Well – it has been a couple of weeks since my last post (and my first post ever). Glad you didn’t give up on me. I did not fall off the juicing bandwagon. I have been juicing vegetables EVERY SINGLE DAY. And no, I’m not telling a lie. And no, my fingers aren’t crossed. Seriously. There have been 2 days in the last 2 weeks when I have been a bit tired (or had too much fun the night before) and didn’t feel like making the effort to wash, cut, juice and drink vegetables in the morning. But I have made myself do it every single day and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. There are many advantages that I plan on milking (or juicing, ha) for as long as possible.
First of all, the unexpected benefits – a cleaner kitchen and no “dead vegetable remorse.” You might be thinking – WHAT? Let me explain. My spa room at staceyO studiO gets a thorough cleaning every day. I am a clean-freak when it comes to my work environment. When I do laundry for my massage table and a linen falls on the floor as I’m sorting, I immediately put it into the dirty pile to wash again. I do about 2 loads of laundry a day for my spa so I can’t say the 5 second rule hasn’t ever crossed my mind, but I’m very particular about the cleanliness standards for my clients. However- I’m not known as a Betty Crocker type in the home. I like to cook, but I’m not the most domestic creature in the world. One of my nicknames in Athens was Betty Rocker. I like to do nice things for people, I like to entertain and I love to play rock music, but I can’t always guarantee that my dinners will be perfect (ask my boyfriend about the fresh organic burritos I made him on our first stay-home date that were left in the oven a little too long – like 5 hours too long. The man ate the burrito – the 5 hour, overcooked, smoking, black bomb that you had to cut with a steak knife. We’ve been together for over a year now – see why?) I am a small business owner, Mom, and have a lot of fun things I like to do, so sometimes the dishes get put into the left side of the sink for the next day. But since I’ve been juicing, I am much more strict when it comes to my kitchen. I know that if the juicer isn’t perfectly clean and assembled for the next juicing and if any dirty dishes are left in the sink or on the counter (I need as much counter space as possible for all the chopping, etc) that the chance of something getting in the way of juicing is too high, and I’m not willing to risk that. My kitchen has been cleaner than it has ever been, halleluia!!! And getting to the dead vegetable remorse, ever gone on a health kick and filled your fridge with fresh vegetables and fruit, only to have the slowly rotting items ridicule you every time you open the fridge? I decided to become a “shareowner” in Pinckney’s Produce this season. For the first time ever, I’m getting fresh, locally grown produce that I pick up from Rosewood Market every week. Things I’ve never even seen in their raw form before. Beautiful, delicious, healthy, amazing, life-enhancing produce. But if I wasn’t juicing, they would probably be leaving stains in my produce drawer right now. Enough said…
Now that you know about the weird, unexpected benefits of juicing, how about the ones that you hear about in health magazines? Is it all BS, or is it true? So far, my opinion is – it is TRUE. I have more energy than I have in a while. My baby/beer belly is shrinking and I have had a swarm of people telling me how great my skin looks in the past 2 weeks (I am an esthetician and I have taken care of my skin religiously for the past 3 years – sunscreen every day, great home care (Epicuren rocks) and routine microdermabrasion/peels, so yes, I do hear this often, but lately the skin comments have definitely sky-rocketed). My conclusion -the juicing hype is actually legitimate.
But this week, I wanted to give the non-juicing hippie the chance to reap the skin and health benefits from my experiments. So I decided to try a smoothie. Smoothies are a non-juicers best friend. Just dig out your margarita blender from last summer, dust it off and blend away. Add a youthful glow to your face with this anti-aging blend of fresh ingredients that I bought last night for less than 10 dollars at Rosewood Market.
I concocted this recipe from ideas from a book called The Top 100 Juices by Sarah Owen. I like the book because it has the recipes arranged by health benefit. It also lists the health advantages of each ingredient.
Last night’s concoction was:
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 1/4 cups soy yogurt (I used soy milk)
1 tbsp. nori flakes
Blend the avocado and yogurt (or soy milk) until smooth. Sprinkle the nori over and drink.
First of all, what in the **** are nori flakes? This dark purple seaweed is the most digestible of all seaweeds and contains a ridiculous amount of nutrients to nourish the skin so it stays firm and smooth. Avocados are a wonderful source of monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic acid and vitamin E. These are perfect for hydrating the skin. They also help stimulate collagen production, the body’s way of warding off wrinkles. Soymilk contains vitamin E and magnesium, essential to repair cells and tissues.
Best of all, this recipe can be ingested or brushed on the face for incredible skin benefits. Or do it the staceyO studiO way and do both.
Watch this video to see it in action – (parents, uncles, aunts, babysitters – BEWARE. If there is a small child hanging onto your shoulder right now, please delay the video watching. We don’t want to give them any ideas). This link will take you to the 50 second video.
Don’t forget to drink your water and wear your sunscreen. xoxo
stacey o.
OK guys – I see plenty of you at staceyO studiO. But about 90 percent of you come in for massage. Massage is great – it lowers blood pressure, helps you sleep better, relaxes you and just feels REALLY good. But did you know that facials can be just as relaxing? My boyfriend was a facial AND massage virgin when I met him. He now loves both, but actually picks a facial treatment more often than a massage when my busy schedule allows me to treat him. We all agree massage is the bomb, but did you know the one thing you’re missing out on when you always pick massage over facials? Glowing, healthy, younger looking skin! To get some of you to step out of your massage comfort zone and try a facial, I’m adding a new treatment to my menu. In honor of all the excellent men out there, I’m proud to introduce Valeur – Gentlemen’s Facial and Massage!
- ryan patrick kern
