The Juice, part three.

You ask, I deliver. A comment came in about another post on juicing, so here you go.

I think I'm going to go a little deeper into my story this time... mostly because I've been inspired by other women (see the Sonbreak post below) to share the truth, even when it's hard.

So lets try and keep the judgement to a minimum, ok? ;-)

I started talking about juicing last Summer when I was completely fed up with my weight. Picture me, if you will, 30 pounds heavier, eating junk for dinner, sitting on the sofa, wondering why on earth I felt tired and depressed.

And here is the tiny part I'm going to add, which I may regret later, but its the truth and I want you to know.

Along with eating junk for dinner (fast food, pasta, lots of dessert) I was also unwinding at the end of the day with a beer or a glass of wine. I had developed a habit of coming home and using that to de-stress. I didn't remember when exactly the pattern began. Like most things in my life, something starts really small and really quiet, and then after a few days turn into a few weeks which turn into some months, I find myself in a habit that I don't know how to break.

Interestingly enough, the beer/wine habit wasn't making me feel any better (or more relaxed) - in fact, it was doing the opposite. I was becoming more depressed, more tired... and my pants were fitting worse.

This is where God stepped in and did for me what I could not do for myself. I'm so thankful that God is patient enough with me to deal with me sometimes as if I am a small child. He knew that I needed a "replacement" instead of just saying "no more wine" - and through the encouragement of my friends Channah and Amy, I bought a juicer. Sure enough, the very first day I made the juice, I thought "Well, I don't really want to drink a glass of wine" because I didn't want to undo all the work I'd just done to get some health and nutrition into my body. Thus, the fresh juice replaced my bad habit.

Now, I'm not just talking about throwing some apples in a juicer. I used a very specific recipe of mostly vegetables. And yes, at first I hated the taste. But it was only because my taste buds were used to junk. Believe me when I say it only takes a few days to begin to crave this fresh juice. And if you already like vegetables, well, then you are light years ahead of me.

Once I got the juicer on the counter, and my husband willingly would go to the store and help stock the fridge, I found myself little-by-little beginning to look forward to the time of day when I would juice.

A few days turned into a week which turned into a month, and before I knew it, my bad habit was now a good habit. The side benefit was that my pants were fitting better, but the real benefit was that my mind was clearer, the depression was lifting, and I felt healthier.

After a few months, I was shopping one day and a sales gal said to me "you need some new pants, those are practically falling off of you." She offered me a pair of jeans that were two sizes smaller that what I was accustomed to wearing. I said "thanks, but I will not fit into those." She said try and so I did. They fit.

I walked out of that store in prayer. I was so thankful to God that He was moving me along a path of health. I was not doing it on my own. He was doing it for me.

Here we are, 8 months later, and I am wearing those same jeans today as I type. Thats another milestone for me - losing weight and not instantly gaining it back. And I believe the reason for that is that I'm no longer in this about weight loss.I'm in it to be a healthy person, because I don't want to be back in that slump where I was. Now that I'm out of the depression, and up off the couch, and my mind is no longer in a fog, I realize that I don't want to go back.

So... I just spoke with Cherie Calbom, author of Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing For Life and she says "Lets give away some more books!" So you can feel free to leave a comment in the comments section (as long as it has a way I can get a hold of you, like an email or a link to your blog) and I'm gonna give away 10 more books, just like last time. I love Cheries books. She is a believer with a master of science degree in nutrition from Bastyr University - and her lifes mission is to help women regain their lives through proper nutrition. She and I both agree that when we have a clear mind and a healthy body, we are better able to serve God and love others!

Oh, and one more thing: I have another special juicing announcement coming soon that might make you laugh, but I will post more about it when it's 100% official.