Tag: juice

Earth Day Comp: Win Stylish Grip & Go Glass Bottles & Let’s Ditch the Plastic!

[ Thank you for visiting, this competition is now closed, but please do read the post anyway…]

Today is Earth Day and to celebrate our amazing planet, I am holding a competition to win a generous giveaway of 2 prizes of not one, not two, but THREE Grip and Go glass bottles! And that’s not all…

Many of you have admired my Grip and Go bottles that I use for storing nut milk and now you have a chance to win your own, thanks to their kind donation of some fabulously stylish bottles – plus an added extra…

But first, there’s a condition:

You have to Read ‘The Science Bit’!

We have all seen the warnings in the media about the piles of plastic clogging up our oceans, littering our hedgerows and harming wildlife. We read the articles and watch the news heralding predictions that there will be more plastic than fish in our seas by 2050 – whilst sipping from our plastic water bottles, popping the plastic takeaway box in the microwave and wrapping leftovers in clingfilm.

It is hard to contemplate a world without plastic, we have grown so used to it in every aspect of our daily lives.

But its production and disposal is choking our planet and harming our health, with chemicals leaching into our food and water, potentially causing cancer, hormone disruption and asthma in children.

Plastic water bottles are a huge contributor to these problems.

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Warm Weather and Plastic Water Bottles

How many of us carry plastic water bottles in the car and leave them there in the sun, often for several days?

Chemicals from the plastic are slowly leaching into the water as the plastic warms up:

  • Antimony (causes chronic health conditions, including diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach ulcers)
  • Bromine (causes irritation to skin and mucous membranes)
  • Endocrine Disrupters affecting hormones, thyroid function etc.
  • Cancer-causing agents 
  • Phthalates used as plastic softeners, associated with asthma in children.

Those plastic bottles will already be old by the time you buy them, having travelled halfway around the globe before you put them in your supermarket trolley, transport them in your warm car and store them in your warm home.

Some well-documented statistics about plastic bottles:

  • In the US, 50 Billion plastic bottles are bought every year and 80% of them end up in landfill.
  • More than 60 Million plastic bottles are thrown away every day in the US alone.
  • Just 1 plastic bottle takes 450 years to completely break down – that’s 25 generations!
  • 17 million barrels of oil are used every year in their production.
  • Bottled water costs 1,000 times more than tap water.

…

  • In the UK, as of 2007, an estimated 13 Billion plastic bottles of water were sold of which only 3 Billion were recycled.
  • The UK consumes 3 Billion litres of bottled water per year.
  • Despite the UK bottled water industry using increasing amounts of recycled plastic, it still creates a huge waste problem from discarded bottles which litter our hedgerows, streets and streams and often end up in the sea via our rivers.

…

  • 1 refuse truck worth of plastic is dumped into the sea every minute and it is getting worse.
  • The Eastern Garbage Patch is an area of ocean 6 times the size of England and is the world’s largest refuse dump.

…

  • Last year, a report by The Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced that by 2050 there will likely be more plastic than fish in the sea.
  • Their research found more than 5 Trillion pieces of plastic floating in the seas, many just 5 mm across making it easy for sea life to ingest.
  • Toxic chemicals leached from the plastic when it breaks down may be ingested by sea life and end up in the human food chain.

…

Here’s one solution:

Reuseable Glass Bottles!

Grip and Go have very generously supplied 6 of their stylish, leakproof, dishwasher-safe glass bottles as prizes in our competition.

350 mls.                    500 mls.                        1 Litre.

There will be two prizes of three bottles each, one prize to be won on Facebook, one on Twitter. You can even choose the colours!

But that’s not all!

In addition to the bottles, there will also be two Double-walled Insulated Travel Mugs, one to go with each prize.

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This is a fantastic prize.

All you have to do is Like and Follow Grip & Go on Facebook and/or Twitter (@gripandgouk) for a chance to win these gorgeous bottles.

The competition will run from Mid-day Friday, 22nd April, 2016 and end at Midnight on Friday, 29th April, 2016.

