A healthier, juicer life!

Hey friends!
 
Lately, I have been so busy that I have been neglecting many of my healthy habits. I am ready to get back into a routine and prioritize my nutrition and good health! I feel that my health is a composition of my mind, body, and soul.
 
How do I keep a healthy mind?
 
To keep a healthy mind, I make sure I do at least one thing a day that brings me joy. This activity can be as quick as a minute or two, or as long as a few hours. No matter the activity, I find that these minutes of doing what I truly enjoy keep me grounded and in an overall better mood throughout the week. I try to challenge myself as well. Challenging my mind helps keep it active and sharp during the week. What do you do to keep a healthy mind? My activities vary from day to day, and I would love to try some of the things that keep you folks happy!

​What is good body health?
 
A well-balanced diet and daily exercise keeps my body feeling its best. This is where I have been really slacking lately. I have bursts of activity throughout the week, but I am definitely not meeting my daily suggestions for physical activity. I find daily requirement is hard to reach as I spend most of my day sitting at work and then I am tired by the time I get home! Nonetheless, I am excited to put those excuses aside and make the time for regular exercise. 

To be healthy you need to be skinny. Says who?!
 
Healthy comes in all shapes and sizes. There are so many differing opinions when it comes to the best nutrition and exercise regimes. A couple years ago, I become obsessed with my body image, and was more focused on what I looked like than how healthy I was. I spent each minute of the day counting my calories and placing so many restrictions on my body. I was happy with some of the results I saw but felt drained, weak, and I was not as happy as I thought I would be. This was no way for me to live since I LOVE food! I ended up getting pretty sick and after recovering I was focused on listening to what my body was telling me I needed. I left behind the idea that I had to be stick thin to be healthy.
Our bodies are intricate systems, so sometimes it is hard to figure out exactly what it is we need. My advice to you is: be sure to analyze the recommendations you read online with a critical eye. Although a regime might work for someone else, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. Everyone is unique and that is important to keep in mind when you are setting routines for your healthy lifestyle!

​It is how much?!?
 
Something I have always wanted to do is make my own fresh juice.  There are a number of healthy benefits from extracting the juice from your fresh produce. For people that often battle digestive problems, fresh juice can be a great way to get the nutrients your body needs without having to digest a number of other components. What has been stopping me from drinking fresh juice press? The price to be honest! Buying the juice at local stores can be quite expensive! So I thought, I will just make my own! I looked into buying a juicer and could not believe how expensive they were, not to mention all the different options. I put off buying a juicer and bought a blender to make smoothies instead. Smoothies are my favourite! Fresh fruit, some veggies, all blended into one drink… how could you go wrong? You cant.. haha! Although I still love my smoothies, I have still wanted to make juice as well. 

Neive having her glass of my first juice batch!

​I did my research!
 
Here, a few years later, I have done my research. I have watched reviews and read journals about the benefits of drinking fresh juice and the do’s and don’ts when it comes to making your own fresh juice. I am excited to share that I purchased my first juicer today!
            Today I made my first juice that I am calling ‘Beet Your Negativity’. This juice is simple and inexpensive to make! I combined fresh: beets, ginger, orange, lemon, cucumber, and apples. This juice was beautiful and delicious. I topped the juice with a little pinch of cinnamon. The fresh taste of the citrus fruit combined with the hearty beet flavour lifted my mood and gave me the energy I needed! I am hoping to learn more about the benefits of making fresh juice and making new recipes for a juice recipe book! I am going to focus on juices that are affordable to make so I can share my recipes with people that had the same hesitations about making juice as I did! 

Trying my first sip of the Beet Your Negativity!

​A Healthy Soul
 
            Like I said earlier, I feel my best when I have a healthy mind, body and soul. For a healthy mind, I do things that bring me joy. For a healthy body, I try to give my body the nutrients and movement it needs to feel good and energized. For a healthy soul, I try to reflect daily and see if I made anyone smile that day. Making people smile is so easy to do and sometimes we don’t do it enough! I try to make it my daily mission to make a least one person smile a day. I find I am at peace when I know I have done my best to make someone’s day a little brighter. I feel my soul is healthy when I am achieving things I once doubted that I could do, when I am doing things that benefit someone beyond myself, or when I am relaxed and at peace. What makes your soul healthy? 

​Let’s set our healthy lifestyle routines together!
 
I am happy that I have set a routine for the next few weeks to help me live a healthier lifestyle. Focusing on my health helps me reconnect and figure out what I need to feel at my best. I want to have these routines set for when I move so I can continue them at school when life gets busy yet again! What do you do to keep yourself healthy? What is your favourite mind, body or soul exercise?

Your input!
 
If you make your own fresh juice, I would love to hear your favourite recipes! If you are looking into get a juicer, I would suggest taking the time to do your research. Deciding on what juicer to purchase is the hardest part. If you are new to making juice and are not looking to invest just yet, there are many crafty at home ways to make juice without having to purchase a fancy juicer! I encourage you to share your thoughts with me and we can all get healthy together!
 
Thanks for reading!
 

Much luv,
 
Annie