Half way there!

Im now half way through my juicing challenge and im feeling great! Im up every morning to make the juice for my flatmate and I.
I am feeling very much alert and able to focus on my work. Also when I am going to the gym I seem to have much more stamina. Not only that but I am feeling lighter and fresher than ever before!

I cant stress enough how great this experience has been so far and I am very much looking forward to the next part of my journey.

Here are some photos of a few of my juices from the past few days

This one (above) was the first of week 3 - apples, carrots, beets, celery and ginger! I love the rainbow colours in the jug before i mixed it all together! What a lovely sight first thing in the morning! 

not only have I been juicing but I have discovered what is possibly my new favorite smoothie recipe - banana, peanut butter, hazelnut milk and spinach! (above)

I hope you are all enjoying the recipes that have come up so far - I know I have!

I have also recently ordered this book >>>

Jason vale is the guy from the documentary "fat sick and nearly dead" that I keep banging on about!! 

you can get your own copy here >> 

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Juice-Master-Keeping-Simple-Delicious/dp/0007225172/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1390339697&sr=8-4&keywords=jason+vale

Vegetables

Today I was greeted by a bag of free fresh veg at my front door on my way home from volunteering. It genuinely made my day! There was beetroots, swede, carrots, cabbage, potatoes and onions! I couldn't believe it.
On the subject of vegetables, I think that it is really important to know why they are so good for you. I have been very lucky in that my Dad is passionate about health and living well so I have to say I am well aware of their benefits.
But, I find that with many people that I encounter seem to have little knowledge about this at all. My personal opinion is that this is probably because there are no educational schemes available in schools really, which if I had my way would be the first thing to change!
Anyway, the point is that it is important, in my eyes at least, to have some knowledge and understanding about the food you are putting in your body and what it is, or isn't, going to do for you!
Take vegetables, they have no cholesterol, heaps of vitamins and minerals and practically no bad calories! Not to mention the fiber you get from them. Plus by eating vegetables, as part of a balanced diet of course, you actually feel fuller for longer (not quoting Marks and Spencer here!) because you aren't eating empty calories like crisps and other snacks!

Rant over, but seriously, if you want to look after your body and enjoy a better, healthier life then take time to educate yourself on food, we can't rely on anybody else!

More on Mental Health

Moving away from juice for the moment, mainly because I haven't been shopping yet so have nothing to juice! But now towards the mental health aspect.
I have recently started volunteering at an allotment project with people who use the services on offer from Mind (http://www.springfieldmind.org.uk/index-2.php) - mental health charity.
I can honestly say I had the best time! I woke early on Tuesday morning to torrential rain and automatically had doubts. But as we arrived at the space the clouds left and the sun came out.  Because of the time of year the jobs that needed to be done were the ones that no one really wants to do! But I paired up with a lovely lady who suffers with learning disabilities and she chatted away to me for the couple of hours about her family and the old library in Leamington. I have to say being out in the open air is not only good for their minds but mine too! As I walked back to the flat I felt a great sense of contentment something similar to what you would achieve through meditation I imagine.
So, if I have learnt anything so far its to get outside! Enjoy the British weather whether its rain or shine.

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