So… I started juicing recently and now I’m OBSESSED.
I don’t know why some things just click and others don’t (I’ve never been a veggie man in my life!) but here we are going into our 5th straight week now and I have yet to miss a single day without my new favorite green cocktail.
IT FEELS SO GOOD!!! And I blame you, Madiha, for introducing me to it!! 😂
She wrote me this note last month and it’s completely transformed my eating habits:
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“Hey! Please watch the documentary, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. Part 1 and 2 on youtube. The director, joe cross, did 40 days of green juicing exclusively to lose weight and cure himself of autoimmune skin diseases. It really works, God Willing. I hope and pray for your good health.”
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Of course at first I rolled my eyes and was skeptic as hell, because come on – it screams scam!! And MLM! And any other “fast fixes” out there! But I also know that sometimes things are legit (like FIRE, Britney Spears), and if someone took the time to recommend something to me I’m at least going to check it out for a minute and not be a dick….
So I loaded it up on YouTube and a few seconds turned into a few minutes, and a few minutes turned into 30 minutes, and before I knew it I had consumed the entire thing – and its counterpart, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead 2! – and immediately knew it was for me. It just clicked. As if Jesus himself came down to me and proclaimed “The time has come!! Drink your veggies!!” Lol…
I figured there were no downsides in trying either. Worst case I eat a lot of vegetables (*gasp*), but best case I get healthier and happier and just better feeling all around! Which is really saying something since I’m already a pretty happy guy, but hey – you can always strive to be *better* right?
Well, it’s now been over a whole month and I can confidently tell you this freakin’ juice works :) And before you roll your eyes too, let me just show you what’s in it so you know it’s literally just veggies! No magic pills or powder or herbs or whatever else people are hawking these days. It’s as natural as it gets.
[Kale, green apples, cucumber, lemon, celery, ginger root]
I just throw all this into the juicer – and voila – I’m sucking down more nutrients in this one helping that I normally would have in a month! And much more efficient than TRYING TO EAT ALL OF THIS too as a) there’s no way – bleh, and b) it hits your bloodstream much faster in juice form than chewing! (At least per the scientists in the doc).
And that’s all there is to it. No magic sauce, no powders, nothing.
I drink 1 of these every single afternoon, and then supplement it with a fruit/veggie/oats smoothie in the mornings and it’s completely revitalized me. I’m sleeping better. I’m feeling better. I haven’t had a headache in weeks (not that I got them too often, but usually after a coffee binge I would!! Lol) and so far not a single outbreak of my skin disease either (*knock on wood*).
Here’s the recipe for it if you’re already sold ;)
“Mean Green Juice” Recipe:
- 1 cucumber
- 2 green apples
- 4 celery stalks
- 1 bunch of kale (if you can get it with stalks, get it! 8 stalks)
- 1 Lemon (or 1/2 a lemon, depending on your taste)
- Ginger root (only one inch worth!! Do not burn your face off by putting an *entire* root in like I did at first and almost spraying it across my kitchen cabinets! Ginger is no joke!)
The single best effect this has had so far though is that it’s completely infiltrated my *entire* habits around eating now.
Similar to waking up about your personal finances or relationships/etc, you start to see the bigger picture and realize how all these little habits you’ve formed over your lifetime has been holding you back. Like the bagel I used to have every single morning, or all the late afternoon snacks I’d need to keep me energized and filled up on the daily.
The last time I had a bagel has now been over a month (!!) and the last time I had a bag of chips or cookie was…. well, yesterday! I’m not a masochist!! LOL… But it was only the 2nd time I allowed myself to indulge in such a treat since this “juice awakening” and let me tell you – it tastes soooo much better when it’s not a “habit treat!” And if you can believe it, I’ve even turned down big juicy pieces of Pizza too… PIZZA!!! Somebody stop me!!
It’s like my eyes have finally been opened for the first time in 40 years, and I now realize how poorly I’ve been treating my body.