Winners will be chosen at random.

(NB Apologies to all non-UK residents: due to the nature and weight of the prize, unfortunately this competition is only open to UK-based followers).

Just click on the link below to go to their web site, have a look at the bottles and travel mugs, decide which colours you’d like, click on their Twitter and Facebook links, Like And Follow using #earthdaycomp.

Like and Follow. #earthdaycomp. Easy-Peasy!

Good Luck!

Grip and Go

Twitter: @gripandgouk

Grip and Go Facebook link

Sources:

 Treehugger

Ban the Bottle

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation

The Guardian

Io9 We Come From The Future

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Post 5lbs in 5 Days Juice Challenge: Peace, Paris-Roubaix & Pesto!

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I was thoroughly spoiled yesterday with beautiful flowers from both my mum and my grand-daughter.

It’s Sunday evening and what a contrast to yesterday! After a busy Saturday with family, today I was on my own. The sun was streaming through the windows, I’d lost another 1lb to add to the 5 yesterday and there would be 6 hours of cycling on the telly! I was in seventh heaven.

Our resident blackbird woke me with a virtuoso performance and I began the day as usual with an invigorating ginger shot. This was followed by a tiger nut milk, banana, blueberry and chia smoothie, with a green juice for lunch invented by my husband so I can’t tell you the recipe, he likes to keep me guessing! 

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Then came an afternoon of peace and quiet and Paris-Roubaix, one of, if not *the*, most exciting cycle races on the calendar.

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Team Sky bossing it on the cobbles!

My son and I were texting throughout as he kept losing pictures and I lagged behind due to phone interruptions – imagine, don’t they know!

Despite feeling the effects of a day with a two year old and a few days with an 85 year old, I feel really well from the juicing. Even Mum, who worries about me losing too much weight, said I looked good. It was an extra bonus to have a relaxing day doing what I enjoy and sharing it with my bike-mad son. At one stage I may have been guilty of  commentator’s curse when the Sky guys started going down like skittles after I posted that picture!

Dinner was a huge salad with home-made basil and walnut pesto, thrown together to use up the basil from the juicing.

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I feel full and satisfied and calm. I have a juice in the fridge for later if I need it.

Today was just perfect.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days: Results & Final Thoughts

Just a quick post to finish off the juice challenge.  Had a really busy day with my 85 year old mum, my son and my two year old fireball grand-daughter. We are all exhausted – my mum is unused to so much activity, my son is sleep-deprived from a teething baby and had driven the hour and a half to our house, my husband has been preparing house and food all week for the visits as well as driving Mum around,  while our grand-daughter was here, there and everywhere, chatting and playing, completely oblivious to our yawns! I must have read 7 books – most of them belonged to her dad and his sister, so have seen better days, but the oldies are the goodies, as they say…

Foodwise, family visits are never easy when you are doing a juice cleanse, but today was a breeze. My family are used to me juicing by now – my son and grand-daughter also juice regularly – and so I don’t get the pitying looks or the questions about my sanity when they are eating pizza and home-made chips with salad while I just have the salad with a juice.

The two year old is a joy to watch at mealtimes, she loves her food and eats a variety of vegetables, salad and fruit. Yes, she had pizza which she loves, but she also had raw veggies and hummus, delighting in everything she ate. This is because raw salad-stuff, veggies and fruit were introduced from the beginning when she started weaning, she has always chosen her foods and watched them being prepared and soon began helping. Likewise, my grandson used to eat red peppers like apples when he was two and would raid the fridge for raw broccoli!

Having had a blended juice for breakfast, I felt no temptation to eat pizza or chips for lunch. Juicing really does reset your taste buds. I was ready for solid food though, I really needed to chew, and I enjoyed the avocado salad immensely. We had also grown some mung bean sprouts in preparation for my first solid meal.

