. I still enjoy the taste, but I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that I have to keep drinking the same things. I realized that I will drink The Green Lantern 6 times within these 3 days. Same goes for Maroon 5. Why do I have to drink the same things so many times? I wish Peeled would have varied it a bit more for me. Kind of disappointing.

Also, my stomach hurts.

In likely related news, I am obviously cranky. That rant above, itself, proves my point. 

Juice 2: Haute Lemonade

Since getting to work, my stomach had been hurting pretty badly. I was also extremely thirsty but had no appetite for water, itself. So, I hit up the green tea... only to take a few sips. What's with being really thirsty and yet not being able to drink? It's like a hangover.

Anyway, I popped open my Haute Lemonade around 10:15 and sipped it as I worked. I was just so cold and started to think it was from consuming only cold things, so I decided to make this drink warm. I wasn't sure if it was safe to microwave the juice, though (after all, they're big on raw veggies, so... ), so I just filled my cup half way and then topped it off with hot water. It wasn't hot, but it was pretty warm, and really helped warm me up. Plus, it made it at least slightly different than yesterday.

Juice 3: Maroon Five

On my lunch, I walked to LaSalle and the Chicago River to meet my fiance. He knew I just had a juice, so he kindly ate his lunch at work before meeting me. We walked around for a bit as I drank my juice, and it was okay. Not amazing. 

Also, my fiance tried it. His judgement? "Tastes ginger-ey." Yep, sure does. I like that part of it, though. Helps take the edge off of an otherwise dark and heavy drink (carrots and beets, you know).

Juice 4: Green Lantern

2:00 rolled around and I wasn't particularly excited for my green drink. I just wasn't hungry yet and was kind of on overkill on the green and red juices. Finally, around 3, I grabbed it and sipped away as I did some work at my desk.

Juice 5: Maroon Five

Totally skipped it. Wasn't feeling it at all and had no desire to open it. Just wanted my Cashew Milk!

Juice 6: Cashew Milk!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was SO excited for this by the time 6:30ish rolled around that I "milked" it for all it was worth. I blended it up with ice cubes and cinnamon for an "ice cream" treat (read: I got to use a spoon for the first time in 48+ hours!), and drank the rest of it without ice. So delicious... so happy... apparently this is now my favorite one.

Before bed, I had a little hot water with lemon. I wanted something warm to prepare me for bed for some reason (read: still fREEZING). So, I sat in bed and watched Sex and the City on HBOGo (had to be something that required like zero thought) and drank my lemon water.

Overall:

I am feeling... empty, hungry, tummy hurts. Hungry hungry.

I am craving... CARBS! And anything crunchy. I found myself making a list of things I wanted to eat... The funny thing is, these are mostly foods that I rarely eat, and yet they are what I am craving during the cleanse.

<--things I want to eat

Physical side effects... My skin is freaking out a little bit, runny nose, sore.

More tomorrow!