It’s week 16 and well what can I say? I’m feeling fabulous!
A few weeks ago, I saw a lovely friend of mine whose house is directly across the road from my son’s school. She was walking in her front door with a big box of fruit and vegetables which she’d sourced from the local farm shop. It was Grace’s birthday that day and we were feeling sociable so decided to drop in to say a quick hello.
I sat at the big kitchen table as we chatted and watched as my friend sorted through the healthy selection of various vegetables that she had just bought. “Would you like a cuppa” she asked “or I’m making a juice if you’d like to try.”
‘Making a juice?’ I thought. My curiosity was suitably stirred. “What’s in it?” I queried. “Well, there’s carrot, apple, cucumber, ginger and beetroot.” My first thought was ‘yuck – that sounds disgusting!’. For someone who has always struggled a little with the idea of vegetables, beetroot and carrots for breakfast just did not sound appetising. I had been hoping for pineapple, orange and coconut. ‘Now that’ I thought ‘is what I’m talking about’. However, feeling open to new ideas and considering how very healthy it sounded I decided with some trepidation to give it a go.
I marvelled as Lynette threw whole washed but unpeeled apples and carrots down the wide shoot of the juicer. I watched as the various vegetables disintegrated in seconds producing an array of brightly coloured juices which poured into the attached jug. After blending with some ice, she handed me the bright purple concoction of goodness. I took a small sip expecting to resist the urge to screw my nose up and stick out my tongue but instead found myself raising my eyebrows in surprise at just how incredibly delicious it tasted! Like some sort of epiphany, I knew there and then that I MUST own a juicer.
Not that I’m impulsive or anything (!) but the minute I got back in through my front door I was on the internet searching for the perfect juicer. I ordered a Philips HR1861 Aluminium Whole Fruit Juicer complete with juice jug and cleaning brush and Jason ‘The Juice Master’ Vale’s ‘Keeping it Simple’ recipe book with over a hundred recipes to choose from. The juicer cost me £75.00 and the book was £8.60 both from Amazon. ‘Oooh’ I thought as I examined the front cover of the book when it arrived ‘Doesn’t he look happy? It’s obviously working for him..!’
The juicer arrived last Wednesday evening and I’ve been juicing every day since! Why is it by the way, that every time I say to people ‘I’ve been juicing’ they start sniggering like naughty school children?! Maybe it’s the way I say it…”I’ve been jooocing.” Whatever it may be it definitely seems to evoke some amusement, especially when I go on to talk about ‘The Juice Master’! Juicing, I must add is a method of extracting essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients from fruit and vegetables and is not as has been suggested a symptom of pregnancy or as my neighbour cheekily pointed out ‘what got me into this situation in the first place’!
I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I was so excited and impressed by my first ever juice (now now) that when I heard the said neighbour walking down his path with his wife I ran to my front door and threw it open, juice in hand and an overly enthusiastic smile on my face. I admit it was a little awkward as it was evening time and I hadn’t expected that they would have their two friends with them for ‘beer and pizza’ night. Still, zealously undeterred, I explained that I had spent the day ‘juicing’…cue cheeky comment…and ‘as I don’t get out much!’ wanted to tell someone! Before they had chance to politely escape into the security of their own house I had unashamedly thrust the glass of juice into Andy’s hand and insisted he try some. I also couldn’t stop myself from then handing it to his wife and two friends for a taste test! They were all very polite and said it was surprisingly nice but ‘maybe needs a bit more beetroot.’ Andy said he’d rather have a beer…
I have discovered that vegetable juicing is amazingly good for you AND your unborn baby. According to the ‘juice master’ website, juicing is great for your baby on a number of counts, firstly you are providing your body and theirs with a host of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that will help the baby’s growth. Secondly research suggests the more flavours and tastes you try whilst you’re pregnant the wider the taste pallet of your baby when they are born and will be more willing to except flavours they have shared with you whilst in the womb.
I have made a variety of very easy and quick recipes, all of which are sweet (not sour), delicious and filling. I have one juice a day at breakfast time and am incorporating it into my everyday diet which by the nature of what I am now doing has become more virtuous than before.
In terms of the benefits I’ve felt in only 5 days, I am definitely filled with more energy, feeling less hormonal and also my skin is already looking clearer and feels more radiant. I knew I wasn’t getting enough fruit and vegetables into my diet and now I feel like I’ve found the answer. I also wanted to have a really healthy pregnancy and so hopefully baby number 3 will be loving me for this too!
Having taken my juicer and blender over to my Mum’s at the weekend, she too has now enthusiastically ordered one and I have also got my aunt back on the juice as well (the healthy kind I hasten to add)! Even my 5 year old son (who got his first wobbly tooth today!) enjoyed my apple, carrot and beetroot one! Who’d have thought I could get beetroot into a 5 year old? So, here’s me, spreading the word….start juicing and feel fabulous…darlings.
Sources:
http://www.juicemaster.com/help/
http://www.juicer-guru.com/vegetable-juicing.html
