Get Your Kids to Drink MORE Water

Plain water can be so boring for kids, so I purchased a beverage dispenser to encourage the boys to drink more of it. I infuse the water with fresh fruit, cucumber and/or mint to make it naturally sweet and refreshing.

Pineapple Infused Water

Pineapple Infused Water

They're really enjoying the infused water!

I made a video showing 3 infused water combinations.  I usually steep our fruit/cucumbers for at least an hour before we start drinking the water. 

1st water- 1 cucumber & 1 lemon with 1 1/2 gallons of water

2nd water-6-7 strawberries & 4-5 mint leaves with 1 1/2 gallons of water

3rd water-1/2 pineapple with 1 1/2 gallons of water

I found my dispenser at the grocery store (it was $17), but any big box store should have them.

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Do you drink infused water? What's your favorite combination? 

Thanks for reading!

It's TEA Time

I love tea and usually drink several cups of black, lavender, ginger or green tea a day. ​

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This past weekend, Eric and I explored a local tea shop and purchased our first bag of coconut black tea.  It's definitely different but I've never met of cup of tea I didn't like. 

Wonderful tea benefits:

​*Contributes to lower cholesterol

*Reduces blood pressure (especially green tea)​

*Helps fight viral and bacterial infections

*I read in the latest issue of O magazine (Dr. Oz article) that drinking several cups of green tea a day helps combat belly fat.  *pouring another hot cup*​ #YeShrug

​Here are some pictures from that little trip....

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TEA Dog :-)

Are you a tea or coffee drinker?

7 Juice Feast Tips

Even though I don't see myself doing another juice feast, I really do enjoy starting my day off with fresh juice.

Here are a few lessons I learned from our recent juice feast:

*There's no such thing as too many fruits and vegetables while shopping for your feast.  We had to replenish our stash twice during our 5 days.

*Drink before you start to feel hungry-have fresh juice an/or water available at all times.  Sip, sip and sip some more. :-) This will make the hunger pains less overwhelming

*Watch documentaries or read books about health and nutrition at night.  After 7 PM was the time I found myself wanting to quit the most.  Use that time to read and watch inspiing stories.  Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead is a good one.

*Try to juice enough for the whole day-Cleaning a juicer is way too much work to juice several times a day.  Use mason jars and a refrigerator for storage, but try to drink within 24 hours because the vitamins and minerals in the juice can oxidize over time.

*Keep busy-Try to find activities that will prevent you from thinking how much you want to eat.

*Get an accountability buddy-Having Eric made all of the difference in the world for me.  I would have quit by day 2 if I didn't have him to keep me on track.

*Try to have fun-Get your kids to help you juice and serve it up! It felt so good seeing the boys enjoying all the fresh juice with us.

*Speaking of kids, try to make as many meals for them in advance.  You don't want to put yourself in a position where you're constantly forced to be around food. Make several bulk meals like soup and spaghetti, and freeze to avoid being in the kitchen for longer than a few minutes.

 

 

Just a quick update: Eric is juicing daily and continues to watch many of the documentaries on Netflix pertaining to health and whole foods.  He told me earlier that he wants to slowly transition to a vegan lifestyle.  I'm SUPER excited!

Happy Juicing!

We Bought A Juicer!

I talked so much trash about my previous juicer that I made sure to get one that would last longer than 6 months. I love my smoothies but my desire to get a juicer came after watching Hungry for Change (available on Netflix Instant) the other night. I mentioned to Eric that we should get a juicer and do a juice feast. He encouraged it and was instantly on board!

I went back and forth between this Breville juicer (used in the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead) and the Omega J8006. I decided on the Breville after reading reviews and for the less bulky design. I also wasn't a fan of the small opening on the Omega.  I felt it would take too long to chop pieces of fruit and vegetables to get through the chute.

I'm ready to get my socks rocked off with some juicing!

The juice feast will start on Friday, January 11th

Will you join us? If you don't own a juicer, I made a video showing how to make fresh juice using a blender and nut bag.

We plan to document our juice feast on my Youtube channel and here on the blog. Be sure to subscribe to stay up to date. :-)

Disclaimer: If you buy the juicer using the link above, I will get a couple of cents from Amazon. Of course, I would never recommend something that I wouldn't use myself. :-)

Make Fresh Juice WITHOUT A Juicer

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I can't afford the juicer I want, so for now, I'm using a nut milk bag and my blender to make it happen.

I purchased the nut bag from The Raw Food World, but you can use a paint bag from a hardware store or cheese cloth to strain your juice. 

What about the pulp? You can compost it or use it in other recipes.

I prefer smoothies but sometimes I want a nice glass of juice that isn't full of sugar and processed to death. 

If you try this method or have any questions, be sure to leave a comment below or let's chat on Twitter.

Green Juice-Without A Juicer

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: blender beverage vegan sugar-free

Ingredients (1-2 Serving)

  • 3 cups green leafy vegetables
  • 1 lemon, peeled
  • 2 -3 pears
  • 1 ½ -2 cups water

Instructions

Blend all of the ingredients until smooth.

Strain the liquid through a nut bag and enjoy.

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Apple & Carrot Juice-No Juicer Necessary

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: blender vegan sugar-free

Ingredients

  • 5 carrots
  • 3 apples
  • 2- 2 ½ cups of water

Instructions

Blend all of the ingredients until smooth.

Strain the liquid through a nut bag and enjoy.

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