health

Just Juice

I’ll keep this short and sweet today, but thought I would share 3 juice/smoothie combo’s I am loving lately. I do recommend blending these fruits and veggies or doing half and half to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you can from these delicious foods. I often will find myself juicing the harder fruit and veg + any citrus first. And then taking that juice and blend in the more leafy choices (you’ll yield much more green goodness). Of course blending works with all these recipes, just be sure to add water!

This PineApple-Mint juice is a big favourite of mine! But be aware that it can carry a lot of sugar, so make this one more of a treat. I like to juice the pineapple and blend in the apple and mint. That way I get the most flavour from the mint and the fibre content of the apple skin. This one is so quick and delicious, you’ll want to make it all the time!

Ingredients

1 apple, half a pineapple, handful of mint

Ingredients

Next up, we have Sweet Carotene which is high in beta-carotene (see what I did there haha).

This immunity boosting nutrient works to protect against toxic free radicals. So load up on this one. 🙂

2 apples, 2 sweet potatoes, 2 carrots and 1 lemon.

Ingredients

Lastly, Lean Green. Which is great when you are looking for a reset. I often feel like this one first thing Monday morning,

after an indulgent weekend. First, juice the apple, lemon, cucumber, and celery. And then blend it with the spinach and romaine.

If needed add a touch more water and you are good to go!

1 apple, 1 lemon, 1 cucumber, 4-6 stalks of celery, 1 head of romaine and 2 cups of spinach.

Juice

Reset. xx

The Little Black Bottle – Activated Charcoal

Yes this is now a thing, activated charcoal is the newest health phenomenon. Not to worry, it’s not the same kind used to light up your grill. The activated kind is processed so it becomes porous and ultra-absorbent, making it safe to consume.

The idea of using charcoal in your beauty routine, has been quite the trend over the last year. You might recall my shout out to bamboo charcoal  properties in my beloved Konjac Sponge. It’s properties to draw out dirt and purify complexions has made charcoal an active ingredient in  face masks, cleansers, and creams.

With the juicing trend peaking, more and more juicers are now attempting to apply the benefits of charcoal to our digestive tract. Acting as a strong detoxifier, charcoal will help rid the body of unwanted substances and toxins. In turn, once the body eliminates these toxins, one will see an increase in energy and a better overall health.  There’s also many other benefits associated with hearth health, anti-aging, weight loss, teeth whitening and fresher breath (to name a few).

My favourite variation of this juice on the market right now is the BBQ Apple Pie from Yamchops. It’s sweet and refreshing and is a major immune booster. It’s a must try in my books!

What’s your favourite charcoal juice combination and from where?

AuJus-bottle_BBQ-Apple-Pie_web_2-01-370x360

Drink & Detoxify. xx

Beet-Melonade

Last summer I was obsessed with all things watermelon and lime and this summer I am finding my fancy with the blend of watermelon and lemon – yumm so refreshing… After trying YamChops cold-pressed watermelon and lemon juice, I knew I had to start making this one at home; that $9.50 a pop is only justifiable as a treat. Instantly inspired to make my own, I was ready to do just that. Then came my ah-ha moment while harvesting beets from the garden. I thought why not add a few of these red beauties to  pump up the nutrient value for this sweet juice (see their benefits here).

And that is how Beet-Melonade was born. To my anti-beet followers, trust me when I say – you won’t even recognize the beets in this one. Deliciously sweet with a subtle sour tang, this juice is by far my favourite combo this summer and best served cold. Give it a whirl and let me know your thoughts!

Beet-Melonade

Juice or blend half of a watermelon, 1 lemon (I juice with rind) and 4-5 small-medium beets.

Beet-Melonade

Pucker Up. xx

Citrus Sunrise

If our daily sunrise doesn’t get your energy flowing or you don’t quite get the chance to enjoy nature’s wonder in the early AM, skip the java and awaken your senses with this delightful treat. This bright and punchy combination will give you the welcomed perk that we often need first thing in the morning. Major bonus if you are a morning person and can enjoy this sunrise with the sunrise. ❤

I will always 100% opt for grapefruit juice over orange juice to get my daily dose of vitamin C,  but sometimes find that it can be a bit tough on  my taste buds and tum, that I choose not to enjoy it every day. The combination of carrot, golden beets, and mango offer up a sweet finish that balances the tart flavour of the grapefruit, which provides a great alternative to your regular pure grapefruit juice.

This juice is loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals to help cleanse the body, support your immune, fight the formation of free radicals, increase energy and aid in hydration. Sounds  like a good way to start the day, doesn’t it?

Citrus Sunrise

Juice 2 mangoes, 4 small golden beets, 2 carrots and 2 grapefruits. (yields 2 servings)

Citrus Sunrise

Enjoy the Sunrise. xx

Run Rest Repeat

In 2014 I crossed a huge running accomplishment off of my list of goals- to run a half marathon (read all about it here). It was truly self-fulfilling and I was on a major runners high for weeks following. I instantly started to think of what my next race would be and after consulting with a few running friends; I committed myself to running Hamilton’s Around the Bay 30K. What was another 9K right? I thought it would be relatively easy (so to speak) after my first half, however with this deep freezing winter we had, I think I may have overestimated my love for running. HA!

With months of training for the 30K and race day quickly approaching (10 days away), I have crazy butterflies fluttering around the pit of my stomach going into this one. Some excitement but mostly nerves, I am “trying” to keep positive knowing that my body and mind are capable of magical things and that I will push through the mileage and hit this goal head on. I’m not too focused on a finish time, but am hoping to finish in 3 hours, average finish for 2014 was 3:07.

just run

My running goals for 2015 are to run more races and get better at running shorter races. I also plan to get more social with running and hit up some run clubs now that the weather is warming up.

Here’s a list of upcoming races that I will be gearing up for. I always love a good training buddy, so let me know what races you are training for and/or join me in one of these upcoming races. 🙂

Upcoming Races

March 29 – Around the Bay 30K

April 19- Toronto Yonge Street 10K

May 10- Sporting Life 10K

June 14- Nike Women’s 15K Toronto (hoping to get into this one!)

runspirationJust Run. xx