I never saw myself as someone who would take on juicing as a daily activity. I saw so many around me living this life style. Especially in Southern California. In orange county there is a juice or smoothie shop on almost every corner right along with Starbucks.
As soon as I was diagnosed I went into research mode. I googled everything which can also be a dangerous thing. It can lead you down a rabbit hole of conflicting information, incorrect treatment strategies and a slew of horror stories from people suffering with MS. I was getting so overwhelmed that I was causing my body to flare up quickly and with aggression. It was game on for my MS and it's slow attack on my neurological system.
I read article after article, listened to videos from world renown doctors and started reading books. I knew that I wasn't going to let a doctor tell me more of what to put into my body than what was needed and absolutely necessary. I was already told I would need to begin infusion therapy and naturally I opted for the every 6 months option for Rituxan. The side effects for Tysabri were as long as my bucket list of things to do before I died. The list went on and on. I kept reading on how inflammation is one of the biggest concerns for people living with MS. Then I began doing an overview of what I was putting into my body. Everything consisted of starches, carbohydrates, sugars, processed sugars and chemicals with a load of preservatives. I was treating my body like a garbage pit.
The moment we reboot our brains to look at food as fuel is the moment we truly start to regulate what goes in our bodies. We become analytical of what we take in making sure it's only there to benefit us. After doing a total turn around on my diet and food as a whole I ransacked my fridge and pantry. Throwing out anything that had processed junk in it and poured anything harmful down the drain; along with my kids hopes and dreams from their reaction to my new found hope in life. Yes I took my family down the rabbit hole with me. Thankfully my husband was on board and supported my cause. The kids are still adjusting needless to say. My 9 year old son is thankfully in the stage where he will literally eat anything in site so he's done well to our adjustments so far. My 8 year old daughter is another story. Trying to get this kid to eat greens is like trying to baptize a cat.
I started small with my juicing extravaganza. Spinach, kale, ginger, turmeric and some lemon. Throw it in a blender, add some almond milk and presto! At home green smoothie. The texture was a bit thick for my liking so I kept exploring. I knew a juicer was not in our budget and I was spending $9 a day for a large green juice. That add's up big time! I hit the jackpot when I started mimicking the recipes that I was buying elsewhere for 9 bucks a pop.
Blend the following:
2 hand fulls of spinach
2 hand fulls of kale
1 hand full of parsley
1 hand full of chard
2 celery sticks
2 clumps of ginger root
1 small hand full of turmeric root
1 apple or 1 orange
1/2 cup of water
*Sometimes I will even add in a whole dragon fruit for extra antioxidants
Once blended I dump my mixture into a lovely $7 purchase from Amazon which I call a "poor mans juicer". It's called a "Nut Milk Bag". I know, not the best name for this product but none the less it's a mess bag used to make nut milk or to assist with juicing veggies and fruits. After my smoothie mixture is dumped into the bag which is placed over a large glass measuring cup, start squeezing. Squeeze everything until nothing more can be drained and you are left with the clumps of green waste in the bag.Yes I know whole food juicing is best but sometimes the thickness can be less than appealing especially if you are someone like me who gets weirded out by certain textures.
I want to add also that I was the kind of person who had to drink 3-5 cups of coffee a day and was unable to function without it. Since my diagnosis I have not drank any coffee or tea and I find that I have believe it or not more energy now with juicing than when I was making myself broke at Starbucks. I sleep better and more solid, I crave greens, I have less pain in my body due to fighting off inflammation and I have 50 times more energy now.
It's not a change you can make for one weekend when you are feeling "extra earthy" and want to look like a cool hipster at your local juice bar. It's a life style change that if done daily will be right there next to you with an ax fighting your daily MS battle. I never thought I could commit to such a change and I have and have no regrets.
Think about it from a financial standpoint as well. Do you know how much we typically spend on junk? Frozen dinners, junk foods, canned crap. Think about going into a grocery store and someone tells you you are only allowed to shop on the outer 4 falls of the store. You can not go into the aisles at all. You would probably spend less money wouldn't you? You're cart would consist of meats, some dairy, fruits, veggies and eggs and such. No poptarts, no bagel bites, no frozen tv dinners and canned junk. If you think about it logically everything that is located in the aisles has chemicals and preservatives. How else is it staying fresh? Chemical warfare people. Chemicals keep things edible longer. And kill our bodies faster. Our bodies were not made to eat fast food and process McDonalds. You ever drop a McDonalds french fry under your car seat and then months later you clean out your car only to find that same fry you ate about 4 months prior? Still looks the same as the day you bought it doesn't it? What do you think that fry is doing to your insides? Insert thoughtful chin scratching here.
I challenge you to take a baby step in the direction of changing how you look at food. Don't go full boar and do a crazy overhaul all at once. 9 times out of 10 when this approach is taken it's something that never stays consistent. Baby steps in the beginning are key for a change stable in longevity and success.
So get your greens, grab a blender, squeeze your nut milk bag and juice on!