i dug out my trusty Juiceman juicer this past weekend, determined to embark on a life of 'clean livin' again [well, at least in the food department]. i wasn't eating horrifically bad, but definitely slipping into late-night munchie & chocolate mode.

anyhow, this thing rules. i've found the secret to successful juicing is to prep all your veggies ahead of time, so you don't have to mess with them in the morning, which is a huge time waster. also to have your sink completely dish-free, so you can wash the components right away. you do not want that stuff sitting for any period of time. serious skankage.

so i chop my carrots, peel my oranges, bag them in zip-lock plastic bags, and ba-da-bing, i'm good to go the next morning. i've read that you should juice immediately, because you loose nutrients once the fruit or veg is exposed to air. but i figure i'll deal with a couple of missing nutrients; the bag route can't be all bad.

my energy shot up the first day. i haven't had coffee in a whole 2 days, and i feel really clear-headed. it's a great feeling, plus i feel like i'm doing good things for my immune system. and it definitely staves off food cravings.

the machine i have separates out the pulp, which is a slight pain coz you get smaller juice output. eventually, i'll upgrade to one of those pro acme ones, that pulverize most of the veg for max output. but for now, it's great.

next week, i switch to beet, celery & ginger juice. i'm going for max antioxidant quotient.

get yourself a juicer -- it's a juicy-good thing!

I'm more into smoothies and try to drink one a day.  The juice doesn't hold me like a smoothie.  But I love juice and buy the stuff at the health food store already processed.  Subsequently, my accountant has the Jack Lalaine juicer or whoever that guy is and is trying to sell it to me.

Did you know that coffee is an excellent source of antioxidants???  So don't feel bad if you drink one.  I'm a total chocolate head also but try to stick to the dark chocolate.

raw veggies in any form is incredibly good for you.

my gf's been on a raw veggie kick for the past month, and her energy level has literally shot waaaaaaaaaaaay past mine.  cant keep up with her!

glad to know someone else is on my wavelength.  

In keeping with the spirit of the season, I give thanks that it's that!  Consider the alternative:

"Orange you glad you juice for health?"

Yeah.

From what I'm told, the Jack LaLanne (that's the correct spelling) juicer is one of the very best you can buy.  It's a commercial model and has a larger opening, so you can drop in whole fruits, and not have to chop them into segments, plus, it extracts more juice than the other models.

I'm considering buying one, although they are fairly high-priced.  

Out of respect for Bart and the rules of the DC, I'm not going to post any links to the website, but you can Google the name "Jack LaLanne" and find it if you are interested.

I WILL include a link to LaLanne's biography for felix and others who don't know who Jack LaLanne is.  Let me tell ya, most of the people I know WISH that we were in this kind of physical shape!  Take the time to look at his achievements, and note how old he was when he did a few of the feats, such as doing 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups  in one hour and twenty-two minutes at the age of 45.

And it gets better than that, too.  

Excuse me, I need to head for the gym.......I'm feeling pretty weak right now.

Here's the link to his bio:    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0482364/bio

Regards,
drumz1

I thought this thread was about steroids.

nevermind.

i stand corrected. his wife's name is elaine, not helene. but it still rhymes.

jack's priceless quotes:

"I can't die. It would ruin my image."

"Would you get your dog up in the morning and give him a cup of coffee, a cigarette and a doughnut?"

"Am I a suckling calf? No other creature uses milk after they wean!" (on his refusal to consume dairy products).

"If man made it, don't eat it."