3 Day Juice Cleans Review

Why hello! I think we are all familiar with how many fad diets are out there that claim to make you lose 40 pounds of pure fat in two weeks.  Well Juicing cleanses and detoxes have been the big buzz the past year and all the celebs are raving about the benefits from clearer skin, Cleansing of the digestive track and weight loss.  But many people also talk about how unhealthy they are.  Its true that doing a juicing cleans for more than three days can impact your brain and result in muscle loss but as Robynnee Chutkan, M.D., an intergrative gastroenterologist says “A three-day juice cleanse is not a harmful thing." 

So I decided to try out the three day juicing cleans and I even got my sister to join me.. Lets just say at the end of the first day she ended up making toast with cheese and eggs haha.  I did not do the cleans to lose weight, a juicing cleans will only really make you lose water weight which will be regained after the cleans is over, I wanted to do it to give my digestive system a much needed rest.  I have neglected it not so much as the people who eat junk food and don't exercise, but I have had problems with my digestive track throughout my life and I think I've tried about everything in the book from vegan, vegetarian, cutting out lactose and gluten to drinking 2 tbsp ACV a day. So i thought lets give a juicing cleans a try.  Here's the inside scoop of my three day juicing cleans experience.

Preparation

First of all you have to figure out what juicing program you are going to do.  There are so many out there.  I have heard so many good things about suja and blueprints three day juicing cleans, but since i own my own juicer I decided to do a DIY juicing cleans and found the recipe online (This also saved my quite a bit of money).  Three days before I started my juicing cleans I took coffee out of my diet and drank green tea instead, I incorporated loads more fruits and veggies into my diet and swapped out as much carbs as i could.  This was to prepare my body so that it wouldn't be such a huge transition.

Day One

I started my day off with green tea, and then my green juice.  About every three hours I would drink another juice even if i wasn't to terribly hungry because I had to get through all five. The juices were a green juice, pineapple apple mint, green juice, spicy lemonade, and cashew milk. I drank them in that order each day and incorporated lots of water and green tea in the mornings.  I didn't feel hungry or have any cravings throughout the day but I did have a headache and I felt a bit fatigue.  I still took my dog for a walk because if I'm not active through the day I feel gross and heavy (even though there really wasn't much weighing me down).  I felt very good about the juice cleans and I was so excited to keep going.

Day Two

I woke up feeling so light and energetic but I was STARVING, boy let me tell you I could have eaten absolutely anything, but I got some lovely green juice.  I was at school for most of the day so I wasn't really thinking about food and I was pretty satisfied off the juice.  I went on a longer walk today and ran a little with my dog, I felt like I had so much energy and It may have been the increase in sugars from the fruits and veggies or maybe because my digestive system didn't have to work as hard to breakdown all my nutrients.  Today I also added benefiber to my pineapple, apple, mint juice because i read that juicing takes out fiber from the fruits and vegetables and my body really needed it.  I waited to drink my cashew milk until about 8:30 because I didn't want to go to bed hungry and I hate that feeling it makes it so much harder for me to fall asleep.

Day Three

Today was definitely the day I felt the cravings come on, not necessarily for a huge cherry cheese cake or any other restrictive food I just craved the cashew milk that I would normally have for diner and I think this was because my body really wanted protein!  Today i incorporated chia seeds to my water just to make me feel a little more full.  I felt pretty good physically a little tired but not as fatigue as the first day and I was definitely more run down than the day before.  Okay this is a TMI moment but today my digestive system totally cleansed itself of all the toxins (as in poop) and I don't think I have ever felt that good.  I have a lot of problems with bowl movements and my digestive system being lactose intolerant and gluten intolerant and it felt so good on my body to have no preservatives or artificial sugars in it and now no plugged up stored poop. I wasn't very satisfied by the juices today and I couldn't even finish the last one.  Anyways what really got me through the day was knowing that the next day I would have successfully completed the three day juice cleans and I could finally eat!   And yes I was totally planning out what I was going to eat the next day on pinterest and I am so not ashamed at staring and drooling over the pictures and recipes.  I decided that I was going to have a huge celebration for dinner the next day and I cooked dinner for my family.  I made healthy chipotle sweet potato skins and cauliflower quinoa soup with were both delectable.  I would totally recommend a 1-3 day juicing cleans to anyone although I think to get the most benefits physically and mentally I would do a three day.  Its such an empowering and fulfilling feeling of completing it after the roller coaster of emotions you experience each day.  I am truly happy and proud of myself for completing it and I will surly be doing it again (maybe in like six moths haha)

xx Rachel 

How To Stay Sane And Healthy During Finals

It's almost that time of year for panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, excess stress and sadly some bad health choices.  Oh of course! It must be finals week for college students.  I think we can all agree that we tend to go a little crazy with our studying habits and fall off the train when it comes to healthy eating and exercise because right now your goal is to get the academic results you so long for.  But don't completely shut out your fitness goals and what your body really needs.  Even if you're not a college student, if you're in high school, applying for a job or any other program that requires you to complete exams  you may face similar situations where these tips will help you get through the rough moments.

Don't Forget To Sleep

I have heard and talked to so many people who have pulled all nighters to cram and study for their exams.  And it amazed me how little people know about good study habits.  Pulling an all nighter to study will do you much more harm than good.  Sleeping between 7 and 9 hours (7 hours and 30 minutes being the best that has been researched thus far) per night can have a positive impact on your overall health, including your ability to study.  for example, getting enough sleep will help boost your memory.  As we sleep, our brain goes through our impressions of the day, which is very important for the memory formation process.  So if you have just retained new material or are trying to learn something new, you will actually perform better after you sleep.  Getting enough sleep will not only keep those hideous dark bags from under your eyes, but it will keep you energized, alert and happy.  Finals are stressful enough as it is so why would you make yourself even more irritable by not getting enough sleep?! A lack of sleep will also cause your body to release more stress hormones, called cortisol, which only adds to the stress from all the homework and studying. And if that itself didn't make you want to go take a 20 minute power nap get this, a lack of sleep also causes your metabolism to slow down and dramatically increases ghrelin levels.  This means your appetite is stimulated and you crave more food throughout the day. On the other hand if it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night, try to find time for a 20 to 30 minute power nap as this type of nap provides significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep.

Eat Small Meals Frequently

Just because you may be looking for a easy way through that essay (spark notes.. we all know we've gave it a go at least once) doesn't mean you should be looking for an easy way through your diet as in delivery, fast food, frozen processed meals that nine times out of ten will leave you feeling heavy, bloated and tired.  It is so important to eat  healthy meals or snacks during your studying time and finals. Foods with little to zero nutrients work to slow your body down.  They are not made to fuel your brain, which is something you'll be needing desperately during finals week.  Although you may be stressed and its tempting to just throw something into the microwave or drive down to the burger shack and order the fattiest, greasiest burger you can, its not the smart choice.  You may even think you deserve that burger as a reward for working so hard. Remeber, comfort or stress eating will not help you.  It will make you feel guilty and slow your brain down.  Instead try and eat 5-6 small meals a day that are full of fiber, whole grains, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables and lean meats and proteins so that you will be full of energy and don't go hungry. If you're the type of person that doesn't like to take breaks when studying (which i might add is CRAZY!!!) meal prepping is for you, at the beginning of the week prep some delicious foods that you can grab to snack on. Ex: Apple or celery with almond butter, peta chips or carrots with hummus, blueberries with pumpkin seeds and Greek yogurt, rice cakes with almond butter and banana or hummus and cucumber, fruit bowl, nuts and dried fruit. There are so many delicious options. Get creative!! 

Heres a list of the types of foods to incorporate: 

• Whole grain such as whole grain pasta, whole grain bread, brown rice
• Fish with healthy fats, such as salmon. I love mine grilled served with mango salsa (no cilantro)
• Blueberries
• Pumpkin seeds
• Broccoli
• Nuts especially walnuts
• Spinach
• Legumes
  

Get Active!

Don't stray away from your regular exercise routine just because your busy and see it as less of a priority.  While you may feel that you are too busy to complete your regular training program, i definitely recommend to at least go for a quick walk outside each day.  Exercising releases endorphin's which are Your "happy" hormone, even if you aren't happy at all about getting up and moving, you surly will feel better when you have finished!  There have been several studies showing that exercise can actually improve concentration and your ability to process information. A brisk walk and some fresh air could really help you stay alert and study better when you get home.  

Plan Out Your Time

Walking into your final without a plan could be disastrous and potentially sabotage your end results.  just like a workout plan, its so crucial to know what you are doing, how much you are doing and why.  Schedules work wonderfully for getting you on track and accountable.  A schedule that you can follow and help to priorities your time efficiently will help you take control.  For example scheduling your meals, exercise, relaxation/quiet time, sleeping, to do lists will help you to feel much more organized and less stressed.  When studying, it is super important to use your time wisely and not have to worry about the little unimportant things.

I hope these tips will help you prepare and stay sane and healthy during those tough finals.  Good luck to anyone preparing for an exam. Just think about that HUGE sigh of relief you will exhale when you walk out of your last exam and realize its summer!! Go soak up that sun because you sure have earned it.

xx Rachel

Cardio VS Weight Training

Girls, we have all had that picture perfect summer body image in our heads at some point right?  Well why not achieve your goals?! The question is do you want to lose weight or tone your body? Jumping on the treadmill to get your cardio on will definitely burn more calories than weight training will in a shorter amount of time, but don't disregard the weight rack altogether.  Weight training has added benefits for your body and fitness goals that you wont be able to achieve with doing cardio alone. Personally I enjoy doing cardio and weight training and I try to include both of them into my everyday schedule but sometimes ill only have time for one, but either way you will be burning calories and building muscle to get you closer to your goals. 

Cardio

Our bodies need to burn more calories than we consume (energy output vs energy input) in order to lose weight.  Cardio is one of the more popular forms of exercise that contributes to this "energy output."  The most popular forms of cardio being walking, jogging and sprinting.  Depending of your fitness goals some are better suited for you than others.  Lets say you want to focus on fat and weight loss, your best match would be LISS (Low Intensity Steady State) this is because walking burns the most fat per calorie compared to jogging and sprinting.  This is because fat requires oxygen in order  to be metabolized or in other words broken down for energy.  The lower the intensity of the workout, the more oxygen is available to be used by the body to break down the fat.  When you are jogging or sprinting, less oxygen can make its way to the rest of your body so it will use other energy sources, such as carbohydrates, for energy.  But regardless of the intensity, cardio is great for increasing fitness levels and building stamina.

Weight Training

Okay i know what you're thinking, "resistance training will make me look bulky and manly."  This is so not true and its one of the biggest fitness myths i wish would go away! Not only with resistance training burn calories while you do it (maybe not as many as cardio) but with resistance will continue to burn calories after you have completed your workout!! How wonderful does that sound, after you complete your tiring workout you still are burning off calories while doing whatever you're doing whether it being sitting reading a magazine, painting your toe nails, or even while your eating a greek salad with avo and drinking a cuppa (probably what I would be doing). This is known as EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption).  Another amazing thing about weight training is that you lose mainly fat, compared to cardio where you can lose a variety of different body masses.  When you lose muscle mass the number on the scale may be lower, it probably wont give you the body you are after if thats a lean toned figure.  This is because 'tone' comes from well shaped muscles, and resistance training protects, shapes and maintains muscle. 

So what is better for weight loss? BOTH!! They each have their own advantages and if you have a lot of weight to lose, cardio would be a great stepping stone for increasing your fitness levels and burning calories quickly. If your looking to sculpt and tone your body resistance training will be your best friend. 

xx Rachel 

A Little About Me

Hello everyone!! My names Rachel Harmon, I live in a small town in Northern California and am currently a freshman at my local college.  I have a passion for Health and Fitness, also for beauty and fashion so I will blogging LOTS about that. But I'm the type of person who loves to talk so there is a very good chance that I will be blogging about a huge genera of totally different things most likely including cooking and recipes, nature, traveling, I may even end up venting a little but I promise to keep that to a minimum haha 

So a few facts about myself:

• I'm a huge nature person!! I love the ocean, forest, the sunset. Pretty much anything in nature intrigues me and I lose myself in it.
• Some of my famous idols, fashion and fitness icons include: Cameron Diaz, She is a woman full of knowledge and lives a fun and healthy life;  Lauren Conrad, I absolutely adore her and all she has accomplished;  Blake Lively, I'm not sure if its Serena from Gossip Girl or what but I have always loved the personality she has not to mention she is absolutely stunning!!  Jennifer Lawrence, she is a woman who stands up for herself and doesn't allow anyone to bring her down or allow anyone to diminish her self confidence; Reese Witherspoon, free and wild, she is so down to earth and just has a glow about herself.
• I have an eight month old Australian Kelpie, Heeler.  His names Jack and he is so spontaneous and joyful. He's such social butterfly, when I take him to the dog park he seriously tries to leave with other dogs family's! But he is also so timid around humans, it's the funniest thing.
• I have been  with my Boyfriend Travis for ten months it will be a year on July 10. He is the most wonderful and amazing man and I couldn't be happier. He will be attending Humboldt State University this Fall and he is playing football there.
• I love cooking and finding/making healthy food and treats so of course I will be posting lost and lots of recipes for all you food lovers out there. I definitely have a strong love for food and as long as I'm being healthy and my jeans still button its completely okay with me haha 
• My main fitness role model, inspiration and icon is Kayla Itsines. She is the definition of a strong women, mentally and physically. Her goal is for everyone to live a healthy and fit life and she is so encouraging and inspirational. She made the Bikini Body guide or BBG and the goal is to become toned but slim and feminine not bulky.
• I am going to school to become a traveling nurse practitioner and eventually making my way back to school to become an oncologist which is a doctor for people with cancer. My motivation came from my grandpa who battles multiple myeloma for many years but passed in 2007 at 57. He was such an amazing human being and I knew it was my mission to help people just like him who deserved to live much much longer. 
• I have a poshmark where I sell my clothes and accessories i no longer use, so if you're interested in that my usernames @rachelellen221 

Okay well I think that's enough talking about myself for awhile haha. I'd love to get tips and feedback from anyone as I'm new to this and need all the help i can get. Feel free to follow my personal instagram @rachel_._harmon or my fitness account @healthyfitrachel

xx Rachel