Juicing is everywhere. Celebrities are doing it. There a thousand websites devoted to it. There are businesses popping up all the time promoting their organic juices.
It’s not enough to eat organic fruits and vegetables. Real nirvana is obtained when these things are slowly cold-pressed, packaged in thick glass bottles and sold for at least $10 a pop.
There are claims that ailments like ulcers, skin diseases and IBS can be eradicated just from juicing. There’s even a documentary about it – Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Catchy title, isn’t it?
I’m talking about juicing, cleansing, detoxing. It’s all the rage in the NYC-area. From Organic Avenue to Blueprint. There is even the Master Cleanse (aka the lemonade diet) which was first made popular in the 1970s and then again when Beyonce claimed that’s how she lost the weight for Dreamgirls.
Why do people do it?
- to lose weight
- to get healthy
- to rid the body of toxins
- to obtain inner peace and sanity
- to lose weight
What do I, Sensible Susan think of these reasons?
- it will be temporary
- eating whole foods is healthy – why do they have to juiced?
- isn’t the body a self-cleaning unit?
- paying $50/day for juice is insane
- it’s temporary and mostly water
So, why did I do it this past weekend?
TO TAKE A MUCH-NEEDED BREAK FROM FOOD AND ESPECIALLY FROM THE PLANNING, SHOPPING AND COOKING OF MEALS.
Oh, and to lose a bit of weight…
I picked a long weekend when the hubby was away so I could do it my way and be a grouch without feeling too guilty. I paid a significant sum to have the juices made for me and delivered to my door. I got 5 juices a day: 2 green juices, 1 beet and carrot juice, 1 red fruit juice and 1 almond milk.
I like fruits and veggies and have tried being on a raw diet for a while, and so, I actually liked the taste of the juices and found them rather enjoyable. I didn’t really miss food. I should note that I was neither hanging out with any other adults that weekend nor surrounded by any cooked food. I was like an alcoholic staying dry while on Mormom retreat. It was easy to avoid tempation in an unrealistic every day scenario…
I didn’t feel any hungrier on this diet than any other diet I ever attempted. Did I find my Zen? Um, no. The only epiphany I had was discovering that homemade almond milk with cinnamon is crazy delicious.
I did feel a sense of freedom, though. I was free from worrying about food. I was free to think of other more important things. I was free to feel like a celebrity – doing something all trendy and relying on other people to make and deliver my healthiness. If I ever meet Gwyneth or Demi, I’m sure I’ll feel an immediate kinship with my fellow “juicers”.
Will I juice again? Maybe. I’ll do it for more sensible reasons though – just to enjoy the taste of it or to use up an abundance of fruits and veggies if I ever grow a garden or belong to a CSA.
The ultimate results:
I did lose 2 lbs – woohoo! So, yes, I probably will do it again in a few months. The cleansing part? Well, the only thing that really got cleaned out was my wallet….
Susan Van Sciver 
I totally agree; juicing has proved – time and time again – that it serves so many great benefits for us:))) Great post and I look forward to sharing more with you:))
Juicing is definitely the next fade and lots of these little shops will wonder why they go belly-up. Unless people incorporate juicing into their daily lives in a reasonable manner there is no way that $10 glasses/cups of juice will last. I get the fact that people want to “cleanse” their bodies but what does drinking carrots, celery, apples, etc. have to do with making them healthy overnight. It’s a crutch and justification for whatever bad habits they currently have (i.e. picture the person smoking a cigarette while drinking a glass of juice). People need to understand, or better yet, want to enjoy things in there simplest forms cutting out the unknown additives. Hence the boom of “organic” foods. Juicing takes time and effort but does Hollywood or the Hipsters even understand that or better yet – want to?!? I bet if you asked one of those Hollywood stars what their favorite juice was and why, they’d have to turn to their assistants for help. That’s my point. First, one has to think about what types of fruits and vegetables they might want to include in their “juice”. Understanding the individual benefits of the different types of fruits and vegetables will help determine your “juice” needs. Everyone has wanted to be a bartender at least once in their life (think of Cocktail the movie). You can be your own mixologist and adjust portions accordingly. Next you make this juice a part of your daily routine and slowly work it into everyday life. This is the only feasible way for “juicing” to stick around for the long haul. In addition to having a glass of nice pure juice, there are uses for the byproducts of making juice. For example, if you use carrots in the juice, save the shavings and put them on your salad at lunch or dinner. Another example for the shavings is that you can start a compost pile. The whole concept is to make things simple and eliminate the unknowns. I should set-up my own juice store and call it “Liquid Garden”. I’ll charge you $1 less than everyone else – I promise. That’s my 2 cents for now. I’m going to go enjoy a celery and cucumber cocktail for St. Patty’s day! Cheers.
You are fabulous, so I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award! Come on over to pick it up! (:
http://peacelovefabulous.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/versatile-blogger-award-x2/
Keep up the good work!
– Rachel
cool article. i’ve been considering doing this for a while, especially after watching that movie. thanks for liking my blog article on Diet Cokes. I started following your blog now that I’ve found you!