My Skinny Lemonade

If you have been following me, you know that I like to partake in the occasional juice cleanse.  My preferred cleanse is the Advanced from Nekter.  It includes 6 juices for the day, including two "skinny lemonades" which work out to be a mid-morning and late afternoon snack for me when I am doing the actual cleanse.  I enjoy Nekter's "skinny lemonades" so much that I decided to try and make my own to drink daily even when I am not cleansing.  It is a nice alternative to water (which is the only other drink I have during the day).  Here's my recipe:

VeegMama's Skinny Lemonade

Ingredients:
Juice of 2 lemons
3 cups of filtered water
Dash of cayenne pepper
Handful of ice
1 teaspoon agave (optional) - I like mine tart so I don't use agave, but you may want to try it with/without to see what you like best.

Directions:
Combine all ingredients.  Shake and serve.  I pour all of the ingredients into my water bottle for the day, shake it up and I am ready to go!

The Nekter Cleanse

I have been wanting to do a juice cleanse for a while now.  My interest was based on several reasons: I knew many people who had done one and found the benefits of a raw, liquid diet to be especially cleansing for the mind, body and spirit.  I also love juicing myself, but have always limited myself to my one morning green juice every day, never venturing beyond that, (despite the many juice recipes and books I own on the subject).  My last influence in wanting a juice cleanse was the weight loss benefits I had read about.  As someone actively working on losing "those last few pounds," I had recently hit a plateau even with increased exercise and reduced daily calorie goals.  I thought a juice cleanse might be just what I needed to get me to the next level.

Lucky for me, the opportunity to try a juice cleanse landed right in my neighborhood.  Nekter, an all natural, raw, vegan juice bar just opened up in Manhattan Beach.  (They also have locations in Costa Mesa, Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, Long Beach, Anaheim Hills, Mission Viejo, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Westwood, and Brea.)  This great juice stop offers juices and smoothies ranging from $4.75 (for 16 ounces) to $8.50 (for 32 ounces).  They also sell acai bowls and wheatgrass and ginger shots.  You can make your own juice or smoothie or try one of their formulated concoctions.  

In addition to their juice and smoothie offerings, they have 2 cleanse options: Classic or Advanced.  It includes six 16.9 ounce bottles of unique, delicious blends of vegetable and fruit juices and a yummy vanilla bean nut milk for dessert at the end of the day.  I chose the Advanced Cleanse, which featured more greens and straight veggies like beets than the Classic.  I really enjoyed this cleanse, felt great, and had a major uplift in energy (I seriously didn't think that was possible).  I drank a bottle about every 2-3 hours and never felt hungry.  The juices were fresh and delicious, full of ripe, vibrant flavors.  I was really impressed with how good and fresh they all tasted.  As far as weight loss, I successfully lost a couple of pounds and got myself under my plateau, which has propelled me into further weight loss.  I also lost inches, which was an unexpected surprise.  Most of all, I think the cleanse helps shift your mindset about how you eat and how much.  As a vegan, I already eat very clean, but this cleanse showed me how I can incorporate juices as snacks and meals into my day to give me an energy and weight loss boost without feeling hungry or deprived.

To get your cleanse, call or visit your local store and order 48 hours in advance.  You will pick up all your bottles at once.  They give you a cute cooler bag to store them in for when you are on the go.  For more info on the Nekter Cleanse, click here.

Juicing The Most Important Meal of the Day

Green juice

I start my day (and my family's) with the same beverage everyday: Green juice.  It is liquid gold...my very own nectar of the gods, and I swear it makes me feel like a goddess while I am drinking it.

If you really want to kick things up a notch, you have to try juicing.  Green, alkaline juices are the best and quickest ways to reduce inflammation, while keeping your body hydrated.  Your skin will sparkle like nobody's business.  Your energy level will jump to overdrive.  You will feel amazing.  In other words, you will be a glowing, super force that will be unstoppable.  Are you ready to try it?  Good.  Here's what you need to know.