For ‘afters’ and snacks,  everyone was happy to eat raw treats that had been defrosted (they keep so well),  and both Mum – who doesn’t like anything non-traditional – and the two year old tucked in to Easter Coconut and Almond Truffles, Home-made Raw Chocolate Treats and Chilled Sweet Hemp Treats.

 (In case you were concerned, my husband, son and I managed to sneak the occasional look at the cycling Tour of the Basque country this afternoon! 😉).

But, to the business end of this cleanse: the results. My digestion is calmed, my tendency to snack – however healthily – is calmed,  I have more energy and my itchy skin has calmed down. Last year’s extensive rash has stayed away,* but occasionally I do have a tendency to itchy skin if I stray from what I know keeps me healthy. My left ear and sinus had been blocked for a few days before the cleanse but are completely clear now.

And yes, I lost 5 lbs. (Update: another 1lb gone next day!)

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I hope you gained the results you were looking for or that these posts have encouraged and inspired you to take a step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Celebrate your success and your resolve and Juice On!

*How I was Inspired to Juice My Skin Clear

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5lbs in 5 Days: Day 3 Boost Your Juice – Talking Supplements

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This was posted on Twitter yesterday by a fellow juicer!

How are you all doing? We’re halfway there and in a few hours you will be feeling alert and energised if you’re not already. And it’s Berry Banana Crunch Day!! Yum.

I had to give in to an afternoon nap yesterday. Afternoon and evening of the second day are always the most trying for me anyway, but it didn’t help that there was a party going on at our neighbours’ house the previous evening and when I finally did get to sleep, I was woken up in the early hours and couldn’t drop off again. So I gave in and felt much better for it.

Wednesday Wisdom

I hope by now any headache is starting to abate. Are you keeping hydrated?

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I particularly like Pukka Organic Teas, my favourite is licorice and cinnamon but I also enjoy lemon, ginger and manuka honey. I drink a lot of warm water but it feels good to wrap your hands around a mug of tea and feel the stimulating flavours doing their work.

Now we’re on our third day, it’s time to think about supplementing your juices for added benefits. Hopefully by now most of the ‘elimination’ is done and it’s a good idea to start taking probiotics. The live yogurt in today’s Berry Banana Crunch is a good start but then I will start taking a couple of Juicemaster Bacterial Cultures a day to repopulate the gut and intestinal tract with friendly bacteria, replacing what has been flushed out of the system – vital for a strong immune system and a healthy digestive system.

It’s also a good idea to add Spirulina, Chlorella or Wheatgrass powder to one juice a day. Now I know Spirulina is not to everyone’s taste, I absolutely hated it the first time I tried it! I am not usually one to give up at the first attempt so I tried several times, but it was just too vile. I swapped it with my son for his wheatgrass powder, which I find very pleasant.

However, last year I was ordering from the Juicemaster website and they had a special offer on a bundle of supplements, one of which was Spirulina. I wanted all the ones that came with it and it was cheaper to buy them all together so I decided to give it another try. This one is milder than the first brand I tried, but still an acquired taste. I can take it, but some people prefer to take Spirulina separately in a little apple juice rather than ‘ruin’ or ‘taint’ (their words) a large glass of juice.

They also sell Spirulina and Chlorella combined in tablet form if you prefer to take them that way.

Spirulina is a blue-green algae, chock full of vitamins – including B12 – minerals, essential oils, and is three-quarters protein while Wheatgrass is high in chlorophyll, an important bloodbuilder, and is a good source of dietary fibre as well as B vitamins and minerals.

Chlorella is good for boosting the metabolism and increasing energy.

Don’t overdo the green supplements: one type once a day in one juice.

Be sure you buy good quality – preferably organic – supplements if you choose to use them.

Supplements are often expensive and they are by no means essential, these are just the ones I use if you’re looking to boost your juice!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Juicing: How to Begin or Do As I Say, Not As I Did!

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Every year, like many others, I suffer from the post-Christmas slump. January 2014 was no different.

I felt blah. I needed to lose some weight. I had gained a stone (14lbs) in a year and I couldn’t shift it. I was fed up.