There’s been a handful of other interesting effects too:
- I don’t eat as many helpings during dinner anymore (instead of 2-3 per usual, it’s down to 1-2)
- I’m accidentally losing a little weight! (Down 10 pounds and back to my usual “norm” before getting sick last year)
- My blood pressure has dropped significantly (I was hovering around “hypertension” at 140-something over 70-80, and the past two weeks now averaging 115-125ish over 60-70! A pretty big drop!)
- I’m finally using all those things in the kitchen I never use. (Minimalism win!! Lol) Like the blender and peelers and all those extra sets of drinking glasses we’ve gotten as gifts but had never really needed until now! We go through soooo many glasses now with all these extra drinks added on!
- That nagging thought of “needing to be healthier” is slowly fading… (I no longer have those pangs of regret/wishful thinking about eating better, very much like my new volunteering efforts because I’m finally DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT!)
- But probably the best side effect is how excited my kids are too :) Not only do most of them drink my concoctions every single day (even my 5 y/o!!) but one likes it so much that I told him he never has to eat veggies again if he continues it up, haha… Which is hilarious because a) there are SO MANY MORE VEGGIES in these drinks than the few we put on his table each day 🤣🤣, but also b) he cannot STAND spinach to the point he has to crumple it up and down it with a large glass of milk every night *while plugging his nose*, and yet he doesn’t even notice it at all in these cocktails… It’s the perfect kid hack!
So yeah. Super wild and random this whole juicing phenomenon in my household right now, but again, like other things in life when something just feels right and clicks you gotta run with it as far as you can!
And if you’re wondering about the costs, yes – it does get pretty pricey as you’re just loading in sooooooo much food with every single drink. AND you constantly need to be buying more of it because only so much fits in your fridge and you want it to be as fresh as possible!! But – it also leads to less snacking and over-gorging yourself with food in general (at least if you have the same effects as I do), so that certainly defrays the costs. I may be spending loads more on vegetables every week, but I’ve also cut out 90% of the garbage!
The other pricey part can be getting your hands on the juicer itself. But until you’ve tried it and KNOW it will stick, just borrow one from your friends and family instead! I guarantee one of them has one stashed away in the back corner of their cabinets somewhere from failed attempts of their own, lol… Maybe even you too? 😂
I borrowed one from my sister (pictured below) and will be forever grateful for it… Because unlike other experiments, you DO unfortunately need one of these guys to fully give it a go. A blender will get you partially the way there, but the juicer is where the magic lies.
I should also note that that’s exactly what this is here for me – an experiment. Something I’m trying out and hoping to do *more* of as time goes on, but for now just building up slowly and taking note of how it’s affecting me.
In the documentary the main subject (Joe Cross) takes it to an extreme level because he found himself in a pretty extreme situation: fat, sick, and nearly dead as he puts it ;) So he decided to try out a 60 day “juice fast” drinking nothing but this Mean Green juice and that’s it. No snacks, no meals, no dinners – nothing! Which of course makes it a compelling documentary to watch, if only to see if he survives in the end, lol…
But for me it was more of a wake up call realizing just how little veggies (or thought, really) I put into my diet on a daily basis. So as the inspiration struck I decided to just go for it and start juicing as a “supplement” to see how it goes rather than any “meal replacements.” And as you can see it’s already had some quite profound effects! (If you are interested in going the “meal replacement”/fasting route fyi, then beware you need to float it by your doctor first to make sure it’s safe!)
Oh, and the taste?! You would assume it’s gag worthy and anything but enticing, but it’s actually not that bad! It’s weird and *different* tasting, for sure, but it’s also oddly refreshing. And the bit of ginger you put in there gives it a nice little kick that you often don’t get with this “healthy” stuff. It literally feels like a shower for my insides every time I take a sip, haha… It cleans out all the dirt and bad stuff in there and makes it all clean and pretty again! 😂
We’ve started incorporating other juices in our household as well to spice things up. Namely a beet one, and you can probably guess why it’s now one of the kids’ favorites ;)
[Recipe: 3 beets + 4 carrots + 2 oranges!]
