juice challenge

Juicing, Obsessions, Raw

Joe the Juicer

Motivation Monday: “To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” -La Rochefoucauld

I hope everyone started their week off right with a healthy breakfast! Last week was completely exhausting. I have stitches in my bottom of my foot, crutches, am waiting for my skin biopsy to hear if my mole was cancerous, and feel pretty crappy all around. To top it off, I went to a new doctor for my thyroid issues last Wednesday, and my recent lab work showed that my thyroid is getting worse and worse. Do you ever feel like when it rains, it pours? Like everything happens all at once? I was surprised to learn that my thyroid has gone out of whack in the completely opposite direction than before. My previous doctor told me that I had HYPERthyroid, but after retesting and seeing a new doctor, my results showed up as HYPOthyroid. With my current lab results and all of my symptoms, my doctor wanted to do a more in depth panel of blood work for my thyroid, and test me for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I dealt with painful ovarian cysts in high school, and have literally every symptom in the book for PCOS: weight gain, hair loss, acne, depression, severe mood swings, etc., so I am really curious to see my results. Right now, I’m at a point where I just want everything to get figured out. I feel terrible all the time and I just want to feel better!

I went back to my doctor the next day for a fasting glucose/insulin test and more thyroid panels. I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink anything from 9pm Wednesday night until after my insulin/glucose test on Thursday. The test was not fun at all. Not that blood tests are a party… but they are usually quick. In, out, and done. After running thyroid panels (so many tubes!), I had to stay for 3 hours of glucose/insulin testing.


First draw: normal blood sample after fasting
Then I had to chug a bottle of “Orange” 100 Glucose for my test. Ohhh my gosh. Sick. Not in a good way. In a nasty, bad way. I had to drink the highest level possible, which was 100 grams of glucose! That’s more than anyone should have per day, omg! It was thick like syrup and tasted like a mix of orange Gatorade and Tang! A few minutes later I got a huge sugar rush and felt so sick. There’s no better feeling than being hungry, and then pumping your body full of sugar, right? ughhh.
Second draw: 30 minutes after consuming the drink. Then had a rash all over my arms from where the cotton ball and tape were, so we had to switch to kid’s non adhesive Band-Aids.
Third draw: 30 minutes later
Fourth draw: one hour later, couldn’t get any blood out of my vein and had to switch arms and be re-poked
Fifth draw: one hour later
End result: 7 pokes, 1 Scooby Doo Band-Aid, 1 Strawberry Shortcake Band-Aid, 2 bruised arms, 1 allergic reaction, and extreme hunger.

After I was finished with all of my tests I met my mom for the world’s biggest lunch. While hobbling up the 3 small stairs to the restaurants one of my crutches slipped on some water and I ate it, and stepped on my injured foot. Omg, it was a hot mess. Love that everyone watched it happen and no one came to help me… that was super duper! After I have my championship comeback moment and got myself back up on the crutches I was literally shaking because I was so hungry. I’ll just end the story there and say I ate, and got home safely!

The next couple of days were okay, I was just exhausted and my foot was in so much pain. I finally felt like things were looking up when I remembered that I was going to go see Joe Cross from “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” speak at a conference! I was so excited that I couldn’t even sleep on Friday night, so I watched “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” on Netflix while I put together some T-Shirt orders. I cannot remember how I found out about this conference, it was so random. I only remember seeing online that Joe Cross was speaking in Orange County, and then saw that it was at a conference called “A Day for M.E. (Mom Empowerment)” by an organization called Moms In Charge. I have to admit I felt a little awkward buying a ticket to a mom conference haha. Just a bit out of place… but I just had to hear Joe speak!

Saturday night, I managed to get myself to the conference and even better: a front parking spot, and a second row seat! I bought a half day ticket to the conference, so I arrived around 6:30pm and caught a cooking demonstration by Chef Jenny Ross, owner of the raw restaurant 118 Degrees.

