Joy in Juicing

In my quest for better health, I've removed many foods, or rather toxins, from my life the past year.  For the most part, I haven't felt deprived but rather revived, as I can feel myself healing from the inside out.  The saying is so true - you really are what you eat!

For as many items as I've taken away, it's been a joy finding and trying new foods to delight in.  My pantry contains ingredients that I'd never even heard of a year ago.  Things like dulse, chia seeds, flax, xanthan gum, coconut flour/sugar, and ghee.  And I'm a regular connoisseur of kimchi, fresh cilantro, sriracha, coconut milk/water, and cauliflower rice. 

It's been fun to recreate favorites that were not so healthy with alternative ingredients.  And even better that -for the most part- my guys enjoy the swaps.  Noah regularly requests my buffalo cauliflower casserole; and Tim has learned to love more veggies than mashed potatoes and corn, even if he still turns his nose up at asparagus.  Their support through this transition has really meant the world to me.

Yesterday was another first, with my newest adventure - juicing!  Following the wisdom of Anthony William, also known as the "Medical Medium," I drank my first of many glasses of fresh celery juice. 

From MM, "The more alkaline your body is, the less chance you have of being afflicted by disease. This is because disease thrives off things like mucus and acid.  Celery is a major alkaline food. This means it has an extremely high toxin removal rate.  It purges the body of acid and poisons, and cleanses the liver and bloodstream like nothing else."

Thanks to a fellow health foodie, armed with organic celery and a milk nut bag, I attempted my first batch with a blender.  Youtube makes things look so easy.  Unfortunately, my ancient chopper made more of a salsa-like consistency instead of juice.  As she was upgrading her juicer, I was able to score a deal and get a new-to-me contraption ready to squeeze the liquid gold, err green, right out of those stalks. 

Maybe it was my imagination but I felt a surge of energy and could smell celery the rest of the day.  I can't wait to see how it helps over time. 

Do you juice?  Share your favorite recipe or success story below. 

Cheers...