Juicing against physical disease?? What about mental health???

I haven't had chance really to blog at all in these past few weeks as I'm so bogged down in my dissertation and revision with my finals looming! Scary I'll tell you !

But this morning I came across a TED talk by the Juice master that is Jason Vale in Dubai 2011. This was the first thing I did this morning - even before breakfast ! Which I hate to say was not a juice this morning! Mainly because I am due to go back home to Sheffield tomorrow morning and so have NO food in the house!
Anyway, that is beside the point. After watching this video I was sent on a flurry of youtubing other videos about juicing and alkaline living and so on. Basically what Jason was saying is that there is one disease and one solution! This makes so much sense..doesn't it?! I mean, all the drugs out there only treat the symptoms NOT the cause of a disease! How does that make any sense? It doesn't, how can it? I guess its good in the short term, but in the long term these 'treatments' are having a negative effect on us - sometimes even resulting in death.
He brings to light the fact that our bodies are actually alkaline and that to be healthy we need to put in place some protocol to maintain this environment. But many of us don't do this, maybe because we don't know about it. Granted the medical world is a very important place and does GREAT things for millions of people around the world, but perhaps this is a new long term solution.
What is being suggested is that to look after our body which is ultimately our home, we need to start juicing everyday in order to keep that alkaline balance.
So - if this is so great at overcoming many physical diseases like diabetes, asthma, and psoriasis then can't this be  a great way to relieve symptoms of mental illness too?
I don't know of much research about mental illness and diet and alkaline living but this is seriously an area that needs to be looked into. Surely if this is something that is going to even just relieve the symptoms of say depression or bipolar, which is only what the drugs do anyway, then it is a better and safer way to help people?

Take Bipolar, this is most often treated both Lithium, but what is crazy is that we don't even really know why this works only that it does?!!  But what we do know is that by juicing and putting the alkaline foods into your body it builds your hemoglobin levels, increases your energy and so much more, so why isn't this the new line of research for not only physical but mental health too?
Of course I'm not saying that drugs and other medial treatments are a waste of time, becuase they are not - all that im putting out there is the fact that there are alternative treatments options which might be better in the long run but we will never know unless we give them a try and now is the time!!

I think I have just found my new pursuit in life!


More juicing to come!!!!

Step back to reality ..

Today I read about a juicing transformation that really put the benefits of juicing into perspective for me. I am living in my own world with the knowledge that what I'm doing is good for me but not really knowing what is happening out there, how other people are being healed from this practice.

I found an interview with Jeff, who embarked on a 70 day juicing detox. The way he spoke about the death of people close to him which set him on his journey into a healthier lifestyle is heartwarming. In his interview he speaks about the hardships at the start of his detox and how it gradually become easier until this just became his routine. Hearing about success stories like this fills me with hope and confidence. Honestly, it is hard sometimes to get up at 7am for a 9am lecture and make a pint of juice, wash the juicer and get myself out of the door on time for the over-packed bus. But it is rays of light this that really keep me going on my journey. Im not quite fully intergrated with my juicing as much as I would like to be, but I am surely on my way.

Here is the link for the interview :)

http://juicing-for-health.com/joy-of-juicing/juice-fasting/juice-fasting-testimonies/70day-green-juice-cleanse-with-jeff.html

Victory - Mind over Matter !

I have just completed my first ever 30 day juicing challenge! It really does feel great!. Though there were some difficult days when the juice recipes were not exactly to my taste but you'll never know if you like something if you don't give it a go! 

Here are some of the last few juices I had

Apple, Red Cabbage and Lime 

Cucumber, Pear, Lemon, Carrot, Apple and Ginger 

Beetroot, Carrot and Apple 

This has been a fantastic experience for me and I'm sure for my flatmate too. My eyes have been opened to the wonders and tastes of different vegetable and fruit combinations. My all time favorite, well from the recipes I tired on this challenge, was apple, cabbage and lime. This one is tangy and sweet, surprisingly from the cabbage. This is a vegetable that I would never have chosen to put through my juicer in the morning, but it has proven to be most tasty! 

Mental Health 

Now, I am no expert on this field, or in fact any field of mental health, but I can certainly comment on my own experience which of course will be different from every single one of your's. I began this journey somewhat skeptical about the effects this juicing malarky would have on me, if any. I have read many reports, articles and books which all say that this is a great way to boost your mental clarity, health and general well-being. To begin with I only experienced mild effects, I was able to wake up more easily in the morning without the dread of the day ahead - we all know that feeling, and what a pleasure it was to get rid of it! As the weeks went on I found myself concentrating better in all of my lectures, even the 9am's! I can think more clearly and with more logic. I guess as well I was sleeping much better which is always a bonus. But I'm sure some of you will be saying "Well surely you can concentrate better because you are sleeping better, not because of the juice!! ". I definitely see where you are coming from, as a psychology student I know all too well how naturally it comes to question almost everything we come across in life, we are human at the end of the day - its natural! But I can say personally I believe that the juicing in the morning helped me to expend my energy better throughout the day, concentrate and actually pay attention - steadying my mind, proving a space to think logically and to rest peacefully at night. What a joy it is to place my head on the pillow and not have thoughts racing around in my mind! 

Physical Health 

100% more energy! Absolutely a great addition to my life! That is all there is to say on the matter - more energy more enthusiasm to do stuff - more dedication to go the gym! 

If any of you are considering giving this a go - DO IT! Just remember, if you have any health issues or worried talk to your GP first as they will be able to guide you and provide the relevant support than I obviously can't! 

This is not to say that it is goodbye, there are many more posts to come about new research in the area, health psychology, positive psychology and RAW FOODS! 

Happy Juicing 

Juice Challenge Cont....... Bit late!!

Hi everyone!

I have been a tad neglectful these past few, well 5 or so days on keeping you updated on the juices I'm having and how they are tasting!

So these are the ones I had for the remainder of week one of the challenge;

below we have a lovely carrot, apple ginger and lemon. I have to say this one was particularly refreshing definitely setting me up for a long day at uni!

The following day featured carrots (AGAIN!) celery and apples.

starting week two I didn't manage to get to the supermarket in time to pick up my fruits and veggie so instead I had a recipe from week one - same as the one above in fact.

WEEK 2 - this was such a lovely juice, and had ingredients I had never had in my juice before. I have to say the purple cabbage gave such a lovely flavour if not the best combo I have had so far!

and of course it was a beautiful colour!!

This mornings juice was NOT a lovely colour, it was a sludgy brown shade, but it did still taste good. The recipe for this one was;

1 cucumber
1 pear
1 apple
1 lemon
3 handfuls of spinach
1 thumb of ginger

Delicious even if it wasn't easy n the eyes!

#4 and 5#

I was really busy yesterday finishing off my essays for uni so I didn't get a chance to post my juice challenge pictures up here,
But, better late than never. :)
On day 4 the recipe was;

- apple 2 apples
- celery 4 stalks
- carrot  3 carrots

I have to say I wasn't too keen on this one, there was a lot of celery and it was just a bit too peppery for me. Nonetheless, I still felt great afterwards. It looks pretty though, sort of like a sunset.

day 5 juice was much better;

- carrot 7

- apple 2

- lemon 1

- ginger 1 thumb 

This one was great, really refreshing with the lemon but warming with the ginger. 

So far Im really enjoying the juice challenge, I am feeling very alert and more able to focus. 

Also I would recommend this juice book - Reboot with Joe,  its by the guy on Fat, Sick and Nearly dead if anyone has seen that, if not I would recommend that you watch it!  Really inspiring stuff. 

Juice on the go!

So this morning I decided to snooze my alarm for 30 minutes!! BAD IDEA! This left me rushing to get out of the house for work, which was a crazy 12 hour shift !
No picture of my juice today but the ingredients were;

- 2 pears
- 1 small beetroot
- 1 medium carrot
- thumb of ginger

I found this one to be extra filling which was just what I needed for my long day! Plus it was pretty cold out there today and so the ginger put a warmth in my tummy !