All this to say that if any of this juicing stuff interests you here in the *slightest*, please please please AT LEAST watch the trailer of the doc and see if it inspires you! If it’s boring and lame then of course go on your merry way, but if it sparks something like it did for me, then keep going and see where it takes you!
Just adding one glass of green juice to your diet can be enough to improve your life!! You can never have too many veggies!!
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[Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead: “Overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross was at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. With doctors and conventional medicine unable to help, Joe traded in junk food and hit the road with a juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe had one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.”]
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Big thanks again to Madiha who accidentally turned me into this freak, and big thanks to you all for reading as well ;)
If any of you decide to give this a shot – please tell me how it all goes!! Friends who juice together, stay together!!
XOXO,
PS: I really liked this clip from someone who started juicing in the 2nd documentary … It really is the best part of it all:
“I didn’t realize how bad I felt for so long, until I felt this good… And, in fact, losing weight is probably an important but small portion of the whole equation. Just the introduction to juice into our household has significantly increased the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables that the entire family eats. And I think that’s really the main benefit of all this.”
Other fun juicing pics!
[Beet juicing!]
[Colorful ingredients of the beet juice]
[The perfect storage containers for extra juice/smoothies! Whenever I’m ready to down them I just pop off the lid and gulp! They’re awfully cute too.]
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Hi J$,
In your new juicing adventure, what happens with all the fiber (or roughage) from the fruits and veggies? I was always taught to eat the entire fruit or veggie for best health, to include the fiber most Americans miss in their diet.
Yeah in a perfect world you’d eat ALL of it, but look at that picture and how much goes into each drink! You’d be eating for hours!! Lol… And then give up, or at least I would (I am not a Veggie person ;)). So you do lose part of the nutrients, but you’re still getting a bulk of it. And from what the documentary says it hits your bloodstream faster drinking the juice vs eating so that’s a nice effect!
What do you do with the leftover fiber?
I haven’t been doing anything with it yet but would love to find a cool recipe or something to use it all up…. It also makes me want to get back into composting more so at least the Earth can enjoy it if I can’t! Lol…
Thanks for sharing!!
Too funny about the deal with your son and veggies if he drinks the juice
I did this one year, for a year straight. Well, actually I’d juice through the week (took the pressure off with not having to decide what I wanted for dinner) and then binge eat pizza on the weekend. I lost 30 lbs that year
For me, it was actually cheaper. I went from $100/grocery bill for just me down to $30 – so much cheaper when you don’t buy meat.
Do you toss the pulp? Or smoothie it?
I need to get out my juicer again
WOW WOW WOW!!! That is huge!! One year is no joke- congrats!! I bet you felt a ton better too throughout :)
Smoothie is a good idea w/ the extras! I tend to do smoothies first in the morning and the juice later in the day, but i could try flipping it or just saving it for the next morning and experimenting… Though my smoothies are usually more fruit based to cover both areas so will have to figure out the right balance there 👍
I’m glad you finally got on the health bandwagon. Some of us have known the power of juicing for years. I’ve been worried about you ever since you were injured by the vaccine. I’m glad you are finally realizing that health doesn’t come from a needle or pill.
Please look at this website: realnotrare.com and see you are not alone.
I wasn’t injured by a vaccine and still very much in support of them – please don’t misconstrue this. I believe you can have a nice balance between modern medicine and natural goodness – it doesn’t have to be all one side or the other.
I’m so excited for you!
Juicing is worth every dollar. My first attempt at juicing was after a brain injury. It was a way for me to gain extra nutrients, without forcing my stomach to take in food (which it didn’t want, due to some crossed wires in my brain).
I swear part of the reason I healed is because of juicing.
I no longer juice every day (but I do eat plenty of veggies and fruits with my meals); instead, I use juicing as a supplement during cold and allergy seasons.
Keep it up! If you are tempted to quit – remember how you felt before you started.
