I cannot stop juicing.
Am I the ultimate active, healthy, all-about-dieting kinda person? Absolutely not. In fact, my liver has been destroyed from 9 years of binge drinking, my stomach loves fatty, chemically processed, MSG-laden food (hello, I'm Chinese), and I once had a hookah at home so I could puff on a selection of fruity flavors on a nightly basis (don't ask).
Having lived in cities all my life, it had always been hard to squeeze time out to, urm, take care of myself. New restaurant! Hottest bar in town! Limited-time exhibitions! Fashion shows! Concerts! And damn, work never seemed to end. Sometimes I wouldn't even have time for lunch, not to say cook my own meal. Nothing seemed more boring than staying at home and making my own food.
But I guess with age comes a little bit of wisdom and self awareness. In the past year, I realized that while fatty food and liquor gave me instantaneous gratification, their consequences live on. Without any exercise and "clean food" in my body, I felt sluggish, weak, and tired. I relied on caffeine to stay up at work, just so I could get out of there and do some shots at the closest bar. It became a viscous cycle, and soon enough, I was on the brink of an AA intervention for alcohol and caffeine addiction (do they treat the latter?) I wanted to make a change.
I started by going to the gym a few times a week, learning how to cook (understanding what ingredient goes into different dishes), and eating lots of greens whenever I could. I still indulged in "unhealthy" food and drinks, but only in modest amounts. To be honest, if you asked me a few months ago, I wouldn't even come close to trying green juices. But the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead really inspired me, so I gave it a try. Needless to say, it's one of the best decisions I have made in my life!
Comparing myself today to two years ago, I am much stronger, healthier, and happier. I juice once a day, and eat my other meals as usual. But I make better decisions when eating out. I have the willpower to stay away from harmful foods and chemically processed foods, because I know how crappy they make me feel afterwards. Of course, I will probably keep eating MSG until the day I know how to make Chinese sauces from scratch (almost impossible), or when MSG-free Chinese food becomes a popular trend. But until then, I am really happy with the progress I have made!
Do yourself a favor, close your eyes, pinch your nose, do whatever you need to do. TRY JUICING. You will not regret it.
The following juice would be a great starter, it doesn't have leafy greens but beets are very strong detoxifying agents. I found the recipe at Juicing Recipes for Health and I absolutely love it!
All the fruits that went into the juice
Peeling the skin of beets will produce sweeter juice. If you are like me, you will forget that beets stain everything, including your hands, and will walk around with bright red hands all day long. Attractive.
Yummmm.
Beet juice with Apples, Lime, Grapes, and Grapefruit
Adapted from Juicing Recipes for Health
2 apples, cored
1 grapefruit, skin removed
1 beet, peeled
Handful of grapes
1/2 lime, skin removed
Wash everything and juice away!
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