Chef Jenny was adorable! She gave a great presentation with fun and easy ways to make kid friendly raw meals. She made a raw PowerFull Parfait, raw Deviled Tomatoes, and gave an excellent demo on how to cut open a young coconut. Extra points because she used a Vitamix! She finished her cooking demonstration with a quote that I absolutely loved:

“There are no diets, no calorie counting, and no measuring fats, carbs or protein grams. None of that matters if you choose real, whole, fresh, live foods. If you choose quality, the rest takes care of itself.” -Dr. Mark Hyman

In between speakers the founder of Moms In Charge, Dotty Hagmier went up on the stage to speak about the organization. Before arriving at the event, I had no idea what this organization was, nor did I really care, because of the word “mom.” I figured it was a conference for mom and baby types of products, but I was so wrong. The organization is a “resource for moms who are searching for ways to give their kids the best chance of living healthy, vibrant lives. It is also a movement for moms to become empowered with informations of what is in our food and products so we can make the most informed decisions and transition to a healthier, vibrant life with our kids to ultimately: change the shape of our future.” –Source

The conference showcased everything from healthy recipes and snacks, to safe chemical free cleaning products to use in your home. Although I’m not a mom, I felt like I really related to this group of women, because I too am part of a movement to help and inform others to make healthy choices. Now only am I excited that I bought a ticket to this conference to see my juicing idol Joe Cross, but I am so happy that my money went to such a fantastic organization which shares similar beliefs as I do. If I didn’t think this organization was this fantastic, I wouldn’t have mentioned it at all and would’ve just talked about hearing Joe Cross speak, but I think this group deserves a shout out. This is the type of group that I would love to be a part of if I have children one day. If you are a mommy who lives in the Orange County area and is interested in Moms in Charge, checkout their website for more information! I wish them success and hope that they open more chapters in other areas as well.

Next up was the main event: JOE THE JUICER CROSS
OH MY GOSH!!!!!


Joe started off with a general intro about his film and then went into some details about how he got started and where he’s at today. I couldn’t help but laugh because three minutes into his speech, he grabbed a pice of Kale that was on stage from Chef Jenny’s cooking demonstration and held it for the entire duration. The photograph above is the only one that I have without him holding a piece of Kale. I think its pretty symbolic and amazing that he’s holding kale in all of my photos though! Just the way that I had pictured him… Joe, with kale.


I honestly wish I had a timestamp on these photos because although it may look as if they were taken at the same time, these photographs were taken throughout his 1.5 hour speech! Serious kale love right there!

I enjoyed his speech because not only did he bring up important points about the benefits of juicing, but he also showed us that he is a normal person who struggled with weight and health issues before, and still deals with temptation today just like anyone else. He gave us a little story about his life before the documentary. Joe said that “as a child I used to turn to sugar as a pick me up. It’s always there, it never lets me down, and it never talks back. I find myself still doing that today, and I want you to know that.” He also mentioned that while on dates, he used to be very self conscious of what he was eating so he would order a salad because he wouldn’t want anyone to see how he really ate. He then laughed as he informed us that he would buy a pizza on the way home because he was so hungry!

We also got a little behind the scenes information on before the filming began. Up until midnight before the filming started, Joe had his “last dinner” which consisted of chinese food and beers, and then… another round. We were cracking up as he told us that he went for yet another round when he realized that although it was midnight in New York, it was still 9pm on the west coast! After a night of feasting, he said that it made the first few days of his juice fast even harder. His tip for anyone who is starting a juice fast: “don’t do what I did,” and start eating only plant based foods a few days prior. Excellent tip Joe haha. I can’t imagine going from such a large volume of food to just juice! Yikes! Midway through his speech, Joe spoke about consumerism and his love for Oreos. He said “I love Oreos. I love them. I would marry one if I could!” I think everyone felt relieved that even Joe the Juicer still gets tempted by foods like Oreos!

After Joe wrapped up his speech, it was time for some book signing! I was so excited to meet Joe and have him sign my “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” book! He was full of personality and super energetic. As he signed my book he was sipping on a green juice so I asked him what kind of juice it was. He replied “I have no idea, everywhere I go people give me juice. I eat too!” with a laugh. He then asked what happened to my foot and helped me stand sans crutches for a photo with him. He’s a great guy with an incredible story. If you haven’t seen his documentary, you have to watch it! It’s available for rent or purchase on both Amazon.com and iTunes, and is streaming on Netflix. If you are interested in doing a reboot visit Joe’s website: Reboot Your Life, become a fan of Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead and Joe on Facebook, and follow Joe on Twitter!




My weekend ended yesterday with a broken iPhone, pinched nerve in my underarm form my crutches, and food poising. Fun times. Luckily my Monday was a very happy one indeed as I received a thank you note from my “23rd Birthday Giveaway” winner, Megan J.! Seriously made my day. Things like this are why I continue to blog and share my journey with you every day!


Hearing Joe speak and meeting him in person was such an amazing experience. He is so inspiring that I am thinking about doing a reboot soon! Is anyone interested in doing a juice reboot?

