The Scoop on Poop

Juicing is a great way to help with a complete body cleanse. Fresh Juices supply us with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and enzymes in a way that is easily and quickly absorbed. This provides tremendous support to our major detoxification organs – the liver, kidneys and colon. Before starting any kind of detox method we must ensure that the colon is functioning properly. Many of the toxins that are released during whole body cleansing are transported from the liver to the colon to be eliminated. If we are not having a bowel movement at least once a day we will reabsorb a lot of the toxins back into the bloodstream. Some health experts even believe that we should have one bowel movement for every meal we eat. If we eat three meals a day, we should poop three times a day.

Colon Health:
1) The most important thing we can do for the colon is to eat plenty of fiber daily. We should cut out refined grains and swap them for whole grains, eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, include nuts, seeds and legumes in our diet. This will help bulk up the feces and move it through. Taking psyllium husks is also highly recommended to help with elimination.

2) Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day, the colon will slow down if we get dehydrated.

3) Seriously cut back on sugar. I recommend only eating sugar which comes naturally in fruits and vegetables. White sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and other forms of added sugar feed undesirable intestinal bacteria, such as candida. This can play havoc with digesting and eliminating food, causing problems like IBS, constipation, diarrhea, allergies, infections and an under functioning immune system.

4) Clearing out old fecal matter is another important step in colon health. Unless we have been eating a pure diet all our lives or have already undertaken some strong colon cleansing methods, we will almost certainly have old feces hanging out in the colon. Yes, this is true, as unpleasant and unhealthy as it sounds! However, there are herbs we can take that help to shift this old fecal matter, improve peristalsis and help re-lubricate the colon wall. Look for herbal supplements that contain any or all of these herbs – Ginger Root, Fennel, Termianlia Cherbula, Cape Aloe, Senna, Barberry Rootbark, and Barberry Rootbark. A good quality Aloe Vera gel or juice is also beneficial for shifting old fecal matter.

5) Exercising is one of the best gifts you give to your colon health. Thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least three time a week really helps keep the bowel moving. Yoga and Tai Chi are also great and help with digestion.

Hi folks, Karen here.

Due to a small family get-away, bad eating and a busy work week I've not been been juicing. However things are back to normal, I'm juicing again and let me tell you, I've definitely noticed a difference in the way my body feels when I'm not eating well vs getting all my fruits and veggies.

Celery is still a tough one for me to get down, I still hate it.
Pineapple is amazing but must be regulated as it's really sweet.

New development...

Mike purchased a very inexpensive workout machine for father's day. We both will be using it, I'll keep you updated on how that's going.

until next time.
Happy Juicing :)

Wide Awake

It's almost 2am and I'm still wound up from work. Perfect time to write a post.

The past week was quite hectic with 4 work nights, and fun and field day at the kids' school, scouts and activity days and a couple of days off with Mike. I didn't make the best food choices during that time but it wasn't too bad.

This week has gone well, I ate my fruit and veggies today and enjoyed some yummy balanced meals. So I'm aiming to stick with it.

By the way... I had to tighten my belt another notch :-D

Things That Make You Go...Hmm

Out of curiosity (and the need to tighten a notch on my belt) I stepped on the scale yesterday. It said I have lost 2 pounds, which I believe is water weight. Not to shabby :)

Here's an interesting observation. I wasn't home much yesterday and didn't drink any juices and by the evening I was really bloated and sluggish. Pretty strange don't you think?

This morning things seem to be back on track but I definitely plan on getting all the required servings of fruit and vegetables today.

I suspect my body is in worse shape than I first thought :(
And I have a long way to go to reaching my ideal weight :(

*SIGH* Well maybe a nice morning walk will help my metabolism get going.

Juicing and It's Benefits

Juicing is not a new dietary fad. For many thousands of years people have been making their own fruit juices and experiencing the numerous benefits from it. Nowadays, with the increasing rise in obesity, heart disease and cancer, there has never been a more appropriate time to consume more fruit and vegetables in the diet. If you remember those television adverts of old for the Jack Lalanne Juicer you will only be too aware of the many benefits of juicing.

Drinking juices allow you to easily meet the daily recommendations of fruit and vegetable intake. The center for Disease Control recommends consuming five to nine servings of fresh fruit and vegetables per day. Juicing is a refreshing and easy way to achieve this.

All the nutrients are easily absorbed. In many fruit and vegetable the important enzymes, phytochemicals and vitamins are trapped within the fibrous elements and cannot be broken down and absorbed by the body. Juicing breaks apart the cell walls releasing all these valuable nutrients making them quickly available to the body, often within as little as fifteen minutes.

