Fruit Juice

This morning's juice consisted of:

Two fuji apples, 1 cup of blueberries (stuffed in the yellow pepper), the yellow pepper, one beet and two red collard green leafs. This by itself is very good!  I'd recommend it to anyone.

After making the juice, the vitamix came into play, as I wanted to mix in the nutritional yeast without any clumps... I usually keep all of my ingredients in the fridge, as I like a cold drink... if ever something isn't cold, simply adding ice does the trick.

Upon mixing in the nutritional yeast, I drank about 15 ounces and reserved the remaining 10 or so ounces for later today. I was asked "how I do it." I've read a few times over the years that it is better (health wise) ton eat 4 to 6 small meals a day then 2 or 3 large ones.  With that in mind, consuming my calories rationed throughout the day makes it so I don't overeat and I feel full and satisfied. They say it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are "full." Implementing that knowledge into my life and a touch of discipline makes it simple. I drink (or eat) about 4 to 8 ounces and then I wait. No sense of eating for 20 minutes, just so my stomach will "talk" to my brain. Sixty percent of the time when we feel "hungry" we are actually thirsty. I keep that in mind too. When I feel hungry, water comes first and then food.

After seeing a post about a "mono" juice on my friend's website. I took another look at my "juices" that I've been making that get the nutritional yeast added in them. For the past week the juices have been vegetable based, as they have lower calories than "fruit" based ones. Since the VLCD is still very much an element of my diet this week (and next), making sure to consume essential nutrients, vitamins, amino acids all while doing so with minimal caloric intake, I was avoiding most fruit. Now I've brought fruit back into the mix... and I'm loving it just as much as before.  Variety in the juices I consume has been huge. It has been 67 days since I've started juicing and have probably juiced 98% of everything I've consumed since early January, 2013. I love it and am not missing or craving anything.  I have memories of regular "food" but not overwhelming cravings.  On the contrary, when I do take something like take a bite of a fry from In n' Out from my wife's meal or lick a spoon off (out of habit) after making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (even though the jelly is all natural) the intensity is more than I am used to and I

Testing this new concept:

A grapefruit juice that just consisted of two full grapefruits and a heaping tablespoon of TwinLab's Nutritional Yeast. A 7 out of 10!

A cantaloupe juice following my friend's advice to leave the rhind on was also good.  "Juicing the entire fruit gives you 100% of the food value. The green skin contains chlorophyll (which cleanses your system). Chlorophyll is also found in foods like kelp, spinach, kale, and other green foods. -MakeitVegan" Once again, just the fruit and a scoop of the nutritional yeast. Great! Probably an 8 or 9 out of 10.

I placed both drinks in the fridge to get them cold after tasting them.  You could pour them over ice as well. I had no desire to drink that many ounces right away, but to have them on the ready as part of my 'meal plan' for the day.

Since I did two Max Insanity workouts yesterday, I used the grapefruit juice as my recovery drink after the second workout!

''How do you all cope?''

I saw this question asked by a fellow MyFitnessPal participant.

"All these cravings are driving me crazy. .. How do you all cope? =/"

This was my answer:

I look at it like this... I WILL BE ALIVE THE NEXT 3 MONTHS ANYWAYS... And I tell myself that.

Seriously!  I'm going to be here.. so I can be here FAT or I can be here Healthy and Fit and enjoy life!  I have chosen to be here as a healthy fit person!  Something that I let go for way to long.  I have the unfortunate stretch marks on my stomach to show for my horrid choices and lazy ways... funny thing is.  My choices were not HORRID... I was not a big soda, or candy person.  I was simply a BIG lover of food.  I'd pack it in.  Instead of slowing down and enjoying it.  I'd simply keep shoveling it in.  Why? Because it was good!  Food was good! Food IS good!  When it comes right down to it.  I have decided that once I hit my goal (166 pounds) that I will seriously maintain.  How to maintain? How to get me there.  By savoring each bite.  One bite at a time.  By slowing down and ALLOWING the food to sit on my taste buds longer.  You no longer 'taste' the food once it passes the back of the tongue.  So... I'll enjoy it.  I'll let each bite resonate on my tongue for a bit longer and I'll take smaller bites.  I'll eat less and truly enjoy the meal a lot more!

