Get The Glow. Juicing 101 (esp for the non-juicer)

I am always complimented on my skin... especially when I wear not a drop of makeup and that of course is a glorious thing at 35. Everyone wants to know the secret and I swear the juicing that I do can take full credit! (plus all of the H20 I consume) My motto is a green juice a day keeps the doctor away and I am sticking to it. However for me..It really is about a juice a day!

I will sometimes commit to juice cleanses...sometimes 3 days sometimes 7 and just recently completed a 21 day juice cleanse. That was incredibly over whelming and is just not practical for me or something that I want to do again. Forget having any kind of a social calendar which is not easy for the modern working woman. I do understand the purpose of a juice cleanse and the fact that it cuts food intake and ups the supply of vital enzymes and vitamins through the consumption of juices.

As a result the digestive system gets a break from working overtime and instead can return to the essential jobs of deep inner cleansing and healing and that is fantastic but let's face it...any cleanse I have been on the first thing that enters my mind is how can I cheat on this stupid cleanse?! My girlfriends too! (come on do not act like you do not know what I am talking about) The roller coaster of emotions... (hunger, elatedness, anger) Are the juicing benefits worth the emotional and physical frustration? A slightly agitated Sam for three days?? Doable. But a super agitated Sam for 21 days...um...not so much.

The thing I did learn and love about juicing though that I wanted to incorporate into my life was that it allowed me to see how healthy habits were critical in my food choices. I could see the difference in how I felt eating healthy vs unhealthily. It also provided me with the energy to maintain my work out regimen and helped me to sleep better which helped my overall function in life. Sleep is the one area I really struggle with being an insomniac for years. The radical juice cleanse showed me that I could live a sustainable and balanced lifestyle that cannot be supplemented with a crash diet like just juicing alone.

There were many times i craved protein and carbs... OMG delicious delicious carbs and even though I had my juice bottle providing me the essential things I needed, I still felt like it was not enough and that made me feel very frustrated and inadequate next to my fellow juice cleansers who can complete the even crazier 90 day juice cleanse without even blinking or complaining. And then I just felt terrible about myself. Am I trying to piss every juice business owner off that sells cleanses? Absolutely not. I get it . But I also get that you can incorporate a juice a day and still be amazing!!!! Moderation is my mantra for 2016 and that is with every avenue in my life including juice. I want to go out for pizza on my friends birthday. I just want be the girl that eats one slice of pizza with a great green salad. I want to enjoy wine and champagne from time to time. I want to eat a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup and not want to kill myself afterwards. I also want to be the girl that can still be in the juicing crowd because I love juice and I vow to have one juice a day for the rest of my life!!!

I recently bought a Breville Juicer. My juice bill was rapidly adding up in my favorite local juice bar and as much as I want to support that I have to be incredibly realistic about my bank account and what is feasible for me as well.

BEST 100.00 I have ever spent. It's easy to use. Easy to clean. And I can make that morning juice in my robe from the comfort of my own kitchen. It has been really fun experimenting with my own recipes and I have definitely been keeping up with my juice a day goal!

My skin is glowing, my energy is through the roof, and I sleep better then ever! And the juice is so delicious!

I do still support my fave juice places too! I just treat this like a coffee shop experience or a bar experience!!! Juice outings are the new cocktail outings. I love discovering new juice bars on my travel adventures too so please send me your favorites so I can add them to my list.

In Tulsa I love Whole Foods Guthrie Green juice for my green fix. Also so handy when I am doing that morning grocery store run.

I also love Pure Food and Juice. The love juice (carrot and apple) is delightful and Cynthia has a great raw food as well. It is so nice to have a healthy place so close to my home!

In Houston I fell in love with FLOW. Highly recommend the Whole Shebang. (it has a nice kick)

In Chicago I love Owen + Alchemy. Everything on the menu is incredible and the packaging is just sensational !

In Dallas I have a huge crush on Local Press + Brew. The Juice Flight is the very way to my heart. My top faves are The Kessler Park and The Day After. This gem is magical!!