When I first learned about green juicing, I knew right away it was not for me. Although the benefits of green juicing were enormous, the amount of time and effort it takes to juice a day’s worth was not exactly enticing, and then green juice experts will tell you that the benefits decline as you store your freshly juiced vegetables and fruits. As an engineer, mom, blogger and a fitness junkie, I felt like this was an ordeal I could not overcome. Identify obstacles that stop or de-motivate you from sticking to a healthy lifestyle as beneficial as green juicing.
1. Add Green Juicing to your Daily Calendar
‘A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.’ ~Anthony Trollope
We all have great ideas and projects we would love to accomplish over a certain period and sometimes because we fail to pencil them down, we forget about it, and let other things in our lives wash over them. The same applies to living a healthy lifestyle, it always comes with so much commitment and we always fall short, everybody falls short. But, if you can just add Green Juicing (Click here for some great smoothie recipes) to your daily habits (it only takes 30 days to form a habit by the way), you will be doing yourself and your future a huge favor.
2. Plan It, Don’t Panic
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle
The first couple of days were rough. It took me forever to get my vegetables cleaned, assemble my juicer, juice and then clean up. At that point, I felt like giving up. But as the days went by, I got smarter, leaner and meaner. I quickly incorporated lean manufacturing techniques from work, and cleaned my vegetables the night before, the beets were usually diced the previous evening too, so I don’t get my kitchen all messy before leaving for work. I assembled the juicer before going to bed, and got all my containers out ahead of time.
3. Establish a Sleep Routine
Each morning sees some task begin, each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night’s repose ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I established a bed time and a wake up time. 6-7 hours of sleep is good for me, so I plan around that time range. I get up daily as early as 4:30am to green juice. At 5:00am, I am meditating and thinking through my to-do list for the day, sipping on oolong tea (a substitute for coffee for me, and perfect at work during meetings when everyone is drinking coffee). At 5:30am, I wake up my three year-old and get everyone ready for the day. By 7:00am, I am at work and knocking things off my list. Studies have shown that people who wake up early are more successful than their peers. They get the most done and they make more money. If you are not sure where your time is going, track your time for a week and make adjustments.
4. Be Flexible
Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it. – Eckhart Tolle
So many things can get in the way of a healthy lifestyle – vacation, a night out with friends, long work hours, and so on. After my commitment to green juicing, I have never missed a day. I just got back from a vacation on the top of the mountain skiing, and I never missed a day green juicing. I partied hard, and green juiced harder. One of my many tricks is having an airtight container for storage and if possible, take your juicer with you.
5. Spread the Love
Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand. – Emily Kimbrough
Since starting my juicing journey, I got my friends and co-workers involved by talking about it, showing off my results and getting them all excited. After a couple of weeks, they kept seeing dramatic results in my appearance and energy levels, and quickly got onboard. This week, I am embarking on a green juice fast with one of my colleagues who also started green juicing three weeks ago. This simple step solidifies my commitment to green juicing not just at home, but at work as well.