I'll do all that I can.  And I'm not taking any 'diet pills' or supplements. I'm simply consuming the most nutrient rich foods that I can.  The Standard American Diet consists of a lot of 'white' food (rice, noodles, breads, sugar, etc...) that has been stripped of most of their nutrients and minerals. That is what we eat.  And we feel that we need a lot of it!  Give us the most bang for our buck!

We don't need that. We simply need a nice meal and a bit of self control.  Small bites... (place your fork or spoon down between each bite will help too) Allow the AMAZING food and flavors that we love to hangout on our tongue and in our mouth for a few more seconds. That we can truly enjoy those flavors before we send them down the pipes to be decomposed, broken down and absorbed. Allowing us to satisfy the desire for flavorful food and will give the stomach time needed to tell the brain that it is full.

One of the best thing (imo) to overcome eating bad things when a craving hits is having less of the 'bad' things in the house.  Have your fruits and veggies in the fridge ready to go.  When I buy grapes, strawberries and blueberries for the family, I wash them when I stick them in the fridge.  That way they are ready to go and become a quick snack when a craving hits. You can do this for apples, pears, etc...  I also wash off my greens first. Collards, kale, cucumbers, or whatever else I have.  It takes a few seconds and then they are ready to go whenever a craving hits.

For anyone taking the steps to lose weight and to get their life back... Best of luck to you all!

My Progress: 35.8 Pounds Lost in 28 Days!

Before Photos & Day 27 of Juicing Photos!

My wife and others wanted to see some before and after photos. The pictures in the shorts were taken on January 12th, 2013 when I weighed in for the first weight loss challenge. I was 252 pounds.

The pictures above on the right were taken on February 9th, 2013. 

After only 27 days of juicing exclusively... I am down to 217.2 pounds!

A 34.2 pound weight loss in 27 days! 

For kicks... Since a pound is roughly 3,500 calories, 119,700 calories have been exterminated!

The initial 18 to 20 pounds were lost solely due to juicing!
The next 14.2 pounds were lost with a combination of juicing, Insanity workouts and P90X workouts!

I have more energy today than I have had in years! Special thanks go out to my friends Mike and Breann for introducing me to Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead! Special thanks goes to my sweet wife for having faith in me and for letting me do all I can and allowing me to freely juice and accept this change of pace. A thank you also goes out to BeachBody, Shaun T. and Tony Horton for their programs and workout DVDs! And of course, to my Doctor for giving me the green light to continue after the blood work results came back with my being 'healthy,' besides still being overweight.

Discipline + Motivation + Willpower all combine to create the smaller man you see above!
I look forward to successfully completing my weight loss goal and returning to 166 pounds!
Feel free to join me on Team BeachBody and send me a Buddy Request I signed up as a coach o help inspire others. I'd love to connect and be yours too, click here to make that happen.

Thank you to ALL of you who frequent my blog! I am motivated THAT much more knowing that YOU are watching me lose while I achieve this 84 pound weight loss goal! Yesterday this blog was visited by over 300 people... WoW!  Thank you! Several people have said that they are inspired by my story and progress. If you want to share this blog on facebook, twitter, or wherever... please feel free to do so!

Seriously, I'd LOVE it if this blog was shared more. Why? Because, I am truly inspired to keep digging deeper and pushing myself harder just knowing that my blog is being followed, shared and read!

Once again, thank you for visiting and following my blog! I look forward to losing, as I achieve the goal of shedding 84 pounds!

My 'Motivaion' post can be seen here. This image is on Facebook too! Feel free to comment, like and share.

Blueberries and Rainbow Collards!

