Like Every Obnoxious Hippie You Know, I Too Have Started Juicing

But I'm not on a juice fast! Though I am on a cleanse of sorts. I've drastically cut down on sugar and gluten, and I've had no coffee for a week. It's been good. I've been drinking Yerba Mate in the mornings, which has helped with um, the constipation that can come with cutting out the glorious beverage known as coffee. I think the juice helps too. My poo has taken on a green tint this last week.

Yerba Mate and green juice, for afternoon brain fuel. This juice contained purple kale, beets, celery, cucumber and ginger.

I was prompted to juice last week, after having a Healthy at the Santa Cruz Cafe Gratitude. I was super partied out, maybe even incredibly hung over. I had a hard time eating my breakfast at Saturn Cafe. A real hard time. And oh boy, the snark was flowing. I was not myself, and trying to get excited for a day of Boardwalk fun was a seemingly impossible feat. Ouch.

The Boardwalk, the night before. The location where said hang-over was a future ailment. We went to see Eddie Money perform, as that was Britney's 24th birthday wish this year.

I stopped by Cafe Gratitude with my friend Kevin, to drop off some Source desserts to my pal Miguel. I would have liked to eat breakfast at Cafe Gratitude, but alas, I was with a large group and sometimes expensive raw food doesn't bode with everyone. Plus, I had no idea where it was and in no mood to look it up and direct people. Saturn Cafe was down the street from our lovely motel.

The view from our motel window. I don't think the Budget Inn deserves the bad rap it gets on Yelp. I rather liked it. It's cheap and less than a mile from the Boardwalk, what do people expect?

Vegan tofu rancheros at Saturn Cafe. Though I'd never had brekkie there, I left feeling the same as I always do leaving Saturn -- meh. They actually hit the spot as leftovers, after a few hours at the Boardwalk, when I was STARVING.

ANYWAY. I got my juice. And after a few sips, the hangover started to subside! Now, it's not the first time I've had a Cafe Gratitude Healthy juice. I used to work in the Central Kitchen of Scandal, and I drank those babies by the gallon. It's just been awhile. I forgot. Plus, I work at Source now and I get to drink the Super 8 all the time, which has beets, kale, apples, parsley, carrots, ginger, cucumber, and celery! Juicing at home?! TOO TIME CONSUMING.

The aforementioned Healthy and a slice of raw chocolate hazelnut pie because raw desserts are basically health food.

But, now I'm 31. And I want to start taking better care of myself. I WANT TO LOOK AS YOUNG AS POSSIBLE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. Okay?! It's a vanity case! What you look like on the outside is a reflection of what's going on inside, and maybe it's time to leave the debauchery of my 20's behind. (Gawd, did I just type that? BORING.)

So I started juicing. I gave up some stuff this week. I don't know how long this self-imposed detox will last (til I lose 10 pounds and start sparkling), hopefully a few months. FINE, the truth is, I'm going to a wedding near Seattle in October, where I'm looking forward to seeing some old college friends, and from there I'm heading to Portland to see a bestie, who may or may not happen to be an old ex. There will be so many pictures and I've been looking so puffy and tired lately. That cannot be happening. Not at 31.

  

Rachel and I at the Rush Inn, near Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. I could look a little less tired, a little more "bright".

Me and Britney, also at the Rush Inn. I guess it was the time of night that duck face happens? Oops.

Juicing is great! It can be tough to get used to the flavor, but once you get past that hurdle, welcome to the land of nutrients! When you drink home-made or cold-pressed, raw vegetable juice, your body absorbs the vitamins and enzymes of all the vegetables, without having to work at digesting all the fiber. For instance, when I put 3 beets, 7 celery stalks, a bunch of kale, and apple and some ginger into the blender to make juice, I get all the nutrients in a few glasses! There is no way I'd be able to eat that much in one sitting (unless it was cooked down, but the point is that it is raw)!

Juicing at my parent's house! Kale, spinach, an apple, cucumber, celery and ginger. My mom was not so sure about all this.

I've been detoxing a little this week. I was fine for about four days, bright and full of energy, but at about day five things got a little "detoxy". Unfortunately my mom had to deal with the symptoms of it over this weekend -- the tiredness, the crankiness, the moodiness accompanied with getting used to a new diet plan, not to mention my own anguish over breaking out. ALL PART OF THE PROCESS. I feel great, lighter, and my detox symptoms are pretty slight, but there nonetheless. The parts of my skin that I usually have the most problems with have cleared up, while obnoxious zits are popping up in places I don't ever get them. No one said having toxins leave your body was easy. I would also like to not that I never once said I gave up wine. Beer and liquor yes, but not the white wine.

Maybe I should start another blog post to talk about my juicing method, but whatevs. I never write long posts anymore.

All I do is blend my vegetables in the Vita-Mix, with just enough water that the vegetables will pulverize. Then I strain them through a nut-milk bag. That's it. Add more water if necessary to dilute the taste. I fill up about a pitcher, and drink it for 3 days. Usually kale needs to be blended by itself; it's the toughest to break down. A juicer would probably be better, but I have neither the funds nor the kitchen space for another appliance.

My first juice contained kale, cucumber and ginger. I loved it!