Saving the bodies energy: Juice does not have to be digested a great deal by the body, just absorbed. This allows the body to conserve energy and use it for processes such as healing, fighting infections or detoxification. The juices are also a great source of water, keeping the body adequately hydrated. The alkalinity of the body is also maintained with these juices.

Toxin cleansing: Juices can assist in the cleansing of the body, Juices, especially fruit juice recipes have a laxative effect and so can assist with the transit of toxins through the body and their expulsion. Cleansing helps maintain the bodies metabolism and helps them work much more efficiently.

Life force: Many plants contain a life force which is their antioxidant powers. When vegetables are processed a lot of these antioxidants are lost. These chemicals are important for fighting free radicals in the body which can cause cell damage, leading to aging and diseases such as cancer.

Contains chlorophyll: This chemical is responsible for giving plants their color. When absorbed into the body it can encourage the production of hemoglobin which in turn increases the bodies ability to transport and deliver oxygen to the cells.

There are many benefits to regularly drinking juices. Not only do they help increase the efficiency of the body they play a role in reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Really?! This soon?!

I know it's only been about 3 days but i have to say I'm feeling pretty good. Just from adding more fruits and veggies, cutting out hot chocolate and drinking more water I already notice a change. I'm not bloated or sluggish and I actually felt rested when I woke up this morning. I don't think it's in my mind because I wasn't expecting to feel different this early on.

Example of previous daily diet:

healthy choices
0 servings of fruit (yes that's right, shameful I know)
1-2 servings of vegetables
0 - glasses of water
1 balanced meal - dinner

unhealthy choices
1-2 cups of hot chocolate ( made with milk)
lots of slices of bread w/butter
ice-cream



Example of modified daily diet:

healthy choices
2-3 servings of fruit (big accomplishment)
4 servings of vegetables
2 - glasses of water (I need to increase this amount)
2 balanced meals - lunch and dinner

unhealthy choices
eliminated - except for small treat in the evening


At this point I don't think I've lost any fat but definitely water weight. I'm not as hungry during the day. When I do feel hungry I juice some fruit or veggies and it stops the hunger pains.

well, that's how things are going right now. I'll check in again soon.

3 Great Vegetables for a Healthy Heart.

Juicing vegetables is a superb way to get heart healthy nutrients. Which vegetables are best for fighting heart disease? Researchers has shown these 3 vegetables have wonderful benefits for your heart and arteries:

SPINACH

Spinach contains vitamin C and vitamin A (beta-carotene). These are two important antioxidants that disarm free radicals that can attack artery walls. Vitamin C is a water soluble nutrient and beta-carotene is fat soluble. Together they provide a powerful combination that can prevent cholesterol from oxidation. Spinach also contains potassium and magnesium. These two minerals are essential for the proper regulation of the heart muscle. Therefore, potassium and magnesium can lower blood pressure.

Spinach also contains the nutrient folic acid (folate). Folic acid is needed to lower the blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine. High blood levels of homocysteine is a powerful factor for the development of heart disease. Folic Acid’s job is to change homocysteine into harmless molecules.

Further more, spinach contains something called peptides which are components of proteins. In a study by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry animals where given 20 – 30 mg of the peptides per kilogram of body weight per day. This actually lowered their blood pressure in as a little as two to four hours after consumption. So it is very possible it would have the same effect for us.

BROCCOLI
Broccoli contains good amounts of the cardio-protective vitamin C and vitamin A (see spinach above for benefits). Broccoli also contains sulforaphane, a phytochemical that can protect the heart. It appears that sulforaphane “tells the body” to release a protein called thioredoxin. According to researchers at the University of Connecticut, thioredoxin protects the heart from cell damage.

Juicer recipes idea: Juice the florets and the stalks to get maximum nutrition benefits. Also the stalk contains more juice than the florets.

TOMATOES
Tomatoes contain a plant chemical called lycopene which is responsible for its vibrant red color. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant which protects the tomato from the harmful effects of heat and light from the sun. Lycopene is equally powerful at protecting our arteries from cellular damage. In a recent study from Harvard women taking lycopene were 50% less likely to develop heart disease over a five year period. Furthermore, lycopene is considered to have beneficial effects on blood pressure.

Juicer recipes idea: You can use the left over pulp from your tomato juice to make soups or salsa.

A Busy Saturday

Today I mowed the lawn and cleaned the bathrooms, later I have to work. I'll call it my exercise for the day but I really must figure out an exercise schedule. Maybe yt body will have more energy as I continue to juice.