I’ve never been a big juicer.
You can listen to me complain about it here.
But, who says people can’t change?
This past week I made it my mission to embrace all that is wonderful in the world of juice. After thanksgiving happened, and I overdosed on cheese and sweets, I was feeling lackluster. It was time to step up my health game. I was ready.
So I loaded up on veggies and fruits for the week, took out my juicer and I haven’t looked back. The juicer has earned its spot on the counter right next to my kitchen aid.
So this particular juice is straight up delicious. It’s like a drinking a mojito, except no one is going to judge you for tossing this one back at 7:00am on your way to work. In fact, they might pat you on the back. Good for you. You drank a whole head of romaine lettuce? You’re a total champ. If you had an actual mojito for breakfast you might get some weird looks on the bus that morning. Someone might comment about how you are sweating rum through your sensible pant suit. You smell like those Pirates of the Caribbean guys look. Less of a champ. Maybe just stick with the juice version for the work week. Perfect.
Side Note: Spell check is trying to make me change the word “mojito” to the word “mosquito”. Why are they not acknowledging that mojitos are real? I have a bachelorette party hangover story to PROVE those suckers are real. Coincidentally, I have a honeymoon story to prove that mosquitoes are EXTREMELY real. That, my friends is totally for another day. In the mean time…wear bug repellent while in Mexico. It’s sexier than the alternative.
Since I’ve started cramming all of these veggies and fruits into my body, I have noticed some awesome changes in my overall mood, energy and vitality. Did I mention I’m sleeping better? Dangerously better? Yeah…that’s happening.
I am not going to lie to you. You are my friends. We share things. I’m a pretty good sleeper. My body lets me know when it’s time to hit the hay. I will usually just pass out on the couch come 9:30pm. It happens swiftly and without warning. BAM. Out. Commence drooling. Usually my wonderful husband will wake me up and some point and escort me to the bedroom and tuck me in. The juice has only enhanced this already tried and true pattern. This is not what happened on Sunday evening.
Honestly, I wish I could tell you exactly what happened on Sunday evening. Don’t you ever wish there were surveillance tapes of your life? You could just roll back some footage and make sense of things? This would also help to keep my husband from stealing my chocolate stash.
Like most evenings, I was getting my narcolepsy on. I had passed out on the couch in a juice-filled healthy slumber. What happens next is puzzling. I believe, I might have decided to stand up while half awake. Perhaps I was sleep walking. I somehow tripped over myself and sprained my ankle. I woke up fully to the sounds of my ankle popping and my clumsy butt hitting carpet. My husband heard a loud thud followed by some light screaming. One tends to get a little dramatic when woken up with injury. Not great. It’s swollen. There is bruising. I am walking like the brand new owner of a shoddily-made peg leg. And yes, it hurts real bad.
This is my only juicing cautionary tale. You might sleep dangerously well. You’ve been warned.
Other than that, it’s dreamy. If you are not a big juicer, I say give it a chance. The more you drink it the more you like it. I almost crave it now. I would say start out with a little more fruit than the pro I-only-drink-leafy-greens juice fanatic. You will slowly need less and less. Just ease into it.
Let’s get our juice on.
Ingredients
1 head of organic romaine lettuce
3 cucumbers, peeled
1 lime, peeled
1-2 organic pears, chopped up
2 sprigs of mint
You ready for the easiest instructions ever?
Take out your juicer.
Juice these fruits and veggies.
Either drink this cocktail right away, or put into an airtight container like a mason jar and refrigerate it for later. Make sure to fill it up as close to the top of the jar as possible. The less oxygen that is in your jar the better. It will help to keep the nutrients from breaking down. Make sure to drink within 48 hours!
And last but not least…
Make sure you are totally awake before standing. Always. 🙂
Bottoms Up.
PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.
You make juicing look edgy, girl. I’m totally OBSESSING over this post! Health victory!!
In other news, I hope your poor ankle is healing now 🙁
Hahaha. Edgy? YES!! Go Team Juice! <3
Dude, you are way more green than I am when it comes to juicing. I’ve never even dreamed of putting a whole head of lettuce in mine. I have, however, dreamed of juicing cookies. True story.
Oh, Jess. You make me laugh. I think if you juice a cookie with some kale it at least cancels out the cookie, right? 🙂
I wish I had a juicer! I would be so much healthier! I hope your ankle feels better!