Then one Saturday morning, I was reading a Guardian supplement about getting out and doing something you hadn’t tried before. Usually, these kinds of suggestions are beyond my capabilities and often just too far out there! Bungee jumping? Afraid of heights. Ballroom dancing? Two left feet. Making ukeleles? No comment. As I was just about to put it down, my eye caught a tiny item on the sidebar about a juicing app.

I realised that it was Jason Vale’s 3lbs in 3 days juicing app* and read on with interest: my nephew, Shayan Scott,* was working as Associate Producer & Lighting Cameraman on Jason’s SuperJuiceMe! documentary about 8 people with chronic diseases juicing for 28 days.* It seemed serendipitous. I asked Shayan for advice on which juicer to buy.

He sent me a link for the Philips 1861 and off I went: ordered the juicer, bought the app, made a list, did the shopping, started the juice plan.

Except I shouldn’t have! Not like that anyway. 

Typically, I did it the hard way: no reading, no preparation, no juice buddy, just Jason’s app to guide me.

I wouldn’t recommend this approach to beginners. You are less likely to succeed: physically it is too much for your body to cope with and mentally you’re more likely to give up if you don’t understand the process. I learned that easing into it is definitely the best way to go: gradually cutting out the processed, sugary and fatty foods, coffee, alcohol etc., while introducing more fruit, veg and salad. But I am an all or nothing type so in I jumped!

I did, however, have a relatively healthy diet beforehand: I didn’t drink coffee or smoke, rarely drank alcohol, rarely ate junk food, though I was partial to an occasional pack of crisps and slice of pizza. No sugary drinks or snacks. But I did have decades worth of pain medications.

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Daily Ginger Shot

So, Day 1 was a breeze. The morning Ginger Shot nearly took my head off but I loved it! I felt so proud of myself. I could do this.

By the night of Day 2, however, I thought I was going to die! My stomach felt like it was eating itself. This was not a promising beginning.

I now know that it was because I wasn’t drinking:  I should have been drinking water and herbal teas in addition to the juices. I also now have to accept what I had been ignoring for a long time: as much as I love pineapple, it doesn’t love me back. Some people are sensitive to it and I happen to be one of them.

If I had prepared properly, eg read one of Jason’s books or researched on the web, I would have saved myself a lot of discomfort.

But I am nothing if not determined and by lunch-time of Day 3 I knew I wasn’t about to die and I also knew I didn’t want to stop. I was starting to experience the ‘juicy high’.

So I bought Jason’s 5lbs in 5 Days app* and continued with that. It certainly delivered what it promised:

During that first week of juicing, I felt so energised and alert; my IBS and hiatus hernia symptoms were controlled, but best of all, after years of chronic insomnia, I could sleep. I also lost 8lbs. Since then, I haven’t had to use my inhaler for 4 years. My cholesterol was borderline before I began juicing, now it is well within the healthy range. Even the tinnitus was tamed.
I have gone on to lose 36lbs and have kept it off. (When my sister-in-law came to visit, she took a step back and said, ‘Look at you, you’re half of yourself!). My aches and pains also eased. I haven’t had a cold, cough or sinusitis (my bêtes noirs!) in 18 months.

(I became calmer too, my husband said I didn’t tell him off as much!)

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Before Juicing: Puffy, tired eyes, puffy face and double chin,  I’d put on over a stone (14 lbs) in a year

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6 months after I began juicing, no double chin and a healthy sparkle in my eyes

 

11 months on, it’s Christmas Day, I haven’t slept (too excited!), but that juicy glow and shiny sparkle are still there! 

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2 Years on, still keeping the weight off, still juicing. Happier and more confident.

My weight has now been stable since February, 2015, I lost 36lbs altogether. I don’t need to lose any more. I juice for health.

I have several of Jason’s books, all easy to read, down-to-earth, amusing and informative. His apps have invaluable daily coaching videos and easy recipes, they really get you motivated and fired up if you’re flagging due to withdrawal or lack of support.

