mean green juice

A couple of weeks ago, when I was home with a relentless cold, I started watching all sorts of health- and food-related documentaries on Netflix. I figured that if I couldn’t feel vibrant myself, at least I could watch other people cutting carbs, eating green, and generally feeling like a million bucks. I’m also a sucker for transformation stories, and these documentaries always deliver.

At a friend’s recommendation, I checked out Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. In the film, Joe Cross goes from being 100 lbs overweight and a slave to all sorts of daily medications to keep his autoimmune disease in check, to a healthy, active guy. For Joe, the key was replacing his meals with green juices made with fresh produce he picked up at farm stands across the country.

Now, there is no way I could make it through a day (let alone 60, like Joe) on juice alone. One time in college, I tried the South Beach Diet for A SINGLE DAY, and I was so nasty that my roommate begged me to stop. But adding a juice a couple of times a week, especially when I could use a natural boost? Yeah, I could do that.

So I bought this juicer from Amazon, and got to juicing. My first attempt consisted of me throwing any vegetable I could find into the juicer, and ended with me trying to choke down the bitter, godawful result. I quickly got smart and picked up the ingredients for Joe’s Mean Green Juice (the one he touts in his movie). With celery, cucumber, ginger, lemon, green apples and kale, this drink is filled with nutrients and tastes delicious and refreshing. I love it as an after work pick-me-up and can’t wait to enjoy it on our porch this summer.

Have you seen Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead? Are you on the juicing bandwagon, too?