Juicers are great, but blenders are also good! You can blend all the ingredients together to make an epic green smoothie? That’s a lot of fiber. Thanks for the well wishes on the ankle. I am icing it like a champ. 🙂
After watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead a year ago, my husband and I decided to do the juicing reboot (neither of us needed to lose weight, and we eat pretty healthy – all organic and from scratch, but we’d been dragging.) I had felt especially awful since having my 5th baby in three years 18 months before. Anyway, the first 3 days were brutal, but after that I felt like a million bucks! I was sleeping less but feeling better. I later started whole juicing in my blendtec. I still put the stuff in whole, but add water until it’s a consistency I prefer. I go through less produce that way but all the nutrients and the fiber. I can also add all my other crazy healthy add ins like coconut oil, chia seeds, fish oil, etc. I also often add a raw egg (from my own chickens, so I know they are safe). The other bonus of doing it in a blender (it has to be a high powered one. My little Oster couldn’t blend it smooth), is you can add a banana. A banana can go a long way in improving the flavor. I’m going to try this one tomorrow. Sounds great! I still juice for breakfast every day (sometimes it’s a smoothie), and occasionally for lunch, especially if I feel like I’m coming down with something. I have a whole pinterest board dedicated to juices and smoothies. What is surprisingly tasty is cucumbers with strawberries (you can only do that in a blender, not a juicer). And another favorite is 2 apples or pears, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 c broccoli. I use broccoli stems after I’ve made steamed broccoli for dinner. I chop off the stems before steaming. If you are interested, I will give you the link to my juicing board on pinterest. Another great one is pineapple, banana and spinach. I usually do that one as a smoothie and add a little yogurt. My new favorite is a chocolate cherry one that I put a whole head of lettuce in (and you can’t taste the lettuce AT ALL), but it is also a smoothie. Anyway, I’m pinning this one!
Hey April! Thanks for stopping by.
LOVING all of your suggestions and your juice/smoothie enthusiasm. I would love the link to your pinterest board. I like to do smoothies too! I love all the things that you can add to your smoothies too. Nut butters, coconut milk, chia seeds… Oh, my!. Thanks for sharing all of your great ideas! 🙂
I just sent you the link through your website contact page. Lots of great ones to try! I tend to get in a juicing rut and put in everything I can find in my fridge. It’s nice to have ones that taste like something specific and get more variety in my juicing. I do tend to go through phases of favorites. I like the fact that I get in a whole head of lettuce or 4+ cups spinach among other fruits and veggies every morning. The pressure is off for the rest of the day! If you come up with any more yummy ones please share! One last tip. Sometimes certain combos turn poo brown (like anything with rainbow Swiss chard), which is unappetizing to me, so I add a wedge of beet. I’m not a big fan of beets, but you can’t taste it, and it turns a beautiful ruby red color. Oh, I also use any greens I can find. Including beet or carrot greens.
So I made this just now and it’s good! I used a drop of peppermint essential oil bc I didn’t have any mint on hand. I don’t drink so I have never actually had a mojito. How powerful is the mint flavor supposed to be? Was peppermint the right choice or should it be spearmint? The peppermint is making me much more alert, which is nice. Since I made it in the blender and added the chia seeds and all the extra water, this made about 50 ounces (and I’ll drink it all this morning), so it might need one more drop of mint next time. I also used 1/2 of one of those really long armenian cucumbers since I’m doing it in the blender. Anyway, I’ll be making this one often. Thanks!
I am glad you enjoyed it, April. I am not sure about the ratios as far as making it blended. I can only assume that the flavors would be similar but not exactly the same. I say just play with it and make it your own. 🙂
Ummm….yeah. Can I have the link to the board as well?
Sure. This is the link: http://pinterest.com/danceme23/smoothies-and-juicing/
I just didn’t want anyone to think I was pimping my pinterest board, bc I guess some people do that. I actually wish I could make more of them private. Anyway, I am always on the lookout for new juicing and smoothie recipes, and happy to share what I’ve found with others. Happy juicing! You’ll have to let me know if you try some or if you find some good ones.
Oh man Gina, you crack me up, reading your blog is part of my ROUTINE! This is friend laughing at your mishap, not a meanie-poo, promises. Do you use the same juicer as Becca?
Aw, thanks Lauren. And yes, please laugh with me. Lord knows I am laughing at my own clumsy self. Haha. As far as the juicer goes, I think Becca has a better one. She uses a Breville, I believe. I have one that I inherited from my Grandparents. It is a Jack Lalanne. I hope to upgrade to something with a little more power in the near future. 🙂
Hey girl! I’m actually a juicing kind of gal. I don’t have a juicer but I use my vitamix and then strain the pulp. It’s a bit more labor intensive, but the end result is still the same.
Have you tried Juice Alley in Corte Madera? They make the best juices when you’re feeling lazy. It’s right next to my gym, so I go there after I workout. It always makes me feel so healthy downing a kale juice after a good workout!
Sorry to hear about your ankle. I can be a bit clumsy as well. I tend to be a spaz and bump into things all the time! I’m also a 9:30 lights out kind of gal as well and up most days at 5:00. The morning is the best!
Jackie
Hey Jackie! Whoa. Vitamix juicing sounds intense. Good for you! I have not been to the Juice Alley. Now, I must go. Novato needs to get hip and get a juice bar. Stat.
I was immediately drawn to the intense green color. This gives me an excuse to dust off the Breville! (and the rum…kidding!) Can’t wait to try this!
Hey Erin! Yes! Dust off the Breville! (Btw, rum is totally cool after 5pm. Or noon on the weekends. Right?) Juice power! 🙂
What a great blog post! Usually when i’m looking for juice recipes the posts are rather short but you provide us with an interesting back story which is actually quite endearing. I have bookmarked your blog and will be tweeting about your fantastic recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Denise! Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate it. 🙂 Let me know if you try it. I figure if it can make a non-juicer a believer it would be pretty tasty to the juiciest of juicers. xo
This is totally scary, so I’m probs going to add a bit of rum or gin.
haha. don’t be scared! it’s a friendly juice, I promise.