I highly recommend reading one of them if you’re thinking of juicing, and especially before starting a juice ‘cleanse’.

Take the time to understand what you’re doing and why, make a commitment and you will succeed in transforming your health and outlook.

(See also my Page ‘Juicing Posts: Advice, Reviews, Tips & Tricks’ in the Menu at the top of this post)

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My 5lbs in 5 Days and 7lbs in 7 Days books are permanently on loan!

I do a juice plan every few months – often joining in with Jason’s seasonal Juice Challenges – I juice every day but also have smoothies, salads, stir-fries, soups, rice, pasta and quinoa meals. I even have (raw) chocolate! (There are lots of recipes, both savoury and sweet, in the Menu).

Juicing is not an all-or-nothing thing, you don’t have to do a full-on programme. If you only juice once a day, or do a juice-only-day once or twice a week or just juice whenever you have the time, you will reap the benefits. It is an excellent pick-me up at any time of the day.

If you need advice on choosing a juicer and blender, please see  Which Juicer?, My Family of Blenders and Retro Super Blend Review

Jason Vale, Joe Cross and Neil Martin* do guided Juice Challenges several times a year, check out their websites for details.

Finally, I can’t praise the juicing community enough. On Twitter, complete strangers acted as my personal cheerleaders and the following websites have invaluable resources:

*Juicemaster

*Reboot With Joe

*Neil Martin, Natural Juice Junkie

 http://www.beyondfit.co.uk/

*Shayan also filmed Jason’s coaching videos, find him here at: https://m.facebook.com/ShayanScottFilms

*Watch SuperJuiceMe! the Documentary for free and be inspired at: http://youtu.be/Aaxa7rxEbyk

Disclaimer: please consult your doctor before beginning a juice ‘cleanse’ or ‘fast’. This is just my personal experience of juicing.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Make Beetroot Your New Veg Friend! (Juice Recipes Included)

 

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The Red One – Recipe Below (along with details of where to buy the glass bottle)

When I was at school and had school dinners, they used to give us sliced boiled beetroot with shepherd’s pie once a week. It turned the mashed potato a blushing pink. In those days we ate what we were given, both at home and at school, there were no menu options. I loved school dinners and whilst I wasn’t a big fan of boiled beetroot, it was ok. I ate it. Then in my teens I started taking packed lunches and between then and 2 years ago, not another slice of beetroot passed my lips. We never had it at home and later when I had my own family, my husband didn’t like it so we just never bought it.

Juicing changed all that. When I came to have my first juice with beetroot in, I was somewhat apprehensive. To my surprise, I liked it and given all its nutritional benefits, beetroot became My New Veg Friend.

It is advisable when you first begin juicing to add some fruit, especially lemon and/or berries, even ginger, which I still do, I’m not that hardcore that I drink straight beetroot juice! It has a slightly earthy flavour which some people aren’t keen on, although some varieties are sweeter than others. This is reduced if you remove the skin, but of course you’ll also be removing vital nutrients.

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A welcome donation from our neighbour’s allotment

To my surprise, my previously juice-sceptic husband started having a daily beetroot juice too. I convinced him that it would help his blood pressure and now it has become part of his daily routine. And he doesn’t even drink it with a peg on his nose! He certainly feels healthier for it.

He gets regular exercise cleaning up after he’s made it too – for some reason, he always manages to get beetroot juice everywhere! So be warned, it stains, you’re advised to wear an apron and rubber gloves!

Just one of the many beetroot explosions in our kitchen, it even reached the ceiling once!

Beetroots are rich in iron, potassium, magnesium and folate, are anti-imflammatory, rich in anti-oxidants and are good for heart and blood health. They increase blood flow to the brain and improve exercise performance. Regular drinking of beetroot juice has been shown to reduce blood pressure.

