To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. -Oscar Wilde
Lately I have been wanting to make a shift on my blog so that it is not only photo related, but also a place for me to share some of my day to day life. I read blogs on a daily basis and I love hearing about health and nutrition from regular people. So every Monday I am planning to share something about my health and fitness journey that I’ve been on for the past 14 months.
In January 2012 I had committed to making a change in my health. I didn’t have a clear picture of what that would be at the time but I knew something had to change. I saw photos of myself and I had a wake up call. I was on an unhealthy path but didn’t know how to change it. One of the first moves I made was to give up my 2-3 cans of soda a day habit. And I did it cold turkey.
Let me preface this by saying I think ALL soda is bad for you, but especially diet. So for me switching from regular to diet soda was not an option. And I knew that I couldn’t just do it part way, if I gave it up I gave it up. I tried the cut-back approach before and it didn’t work.
At the time I gave up soda, I had discovered juicing. I owned a Breville Juice Fountain for two years but it was in an unopened box in my closet. I had no idea how to use it but the idea had intrigued me for awhile. Then one day, as I was sick with a cold and suffering from a bad cut on the roof of my mouth I decided to watch the movie “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” on Netflix. Game changer. I cheered! I cried! I loved it all. The next day, I opened the Breville, headed to the store for produce, and made my first juice. The cut in my mouth healed dramatically over night. I’m not lying. And I was suffering majorly because of it for the entire week before! My cold disappeared. And within two days I was 100% better. This wasn’t a bunch of hooey. Sold.
And for the record, I am a juicer not a Vitamixer. The Vitamix is awesome and I totally want one, but for very different purposes. From what I understand after a lot of research is that the way the body absorbs the micronutrients in the juice is where the benefits come from. I eat plenty of solid whole fruits and vegetables every day so I do not worry about fiber or other nutrients. I have adapted my diet to make sure I am getting it all.
Fast forward a year and I still make this healthy habit part of my daily routine whenever possible. I just feel so much healthier when I do. My skin is clearer, I have more energy, and I no longer stress about my weight. Every time I feel a sniffle or tickle in my throat I juice. And it works.
Anybody out there believe in juicing!? I wanna hear your stories!
