Juice and Shake

Here are some recipes for you to enjoy:

Juicing - Ginger Juice

• 6 leaves kale 
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 cucumber 
• 2 green apples
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger

Juice in that order and drink right away.

Shakeology - Chocolate Peanut Butter cup

• 8oz of Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk
• tbsp. of peanut butter
• 1/2 banana
• three ice cubes
• 1 scoop of Vegan Chocolate Shakeology

Blend well and drink.

YUM!!!

Shake It Up

Juicing has impacted my family's life in many ways over the past few years.  We have been sick a lot less, and sick for shorter duration. 

But there was one thing that juicing just wasn't doing for me...it wasn't helping me change my eating habits.

My biggest issue is sugar.  I love sugar.

I'm hurting, baby, I'm broken down
I need your loving, loving, I need it now
When I'm without you
I'm something weak
You got me begging
Begging, I'm on my knees
Sugar...Ok, so I do love Maroon 5's song, which is kind of funny that I read the words and think - did Adam write this about a girl or actually sugar.  Ha! 

Seriously, I could not break the sugar habit. 

I tried the diet thing.  I gave up sugar for lent.  I decided - after that one donut - I was going to stop, or maybe after that one cupcake, no really after that one ice cream.  You following?  Nothing worked.  The more I tried the more I failed.  It sucked. 

Then a friend introduced me to Shakeology. 

To be honest, at first I was like, no.  I don't need that, I juice.  So what convinced me?

Super foods.  I have been doing a lot of research on super foods and my husband has been purchasing super foods to add to the juice we were drinking - like MSM, flax seeds, spirulina, maca root, quinoa, and more.  Shakeology has all of that in the ingredients and 70 other superfoods in it.

So I want you to imagine eating all of the following for breakfast OR lunch:

1 bowl of exotic fruit
4 cups of raw broccoli
7 whole carrots
10 cups of raw cauliflower
3 cups of romaine lettuce
4 cups of uncooked mushrooms
3 raw onions
1 cup of peas
4 cups red radishes
4 cups non fat yogurt
1 shot of wheat grass

I don't know about you, but there is no way I could eat all of that in one sitting!  Shakeology gives you this plus more -  in ONE SCOOP! And I will also add I can drink it in a chocolate yummy shake. That I can manage.

The first day I tried Shakeology - my husband and I left for a 4th of July picnic with chocolate shakes in hand.  We felt satisfied all day and it was probably the first time at a picnic that we didn't over-eat. 

After a week, we felt more energy and less cravings.  After 30 days, I no longer craved sugar, in fact when I eat it - I can't eat much because it is too sweet.  After a year, we are still feeling the same effects, plus my husband and I have made it a full year without getting sick. 

I often joke with my husband that with the combo of the juice and shakes our health is in super hero mode.  We have 2 young kids who bring home germs and bugs all the time, but with us making these changes in our lives - we have made it a full year in tip top health. 

Shakeology is not just a protein, weight loss drink - it is a super nutrition drink that will transform your health. Check out the picture below to see how Shakeology has helped others.

If you want more information on Shakeology, complete the application below, or comment.



Stop back on Friday and I will share some of my favorite recipes with you!

Member of the Clean Plate Club

Growing up in the 70's and 80's, I was a member of the clean plate club.  You know when your parents would serve you foods like liver and onions, lima beans and brussel sprouts, and unless you finished every last drop - you were "not to leave the table."

I remember whining one night because I didn't want to eat my lima beans and my older brother whispered to me, "just put them in your napkin when they aren't looking and throw it in the trash." I was excited that my brother gave me a brilliant idea and after I did it - he told my parents I didn't eat them and they were in the trash.  UGH - Brothers!  I ended up getting an extra scoop that I had to sit there and finish. 

My parents weren't super strict with us when it came to eating.  I mean, we would have a tub of Betty Crocker icing in the pantry or raw cookie dough in the fridge that we would take a scoop and eat.  I learned this by watching my mom.  She would bake a lot and I would be right there waiting to lick the bowl of batter clean.  She would keep an endless supply of tasty cakes in the house and of course 5 different boxes of cereal.  But when it came to dinner, we had to eat what was served - like it or not.

Surprisingly I was never a chubby kid. I was pretty active and while I did eat some bad things, it wasn't everyday.  I continued my eating habits through adulthood.  I mean, store bought pre-made cookie dough is not for baking - it is for eating! 

My turning point in my eating habits changed slowly.  My brother was on a non dairy kick for a while and told me to watch  Food, Inc. After seeing that, I decided to cut out milk for a while.  I did this pretty successfully for a month or two, I wasn't a big milk drinker to begin with so it really wasn't a big deal. 

I think the major turning point was after my mom passed away from lung cancer and my husband was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Sjogrens.  For my mom, I remember focusing so much on how to get rid of the cancer - not so much about how to stop it from growing. I think many times we focus on the immediate - instead of looking back to the root of the cause.

What causes cancer? Smoking, Drinking, Smog, Sun, etc. These are the environmental things that we can easily blame. But I am not sure that these are the root of the cause.  I mean think about it, not every person who smokes gets lung cancer and not everyone who tans (or burns) gets skin cancer.

It took doctors nearly a year to come up with my husbands diagnosis of Sjogrens, and even today they are still unsure how to treat it.

That is when I watched another documentary Forks over Knives. This film takes an in depth look at how we eat.  Food can be used to heal or it can be used to feed disease. I began researching more about food and why we are being hit with cancer and diseases.

I also watched another documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead...that is when I decided to purchase a juicer for my husband to try to help with his Sjogrens.

We spent the next four years juicing on a regular basis and it has helped with many symptoms that he has.  We now are members of the "clean glass" club - and so are our children. The kids will get their daily dose of Kale, parsley, cilantro, cucumber, celery, ginger and apple first thing before they eat a bowl of Coco Puffs or Captain Crunch.

Juicing has helped our family with battling sickness, allergies and has helped my husband's joints.

If you are thinking about getting a juicer, I highly recommend it.  It is a great way to get all of the vitamins and minerals into your body. It will change your life.

I'm Mad About Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an amazing superfood that you can eat, lather on, and cook/bake with.  It is safe for kids and pets. It is minimally processed and has GOOD fat.

But how do you use it?  Well, I am hosting a FREE 5-day Coconut Oil challenge on Facebook starting on Monday.  We will explore the different ways to use it and you will be given the facts on why coconut oil is awesome! 

So follow this link:
https://www.facebook.com/fitfunfabwithCarey

Click on the events and join the Coconut Challenge!