You can read about my previous 5 day juice cleanse here:

Juice Challenge Day 1
Juice Challenge Day 2
Juice Challenge Day 3
Juice Challenge Day 4
Juice Challenge Day 5
Juice Challenge Ended

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Hurdles, Juicing, Raw, Recipes, Vegan

Juice Challenge: Broken

I wanted to start off by saying happy motivation monday, and thank you to all of my new and “old” readers! I have no idea what happened last night, but my website went viral and I got THOUSANDS of views and a rush of emails in my inbox in a matter of minutes! I’m so happy that people like my blog enough to share it with others, it means so much to me!

I went to my friend Behnaz’s house yesterday for craft day and in her refrigerator among piles of healthy fruits & vegetables, was a carrot cake that she had made from scratch the night before. It was just sitting there staring at me with it’s cute decorative frosting carrots perfectly drawn on top. I just couldn’t resist a slice of her amazing cake. After all, it is a vegetable, right? After 5 days of my Juice Challenge, the fast was broken! Never fear, the juicing will continue with “A Juice A Day In May!”

I have a weakness for Behnaz’s cooking. She makes amazing Persian dishes from her family’s recipes and occasionally the most intricate and perfectly decorated cakes. I was worried about how my body would react to solid food after a 5 day liquid diet, but my tummy loved that little slice of heaven, and I’m glad I was able to enjoy it without the guilt of ending my juice challenge.

Later that evening, I sat down with my new Gingergrass & Lemon candle, From A to P juice, and new book Intuitive Eating, by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, FADA. I have had a few readers suggest this book to me, and have read countless reviews by other bloggers, so I thought it was about time to buy it.

This reminds me so much of my dear family friend Karen. If anyone had a problem or was searching for an answer for anything, she would have the perfect book for it! If Karen could see this blog, I’m sure she would have dropped this book off on my doorstep by now! Intuitive Eating offers a new eating approach to free yourself from food prison to help yourself become at peace with food to reach the weight you were meant to be. I’m not much of a reader, but I have become passionate about healthy living and how food can change our body & health, so this book looks very intriguing to me. I will be reading this book in my free time, and I’ll keep you guys posted on new things that I learn!

Question: Has anyone read Intuitive Eating before?

When my usual snack time came around, I experimented with a new juice to curb my cravings. Not to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT! This juice was AMAZING! New favorite for sure, and the color was absolutely gorgeous!


Rainbow Sherbet
serves 1

2 fuji apples
½ lime
¼ pineapple
¼ large cucumber

Extract your fresh juice over ice and enjoy cold.

I have noticed a huge change in my mood since starting my juice challenge, which is a big change from where I was last Monday after returning from San Francisco. I actually feel really happy today, and feel a lot healthier overall. Although I still get cravings for coffee, I feel like I have tons of energy from the micronutrient rich juices. I am thinking about sticking with a few juices throughout the day but want to start incorporating smoothies for a little while since the outcome has been pretty positive!

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Juicing, Raw, Recipes, Vegan

Juice Challenge: Day 5

Hola Conejitos!
Feliz Shrinko de Mayo!
 I hope everyone is celebrating with tons of raw heart healthy avos!

Now onto the Juicinggggg! Day 5 flew by!
I had so much fun playing with my new Breville juicer last night that I made a Shrinko de Mayo fiesta of rainbow juices! I loved ALL of my juices today! WOOOO!

Emotions & Hunger: Drinking only juice is getting progressively easier. Maybe because I jut got a new juicer and am so pumped to use it? I’ve been feeling great physically, and love not having to drink 2 cups of coffee to get through the day. I will definitely be incorporating juice in my regular diet because it makes me feel healthy and refreshed. I have also noticed that my skin has been more dewy and fresh than usual. All of these micronutrients I’ve been taking in seem to be helping!


For The Love Of Kale
makes 1 serving

5 carrots
2 small red apples
6 kale leafs

Spring Beet
makes 1 serving

6 carrots
1 fui apple
6 sprigs of parsley
1 small beet

From A to P
serves 1

1 apple
8 carrots
6 parsley sprigs

Sherbet Lemonade
makes 1 serving

2 golden delicious apples
1/2 lemon

Mean Green
makes 2 servings

6 Kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
1 small piece of ginger

Juice Critique:
For The Love Of Kale: I had an overload of green juice in the past couple of days, so I wanted to make some sweeter juices that still incorporate veggies. I love the combination of apple & carrots. It was so sweet that I could’t even taste the kale!