Kris Carr is my goddess heroine.  Her motto is "Make juice, not war."  Don't you love her already?!!  She turned me onto juicing in her book Crazy Sexy Diet.  About a year ago, she got super generous and came out with her e-book Crazy Sexy Juices and Succulent Smoothies.  These are my go to references on juicing.

Fruits and Veggies:
Choose organic fruits and veggies as much as possible.  If you don't have access to organics, Kris has a list of "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean Fifteen" in her Crazy Sexy Juices book that can help you decide where you can skimp on organic (and where you absolutely must not.)

Cucumbers make a great base for juices with all of the vitamin C and cleansing properties it possesses.  Let's hear it for the cucumber!  This is a great veggie to start with.  Add in some celery stalks and broccoli stems for sweetness.  Work your way up to stronger tasting plants like kale, chard, fennel, cabbage or spinach.  You can also add in ginger, garlic and parsley for added zing, (just remember a little goes a long way those guys.)

As for fruit, I like to keep it all green and use a green apple.  I have tried pear too.  It's not my thing, but could be yours, so have fun experimenting.  This is your super fuel.  Play around and try out different veggie/fruit combos until you find the one that takes you over the edge.  That's the only fruit I use in my green juice.  They say to keep your ratio of fruits to veggies at 1:3 (for every one piece of fruit, add 3 veggies).  For my kids, I use oranges, red apples and strawberries to sweeten things up and give it a citrus zing.

Equipment:
Finding your perfect juicer can be a bit overwhelming, as there is a lot at stake...this big, bad boy is going to become your juicing mate.  You'll be making juice love daily, sometimes twice or more!  So, choose wisely - these guys are not cheap.  I did a lot of research on the various juicers and blenders before I tied the knot with my Breville Ikon.  There are lots of different juicer brands to choose from.  Check out kriscarr.com, discountjuicers.com, bestjuicers.com, harvestessentials.com and amazon.com for thrifty buys.


Prep:
In order to make juicing time efficient with the morning hustle and bustle of getting my three kids ready for school, I buy all my fruits and veggies once during the week and wash and prep everything when I get home from the store.  When I go into the kitchen in the morning, all I have to do is grab the veggies and fruits out of the fridge, lay them on the cutting board, and get juicing.  (Note: I don't wash my berries until right before I use them to avoid them becoming mushy.  And I cut and peel my apples and oranges that morning as well.)

As for cleaning, I wash my juicer immediately after using it and let it air dry on the counter until I put it away later in the day so it is all ready to go for the next round of juicing the following morning.


When to drink it:
It is best to drink your juice on an empty stomach to get the most out of your digestive system.  It is a great way to break your fast (aka breakfast).  It's all I have for breakfast in the morning and it more than fills my tummy.  I serve it up to my kids with their solid morning favorites to ensure they get their veggies and greens in them.

Recipes:
Kris has tons of recipes in both of her books that I mention above.  There are also tons of other recipes and cookbooks out there.  I have had the most fun experimenting on my own with different flavors and veggies that get me grooving.  Below are my go-to recipes that I use every day.

Steph's Green Juice
This makes one serving all for me!

1 organic cucumber
1 organic broccoli stalk (some times I use the head too, depending on the size of the stalk)
1 organic celery stalk and leaves (if my stalk is lucky enough to be sprouting any)
2 fistfuls of organic kale (I also mix in chard and spinach from time to time)
1-2 slices of fresh ginger root
1 organic Granny Smith green apple

Steph's "Red" Juice for the kiddos
I started calling this "red" juice because the green color of the one I make for me scared off my kids.  I started adding strawberries and told them it was red juice!  This recipe makes enough for all three of my kids and hubby in the morning.

2 oranges
1 large broccoli stalk with head
2-3 carrots
2-3 fistfuls of kale
2 red apples
10-12 strawberries

Now, go get juicing my friends!  And share the juice love - I would love to hear your favorite concoctions.