Day 1:
I hadn't orginially planned on doing The Juice Cleanse with my clients, but my husband REALLY wanted to do it and I wanted to support him, and it's always easier to Cleanse/Detox with someone.   It helps that I teamed up with  LOCAL ORGANICA (a local juice company) to provide the juices for the cleanse.  Two of the reasons that I'm not an avid juicer are the time and expense.  Having the juice already prepared for me saved me at least an hour a day of juicing - yay!  When it comes to making juice, I use cheap ingredients because it takes so much to make so little juice. Having a provider use local organic produce to make my juice = dream come true.  I'm pretty sure I would have spent more on produce for those three days if I had bought all the produce organic on my own.  I'm sure they have wholesalers and can buy it at cost.  AND - they make this amazing nut milk that I designed for the dinner "juice" to fill up and provide the protein that people so desperately crave. Bonuses left and right!

So If I'm going to Cleanse...I need goals.  If you have no goals, then when the going gets tough - you give up.  My goals for this week are to lose 5 pounds (the holidays are hard on everyone! ;), get back into running (holiday hiatus was longer than originally intended), fit into clothes better (some of my pants are a little more snug than they should be), less bloating (my digestion has been all off for weeks!), more energy (the afternoon slump has come hard lately), shinier hair (it's been dry lately!) and skin (need lots of lotion lately - although that could be just winter).

The first day of The 5/3 Juice Cleanse is a Green Smoothie for breakfast and then delicious raw recipes to ease into the 3 days of juicing.  Since I created the program and I'm a Raw Chef...my husband is spoiled because I can make anything I desire.  I picked relatively easy recipes for the program so that anyone can make them. 

Unfortunately....I ran out of time because I had to teach a class tonight. So my intake for today was 64 ounces of smoothie, 5 cuties for lunch and I ran out of the house before I had a chance to make dinner....so my husband made us a salad. Oops!  That's okay, he makes wonderful salads and I had a couple bananas with some Almond Bliss for my dessert.  All in all - great day.  Well, kind of normal for me. ;)

I ran for 2 miles today - yay!

Weigh in: 119.3

Day2:
Juices are different for me, I'm such a Green Smoothie Girl, that this something to look forward to.  I don't really enjoy the juicing process, so having them in the fridge rocks. Six juices each day is perfect, but juicing six times each day?!  No thanks! 

The Green Juice is amazing - definitely woke me up this morning.  Local Organica has really great blends.  There is no way I'd get that much green leafies into a juice...so expensive and time consuming! "Get Your Motor Running" - deliciously pineapply.  Lemon to the Aid - ouch!  This is the hardest to get through...the lemon juice is tough on my system.  The Beet Juice was refreshing, and I LOVED the Nut Mylk.  Those who are doing the Do-It-Yourself 5/3 Juice Cleanse don't have this amazing privilege.  I wish I could teach everyone how to make nut milk for their dinner...its such a refreshing change and tastes so good!

I was high and crashing all day - lots of energy, no energy - most likely due to the sugar content of some of the juices.  I'm sore from my run yesterday, but worked out anyway.

I swam 12 laps today - yay! My kids get to play and I exercise without feeling exercisey. :)

Weigh in: 118.0

Day3:
Starting to get hungry and miss food today. I'm so glad I made this only three days of juice - I cannot wait for solids on Friday.

I get so much energy after the Green Juice. It feels like a straight buzz!  If caffeine had any serious effect on me, which it doesn't, I think it would feel like this.  I might have to order some "It's a Green Thing" from Local Organica during the week just for this amazing feeling!  The "Lemon to the Aid" is tough to get down - I didn't finish todays.  I tried to space it out today, mixed up the order, but still tough to drink it all.   I'm not sure if it's the lemon juice or the cayenne pepper but it seems to be just me.  My husband loves it and one of my clients thinks it is her favorite.

Speaking of clients - I love that I can share my experiences with them while we all go through this together.  A lot of my group for this Cleanse has done the 7 Day Green Smoothie Detox with me before so we are old friends and they appreciate the Juicing difference as well. I love hearing their enthusiasm and excitement about how they feel and how delicious the juices are and how much they can't wait to share with their friends and family.

Unfortunately, because I didn't originally plan to go through the detox personally, I had to teach a class tonight.  
It was my FAVORITE class of all time and I couldn't eat any of it.  That was tough.  That being said, I was strong, I drank two juices while there, and other than the desire to enjoy what I know is delicious...it didn't have the pull I was expecting.  The bonus side?  I brought some raw Strawberry Swirl Cheezecake home to enjoy on Friday when I'm eating solid food again, and I have all the components for my amazing Nori Rolls.  Yay!

