Ok, dusting off the blog...
Recently I've been remotivated to appreciate food for what it should be, our source of fuel and repair for our bodies. I've been eating out way too much lately and trying not to think about how it's doing nothing good for me. But I find that when God sends a message, He sends it several times through several sources because sometimes I'm slow and don't always get it the first time. :) So it first came through my own head, then through my mom's recommendation of the documentary
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, then through having breakfast with a friend this morning who has connected her son's ADHD with food dye.
Let me first say that I have never wanted to be one of
those people, you know, the all-natural, all organic, all-snobby, eaters. But the more I think about it, it makes sense. If given the option, why should we load our bodies down with chemicals? Does it make sense to eat things that man created instead of what God put on earth to begin with. He called it good, shouldn't I?
So I watched
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (and so should you) on Netflix where a guy completely turns his health around and gets off of all his medications through juicing. His methods are a little extreme, but the facts are there. We need micronutrients. Micronutrients are found in vegetables. Very few of us eat even the recommended daily servings of fruits and veggies. I know I don't.
So the all or nothing part of me thinks, yeah, juice fast! Cut out all the bad stuff! But I'm trying to be rational. So I'm just going to start incorporating a meal or two here, not saying I can never have pizza or ice cream again, just saying I'd like to eventually make 80% of my diet whole-food based (and my suspicion is my desire for the junky stuff will disappear).
I really enjoy buying real food, going to farmer's markets or natural food stores. It's fun, it's colorful, it feels healthy, but I've always complained about the cost. But with the amount of eating out I've done lately, I think it may be about the same in the end. Even if it is more, it's better for me and I enjoy it. So there, that excuse is gone. :)
Today I went to the Turnip Truck to get some organic veggies. Since organic is definitely more money, I tried to focus on the
Dirty Dozen, foods that hold the highest pesticide residue. Then I went to Kroger to finish up. In the end I spent about $50 on all this:
I decided to be brave and try green lemonade juice. Thankfully, a friend had already given me a juicer a while back.
Green Lemonade
1 Green Apple
3 handfuls Spinach, 1.5 cup
6-8 Kale leaves, 2 cups
1/2 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
1/2 Lemon
Calories: 210
Protein: 10 g
Fiber: 1 g
Observations:
Juicing takes a while. Best to juice a lot at once and save the leftovers.
It was messy! Using a plastic bag in the pulp-catching part definitely helps.
I'm so cheap that I juiced the pulp that was leftover to get just a little more juice :)
Pulp can be used in other recipes or in compost, so I don't feel as bad about the "waste".
This batch made about 3 cups of juice, enough for two big glasses.
Cost: I estimate this batch costing between $2-$3. Not bad!
Taste: Not bad at all! I got nervous when I saw celery juice come out of the juicer, but really, it's good! I have a hard time getting V8 down, but I would definitely do this again. I didn't think the green apple and lemon could mask the kale, spinach, and celery, but it's surprisingly sweet!
Today's juice goal was to use mint! I found some at K & S for $2.50 yesterday.