Here’s one of the beetroot recipes we use – full of anti-oxidants, it is also anti-inflammatory, mineral-rich and has protein from the romaine leaves (see below for links to other beetroot juice recipes)*

The Red One

Ingredients

(Organic if possible)

1 Small or Half a Medium Beetroot – If organic and you’re used to beetroot, just chop the ends off, scrub well and leave the peel on

2-3 Medium Carrots, scrubbed

6 Romaine leaves, rinsed well

Thick Slice of Wax-Free Lemon – if organic, scrub and leave peel on, if not peel thinly leaving as much pith as possible.

Chunk of Ginger – size depending on whether or not you are used to the taste, it doesn’t want to be overpowering

2 Medium Apples

Half a Mango or Large Handful of Mixed Berries

Method

Juice all ingredients except Mango or Berries. Blend them into the juice, add ice.

(Beetroot is also a great tomato substitute: if you’re nightshade-sensitive and miss pasta or pizza sauce see my post Amazing Tomatoless Sauce)

*Winter Beetroot Wonder-Juice: Refreshing, Nutritious, Simple

Election Day Special Fruity Beetroot Juice

Blended Breakfast Beetroot Juice

Hot, Hot, Hot Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot & Ginger Juice!

Here’s one for beetroot soup:

Vegan, Gluten-Free Carrot, Beetroot & Basil Soup

and a burger recipe:

Nutty Bean & Beetroot Veggie Burgers with Quinoa & Redcurrants

You can even have beetroot in your porridge!

Pink Oats, Anyone?

The glass bottle in the photo is by Grip and Go UK. They produce a variety of stylish glass bottles in quirky shapes, some with colourful silicone grips and easy grip lids, or you can choose stainless steel lids. The bottles are dishwasher-safe and you can even chalk on the one in the photo, great fun! Ditch the plastic!

Here’s a gentle, relaxing YouTube video of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (see what I did there? 😉) to listen to while you sip your juice.

 Copyright: Chris McGowan

Super Juicing Days 4 & 5: Beetroot & Snow!

Day 4 : Beetroot juice everywhere except in my tummy, and I was soooo hungry! Took us ages to clean up: after we took these photos, we lifted up the base to find red juice pouring out of the bottom like it had just had it’s jugular sliced!

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Tip No. 1 for today: Make sure you tighten the lid properly!!

(The juice, Anti-Oxidant King, was lovely by the way. Pineapple, beetroot, mixed berries, banana, apple, spinach. Yum).

No further surprises on Day 4, but the temperature was dropping and I know that for many, doing a juice cleanse in January is a real challenge.

Cycling to and from work every day in icy weather and working in cold conditions can cause a rethink. I am fortunate in that I am in a warm environment, but even I am sitting with a hot water bottle on my knee!

Lots of herbal and fruit teas and hot water can help, but if you really begin to suffer then transitioning to light soups is recommended. Jason Vale’s Soup’n’Juice me plan is a good place to start.*

Tip No. 2:  Try not to jump right back in to eating starchy, fatty meals. Your digestion will suffer. 

Day 5: Our first dusting of snow!

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It had begun to thaw by the time I took this. 

I am feeling good. No headaches at all this time. I am super-alert, my skin and hair look good and I also survived a visit to the dentist! I am keeping hydrated this time too. No cravings now. On Day 2 I would have given my right arm for an apple or some Brazil nuts – my usual morning snack!

After several juice cleanses, one thing I have learned is that I often can’t manage a whole serving of juice and I can’t go the full 3 hours between juices. So, if a juice is too much for me to consume all in one go, I divide them and have them more often, so every 2 hours or so rather than 3.

Tip No. 3: It is important to listen to your body.

I have lost another pound, making 3 so far. I am keeping an eye on my weight loss as I don’t need to lose any, having already lost 36lbs since I began juicing 2 years ago.

Tip No. 4:  if you want to do a juice cleanse for health reasons and don’t especially want or need to lose weight you can add ‘a little something’ to the juice in an easily digested form.

For instance, some Udo’s Choice Oil, or some ground up almonds or seeds. Yesterday, I added some homegrown mung bean sprouts that I didn’t want to waste. The extra ‘little something’ will help keep you feeling satisfied for longer too.