Not my juice, but still a lovely picture anyway - one that should get you inspired to join the juicing bandwagon !!

Natural Nightcap

After doing my workout later than I had hoped today I felt a little too alert to be falling asleep. So after an hour or so of writing my uni notes I still wasn't feeling any sleepier !  Then it occurred to me, there must be a juice for this! I logged onto www.juicerecipies.com (great website by the way) to find the sweetly named 'Sleepy time Juice'. The original recipe was simply celery and honey, though from my past experience I am not too keen on celery on it's own and so I added a couple of a bit overly ripe pears.
Honestly, I didn't think it would be so delicious ! I'm sipping it now as I type and, my gosh is it relaxing. It has a creamy texture from the pears and a lovely sweetness from the honey.
If you, like myself, are struggling to sleep or aren't really that tired when you want to go to sleep then why not give this a try?
Here is the recipe;

4 celery stalks,
2 pears
1 teaspoon of honey

Juice the celery and pears, then stir in the honey :)

Going Green

Today I had a delicious green juice. To make this juice you will need:

- 1/4 cucumber
- 2 pears
- 1 orange
- 1 stick of celery
- 6 romaine lettuce leaves

Juice everything , give it a good stir and ENJOY!!

Where has all the juice gone?

For the past 3 days I have not had my daily morning pint of juice and I have to say I have definitely tell!? My mood isn't as bouncy and my energy levels are somewhat diminished.   most of the research done on juicing which is all mainly based on self report, has shown that it increases energy levels immediately,  I can absolutely agree. I feel like I m missing that morning kick, that enviable buzz that gets me going in the early hours.
Though im pleased to say that my juice journey will be back on track this coming week as it is time for a much needed food shop. i have been reading about celery juice recently and its benifits which appear to be related to reducing inflammation and water retention. It also has lots of B vitamins which many of us are lacking in. These are great for getting your calcium without eating too much dairy.
If you want to find out more about the benefits of celery take a look on this page, it has some really great, easy to read info

  http://juicing-for-health.com/basic-nutrition/healing-vegetables/health-benefits-of-celery.html

My Kit

I realized that it would probably be a good idea for me to share with you what kind of juicer I have and how it works. 
This is the one I have - its made by Heston Blumenthal's range of kitchen products and is really great!
It really does get ALL of the juice out of whatever you pop in. I think the best thing about this one is that the shoot is really wide so when your making it early in the morning you don't have to worry too much about chopping your veg up too much. It's also very fast taking only a few minutes to make about a pint of juice! 
There are lots of different types of juicers from the more basic citrus juicers to the centrifugal juicers which I think are the most technical though still simple to use.

The only thing with using the juicer is that it is really important to clean it straight away after use otherwise you end up with the pulp getting everywhere!

If anyone is interested in the types of juicers then there is some pretty good info at this page  >>> http://www.harvestessentials.com/whatjuicisri.html

If you do decide to buy a juicer it doesn't have to be the most expensive one but it is a good piece of kit to invest in if you are going to be using it on a regular basis.

Also, I found this article in the telegraph online which has some good info on why juicing is beneficial and a link to a documentary which I think everyone needs to watch !!  

>>>>> http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG10162603/The-real-benefits-of-juicing.html

The Journey Begins

I have recently got my hands on my very own juicer thanks to my lovely parents who gave this to me as a gift for my recent 22nd birthday! 
I was introduced to raw juicing by my Dad who seems to have had a nutritional revolution over the past year or so. He is very much into the vegetable juice, which i'm told is the best kind, particularly the green juices. I have been given this great opportunity to start my own juicing journey and hopefully find my way to a clearer more attentive mind, which, lets face it, everyone seems to want these days! 
So, I am inviting you to share this experience with me, through the nice and the nasty. Not only is this a discovery of health but also of food and the different ways that you can enjoy it and use it! Flavour combinations are sure to be outrageous and exciting! 
But lets start as we mean to go on with a picture of my very first juice I made with my very own juicer !