Juicing – Day 5

What a great day of energizing meals and juices along with a couple indulgences to get me through the day. And although I do not plan to follow a strict vegan diet in the near future, I have realized how satisfying a diet free of added sugar, dairy, refined carbohydrates and packed with nutrient-rich plants can truly be. Like most people, I am a creature of habit and I have a lot of go-to meals that tend to repeat themselves often. I have eaten healthy for quite a while now but I wanted to challenge myself more and give my body a chance to absorb vitamins and minerals that raw organic juices can provide in high concentration. It may seem ironic, but by eliminating processed foods, dairy, gluten, added sugar, caffeine, meat, etc., you open a door to foods and flavor possibilities that you never knew existed and introduce your body to the nutrients it needs to provide you with optimum mental and physical health. So would I recommend a juicing? Absolutely. But you must do it on your own terms because needed calorie intake, activity level, and other factors depend on the individual. For instance, I need a substantial meal soon after waking up and I also am hungry later in the evening, but juices can sustain me throughout the middle of the day. Also, I am usually on my feet 12-16 hours a day, which I took until consideration when designing my 5 day meal plan. In my opinion, you should never let yourself feel starved, or light-headed from lack of food, so have “clean” snacks available to sustain yourself. Plan well, listen to your body, and you will have a successful juicing experience and a happy, healthy body!

Raw Pita with Scrambled eggs, avocado, spinach, and arugula

Saturday Day 5

7:45 AM: 1 scrambled organic, free-range egg, ½ avocado, ½ c arugula, ½ tbsp olive oil, raw vegan pita, ½ tsp garlic; 2 raw vegan cookies; Latte: 1 c raw cashew milk, 1 oz. organic herbal coffee, vanilla

10:30 AM: 1 c raw vegan hot chocolate

11 AM: 16 oz. Juice: apple, lemon cucumber, greens, ginger

12:30 PM: 16 oz. Juice: apple, orange, carrot, hemp seed, ginger, wheatgrass, spirulina

3 PM: 16 oz. Juice: carrot, orange, kelp, cucumber, sesame seeds

5:30 PM: Handful of vegan trail mix

7:15 PM: Salad: ½ c baby spinach and arugula, 1/3 raw vegan Gyro meat, ¼ c diced cucumber and tomato, 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp raw vegan tzatziki

9:15 PM: A few strawberries; raw vegan cookie

12:15 AM: 2 raw vegan cookies; Latte: 2/3 c raw cashew milk, 1/3 c herbal tea, 2 tsp organic raw honey