When I get into the juice plan and I get used to not eating whole foods, I have a tendency to forget my juice. When I am not having to think about meals or mealtimes, I become preoccupied with other things. I become involved, time passes and suddenly I am feeling light-headed. Blood sugar levels crash. Oops, missed a juice.

Tip No. 5: Remember to have your juice!

The next 2 days will be a bigger challenge I think because the temperature is set to plummet further and also because my body is used to beginning the transition after 5 days. But I am really looking forward to the Tahini Cocoa Beaney!

*http://www.juicemaster.com

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Juicy Winter Warmers – 5 Juices to Help Ward off Colds

With the cold season upon us I thought I would write a short post with some Warming Winter Juices that are full of antioxidants to help fight off colds and viruses.

These are of the ‘shot’ variety, not full meal replacements.

Drink one every day after your early morning glass of hot water and lemon or honey. As soon as you feel the first signs of a dry or sore throat or a cold coming on try having one three times a day or more.

You will see that ginger is the common denominator here. It is a natural antibiotic and decongestant, and is full of minerals. It is also anti-inflammatory, as are celery and pineapple.

(Do you remember that scene in The Great Escape where the American POWs are making Hooch to celebrate American Independence Day and when they taste it they each go Wow! and can hardly speak? That was me testing these for this post!)

I use organic produce where possible and leave the skin/peel on – except for the pineapple, unless you have a juicer that can cope with it.

It is best to put the ginger in the juicer between halves of an apple, or in first and then the apple or pineapple if using only those ingredients.

All the glasses in the pictures are 6fl oz. ie very small.

First up is my Morning Glory, it makes a bit more than a shot.

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1 Apple, 1 Small to Medium Carrot, Half a stick of Celery, Thick Slice of Waxfree Lemon, At least 1 cm of Ginger but as much as you can take! Optional: 1 cm of Turmeric plus a pinch of Black Pepper stirred into juice before pouring, to help with absorption of Turmeric.

Next up is Pineapple Bomb – Mark Beddoe’s* short but sweet and very spicy answer to winter sniffles:

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1″ thick round of Pineapple, Thumb of Ginger, as much as you can stand.

The Natural Juice Junkie’s Winter Slammer is a daily starter on his Winter Cleanse Programme.*

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Half an Apple, Half a Waxfree Lemon (rind on), 1 Thumb of Ginger. Optional: Pinch of Cayenne Pepper stirred in before pouring into glass.

Jason Vale’s* Ginger Shot was my first introduction to juicing ginger – as part of his 5lbs in 5 Days plan – it nearly took my head off! Of course now I don’t blink at all, the stronger the better.

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Half an Apple, 2-3cms of Ginger

Down in One!

Jason also does the Ginger Zinger – which is a larger juice – as part of the 7lbs in 7 Days plan.

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2 Carrots, 2 Apples, 1″ Slice of Waxfree lemon, 1/4″ Ginger. Juice and pour over ice.

(Sorry forgot the ice for the photo!)

Here’s to a Healthy You!

(Having tested all these in one go for the blog, I should be cold-free the whole winter!)

*@explorejuice  http://www.naturaljuicejunkie.com  http://www.juicemaster.com

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Pears But No More Parsnips: In Which I Confront My Parsnip Phobia!

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 Parsnip-Free Zone!

In our family, everyone is allowed one vegetable they dislike and can choose to avoid: my daughter’s is Brussels sprouts – though perversely she chooses to eat them at Christmas! – my son doesn’t like cooked carrots (I used to grate them into stews and casseroles to hide them), and my husband picks out all the mushrooms. For me, as regular followers on Twitter will know, it’s parsnips. I hate parsnips. No, that’s not quite true: I have a real phobia about parsnips. Just writing the word makes me wince and feel queasy. I shudder at the mere thought.

