To date I have lost nearly 40 lbs incorporating raw foods into my diet. And aside from the obvious, like exercising and eliminating junk food, the single most important factor that has made all the difference in helping me slim down is JUICING!I have noticed that a green juice, first thing in the morning, kicks my metabolism into gear and keeps my cravings under control throughout the day. Plus, juicing is very hydrating for the skin which has given me a lovely natural glow!
And because juicing separates the fiber, I like to use fruits/veggies that are low on the glycemic index. This way the juice won’t spike up my blood sugar since it's absorbed directly into the bloodstream. So make sure to drink your green juice on an empty stomach for instant absorption.
By the way, I'm usually not nearly as picky about the ingredients I use when making green smoothies, since blending keeps the fiber intact. Fiber slows the rate of absorption which has a lesser effect on blood sugar levels.
I also enjoy making a green juice right after a workout or yoga. I find that flooding my body with hydrating nutrients helps with recovery between workouts and keeps my body fluid and flexible!
Here's my all time favorite green juice recipe, I call it the Juice of Radiance! All ingredients in this recipe are low on the glycemic index.
Juice of Radiance
2 celery stalks
1 large kale leaf
1 large collard leaf
1 small apple
1/2 cucumber
1/2 carrot
1/2 lemon (pealed)
Plus, it’s great for those who are just starting out and still need to get accustomed to the taste of greens. Once you feel comfortable you can always add more greens or cut back on the apple.
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Hello Mila,
ReplyDeleteI find that green smoothies work the best for me. Since incorporating them into my diet my cravings have dramatically reduced. They keep me satisfied, grounded and yes..give me that glow.
I also found that certain fruits work best for me as well and that others give me a hard time. Apples great...bananas...stay away.
What about you?
Thanks for the article.
Have yourself a fabulous day.
Gabrielle
Hi Gabrielle,
ReplyDeleteYes, I definitely love green smoothies too! I don't seem to have any sensitivity to bananas, I am able to enjoy most fruit without any trouble.
It's wonderful you can tune in and recognize your body's response to different foods... always listen to the wisdom of your body!
Mila
Hi
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. It actually has confirmed what I am going through. I feel the cravings are kept at bay if I have a Green smoothie in the morning. I also just wrote on my blog that I can feel my body being nourished Drinking a Green smoothie after yoga. It has made me smile with good confirmation. Today is my first time on your blog and I will be back. I look forward to trying your juice.
Love always
Thanks Sweetie, I do hope to hear from you soon!
ReplyDelete~Mila
Hi Mila. Thanks for following me on Twitter. It was a pleasant surprise to learn that you are Russian, I am also. It is really hard to find Russians who are conscious about what they eat, so that was even more of a surprise to see! I was 11 when I came to the states from Russia, now I am married and we are having a baby soon, about a year ago my husband and I decided we had enough of the processed foods and we have gradually switched to a healthier lifestyle - although we are far from all organic or 100% vegan (he loves meat). Needless to say, our health has improved dramatically already. I am intrigued by the raw food diet, although I feel it would not work for us, but I definitely want to try some recipes! Who knows, maybe we'll like it so much we will not want anything else!
ReplyDeleteSorry for rambling on so much! Great blog, I'm a fan.
Hi Ana,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found me, I would love to share some recipe ideas with you. Once you get a taste of raw cuisine, you won't have any trouble making it a part of your life!
Mila
Dear Mila,
ReplyDeleteI watched your Youtube video. Wow what a transformation! You did it and with style and grace. Even your skin in the before photos show what was going on in your diet. In the after photos you can see a spark of mischief in your eyes. Like you have the secrets of the universe. I have been to Russia and I have seen tall and lean beauties walking the streets. All I can attribute to it was non-altered foods. In America we put junk in our meats and it makes us huge! Unfortunately we have to detox to get the junk out of our trunks from eating years of all these chemicals. When I visited Russia some women presented me with a handful of tiny strawberries and they were tiny little bits of heaven. Not massive nuclear strawberries from a lab. That is why Russian women are lovely. The people that live in the cities have a little plot of land in the country that they grow their own vegetables. No pesticides and less fatty hormone soaked meats keep the Russian people lean and mean. Whenever I taste fennel I thinkg of Russia!
Keep on Keeping on,
M
thanks M, so lovely to connect with such a friendly fan, heehee! it's sad to say that so many processed foods have entered the Russian culture in recent years :( but growing our own veggies is definitely the way to go!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Mila
Ι blog fгequently and I truly apрrеciate уour information.
ReplyDeleteThis aгticlе has trulу peakеd my interеst.
Ӏ'm going to take a note of your website and keep checking for new details about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed too.
My page HCG Diet
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this post and the rest of the website is very good.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to visit my web site ... Bad Diets and Good Diets
Hi Mila,
ReplyDeleteI just started to drink green juice, I like veggies but not crazy about it! I'am weighing 280lbs now, and I want to lost lots of pounds, and to start is to go to liquid diet, I don't have lots of money to consult for a dietician so I just do it on my own, which is I'm hoping that it will help me.. I'm using blender right now but soon I will buy a juicer, the question is do I have to strain the blended veggies before I drink it? Or just drink it as is? And how much green juice u should take for a day? Hope that you can give me a sample program that I can follow. Thank you.
The most important piece of advice, when going on a liquid diet, is to make sure you're getting PLENTY of calories and nutrients to sustain you! If you're drinking green juice, you'll need a gallon or two per day! And not just the same juice recipe each time - make sure you're getting a good variety to cover the full spectrum of vitamins and nutrients your body needs. That means alternating lots of greens and veggies.. make it a rainbow! If using fruit, I would ONLY go for low-glycemic. Straining blended veggies is a good alternative until you get a juicer, but you could easily utilize both green smoothies and green juice for your liquid diet. Here's an article I wrote about the benefits of both... http://raw-radiance.blogspot.com/2009/08/green-smoothie-or-green-juice.html
ReplyDeleteIs this Green drink really works for weight loss process? I was very desperate to reduce my weight as quick as possible. Please help!!
ReplyDelete