This morning I wanted a real treat. Something crisp!  Something with a cool and refreshing flavor!

I also wanted nutrients, vitamins and some protein.

The craving for lettuce came over me.  Usually I want to throw in Romaine lettuce when I am craving nutrients.  This morning I wanted something different.  Upon opening the fridge there was a brand new head of red leaf lettuce and about a cup and a half of rainbow collard... bring it!

My breakfast:
About a cup of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
3 bartlett pears
5 medium pink lady apples
1/2 a head of red leaf lettuce
About 1.5 cups, of rainbow collards (all of it... stems and leaves)


This made 46 ounces of juice.  I consumed 32 of those and saved the rest for a few hours later.

I entered in all of the ingredients in MyFitnessPal and this is what they gave me:
Calories    Carbs    Fat    Protein    Fiber   Iron
1,035         265        0        21         71       63

The rainbow collards alone added 14 grams of protein!  BAM!

This juice was amazing!  And since I keep all of my produce in the fridge.  It was exactly what the cravings asked for.  It was cool, refreshing and PACKED with nutrients, vitamins and protein!

When I put in my new weight at MyFitnessPal...
217.2 POUNDS! I received this little message!

Congratulations!

You've lost more than 10 lbs since the last time your goals were set!

I weighed in officially at 252 pounds on January 12th!

Only 27 Days Later...

I am now 217.2 pounds!

I feel more energized than ever!

Possibly better than the Powerball Jackpot!

I don't actually play the Powerball lottery however going to Sprouts the other day delivered me a prize of lottery status...

Check out the size of this organic parsley! And the tiny one on the right.

I asked the produce guy if they were the same and if so, did I just hit the jackpot?  He looked... did a double take and looked at the labels and said, Yes!  You hit the jackpot there!  Both things of parsley were priced at $1.50.

This was by far the largest size difference I've seen in the same items however, it isn't new to me to find large size differences in organic fruits and produce.  Simply said, they aren't controlled like crops are that are genetically modified, therefore you have chances to find these. This is the third or fourth time that I found a larger item just by digging around a little!

If you are going to be juicing or eating the vegetables and fruits raw, why not get the biggest bang for your buck?

Tip:  If you are paying per pound and not per item, look for what is practical.  Tomatoes at $0.99 or $1.50 a pound is a good price, but grabbing 2 or three large ones means that you need to cut them up or buy several more foe each juice.  I LOVE tomatoes and know that I will use a lot of them.  Therefore, when buying by the pound, I select a bag full of small to medium tomatoes.  That way I can juice them according to my needs or recipes.  It is easy to add another tomato or two.  Slicing a large one down to size makes for potential juice loss and then having to store a partial tomato. Simply said, buying multiple small or medium ones gives you variety and flexibility when juicing. Besides it would be awful difficult to remove the juice after it goes in with everything else.

My Progress: 34.2 Pounds lost in 26 Days!

An eventful day.

Sunday... Insanity calls it the "rest" day.  Not a day of vest around here.  Not with two kids.  However, I think the scale knew it was a rest day too.  As it actually moved my weight up a little.  Truth be said, that makes since, as I knew I wasn't going to be hitting play so I drank my juice and started the day without thinking of what the scale would say or reflect.

For some reason I didn't sleep much through the night and found myself wide awake at 3:30 in the morning.  After about an hour I finally fell back asleep.  11 a.m. church means we we're going to get the kids fed and ready for church, etc... We somehow actually got there on time!  With two kids, that alone is a challenge at times.  

After church we put the kids down for a nap around 3:30.  I was thinking that they would sleep while the Super Bowl was on and that my wife and I would get to see most, if not all of it, before they woke up.  Then the big lights out / delay happened.  Oh well... we love our little family and enjoyed the family time as the 49ers gave the game a new surge of energy after the blackout!  It was fun to watch the game turn into a "game!"

Today was the first Super Bowl ever for me to juice all my meals... I feel great! It has been over twenty days since I started juicing! I'm looking forward to completing another Insanity workout in the morning and getting the numbers on the scales to keep dropping!

Today's juices were nothing flashy or special.  To be honest, I was looking for nutritional value over flavor. I need to look into some other great tasting juices as I know there are plenty out there.  Why the value over flavor then? Because we didn't head to the store today... so I made due with what was in the house.  A mixture of rainbow collards, bosc pears, fuji apples, carrots, spinach, and more... not all in one juice.  But throughout the day.  My Super Bowl treat was a strawberry, orange and pineapple juice... wow!  Very SWEET! But a nice treat for sure.

Tomorrow morning I'll be hitting play again. Onward I go... with 166 in sight!

Juicing Gone Wild!

The desire for protein and no red fruit came over me tonight...

I grabbed 60 asparagus spears, 3 bosc pears, an entire 'bunch' of Lacinato Kale, and a HUGE Papaya and threw them all into the juicer!

**CAUTION** If you do this, be prepared to exchange out your catcher and have another container on hand... as this yielded over 64 ounces!

Initially I didn't have in mind to do the papaya.  That was before I tasted nearly only asparagus.  I thought, hmmm... I could add more pears. Then I saw it. The papaya was probably 12 inches in length and about 6 inches around.  I got it at Sprouts and had the notion that I'd try it.  A few days ago I tried a smaller one and was surprised by how sweet it was... almost overpowering!  I knew that would do it!  I grabbed it, sliced it in fourths and then slipped each one (rind and all) into the juicer


I called this 'Juicing gone wild!' as look at the specs of this juice alone!
Calories: 881, Carbs: 431, Fat: 8, Protein: 38, Fiber: 51 and Iron: 9

Which combined with my meals (other 2 juices earlier) makes my total for the day:
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Fiber  Iron
1,844       431    8      67      123    82
*Fiber isn't really THAT high, as my juicer kicks out most of the pulp.

Ideally you can have this for two meals... there is no way I'm consuming all of that in one setting.

In the end... I'd say the drink is good.  However, if I could turn back time I would have only used half of the papaya.  That is one powerfully sweet fruit!

It SNUCK right up on me!

I was responding to a tweet when the number of days I've been juicing came up.  I didn't know.  I lost track.  I simply have been juicing and not thinking about the "days." Each meal, 3 to 5 juices a day.  If I want to consume it, I'm juicing it.  I had one exception... one morning I had to run to the Emergency Room and knew I would probably be there for a few hours!  Since it was an emergency I grabbed a bowl of the rolled oatmeal that I made the kids that morning and just consumed that.  I'm glad I did as we were there for about 6 hours... I didn't eat again until we got home. When we arrived, the juicer got flipped on.

This is a photo of our fridge... 

...well the bottom half of it. II have been buying MOST of my fruits and vegetables from Sprouts. I discovered that for variety, Sprouts or a Farmer's Market is key to getting the most for your money.  $50 at Sprouts goes a lot further in terms of getting all ingredients for multiple recipe, then it does at Costco.  For sheer bulk / quantity, Costco is great for that. Unless of course you find a place that will give you a great deal on bulk items.  I purchased 20+ tomatoes two days ago and have already used most of them.

I juiced my first juice on January 12th. 

Today is the 21st day of juicing!

When you're the stay-at-home-dad you're always in demand.  It was all I could do to think about, do I have food needed for the next day then to think dreadful thoughts that sucked energy away and could possibly make me not want to continue.

How do I feel? I feel great, energized and ready for anything!  I still have pounds to lose and a lot of them!  However, the headaches and ill feelings that people say they experience when doing a reboot or a cleanse, never happened.  I had a slight, ever so slight headache on the second day... but that passed and has never been back.

I'm looking forward to successfully completing my goal! I feel great and am getting proteins, minerals and vitamins... and practically NO fat! I believe MyFitnessPal says I've consumed 5 grams for the week!

Attention iPhone, Android and Mobile Readers!

It has come to my attention that the super efficient weight and day tracker that a friend coded for this blog, doesn't show up on iPhones, Android units and other phones... UNLESS you press the "View web version" at the bottom of the blog, as you view it on your mobile device.

I received this image from a friend who has been following my weight loss.

This is what I see.

However, when viewed in the web version on your phone, a laptop, or pc then you should see this.

There is also a FOLLOW @84lbs84days on the right side that is not showing up on mobile devices.  I'm not sure why this is happening.

Please click the "View mobile version" at the bottom of your mobile device to see the updated pounds lost!  Additionally, feel free to click the follow button and follow me on Twitter.  I tweet a new post is published and also throw random thoughts and tweets throughout the day.

Thus far, I have lost 27.4 lbs in 18 Days!

Thank you all for sharing this blog with others and for coming back daily to read and to see the progress!

*Update:*
Just added... the Google+ button for the site, now you can +1 this site... the button is on the right side, below the About This Blog and Twitter Follow Button.

Helping Hands.

My son is so excited to 'help' daddy make a juice, but won't touch them when it comes to drinking them.  His sister however, is quite the opposite!  She loves trying them and asks for them.  I don't give her very much but a taste from time to time in "her" glass and she is thrilled!  The little man wants to help all the time.

He wanted to make apple juice for mommy during her lunch... nothing else in it, just apples.  He placed each apple in the juicer and then pushed them down the chute with the food pusher. He was so excited to watch all the juice come pouring out.  And a bit sad when all the apples were gone.  Little ones are tons of fun.  Nearly the entire time he was doing that, his sister was saying; "Apple juice please! Apple juice!" Haha

Having fun and involving the family as I get thinner is the greatest!  When my wife saw me today she said; "WoW! You are getting smaller!"

Words and phrases like that help this man keep going!

I feel excellent! Energized and ready for anything.  No longer do I feel sluggish.  I look at it as, if I feel this good now... IMAGINE how I'm going to feel when the remaining 58 pounds come off!

My own Disneyland Marathon... kind of.

I've heard of and actually have looked into the Disneyland marathon but have never done it. However, after yesterday I felt like I had participated in one or maybe an Iron Man.

The day started with me taking the two little ones to Disneyland.  Before leaving I made sure breakfast was consumed and that food for the day was prepared.  I also juiced a lot more, quantity wise, than I have ever done before (I included a screenshot of what I did and the values from MyFitnessPal below).

Upon arriving I discovered that I left the second seat for our Phil and Ted's double stroller at home.  Not having this, presented an immediate problem.  With this particular stroller the seats stack. Thus creating a seating arrangement similar to that of a double decker bus. Making it easy to use, steer and control while still being streamlined.  We bought ours from a lady selling her's on craigslist years ago and we love it!  If you haven't seen a Phil and Ted's before here is what our stroller looks like.  I told my little guy the issue and said that he would need to walk or be carried. He looked at me and said, "I want to walk." I was glad and somewhat relieved.  After about two minutes, the little man said "Up please Daddy" and I knew that my day was going to be interesting. After picking him up and continuing on, I quickly became thankful for all the weight I've lost over the last two weeks.  Seriously, if felt great knowing that I could carry him and push the stroller as we walked in Disneyland from the Mickey and Friends parking lot.

If you are wondering why we didn't take the tram in... simply enough a tram is convenient if you have one adult and one child or two adults and two children. In my opinion it is easier to walk in (pushing the stroller) when you are out numbered and a day supply of food for the kids. Trying to break down the stroller, hold the food bags and keep two kids on their bums, just wasn't something I wanted to attempt.

After about 200 yards it became evident that carrying a 3 1/2 year old was going to be more of a challenge than I thought.  Switching arms every 100 yards or so helped, but still was difficult. Eventually the light bulb turned on... my shoulders!  Stopping to hoist the little guy up and then securing him by his two legs with my left hand accompanied by directions to "hold on and lean forward" we were on our way... as I became the missing seat.  People looked at me with eyes of surprise.  Some smiled. Others shook their heads as we passed.  Upon arriving in the park I had high hopes of leaving the stroller at Main Street Station as the boy wanted to go to the Haunted Mansion.  A quick train ride (while leaving the food, gear and stroller at the station) would have been easy... but the station was closed. Completely blocked off.  Onward we went. At times he walked, but mostly he wanted to be carried. When the three of us got to a ride they would walk in for the most part under their own power, at times they both wanted up... and the stroller was no where in sight.

If you are wondering how many calories one can burn while spending over four hours walking around at Disneyland, while carrying one or two kids... let me know, as I am too.

In the end, we had a great day!  I got a huge workout in and the kids met many Disney Characters, rode several rides and even had lunch with Jasmine, Alladin and Genie!  It was a great day!

To top off my day (night), once the kids went to sleep, I hit PLAY on day 3 of Insanity! A little more cardio to help me with this weight loss adventure!

Before leaving I threw together a 'juice' that was UNLIKE ANY I had ever made before.  I was looking for quantity and sustainability... not flavor.  I knew from previous juicing that a sweet potato / yam would leave me feeling full and satisfied longer than anything else I have previously combined.  I started there... and then added more.

Tip: Juice for flavor and enjoyment most of the time. Sometimes you need (or should) juice for substance. Ideally, getting both is best!  However, knowing that I would need something to last all day, the above all went into ONE juice. After making the juice and having about 32 ounces of it for 'breakfast' I poured the remainder into a stainless water bottle with a few pieces of ice... this way it would stay cold.

My first food entry in MyFitnessPal

I originally signed up for myfitnesspal for the weight loss tracker... not for the site.  My mom and sister-in-law both encouraged me to use it sometime last year.  I listened, not. Well... now, I finally completed my profile and opened it up. I should have done this months ago!

WoW!

You can track Protein, Vitamins, Calories, Fat, Sugars, Salts, and several other characteristics of your diet.

My wife was worried that I might not be getting enough calories... well, upon first entering my info I came up with 2,000 calories for today. Then I changed the apples from Large to Medium and 1,806 came up as my caloric intake for the day.

I'm pretty sure I'm okay calories wise... now, to up the protein a bit.  As I just tore through P90X's Ab RipperX!

By the bag or individually.

As I buy fruits and vegetables I was surprised to see that buying the same item by the bag or individually can be a huge difference in price. The other day Sprouts had Organic fuji apples for $0.99 a pound and the 3lb bags we're $4.99.  Then a few days later the price per pound went up to $1.69 and the 3lb bags dropped down to $2.99

Today I grabbed some star fruit, pineapples and a papaya.  I plan on juicing them, probably completely alone, as I just want to see what that will be like. These will be the in between juices, as I was sure to grab some more purple potatoes, spinach, celery, and other items.

If you are not sure what to juice or what the nutritional and protein values of vegetables will be, a friend posted links to these lists of fruits and vegetables that give details on a lot of them. Not everything is listed and I'm still looking for a list of just raw vegetables, as I'm not cooking any of these.  However, the two lists are a pretty good start.

That same friend has compiled a list of juices that they enjoy and have made.  I have tried a lot of these and will continue to try them.  I use fuji apples, as they are sweeter.

Conversation at Sprouts and beyond.

While at Sprouts the other day I saw a guy buy something I've always overlooked. It was Kale, but a different kind. I asked how he prepares it and he said he juices it.

He game me this recipe:
Cayenne Pepper, Sea Salt, lime (or lemon), Celery, Kale, Cucumber, Cilantro (or Parsley), one Beet and some Wheat Grass.

I didn't buy wheat grass that night, as Sprouts only had one flat and this guy bought it.  But, I figure if he is trying it, why not.  Worst case, I don't like it and or I adjust it until I do.  He mentioned that he's been juicing for a while but only does this one.  I'm pretty set on having a variety. A lot of recipes call for straight vegetables or if they do have fruit they suggest Granny Smith apples.  Nothing against using apples, but I want the sweeter ones.  I'll stick to Fujis and Pink Ladies.

I recently had a conversation with a lady who said she uses the remnants (the pulp, as she called it) to make crackers or muffins.  She gave me some websites to check out.  I haven't done this yet either.

The cost of food came up.  And yes, fruits and vegetables can add up.  However, if you've not buying processed foods or meats, then you still have to buy something to consume.

My mother in law told me the other day that eating healthy isn't that expensive if you're not buying meat, as a pound of beef is $4 to $7. I don't remember the last time I saw produce going for that much a pound.  Then my sister in law pointed out that a pound of beef can go a lot further than a pound of apples.  Well, both are true.  For those who are buying more fruits and vegetables, kudos to you! It is great that people are trying to eat better.  The economy is crazy for a lot of people and I know a snickers bar is cheaper than a plate of fruit. I want to get healthy again.  Besides, if I don't, I'll eventually have to buy medications.  And that alone will be far more costly than fruits and vegetables.

Calories. Protein. Water.

I have been watching my calorie intake and trying to compute how many minimal I need a day.  I heard the other day that you take your healthy weight (what it should be) and multiply it by 100 and that is the minimal amount.  My goal is 166 lbs. With that said, 1,666 calories would be my daily target. Obviously as I incorporate more cardio I will need to make adjustments.

Protein. A lot of sites and people say for my body size I should be consuming around 80 to 100 grams, more if I am bulking up (which I'm not, first things first, lose the pounds).  Upon hearing that I started to analyze just how much I would need to consume.  Then I heard Kristina from rawfullyorganic.com talk about how your body doesn't actually get all of that protein in its blood stream.  Percentage wise, it sounds like more protein gets in the blood stream when it comes from being juiced or comes from a plant based source.  Meats have more protein in them but the amount that actually gets absorbed versus excreted without ever being used, places the protein in vegetables, more viable and possibly reliable.

Water. I'm consuming between 100 to 200 ounces per day. I'm trying to consume a 16 ounce glass every hour to an hour and a half that I'm awake. This way the water intake is spread out throughout the day and isn't a daunting task.

I'm still learning a lot of things. Growing up mainly on the standard American diet of meat and potatoes with greens and fruits there but not as the primary focus, helped me to believe I needed some form of meat with every meal. Now... at 31, I am learning so much and my eyes are open.

After the juicing is over, I do look forward to eating regular meals... but will be sure that those meals are going to be more in line with "raw" eating and most likely organic whenever possible. Why? Because regardless if you believe in evolution or a higher being, this Earth has been growing vegetables and fruits without major issues for thousands of years.  Until "man" and science got involved. Now we have tainted produce. The article below was published on Jan 21st, 2013... only 3 days ago. Already over 30,000 people have liked it on Facebook. Along with it having been tweeted over 1,200 times and shared on google+ over 425 times. The article sheds light on just one of the many problems in commercial crops. "Regulators Discover a Hidden Viral Gene in Commercial GMO Crops" http://independentsciencenews.org/commentaries/regulators-discover-a-hidden-viral-gene-in-commercial-gmo-crops/

You don't know, until you  know. Then, after you do know, you have to make a decision to apply that knowledge or what you know doesn't matter. With that said, my wife is probably tired of me talking about "food" and the new things I keep learning. I'm not turning into a vegetable (or a fruit). I'm just becoming knowledgeable about things that have escaped my radar (or flew under it) for years. The more I learn about the health benefits of different vegetables and fruits, the more I am in awe about how much I've been missing.

No sense in clogging my arteries. Having a sensible and balanced lifestyle that will help add years to my life and give me more time with family and friends is going to be key.