Many of you know that juicing is one of my love languages. I tell clients about it, I post recipes for it, I send pictures of it. I can’t explain enough how much I love the health of juicing and smoothies. So when my virtual assistant asked about juicing, I gave her my usual download of information full of excitement, and everything she would need for her first time juicing, and then it hit me. Most people are probably tired of hearing how amazing juicing is from people who have been doing it forever. So I asked her to share her experience with you. Indianapolis Wellness Family, meet Codi Quick, my virtual assistant.
Codi Quick
My first time juicing? Well, let’s say it was an adventure. You picture this glorious kitchen, fruits and vegetables neatly piled, all clean and fresh. Maybe even me in my yoga pants, hair in a cute pony tail, and my brightly colored sneakers. Sounds nice right? Healthy and fit. Well, that is not at all how it went.
I thought I had a “juicer” attachment for my handy little chop/blend machine that I will leave unnamed. I have had it for years, and have never put the juicer attachment to work. Can you tell that I was a bit skeptical about this whole idea? But now I had built myself up, and I was excited about my first time juicing. I was ready to give it a try! I followed Lacey’s advice and started with a simple recipe-a granny smith apple and a couple carrots. I get my “juicer” all ready, stick my carrot in. Push down on the plunger…push harder…push a little harder. I continued to shove my produce into this thing the best I could. The result was not this beautiful picture of my first time juicing. Actually the result was nothing edible or drinkable. I had this small amount of mush in a jar, a sticky kitchen, and a lot of frustration. This obviously was not going to work for me.
But Lacey is full of encouragement, and I did try again. This time, I purchased a real juicer. I read all the instruction because I was determined this attempt was going to be better. This juicer made a huge difference. I put in my first carrot and couldn’t believe the result. This thing ate it up like it was nothing and out came the orange liquid-no chunks, no mush. Couple more carrots in and an apple, took only seconds. In my little pitcher was this vibrant color juice. So I did it. Simply stirred it up, and drank it. And to my true surprise, it was good. It was real good.
As the next few days went by, I tried more and more recipes. And it all became very exciting to be honest. I would search for hours online about juicing and my juicer. Tips and trick, health benefits, the dos and don’ts and information galore! It really was a whole world that I had never seen before. You see people throwing a little of everything in. Here is where another adventure begins. You start getting confident and exploring new combinations. Some juices are better than others. Personally, I like them colder, and would pour them over ice. I got adventurous. I was able to juice Kale, and actually not hate it. I did find where I draw the line. Beets! The only juice that I could not finish contained beets. And not a lot of beets. I am sure there are people out there who enjoy it (Lacey!), but that is just not a taste I could get over. As stubborn as I am, I still convinced myself to try another recipe that had beet…several weeks later. It is hard to not get in to it when they say something is so good for you, so I had to try again. Moral of the story, I obviously don’t like beets! AT ALL! But the cool thing is I am still eating more produce now that I probably ever have, even if I avoid the beets.
I will be honest. I am an average person. I am not a “health nut.” I really love pizza! But I know that my diet and nutrition are important and I do look for ways to improve health and still indulge a little. My first time juicing may not be a glory moment; actually, my juicing today doesn’t look anything like those pictures. But I am now juicing at least five times a week, and I actually do enjoy it. It is a quick easy way to get my breakfast in, and let me tell you, I hit my daily recommended veggie and fruit intake now, where I never did before. On the days I don’t juice, I notice a difference in my energy and sleep.
It may not be earth shattering, but I like the positive lifestyle change. It is the baby steps in the right direction that are sustainable, and juicing has been a habit that I can keep. So you don’t have to go crazy. You don’t have to do a cleanse or fast. But try it for a meal, you might be surprised.
Want to learn how to juice or make small changes that have a big impact on your health and wellness? Contact our wellness coach to get a plan build just for you.