The Power of Juice ! New Year, New Me

A New Year is finally upon us and if you’re anything like me you gave up making resolutions years ago. I know they’re well intentioned but if I’m going to make any major life changes I feel I should really think long and hard about it first, make them worthwhile and actually stick to them. This New Year’s Eve we had a quiet night in; something of a habit with young children in tow, but after the year or so we’ve had I think it was actually needed and welcomed. We’d celebrated my youngest's 2nd birthday that day (well officially that night actually), and hubby and I chilled over a bottle of champagne and moaned about the awful TV gracing our screen !

Despite not making any resolutions per se, I had decided to join up on Jason Vale’s World’s Biggest juice Detox which began on Monday 7th January this week and lasts for 7 days. Many started it before the official start date and others are still joining in so if you fancy giving your body a rest and detoxing from all that festive indulgence pop across to the website and join in the fun.

I first did this particular juice detox when I was coming out the other side of Post Natal Depression with my first daughter. A few months prior I’d completed a 12 week alkaline foods course with Energise for Life and this complete change to my diet really aided my recovery along with counselling, spiritual healing and exercise. I decided a few months later to do Jason Vale’s 7lbs in 7 days juice detox and not only lost a further 5lbs in weight, I also felt amazing. My mood significantly lifted and I literally had a new lease for life.

A "Turbo Express" Juice

So, having missed the World’s Biggest Juice Detox last year as I’d not long lost Mum, I decided that this was the time to get myself back on track, start eating properly again, and really nourish myself on every level. After filling my fridge full with veggies and the fruit bowl overflowing with delicious delights, I felt rather smug about beginning. It had been a breeze last time, so it would be this time right? Wrong ! I hadn’t really prepared myself this time and had overindulged on certain things namely chocolate and wine over the festive season. I’m not a coffee drinker and I eat healthily but still there had been enough veering off course in recent months to make a withdrawal inevitable. Factor in a 6 year old and a toddler who are intent on driving Mummy mad on the first two days of the detox, and I felt a little overwhelmed by it all. It didn’t help that hubby had shopped for me and bought unripe avocados ! Aagh ! This is NOT good seeing as the majority of the juices are blended with avocado. To say I wasn’t a happy bunny was an understatement but after enduring my first juice of the day with avocado bits instead on a lush smooth texture, I popped to my local shop where they DID sell ripe avocados and the world was a happy place once more.

By the afternoon of day one I was experiencing the headache from hell. I suffer with migraines anyway and this was on par with one of those. Headaches are a normal part of the withdrawal process from the sugars and caffeine your system is no longer getting and it’s frightening really how quickly the body starts craving these stimulants. I went to bed at about 8.30pm that night completely wiped out wondering what I’d done and seriously contemplating quitting. Now I’m not normally a quitter but I just felt that with the kids demanding my attention, the fact I was still getting over a virus and feeling so sleep deprived with a toddler who doesn’t sleep through the night, that I didn’t really need to be doing this now, did I?

A "Super Juice" to start my day

I woke up on Tuesday still fuggy headed and told hubby what I thought. He mused and mumbled but didn’t really agree or disagree with my rabblings much to my annoyance. I went downstairs to make a cuppa determined to have a Typhoo with milk and sugar, when I heard my Mum’s voice inside say, “Come on Charlie, you can do this”. And in that moment my mind set changed and I placed a chamomile tea bag in the cup and carried on the day juicing merrily.

It’s now the end of day 3 and I have to say I feel fab. I’ve loads more energy, the headache has gone and I know that the last four days will just get easier and easier. To top this off when I got on the scales this morning I’d already lost 4 pounds in two days – Yes ! Not that this is the main reason for doing it but it’s a very welcome by product I can tell you. It’s not called 7lbs in 7 days for nothing and most people lose between 7-10lbs in weight.

I finally feel like I’m beginning to get my mojo back again and have turned a corner after a grueling few years. I’m feeling really focused and excited about what 2013 has to offer. This year is going to be my year. It feels right. It’s time. And now I’m nourishing my body again my mood has significantly lifted. It’s incredible how quickly that’s happened; literally days.

Another great benefit of this juice detox has been my eldest daughter. She’s been fascinated by what I’ve been doing and has asked to try all the juices I’ve had. She hasn’t liked them all but several times each day she’s requested a freshly extracted apple juice and has loved them. It’s done her digestion the world of good and even she is feeling the benefit. How fab is that? If she can feel the benefit of what she’s putting into her body at such a young age then this bodes well for the future. Your health is everything, wouldn’t you agree?

So lovelies I’ll pop back again at the end of the week to update you on my juicy endeavours but for now I’ll leave you with a quote from Anthony Robbins,

“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.”