Juice by Evy! Juice by Evy! Juice by Evy! Gooooooo Evy!

The title may or may not be the end of my Requiem for a Dream references, but then again, who doesn’t love surprises? 😉

Last week, as I looked through the gazillion documentaries about food and the food industry on Amazon and Netflix hoping there was something new for me to watch, I came across Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Fuck if I remembered whether or not I’d seen it and since I figured it was likely I’d at least seen the first, I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead 2. This led to an immediate binge-watch and I went right into the first.

After learning about something so beneficial, I wanted to spread it to my family. My mother was recently put on medication for blood pressure. This woman doesn’t wear makeup, and despite how many people have literally begged her to dye her hair, she wont do it. She’s a very natural woman who believes in pure foods and pure ingredients who also stockpiles junk food. Yeah, I don’t really get it either. Regardless, ever since she was put on the medication she’s been anxious. To her, maintenance medication is like Pringles, and I don’t blame her for thinking that way. If you don’t right your body, you’ll have to have meds do it for you.

Instead of talking her into juicing (as I do with everything else about food that ends up with her rolling her eyes), I just told her about a documentary I watched about juicing that helped a lot of people to get off their medication. Interest was piqued. Next step was to casually turn it on and start watching it next to her. She slowly made her way to the couch and was eventually glued to the TV. I bought her a juicer the next day.

I’m always on the lookout for a healthier way to improve my health, my mind and my carbon footprint and this seemed like a really great place to start and reboot my system. As a vegetarian, I consume mostly vegetables. The thing that shocked me most about the documentary is that it noted that most Americans get 60% of their “nutrition” from processed foods and only 5% from vegetables.

Plainly put, as a country, we’re content eating cardboard and slowly killing ourselves. We’re of the more advanced and powerful countries and we’re starving ourselves. Ironic how the US comes out with all these bullshit excuses for GMOs like wanting to feed the world. Without starting a whole ‘nother separate rant, I’ll just say there’s so much wrong with that bullshit-covered placating powerbar.

Come on, man. We’re all worth it. We’re all worth so much more. I can understand the convenience of processed foods, believe me, I’m (or maybe I can’t say that anymore.. I used to be?) a very lazy person. There’s no thought or effort putting together food from a box, grabbing a bag of something.. I get it. Problem is, we then whine and complain when we get sick and fail to see the direct correlation. We don’t realize that we’re of the big reasons we have to take all these pills just to keep us going. Just so that we can drag through life.

I’m not going to say that becoming a vegetarian gave me all of this energy and I can bust through walls and run 50 miles a day. I mean, it may well do that if I weren’t so lazy and exercised, but I can tell you that I feel cleaner and less weighed down. I never ever walk away from a meal feeling hungry when I make it. Does it take more time to make things from scratch? Not that much more, honestly. Try it once if you don’t believe me. Or if you’re interested in a challenge, send me a comment with a dish you make and I’ll show you how quick and easy it can be if you make it from scratch and with healthy ingredients. I’m not pushing becoming a vegetarian on anyone – that’s a personal decision. I am, however, asking that you consider eating less processed garbage.

Back to my point, because there really was a main point to this blog.

JUICING!!

I’m writing this for two reasons – to inform others who don’t know a whole lot about juicing and to hold myself accountable. My juicer is en route to me and should be here before day’s end. I’ve just bought a hell of a lot of organic vegetables. I. am. ready. Well, not mentally, but at least I’ve got the tools.

Vegetables are loaded with all of the nutrients to keep our bodies healthy and can help to reverse a lot of the damage we’ve already done. The fastest way to absorb anything is to take it in liquid form. The idea behind it is that simple. You’re getting rid of the insoluble fiber which is actually awesome for your digestive tract (think ruffage), but because this is a reboot, it’s temporary and you’ll get right back to pooing like a champ when you’re through. The point is to load your body with as much goodness as possible, restart it and get you on to a healthier lifestyle.

That’s what sold me about the reboot in general. How easy is it to pump yourself up, do a basic 5 day reboot (you can also do 3 days and up to 60), be all proud of yourself and then go right back to the way you were eating? A lot of people who’ve tried the reboot said they don’t crave junk food or fast food after doing the reboot. That’s HUGE. I guess it has a lot to do with your body feeling good after it gets what it actually needs and your becoming more aware of that and the distinction between how you feel and think when you’re eating well.

I’m doing it to feel better, gain more energy and flush out my system. I don’t eat junk food at home (unless I’m at other people’s house, so I’m hoping the reboot helps with that) and I certainly don’t eat fast food, but I would like for this to help move me in a more raw direction. Cooking most vegetables will deplete them of nutrients – the method used can help to lessen the amount lost. It is important to note that cooking some vegetables activates certain nutrients.

Another reason is for mental clarity. I have a terrible, terrible memory. Also, because English is not my first language, but my fourth, I blank out a lot (what is lovingly referred to as a “foreign moment” and in turn probably sound like a bumbling fool.

When watching Joe Cross (the guy behind Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead) and his transformation, I noticed how much clearer and more positive his mind-frame was. His train of thought was more focused and there seemed to be more depth to his thoughts in general. When his co-worker saw him again after his 60 day juicing spree, she was very surprised to find that there was a substantial difference in his mental clarity.

As I was working on this post, my juicer came in. I was so excited I think I freaked out our UPS delivery guy. Tomorrow I start day one. I’m hoping to survive a full week. I may end up cutting it short and if that happens, it was an attempt and I will not be disappointed, I’ll just try again. I like to know that I have a way out of absolutely anything so that I don’t feel trapped – this makes a lot of things easier to digest.

And now, because you should have seen it coming….