Love it!! And even more so your brain is healed!! :) I believe the juice helped immensely with that… If I ever break out with my skin disease again I 100% plan on upping it as I couldn’t eat much either when it first flared up… And that ensure milk was absolutely disgusting, lol… Here’s to The Juice Life!
Thanks for posting. I did a bit of juicing a few years ago but now it sits tucked away like so many others. I’m currently trying to get more smoothies/protein shakes in my diet. Would you mind sharing the oatmeal juice recipe as well?
Sweet! I hope you get back into it!!
My smoothie concoction is a pretty random mix of stuff that I just keep adding to when someone recommends something, lol…
It started as just these 4 ingredients which was tasty on its own (a recipe from Joe Cross – the same guy from the doc above):
– Strawberries
– Bananas
– Almond Milk
– a date
And has since transformed to this 😂
– Strawberries
– Banana
– Blueberry/Raspberry/Blackberry mix (frozen)
– Almond Milk (unsweetened)
– a Date (my favorite part!!)
– Plain Yogurt
– Mixed greens (usually spinach + kale)
– Oatmeal flakes
– Avocado
– Chia seeds
So now it’s not *as* sweet as before, but still just as refreshing and even more so *filling*.. to the point that it’s basically replaced my morning bagel and it’s all I have in the morning (though typically I eat a banana too normally just cuz THEY’RE THE BEST!! :))
Here is a link to some creative uses for juice pulp:
https://www.goodnature.com/blog/11-creative-ways-to-use-leftover-juice-pulp
Oooh those popsicles and crackers idea look good!! And very true about some being good for dyes, haha.. esp the Beets! :)
Jeez I need to get on this juicing train! I will say that I started intermittent fasting 2 years ago, and it’s been a game changer. I’m so much more focused in the morning (probably because I’m looking forward to lunch) and I have a big smoothie for lunch. Juicing definitely helps regulate hunger, and I’m glad to see it’s working so well for ya!
Cool! yeah, the guy from the doc basically fasted the ENTIRE TIME without any food – only the green juice! – and eventually he said his body got used to it and wasn’t starving anymore (only that first week was brutal, lol..). So maybe you can add just one juice to your daily routine to help ease the fasting more? Def. can’t hurt you!! :)
Wow. Thanks for writing about this. In January, I took the Dean Ornish virtual program for heart health. It’s a plant-based diet with very low fat. I lost 20 pounds without trying. I usually have a smoothie every day with protein powder. Juicing sounds like it’s worth trying. I didn’t know it takes the pulp out.
Way to go!! That’s the best when you find something that clicks like that :) 20 pounds is incredible! Maybe adding some veggies will now double it! lol…
Dude thanks so much for writing on this topic. I’ve followed you for a long-while and occasionally tap in to a new habit or way of thinking based on something you’ve chosen to share. My wife got in to juicing a while ago, but now it’s stored away with other such appliances (I’m looking at you InstaPot). Her eyes lit up when I told her your article persuaded me to give it a try.
A few years back I was a lucky recipient of $100 from you. I can’t recall the exact reason any longer (memory sux…hey maybe juicing can help with that too!), but I was blown away by the kind gesture and decided to tuck it away until I found a suitable way to spend it. Now I have it…the first $100 in veggies I buy for the purpose of juicing (this weekend!) will be my tip o’ the hat to you my friend. Thanks for all you do…and the good karma you send our way!
AHHHH!!! That’s beautiful man!! So glad you’re gonna give it a try! That really is the best part of our community here – seeing the ideas that pop up and then experimenting with the ones that inspire you the most :) Sometimes I come up with them, and sometimes it’s our readers here who do like this juicing idea! A great circulation of brains we’ve got going here, Lolol…. Let me know how it goes!! I’m excited for you!
J Miz!
This is fascinating.
A couple of things I’m curious about:
1. How much is this costing you per meal (roughly)?
2. Is there stuff you’re not getting that you need to supplement? (e.g. sodium, protein, etc.)
3. Did you have to buy a 2nd refrigerator for all this produce?
4. Any juicer recommendations?
hey dude!
