Ok so this post is something I really passionate about and I’m about to tell you why.
It’s no secret that kale is good for you and the whole idea of
juicing
is certainly not new to us either. Last year my fiance Chris and I watched the documentary
Fat Sick & Nearly Dead
which was free on Netflix at the time. Now Chris has always been a typical man who loves his beer, chicken wings and pretty much anything with cheese…..I mean if we’re being honest, vegetables were never at the top of his “must-have” food items. Well the documentary really opened both of our eyes to the benefits of consuming large amounts of fruits and vegetables that we otherwise probably wouldn’t be able to eat all at once and how it can really change your viewpoint on what you put in your body.
Well let’s fast forward to a year later. Chris was
still talking about juicing, though he still hadn’t started, and with both of us wanting to slim down for our wedding and upcoming engagement pictures, now seemed to be the perfect time! My brother actually surprised us with a
juicer for Christmas this past year and after some really good holiday indulging, Chris decided to go ahead and start the following Monday. We were both SUPER skeptical on how this was even going to taste because honestly the end result looked like something found at the bottom of our garbage disposal. Truth be told – it was shockingly GOOD!! Well this excited both of us and Chris committed himself to drinking two juices a day (morning and night) along with a healthy lunch because it’s still important to get that fiber and protein in your diet.
I promise you I am NOT exaggerating when I tell you how successful this has been for him. In the first week of juicing he lost and incredible 10 pounds, which of course was mostly water weight, but this only pushed him harder to stick to it. It’s been just three weeks now and he’s lost over 25 pounds, is down a few belt loops and looks extremely different in his face! And because he FEELS so much better, he has started working out regularly and has cut his drinking down significantly. I can’t tell you how incredibly PROUD I am of his commitment to health and motivation for really sticking to something, even though it can be hard at times. Not only has he gotten me on board, but his family bought a juicer, my mom is now buying one and even people he works with are looking into it.
With that said, juicing may not be for everyone! This is something that really works well for my fiance and is something I’m definitely interested in trying, but ultimately it’s the perfect way to get those veggies in your diet, especially if that is something you struggle with. The main component in all the juices Chris makes is kale and I can’t stress enough how healthy this little actually really large and tends to take up my whole cart plant is for you!
Eating Kale on its own of course has amazing benefits, but it’s sometimes hard for people to eat because of its texture and bitter taste. Juicing kale is perfect because you can sneak it into almost anything giving you all those vitamins and nutrients for your body to absorb in its raw state! We like to add a lemon or lime to our juice (or even pineapple) to cut any bitterness and it’s great because you can’t taste the kale.
With that said, I wanted to share our favorite recipe that is perfect for beginners! Chris started off making this drink daily, but then slowly started adding in more green veggies once he adjusted to drinking that much juice. Fruits are good for you of course, but you really have to watch how many you put into your drinks because all that sugar can add up working against weight loss. Still this is a great jump start to juicing and I hope you all enjoy it!
To answer a question I’m sure most of you have, if juicing takes out all the skin and pulp then aren’t you stripping away all of that fiber and nutrients that are good for you?
Well, yes….sort of.
You’re still getting tons of important vitamins and minerals your body needs, but something I like to do that I’ve seen many people try is to take the leftover pulp and make muffins! This way you are still getting that fiber and you aren’t wasting a perfectly good vegetable or fruit. I’ll share some recipes for those soon! For more ideas on what to do with all that pulp, feel free to check out
THIS helpful site.
Happy juicing!
Kale Juice
- 6 leaves kale (1 bunch)
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 green apples
- 2 pears
- 1 lime
- First wash your fruits and veggies.
- Leave the kale leaves and celery as is, these can go in your juicer whole.
- Chop your green apples and pears in half (leaving the skins on) just making sure to remove the seeds.
- Cut the lime in half and feel free to leave the rind on, the juicer will take care of the rest!
- Throw everything into your juicer and watch the magic happen! Mix well once you're done and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!
Serving Size: 8 oz • Calories: 168 • Fat: 1.5 g • Carbs: 46.5 g • Fiber: 1.2 g • Protein: 6.2 g
Naps and other non-food-related activities are in [ ], and mealtimes are underlined to distinguish
if you’re looking for a great post-workout snack!
