The Art of Juicing

Today is officially 95 days before Christmas Woohooo!!! I'm loving the cool climate that we have right now (except for the moody downpours) but what I'm excited about is the nearing end of 2013. New Year = fresh start. You know what I mean :) 

Anyhoo, you can tell that I'm trying to be witty with my blog title but hey I can't think of anything more appropriate than this...after all, color has always been associated with the word art right? Don't you love all the colors you are seeing on this pic? This is what's keeping me busy right now...juicing, exercise and other health related activities you can think of. Today though, let me share with you one of my juicing concoctions.

Spinach, malunggay or moringa & carrots for vegetables + mango, pear and grapes for fruits. I usually use apples but today I decided to use pears because I ran out of apples. Juicing is pretty easy especially when you're using a good juicer. My favorite brand is Braun because of it's durability. Can you believe that this has been with us since 2003? My mom bought it when she underwent a cleansing program to treat her cancer. To those who are curious..she's perfectly fine now. 

Moving on, I make sure that the vegetables are cleansed well. I soak them in purified water for 3 to 5 minutes just to satisfy my OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). After that, I put them in the juicer...doesn't matter which comes first just as long as it fills one glass then that's good enough for me. When it comes to proportion, I make sure that if I have 3 veggies, I also have 3 fruits to balance the taste. I'm no veggie lover! In fact, if fries and burgers are proven healthier than this...I'll never ever touch them...so I need to do juicing. It's one tricky way to appreciate the green family.

Here's the benefits of my ingredients:

Carrots - improves vision, cancer prevention, anti-aging, healthy glowing skin, prevents heart disease, cleanses the body, healthy teeth and gums, stroke prevention

Malunggay or Moringa - strengthens the immune system, strengthens the eye muscles, heals inflammation of the joints and tendons, prevent intestinal worms, diabetes prevention, promotes good night sleep, treats fever and asthma, helps heals ulcer

Spinach - protects the body from free radicals, excellent source of iron,  loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants, heart-healthy food, outstanding source of vitamins C and A, promotes gastrointestinal health

Mangoes - prevents cancer, lowers cholesterol, clears the skin, promotes eye health, alkalizes the whole body

Pears - reduces risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, prevents stomach and lunch cancer, protects against Alzheimer’s disease

Grapes - cures asthma, improves bone health, relieves migraine, 

eliminates constipation and indigestion, prevents fatigue, protects against kidney disorders, cataracts and cancer

Credits to Mr Google for the information :)

And finally...the finished product:

I've tried a lot weight loss programs from the Master Cleanse to the GM diet but they have all left me so famished that I end up eating more. LOL!! Right now, I'm controlling my carbs intake but when I get too hungry, I alternate cornflakes with low fat milk, prunes and yoghurt with raisins for my snack. Sometimes, when I'm feeling too deprived...I cheat especially on weekends...but in moderation. So far, this has been working out for me.

For exercise, I'm doing aerobics and samba at home at least five times a week. I tried running but it's not for me. No offense to all the avid runners out there but I prefer my body especially (my legs) toned and not muscular. My favorite part of my body would be my legs...they're not perfect but I get complimented because of em :) So yeah, I think the best exercises for me would be yoga, aerobics, zumba and brisk walking..nothing really hardcore because as I've said..I like a feminine, curvy and toned body 

So that's about my current fitness plan. Hope this will lead to a healthier me come 2014 :)