Just Juice: Beginner Basics

Yesterday I was trying to explain to my sister and a couple friends the difference between green juice and smoothies. I'm still a beginner at the whole juicing thing. My Omega juicer is a baby (so shiny and pretty) but I've figured out the basics. My sister is a very (very) busy mom who's experience with juicing in the past was one of a lot more work and mess than it was really worth. 

It can seem overwhelming at first. How do you put the juicer together? How should you cut the produce? Is there a special order to put them in? Won't it be a pain to clean up? This afternoon I photographed my daily juice making session. Hopefully this shows how easy it can be!

Today's juice was very simple. I used Cucumber and Celery as my base. You want to use a larger amount of those because they give the most juice. Spinach, Carrot and Ginger were added. I figured out with my juicer that I have to save some pieces of Carrot or Celery to put through after the Spinach to get the last of the leaves through.  It's little things like this that you figure out pretty quickly. 

The pulp comes out the end into it's designated container and the juice fills the other container. These came with the juicer so you don't need anything extra other than a glass to drink the deliciousness out of.

                                       

Eventually I may get a dehydrator so I can make crackers out of the pulp. Don't laugh. Over at Choosing Raw I see the amazing things that can happen with the leftover pulp(Juice Pulp Crackers). I've found some recipes for vegeburgers that use the pulp as well depending on which vegetables were used. You probably don't want Ginger pulp in your burger. Or maybe you do...I won't judge.

I put the five parts into a bowl to soak in the sink while I drink my juice. The cleanup is really not time consuming at all. I admit I was worried about it after seeing the huge mess and cleanup from juicers in the past.

                                   

 I like to add my chlorella powder for extra green nutrition, lemon juice and a little stevia.

Everything is a little better out of a wine glass don't you think?

Lest you think I've got this all down to an art form: behold the big green spill! It can be tricky to pour from the plastic bowl into the drinking glass when it's nearly overflowing with juice.  

So there you have it! Juicing doesn't have to involve a ton of scary vegetables. It doesn't have to take up a huge portion of your day to make and clean up. If I wash and cut my ingredients ahead of time it's even faster. I've found a lot of resources online for juicing ideas and facts. Explore on your own or check out a few I've enjoyed:

Choosing Raw : Gena maintains a beautiful website full of recipes and nutritional advice. Check out her Recipage for lots of great ideas.

Kris Carr : You may have heard of her Crazy Sexy Cancer documentary or seen her book Crazy Sexy Diet. This is one energetic woman who took control of her health and now inspires others to do the same.

The Wellness Warrior : Jessica is another woman who leads by example and is a source of continual inspiration and advice. She too had a cancer diagnosis that turned her life around. 

The Juice Nut : This site is more informational about juicing in general. A good extra site to bookmark.

Do you have any good recipes or general juicing advice for me? I'm still such a beginner! I'd love other tips to help me on my way. Please share!

Weird Ways to Cheer Up

I have bad days. I've always had bad days. What? You too? Do you sometimes find yourself in a mid afternoon pit full of bad attitude and negative self talk? You DO?? What do you do to get yourself out of such a rut? I've been known to stay down there for days. Today was headed in that deep dark direction. Who am I kidding, I was sitting down there "hiding in my clothes" as Rob would say (this is when I wear a big hoodie and sweats and keep the hood on even indoors). Poor Rob finally convinced grinchy me to leave with him. He wanted vegan ice cream from our local little shop, Scoops, and by golly he was not going to be talked out of it. Grumbling and complaining the whole way, I was digging for quarters to feed the meter when Rob changed my life with these words "Hey, that's Weird Al". Yes folks, I confess I know most of the words to "Like a Surgeon" and "Yoda". I still quote the Movie "UHF" all the time. In other words, I love Weird Al and I was about to stand in line behind him and order my vegan treat with shaky hands trying not to stare. I wanted so badly to say something like "ohhhh, red snapper...very tasty!" but I'd tortured Rob enough for the day. So I just kept stealing glances until he left. Thank you Weird Al Yankovic for turning this girl's day around yet again. 

I have a few other weird ways to cheer myself up and as long as I'm confessing I might as well share!

~ I hang upside down off the edge of the bed or I warm up with some yoga and do a headstand. Turn that frown upside down, literally.

~ Go to Goodwill and search for the most interesting thing I can buy for under five dollars. Usually I leave with nothing but I've forgotten my troubles during the search.

~ Organize a closet/drawer/file/corner. Cleaning and organizing cheer me up. Don't judge.

~ Listen to an upbeat podcast like The Nerdist or The Ronna and Beverly Show.

~ I text or email a friend I haven't heard from in a few days to see how THEY are doing thereby taking my attention off of myself. 

~ I pin pictures of pretty places. It always gets me dreaming of adventure. 

~ Read inspiring blogs like The Wellness Warrior, The Angry Therapist, Mindful or Brooklyn to Mars.

Honestly, sometimes none of these things or anything else works and then I just try to have compassion for myself where I'm at until I can find my way out again. The worst thing I can do is berate myself for not being able to shake the depression. As my best friend, Jill, would say "It's okay to just feel your feelings". The last time I reached out to her as I often do during a rough patch, she very smartly told me to have good cry, take a bubble bath and make some tea. By the time I finished following her instructions, I felt better. 

What do YOU do to boost your mood?  Please share!  

Podcast Linktacular

artist Brian Despain

I listen to podcasts more than actual music these days. It all started with This American Life. Radiolab soon followed, and before I knew it I was addicted to more than a handful. I hike almost every day and if Rob isn't here, my hiking partners are the podcasts carefully selected for "Today". Yep, that's a special folder on my iPhone specifically for the podcasts designated for, you guessed it, today. It's a new level of geekery that I'm not embarrassed about and excited to share! I fully believe there is a podcast out there for everyone. Here are a few that fit me just right:

When I want to think and learn:

This American Life
Radiolab
Freakonomics
Stuff Mom Never Told You
A Way With Words
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me

When I want to laugh:

The Ronna and Beverly Show
The Smartest Man in the World


When I just want to hear other people talk about stuff:

The Nerdist
Bullseye
Sound Opinions
Ask Me Another

All of these are free in Itunes.  Did you hear that? I said FREE ENTERTAINMENT that leaves your eyeballs to do other useful things! It's radio the way it should be people and it's better than whatever channel surfing you've been doing. If you have favorite podcasts PLEASE PLEASE comment and tell me what they are. Even you, stranger who stumbled upon this blog accidently at four in the morning...I want to know what podcasts you love the most!  

seeing sun spots

don't let the smiles fool you.
we're suffering from a severe case of heat exhaustion 

This post was going to be about how hot it's been and how I'm officially sick of being overly warm all day and all night. I was going to talk about how I have spent the last few years wishing for that hot summer feeling when a girl (or a boy) can wear a sundress and flip flops all day and not even feel the tiniest chill. A summer that has you pulling the shades all day to keep your un-airconditioned apartment from slowly cooking you alive. I've been hankering for days of doing nothing but sipping iced drinks and laying on a blanket in the park for hours. I thought I'd write about how mother nature has once again taught me a little lesson: be careful what you wish for...

Instead I'm going to distract myself with things that pass the time until that cursed orb tucks itself behind the Santa Monica Mountains.  And while I'm at it, I might as well share!


The Oatmeal

Van Life

Cracked

Brain Pickings

Environmental Graffiti

The Cool Hunter


Those should keep you busy for a while, but I have plenty more where those came from so let me know if you have even more time to kill! As for me, I'll be googling things like how to treat my brand spanking new heat rash...or is it a hot new spanking rash? I can't keep track these days.