1) It costs me about $20 to pick up all the ingredients I need for the Green Juice, and I grab them every 3-4 days or so so it probably costs me around $5-$6 per drink? And probably even less since it makes me not snack on a lot of garbage, and thus less $$$ going there as well ;)
2) I’m not sure how it works exactly if you do the *fasting* part (ie ONLY juicing for 2 months and that’s it!), but since I’m just using it as a supplement in general I’m not too worried about what it doesn’t contain since I’m still eating and drinking other stuff throughout the day. I bet between my fruit smoothie and this veggie juice though it hits a bulk of what you need!
3) Not yet on the 2nd fridge but BOY WOULD THAT BE HELPFUL!!! I am getting tired of playing Tetris in my fridge and not being able to access stuff easily, lol… Def. a top 3 con so far.
4) Can’t recommend any juicers yet as I haven’t gone out and bought one (I’m borrowing one), but I wouldn’t worry too much about it until you know it’s going to stick… For now if you’re interested in trying it just borrow one or find a cheap one off Craigslist/Marketplace/etc!
What an enthusiasm! It’s clear that this newfound habit has had a significant positive impact on your life and well-being. So, small changes in our habits can lead to significant improvements in our overall health and well-being. Keep up the fantastic work, and I might just have to give juicing a try myself!
I hope you do!! Never know how these little things can go on to affect bigger ones :)
Curious if this is more or less cost effective than green powders. I started drinking one recently (after doing a lot of research) and its been great (not the overpriced overhyped product everyone shills for affiliate $$$) . Though if you have the time to prep, I am very sure you cant beat fresh.
Probably is cheaper but yeah, not as good as juicing real veggies, which is not as good as EATING real veggies but hey – you do whatever you can to get some in your body as it’s all better than NO veggies!! :)
Ok, curious.
Thinking of barriers. How long does it take to clean out the juicer afterwards?
Can you save some if you make extra?
Do you need to peel the ginger?
Following you for a while, I was actually considering hiring a registered dietician. Im trying to get back to a more comfortable weight, I have about 10 lbs to go. Perhaps this might be a better step!
Only one way to find out!! ;)
it does get annoying having to clean it every time afterwards, but it only takes a few mins (probably depends on the type of juicier you use). That said, the recipe above will make you 2 full glasses+ so you could just save one for the next day and only need to juice every two days. Probably wouldn’t want to store much more than that anyways as the freshness goes away, but that will def. save you some time
as for ginger, yup – you can just use a carrot peeler to peel the skin off but prob not the worst thing in the world to leave on either… I just peel for a few seconds and then throw it in even with 20% or so of the skin still on (and in the beginning i wasn’t peeling it at all and i survived! lol..)
I think it’s just one of those things you have to try out for a week and adjust as you go. You’ll find out real quick what works for you and what doesn’t :)
Pretty awesome J,
We did the juicing also “back in the day” after watching the film back then. Ginger is no joke..haha. Beet too…you need to cut it with some carrots..haha. We then moved on from the juicer to the NutriBullet. It grinds everything…pulp, seeds and all so you get the fiber and the entire plant. Lots of fun and good for you. Happy juicing!
oooh interesting! i’ll have to look that up and see what it’s about! It would be nice to fully capture it all for sure.
Awesome stuff J, you’ve inspired me to at least watch those documentaries and see where it leads to then. I eat pretty healthy already and generally like fruits and veggies, but never thought to get mix them all together in a juicer. Next summer you need to start a garden and grow all this….Ok maybe most of it, yourself. You can seriously cut down on your material costs ;-)
I’ll let you know how it goes!
yes!!! I do need to look into gardening!! Nooooo idea how hard or easy or time/effort/costs are involved etc, but man would that be great being fully sustainable…. Or even partially! I feel like it’s one of those things that will forever pay dividends over the years too once you figure it out. I’ll let you know if I do – but don’t hold your breath ;)