The green machine and driven to drink....

    I work hard to keep up with the current trends in health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. It's more than my  profession; it's my passion. However, I'm a natural born skeptic, and I question everything. My skepticism is coupled with an adventurous spirit and a desire to try new things. Especially when it comes to the subject of health, wellness, fitness and nutrition. I know, it's a conflict, but maybe you can appreciate my confusion.

    I heard about green juicing several months ago from an acquaintance online. The scientist in me could understand the value of drinking raw vegetable juice. The skeptic in me wondered if it really would boost my energy and my immune system. The dancer in me wondered about the calorie content in the juice. The practical part of me wondered how much it would cost, how much work it would be, and if it was worth the effort. After balancing the pros and cons, I decided it wasn't for me.

    However, I couldn't stop thinking about it. A friend of mine told me she was juicing and feeling remarkably better, but I still wasn't convinced. I wasn't sure I could drink something that looked like the pond water behind our house where we went looking for tadpoles each spring when we were kids. It wasn't until a client of mine walked into my office after being gone for a month. She looked fabulous! Her eyes were bright, she had a spring in her step, and her skin positively glowed. She was juicing. Bring on the tadpoles!

    The skeptic in me got in my own way, and instead of buying the high quality juicer that was recommended, I bought a cheaper brand. The motor blew out four days later. Sheesh! I returned it and tried a different brand, but still a less expensive one than the one everyone raved about. I am not only a skeptic, I am also frugal, and I didn't want to invest in a high quality Goodwill donation.

    The new juicer worked just fine. For the first week. Then, one afternoon I had it loaded with vegetables and hit the "on" button. Nothing happened. I checked all the connections, made a few adjustments and tried again. Nothing. I unloaded it, reloaded and tried one more time. Still nothing. Frustrated, I walked away, thinking that ordering a pizza and opening a beer might not be as healthy, but it certainly would be easier. After a few minutes, I tried one last time. Viola! It worked.

    From that moment on, my juicer had a mind of it's own. It decided when and under what conditions it would work, until it finally gave it's last gasp. In two weeks I had gone through two juicers. Time for another one. Still not ready for the high end yet, my third juicer is the cheapest one I can find, but it's been working beautifully for the past month.

    I have been juicing every day since then, and I have graduated to green smoothies. I even bought a new blender, but I didn't go for the high end quality blender. I figured that would be far too extravagant considering how much money I was spending on juicers. Besides, in case I didn't like smoothies I didn't want an expensive blender sitting in my pantry collecting dust.

    I've noticed a few changes in myself since I started juicing. Instead of moaning for coffee as I crawl out of bed in the morning, I now gleefully tap my fingers together and wonder what I can pulverize for breakfast. I get giddy grinding greens, and I love watching those liquid phytonutrients come spewing out. I have more energy, my eyes are brighter, clearer, and less puffy. I even have a nice glow to my skin.

    I suppose it's time to upgrade to the high end juicer now, but I'm still not quite ready to make that leap. after all, I may not keep up with it. In the meantime, I better sign off. I have some greens to grind.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP