Preparation Before You Begin

Today, I wanted to talk about something to consider before you begin juicing.  

When I was sick in January and my diet consisted of liquid food only, part of my "food" was drinking coffee.  However, I guess the medication I was on made the taste of coffee very unpalatable to me.  Are you kidding??? I LOVE coffee!  I enjoy my two cups of Joe in the morning and frequently drove through Starbucks to purchase a Venti Cafe Latte with whip cream on top (no sugar...just a lot of dairy!).  I knew the headaches would come if I eliminated coffee from my system - heck, I was hurting all over anyway, why not deal with the caffeine withdrawals now instead of later!  So, off coffee and all caffeinated products I went...

Again, I turned to my Carla who had talked about drinking hot lemon water.  She had stated that she drank hot lemon water every morning before she began her day.  Okay...that's not repulsive (as my sister would say), so I started my days with that - BUT - I needed some sweetener...could I possibly drink only fresh lemon juice and hot water???  I had some honey on hand, so I put about a tablespoon in my cup with my freshly squeezed lemon and hot water and was a happy camper.  I was quite surprised to find that the hot lemon water woke me up just as my coffee did.  I questioned myself - is that all in my head?  Nope, it is a pleasant refresher, wakes me up, and cleanses my liver all at the same time.  I am no longer addicted to caffeine, I am experiencing deeper sleep, and no longer have headaches. Yay!!!

Here are a few reasons for drinking hot lemon water:

• It boosts your immune system - who wouldn't want that?  Lemons are high in Vitamin C, it helps stimulate your brain (I needed that the most!), and aids in controlling blood pressure
• Aids in cleansing your palate - you begin to really "taste" food
• Helps in balancing your body's pH balance since lemons are an alkaline fruit
• Helps with hunger  - that's a no-brainier for me!
• Aids in digestion by loosening toxins in your digestive track and helps keep the urinary track healthy
• Purges toxins from your blood which will help keep your skin acne free and decrease wrinkles
• Helps kick the coffee habit - thus the first reason to drink it

Strangely enough, once we began our juicing routine, I begin to find myself hungry soon after my first juice.  I realized that the honey in my lemon juice water was stimulating my hunger.  I was craving sugar, thus wanting something to eat too soon after we juiced.  Once I eliminated the honey, my problem was solved.  No more cravings!  It's amazing how that works!!

So, my recommendation is that you rid yourself of all caffeine products - coffee, tea, sodas (especially diet soda - that stuff is HORRIBLE!) and chocolate.  You will find comfort once the withdrawals are over - I promise!  Of course you can always drink decaf coffee or tea - green tea has amazing health benefits.  You can read more about green tea, HERE.  Just make sure it is decaf!

I have also linked an article about coffee, HERE.  You may find this interesting - I did!

More to come later!  Until next time...~Pamela