Juicing

...not the steroids.

So, this morning I had my first "real" homemade juicing experience. It was delicious! I tried one other time before, but using frozen fruits.....I had my blonde moment of the day.

Today, I used one of Melody's recipes and added a couple of other ingredients.

- 2 whole carrots

- 1 large celery stalk

- 1 beet

- 1 gala apple

- 1 capful of Organic Life Vitamins

Totals - 238 calories, >1g fat, 258mg sodium, 58g carbs, 38g sugar, 14g fiber, 5g protein

Now, don't freak out when you look at the carbs and sugar. You have to take into account that it's NATURAL sugar. There is a huge difference between natural and refined sugars. Plus, as my morning blend, it's as good as coffee. Seriously. I drank it while finishing up my make-up and getting dressed. By the time I went to let Koopa out before I left, I could tell a difference in my normal morning mood. It was like night and day!

I'm trying to find other, natural options to caffeine in the form of coffee and Diet Dr. Pepper. I'm still not 100% off, but I'm getting there. Here are a few misconceptions and realities to chew on about the "drug":

- Pure caffeine in moderate doses (200-400mg/day) can elevate metabolism by up to 6%, improve cognitive function and even inhibit insulin resistance - all great. Bad news is that it doesn't apply to caffeine paired with anything you typically add to your coffee. Same goes for Diet Coke or Red Bull. Instead, try a Guarana or White Willow Bark supplement 30 minutes before your workout if you need a boost.

- When caffeine is abused, it damages your metabolism and hormone balance. It stimulates your central nervous system, which makes your endocrine system think that you are being threatened. Basically, it can send your body into "fight or flight" mode - not something you want your body doing all day long as you're kicking back those diet cokes or cups of coffee.

- Caffeine you drank after lunch can affect your healthy sleeping patterns at night. <-- this definitely caught my attention when I first heard about it.

- If you are experiencing caffeine withdrawals, try a cup of green tea. You will still get your caffeine boost, plus a plethora of other health benefits. Try to limit yourself to one or two cups a day, and be done by noon to make sure that caffeine is out of your system by nightfall
(credit: Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels)