Cantaloupe Carrot

Today, I welcome the feel of summer with this incredibly sunny smoothie!

Recipe for today’s includes:

.25 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup of organic carrot juice (cheap at Trader Joe’s)
.5 of a cantaloupe, chopped
1 scoop of protein powder for energy (I used Shaklee vanilla powder)
5 ice cubes

Benefits:

• Almond Milk: naturally rich in several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin E.
• Carrots: rich in vitamin A, it is good for improving eyesight and preventing conditions like night blindness from developing as we age.
• Cantaloupe: high water and electrolyte content helps ward off dehydration and combat the heat.
• Protein Powder: for vegans/vegetarians, or if you’re simply active, will benefit from an added scoop of protein to help build lean muscle mass.

Calories: 272 Carbs: 51g Fat: 4g Protein: 12g Sodium: 454g Sugar: 43g

Cherry Nice Cream!

Sometimes, you just want breakfast for dessert. Nothing more refreshing for a late summer morning!

Now many make “nice cream” out of bananas, which is a fantastic way way to make a guilt-free, potassium rich dessert. But honestly, I’m not the biggest banana fan when it comes to blended treats. Instead, I blend my frozen beverages with filtered water or almond milk. Cherry season comes and goes in a blink on an eye, so check out my super simple take on cherry ice cream below!

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen, pitted cherries
• 1.5 cups water
• half a tray of ice cubes
• liquid stevia, to taste

Instructions

• Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix). I like to start out with only a few ice cubes with it on medium and pick up speed to high. Once fully blended, add in a few more ice cubes at a time, monitoring consistency. You don’t want it to be too liquidy, but also not too icy doesn’t take on the form of a slushy.

Kale Lemon Apple

 

 Today’s juice ingredients:

• 6 kale leaves
• 2 romaine leaves
• 1 cucumber (half if very long)
• 1 granny smith
• 1 lemon

  

Benefits:

• Kale: this leafy green cruciferous vegetable that is chock-full of essential vitamins A, C and K as well as minerals like copper, potassium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. 
• Romaine: got protein? Romaine lettuce is 17% protein with 7.7 grams per head.
• Cucumber: made up of 95% water, this is a great subtle addition to your juice to keep you hydrated
• Granny Smith Apple: making your own apple juice that is cloudy with pulp may increase your protection against heart disease.
• Lemon: the acid from the lemon juice acts as an antibacterial force  inside your stomach.

200 calories

Apple Carrot Ginger

  Today’s juice ingredients:

• 4 carrots
• 2 apples (make at least one a granny smith)
• 1 inch cube of ginger

  

Benefits:

• Granny Smith Apple: these apples have a slightly higher potassium content than other apples, which contributes to a steady heart rhythm. 
• Carrot: rich in beta-carotene, which converts into vitamin A in the liver. Great for vision!
• Ginger: improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body.

300 calories

Urban Remedy Super Green Cleanse Review: Day 3 (Symptoms, Perks and Results)

After 11 hours of sleep last night, I woke up ready to go for day three. I’m definitely weaker today, and tired  to some degree, but gaining mental clarity.

For those not familiar with juice cleanses, many will agree that day two is the hardest. You’re body has gone without food long enough to switch into the mode of getting rid of all those toxins. So say hello to these symptoms:

• acute acne expelling toxins through the skin
• brain fog from fewer calories, or withdrawal from sugar and caffeine
• cravings!
• decline of energy/fatigue due to your body adjusting to less calories
• headaches/body aches 
• mood swings

I promise, if you’re body is reacting normally to a cleanse, these will pass in a day or two. Just try to relax and keep yourself busy! Pretty soon you’ll be feeling these wonderful perks:

• mental clarity
• greater, refined energy
• increased energy
• bright eyes and skin
• decreased appetite
• deep healing of and past injuries
• intense cleansing of organs

My overall review of this cleanse? I loved having the six different juices each day, although by day three, I was definitely done consuming liquid green! If you see my day one review of the cleanse, I was obviously distraught with the way I was feeling physically and mentally beforehand. The quality of the juices was top notch – one of my favorite programs and I definitely recommend trying Urban Remedy. I would love to try one of their meal kits in the future. Three days later, I feel 95% better. No more bloating or fatigue. I feel much happier and back on track. I will be kicking off my clean raw eating again slowly, incorporating fruit and vegetable solids in-between smoothies and soups. Remember, it took three days to get here, so you can’t just jump back to your old habits! By reflecting on the progress made, you will make much better decisions upon leaving the cleanse in order to maximize benefits.

Urban Remedy Super Green Cleanse Review: Day 2 (Ingredients & Benefits)

Day two has arrived. Waking up before my alarm is a constant perk when juicing. I also go to bed much earlier (due mostly to boredom and lack of energy once the buzz of the last juice wears off). Many of the side effects of juicing slowly kick in day two, which I discuss here.

Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients and benefits of each juice on the Super Green Cleanse:

1. Dynamo

Ingredients: Cucumber, Parsley, Celery, Spinach, Kale and Dandelion Greens

Key Benefits: supports liver, boosts immunity, purifies blood and cleanses cells. This juice has 3 lbs of veggies packed into the 16-oz. bottle!

2. Refresh

Ingredients: Lemons, Chlorophyll, Ionized Water and Stevia

Key Benefits: oxygenates blood, freshens breath, alkalizes body, boosts iron levels

3. Clear

Ingredients: Burdock Root, Celery, Cucumber, Spinach and Parsley

Key Benefits: brightens skin, energizes, boosts immunity, cleanses cells

4. Soothe

Ingredients: Cucumber, Celery, Spinach, Apple, Ginger, Parsley and Lemon

Key Benefits: promotes digestion, purifies blood, supports kidneys, cleanses cells

5. Ensalada

Ingredients: Cucumber, Celery, Spinach, Kale, Carrot, Jewel Yam and Lettuce

Key Benefits: purifies blood, brightens skin, promotes digestion and aides liver health.

6. Glow

Ingredients: Cucumber, Parsley, Spinach, Lemon, Celery, E3Live Algae

Key Benefits: energizes, boosts immunity, oxygenates blood and helps your skin glow

 

Urban Remedy Super Green Cleanse Review: Day 1 (Taste)

I juice. A lot. I put up with the eye rolls and cynical comments when I walk by with a bottle full of green liquid. I’ve been told my eating habits are too healthy that they make people sick.

But it’s all worth it. Why? Because it makes me feel good. No, GREAT! I have IBS (another term for doctor’s don’t know what the heck is wrong with me) and I suffer from waves of terrible discomfort and fatigue. Juicing is the only way for me that resets my GI tract to cut the misery. After my birthday month of overeating, indulgence (non-clean eating) and binge drinking (how can you say no to free birthday shots?), my body was slammed back to reality. My symptoms have never been as prolonged and vicious as what I’ve been experiencing. Even after two weeks of clean eating and many calls to my mom crying in pain from abdominal distension, I knew it was time to push the reset button.

I was tempted to try a new juice cleanse from Urban Remedy, a California-based company founded by a certified Chinese nutritionist. There are three levels to try. Being an experienced juicer, I skipped straight to the Super Green cleanse. Each day I will provide a review of my overall status along with coverage on:

1. taste
2. ingredients, benefits of each juice
3. symptoms, side effects and results

I also bought a day of the Purify cleanse to review as well. I hope you find this helpful and give juicing a try.

Day One: Taste Breakdown

#1. Dynamo: 10 a.m.

After starting the day with two cups of tea and some lemon water, my body was craving some nutrients. With the first drops of green goodness on my taste buds, I actually felt a rush of nutrients spread like wildfire around my body. It’s not sweet like other green juices I’ve tried (the only fruit is lemon), rather it was earthy like a blended up salad. Easy to slurp down in 20 minutes and provided me with long lasting energy well into the late morning.

#2. Refresh: 12 p.m.

I wasn’t even hungry for this juice and while it is recommended to consume at noon, I held off until 12:45 p.m. Before trying the juice, I was TERRIFIED. I mean come on, it’s the color of highly chlorinated water. And I recently had a traumatic experience involving spirulina, so the mention of Chlorophyll sent instant shivers down my spine. But lesson, folks: don’t judge a book by it’s cover (or a juice by it’s color). The juice tastes exactly like a lemonade, which feels funny with it’s green tint. All you taste are the lemons, I promise!

 #3. Clean: 2 p.m.

Again, I had to start late on drinking this (3:30 p.m.) due to the surge of energy from the last two juices. I’m drinking at least 1-2 cups of tea and water between each round, which keeps me full and alert as well. The taste here was again, not sweet and you can definitely pick up on the celery and parsley. I also got a hint of something bitter, which I assumed was the burdock root. After researching, I’ve learned this root has intense healing/cleansing capabilities. It is a blood purifier that contains diuretic principles. And helps treat skin problems (acne, eczema).  And looks like this.

#4. Soothe: 4 p.m.

FINALLY! Directly upon opening this bottle I knew I had hit the jackpot. A few years ago, I hated ginger, but after realizing their ability to take a green juice from meh to woah, I fell in love. Plus the combination in this green juice was one of the best combinations I’ve ever tasted (apple, ginger, lemon, parsley). I tried to savor this for as long as possible.

#5. Ensalada: 6 p.m.

As you begin to wonder how many more green drinks you have to get through, this bright, orange beverage comes as a refreshing surprise. It tastes green, but thanks to the yam and carrot, there is a hint of sweetness that balances perfectly with the potent flavor of kale and celery. I also am biased towards anything with carrots.

#6. Glow: 8 p.m.

Oh. Oh no. Last juice of the day and by far my least favorite. The combination is nothing to look forward to and the E3 Live (algae) leaves you with a less than enjoyable taste in your mouth. Regardless, I’m so tired that I don’t seem to have any trouble gulping it down to get to bed.