Hahahaha …to funny!
This is a great recipe, I’m going to have to share with my readers. Love mint.
Thank you! I love your site. It is such a bounty of juicing recipes! 🙂
I enjoyed reading your story. I have a question for any one who drinks mostly juice drinks. Today is the 11th day that I have consumed nothing but Veggies, Fruit, salads and very little noodles. (Juice Drinks) I made one mistake and juiced a lot of fruit in my juicer with my Veggies. I was told you should not juice fruit in a juicer that I should use a Blender. What happens is the fruit juice is so concentrated with too much sugars. I started getting some really nasty cramps. So I learned something. Sure it’s ok to juice an apple with the veggies to help approve the flavor. The key is to not over do it.
I have a question, any one can answer. I been juicing for 11 days and I always feel hungary, I feel Like I would die for something solid, a hamburgar, steak something solid. But I resist because it’s bad for me. So is there any one else who understands what I am going through. Do you get the same feelings, always hungary. IS THIS NORMAL? Thanks, Tim Thompson
Tim, if you are still hungry you aren’t drinking enough juice. I’ve done a couple of juice fasts and never felt hungry after the first couple of days, as long as I was drinking enough. So if you are hungry, make more. And be sure to drink tons of water bc that is how you flush toxins. The desire to chew ANYTHING is normal. I also made some raw veggie soups for dinner (heated just enough to be warm) and ate them with a spoon so I felt like I was eating. I made the tortilla soup in the blendtec cookbook (minus the tortilla chips) and put sliced avocado in it. Not 100% true to the fast bc it was blended instead of juiced, but it kept me going longer, and I thought of that as a good thing. I also occasionally put almond butter on celery for some crunch and chewing as well. Not so purist, but again it kept me going, so I felt like it was valid.
Hey Tim. I’m sorry you are feeling kind of crummy. I have never done an extensive juice fast, and I am definitely not a doctor/nutritionist or in the position to be giving out medical advice. My only friendly advice to you would be to listen to your body. If it needs/craves something solid, you might need to eat a bit more. Hope that helps. 🙂
My problem is I been eating a lot of fast food for so many years, hamburgers and drinking lots of cola. I mean lots of cola, 711 big gulps. So I learn about eating wild foods and switch to fruits, vegtables juices and salads. I think its because most of us eat wrong that we are not used to the way it feels. Today I ended up going to Shoneys and gave in to my cravings for one day. This worst thing I had was a barbecue. I ate some fish, salad, fruit and dressing. I am not giving up I am just being careful. I stopped the sugar and don’t use much salt. The salt I use is sea salt and yet I am worried that it may not be good for me. As I read by an expert, no salt at all. I even goes as far as reading the bible to find out what Jesus has to say about what we should be eating. We are not suppose to be eating meat. I am not here to give a lesson becasue I am still learning. I thank you for your time and thoughts. I am eating solid food when I eat salads, it just they never seem to get rid of the craving and fill me up. But I don’t think its a bad thing. When a person FAST they will get the same hungar pains, but the spirit has to over come the weakness of the body. I have to keep trying. I don’t know were I will end up with all this, but I am seeking a better me. I desire to feel better, my thoughts always seem cloudy, tiredness, stressed out. If I can push forward I believe it will get better. I wish to be an example and help others over come cancer and other problems. I been reviewing two books and learning from the experts. FREE FOOD AND MEDICINE BY Markus Rothkranz and the book The Gerson Therapy by; CHARLOTTE GERSON and Morton Walker, D.P.M.
The Gerson Therapy you learn that there is a cure for cancer. The first step is to stop taken in what kills you. Sugar, salt, smoking, drugs and much more. Once you study these things and do them it will be hard to get sick. One has to be fully commited. Just wanted to share for any one who is seeking better health. There tring to kill us. As hard as that is to believe, its true. The elite…. etc GOD BLESS
Yes people change Gina, I was in the same position like yours many months ago, then I’ve felt that I had more energy, better sleep and better health overall. I noticed it when I started juicing and smoothing fruits and vegetables. With regards to blending, I prefer the new Nutribullet, it’s much easier to use and it eliminates big chunks of fruits and veggies.
I love this post. Let me know if I can share it with my facebook fanpage. Thanks!
Thanks! Yes, feel free to share as long as there is a link back to my post! Have a great day!
First I saw the header & went”Aw , that’s kinda cute.”
Then I read the post on red cabbage juicing[how I got here..just juiced 1/3rd of 1 for the 1st time tonight:)]…then I read this one-
You are so going in my favorites list-up!
[…] recipe was inspired by this Morning Mojito recipe from So Let’s Hangout. The recipe sounded delicious but I didn’t have all the […]
[…] From So Let’s Hang Out Blog. […]
[…] Get the recipe here. […]
[…] Get the recipe here. […]
[…] Morning Mojito Ingredients: organic romaine lettuce, cucumbers, lime, organic pears, mint | Get the full recipe at soletshangout.com […]