Spring Beet: Ok you guys, I am trying so hard to use up the rest of the beets left in the fridge and well… I did it. The first beet drink that I actually liked! I started with my favorite new base of apples and carrots, and then added in some beet and parsley. It was sweet and fresh and I actually loved it! So glad I didn’t give up on the beets!

From A to P: Apples, carrots, & parsley oh my! my favorite sweet combo and some parsley, yummmm!

Sherbet Lemonade: DELICIOUS! I was so happy with the outcome of this one. It tasted like rainbow sherbet! This would make such a yummy summer cocktail over ice! R&R: Refreshing & Raw. Mmmm!

Mean Green: This is Joe Cross’ original juice from the film “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.” I had the same reaction that most taste testers had in the film: “This isn’t too bad!” Considering all of the greenery that is incorporated in this juice, I was worried, but the lemon, apple, and ginger added a great balance to the veggie taste. I’m not sure if I could drink this juice 6 times a day for 60 days like Joe, but I did like it!

Loved these juices so much, I cannot wait to make more!

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Juicing, Raw, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Juice Challenge: Day 1

I did it, I survived day 1!

After eating like everyday is my birthday for the past few weeks… well, months… Having a solid day of juice felt really nice!

Before I get into juicing, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who read, commented, emailed, facebooked, or tweeted me about my post yesterday. Sometimes it’s really hard to write posts like that, but since my blog is about honesty and developing a healthy relationship with food, I felt it was necessary to let you guys know how I was feeling. Body image is such a universal issue, yet so personal at the same time, and I know that a lot of people struggle with similar issues and I want everyone to know that they are not alone. Thank you so much for all of your comments, you have no idea how much they mean to me.

Last night I went to my friends Jason and Erica’s house and we got our juice on. I compiled a list of fruits and veggies that I wanted to experiment with, and then we were off to Whole Foods to get the goods. Whole Foods was probably not the best place to buy my produce price wise, but it’s easy for me to navigate and they always have kale! I am going to start by saying that even though juicing may be pricey (I will figure out how to get the cost down!) it sure makes grocery trips easy and stress free! No more roaming through the aisles, only the produce section! I did leave Whole Foods with a bag of chocolate chip cookies since I probably won’t be seeing those again for a while! We got back to the house and started juicing. Jason is a chef, so he definitely helped us to cut down our prep time! He was chopping apples like there was no tomorrow! I ended up with 6 bottles of 3 different fresh juices for the next day (May 1).

Rise & Shine
Makes 2 servings

1 large grapefruit
2 fuji apples
2 granny smith apples
2 cups of green seedless grapes
10 sprigs of Italian parsley

Beet It
makes 3 servings

10 carrots
2 red apples
1 large cucumber
1 large beet
2 stalks celery
1 inch fresh ginger

Green Machine
makes 1 serving

1 green apple
5 carrots
5 leafs dinosaur kale
1 cup spinach (packed)
½ cucumber
1 stalk celery
5 sprigs Italian parsley

Emotions: Day 1 was really exciting for me. I didn’t try any of my juices last night when I was preparing them so that I would be excited to drink them the next day. I woke up pumped to start the juice challenge and couldn’t wit to try each juice.

Hunger: I was busy all day today because my family and I went to watch our friend Javier perform on The Voice at WB. We were gone a majority of the day, so I didn’t have time to think about food or eat out of boredom. After the taping ended around 7 I started to get mildly hungry. We stopped by Panini for dinner but I stayed strong and sipped on green tea and a fresh juice.

Juice Critique:
Rise & Shine: Loved this juice. It was super energizing and the grapefruit gave it a nice punch. I’m thinking about adding some water to dilute the grapefruit next round, or maybe use a bit less.

Beet It: I’m obsessed with the color of this juice! I loved the first few sips, but had a hard time finishing the bottle near the end. It has a rather earthy taste to it from the beet. I think that next time I will use a smaller beet (mine was HUGE!) or add extra ginger. This one definitely needs some tweaking. Not my fav.

Green Machine: I surprisingly loved this juice. It smelled like straight up grass when I made it, but it tasted really fresh with a hint of sweet fro the apple! I may try adding some lemon next round. I will definitely be making more of this juice. Maybe I’ll swap it for the 3 Beet Its.

Throughout the day I also finished off 5 water bottles (so thirsty today!) and as we speak, I am sipping on a cup of organic Senna Leaf Tea to help with digestion, since juice contains no fiber.

So far, the juice challenge is a success! I’m taking it one day at a time, but I am feeling great and also very proud of myself for making it through dinner out with my family and not giving in. I’m excited for day 2, hopefully I will still be this pumped in the morning!

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