I have no idea how this began. I don’t recall any parsnip trauma growing up. I don’t ever remember them being served up, though my mum eats them when offered. She even brought a can of Parsnip Soup with her recently – vegetarian or otherwise, I was nearly sick! imagePerhaps my dad didn’t like them. My own family is split firmly down the middle when it comes to this vegetable: my husband and daughter love them while my son and I recoil in horror whenever they appear. In our house, they are bought, prepared, cooked and served by my husband once a year at Christmas, when he makes roast parsnip chips. He loves them.

It’s not just the taste that is off-putting to me, there are other root vegetables that I’m not keen on, like swede and turnip, but I still have them in soups and stews.

Nope, it’s the smell! I can’t be anywhere near the kitchen when parsnips are being peeled. I have tried, really tried to get over this. I haven’t felt this strongly about a vegetable since my first pregnancy when I couldn’t be around potatoes in any way, shape or form.

When I first began juicing (see My First Juice Plan: Advice for Beginners or Do As I Say Not As I Did!), I followed Jason Vale’s 5lbs in 5 Days juicing plan. I was so excited at this new challenge, looking forward to not just losing some of the weight that had crept up during the previous year, but having more energy, feeling more alert and generally a lot healthier.

I did so well. The plan delivered in every respect: as promised, by Day 4 I was on a ‘juicy high’.

But, dear reader, imagine my dismay, my sheer horror when Day 5 came around and there, right front and centre was not one but two (!) juices called Pear ‘n’ Parsnip! Jason promised I would be surprised and have ‘a newfound respect’ for the humble parsnip.

I summoned up the strength and determination of hundreds of doughty ancestors, intent on not falling at the final hurdle. I even attempted to peel the parsnips myself, with a scarf over my face! I will admit, it wasn’t as I expected and I did drink them both down, but I can’t say it was a pleasant experience – because I could still smell them!

Not to be discouraged by my first attempt, I tried again a few months later. I am nothing if not stubborn and determined, I don’t like something to get the better of me.

But, Jason, I’m sorry, you did your best, I know you did, but I can’t, I just can’t…

Except that I did! In December, I began following Natural Juice Junkie‘s Winter Cleanse 2015. Loved the Winter Slammer (see Juicy Winter Warmers), The Beet Goes On, the raw Pea and Mint Soup and Pearfection.

But what’s this on Day 2? Hang on, not just Day 2 but Day 4 – twice: ‘Back to my Roots’, which means *4* parsnips in total!

Well, nothing ventured nothing gained, I am no wimp. Down the hatch they went. Still didn’t like them. But I did it. Very proud of myself. That’s it then.

But no, there was more!!

On Day 5, I discover the final meal of the plan is – drum roll – Parsnip and Ginger Soup which also has not 1, not 2, but *4* parsnips in the ingredients list!

Neil, you’ve broken me. I can’t go on. I have to draw the line. From now on I shall be replacing parsnips with squash. Or sweet potato. Total immersion therapy has not worked for me!

NO MORE PARSNIPS!

Here is my take on Jason’s Pear ‘n’ Parsnip Juice, replacing the parsnip with sweet potato.
Sweet potatoes are full of antioxidants, B vitamins, Vitamin D, magnesium, iron and potassium.
Use organic if possible, scrub well and leave the skin on for extra nutrients and flavour. You won’t be disappointed!
(Unless you have a sweet potato phobia!)

image    Ingredients

1 Apple, 2 Pears,
1 large sweet potato
Half a lime, peeled but with the pith still on
Few sprigs of mint

Juice all the ingredients and pour over ice. So refreshing. Cheers!

Update: My daughter-in-law, who loves parsnips, recently posted a video for my benefit of my 3 year old grand-daughter chomping on a raw ‘yellow carrot!’ <sigh> My daughter-in-law loathes celery and so my son delighted in posting this rejoinder: ‘don’t worry, I fed them both celery afterwards!’

Disclaimer: Please remember, these are my personal experiences. If you think you may wish to embark on a juice plan, be sure to consult your doctor first.

Jason Vale/Juicemaster

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Copyright: Chris McGowan