I did 60 squats today!

Weigh in: 116.2

Day 4:
I knew that I had been having problems with the Lemon to the Aid so I didn't even try them. I didn't drink my Beet from last night as I was full enough, so doubled that instead. It worked out perfectly!  I did what I'm always telling my clients - give it a go for a few days and if you still have problems, make adjustments.  Done!

Today my mental clarity was amazing.  It's the one thing I only get with juicing.  The third day of juicing truly is amazing.  I couldn't stop working, ideas were flowing perfectly, I got so much done and didn't want to stop!  When I do my 7 Day Green Smoothie Detox I get more mental clarity - but nothing like this.  This is a whole new level. This can be addictive! ;) 

I ran 3 miles today - awesome!

Weigh in: 115.1  (This is the weight I find healthy for me.  I could stop here, but I know that there is a pound or two of water weight to take into consideration)

Day 5:
Yay!  Solid Food Day!


My smoothie was so filling this morning!  I usually drink at least 64 ounces of smoothie a day.  Today it took me from 8am until 1pm to drink all of it.  Usually I'm done and ready for solids around 11am. When I realized how small my stomach had become, I knew that my plans for the day (Nori Rolls & Cheezecake) would need to be pushed back.  I enjoyed some water rich fruit for lunch - grapes, oranges, and pineapple.  Yum!  I chewed as much as I could to help my body process it better. I'm usually an inhaler of food so it took some serious consideration to chew as much as I could.

Dinner was just one Nori Roll cut into five pieces and a small sliver of Cheezecake - awesome and totally worth the wait, by the way - and then I was stuffed for the rest of the night.  Whew, shrunken stomach!

No work out for the day.  Just a day of rest. :)

Weigh in:  114.4

DAY AFTER:
Ahhh, now that was a pleasant, easy, fast week!  Usually cleanses/detox programs seem to inch by. I'm looking forward to doing that again in a few months!  I usually detoxify my body quarterly.  I still eat food covered in pesticide and herbicides (I wish I could do all organic, but I'm not rich and famous yet!), drink Phoenix water and breathe Phoenix air, wear toxic makeup, am in places where they use toxic cleaning chemicals...toxins build up in my system no matter how clean I eat.

So, how was the week for me?  Were my goals realized? You bet!!!!  I lost 6 pounds - perfect - I'll gain at least 2-3 back just from water weight within the first couple days.  Ahhh, the joys of being a woman. ;)  My clothes fit better but could still be better - I think that was more my haitus from exercise than my diet, though...gotta get fit!  Bloating, gone. Energy, increased! Hair and skin are glowing - I've had three people remark on them, so I trust that they have improved.  Yay!  Things I hadn't expected - increased mental clarity, emotional stabilization, better lung capacity, and a new friend in Local Organica. :)

I also, like many of my clients, love a body that I've put effort and expense into cleaning out.  So...keeping it clean - let's do that! ;)  Wonderful experience!  I love my 7 Day Detox Program - so easy and inexpensive.  I love my 5/3 Juice Cleanse - so delicious and quick.  What a great opportunity that I wish everyone would take advantage of.

This is the cream of the crop - the ultimate blender that everyone should own.  My use of my Vitamix (I've had both the 5000 and the 5200) over the past four years has cemented my unwavering loyalty to this brilliant machine.  I bought my high powered blender the instant I decided the raw lifestyle was worth investing into. I've taken it on trips, on airplanes (checked & carry-on!), even on my honeymoon! Not only does it help me create all my raw vegan dishes, but it saves me tons of time.  It grinds nuts and seeds, completely bursts the cell walls of plants to release that incredible chlorophyll, breaks down frozen fruit to make ice cream, in fact I haven’t found anything my Vitamix cannot do.  When people ask if I miss hot foods (as I don't cook anything), I demonstrated how my Vitamix warms up my food.  There is no heating element, but it runs at 240 mph and the friction heats up my soups, sauces, dips, etc.

The only problem with the Vitamix?  It’s expensive!!!!!  If you buy a new Deluxe Vitamix 5200, with all the bells and whistles, it comes out to $650.  HOWEVER! You can also buy a Vitamix that has been “factory reconditioned”  for $329.00! I always recommend buying Factory Reconditioned! If you put in this code when you check out, you get free shipping ($25 savings!): 06-005351.  

People are always asking if there are other blenders out there that are cheaper, yet have the same performance.  I have personally used three others that come close, but I will stress that NO BLENDER have the same performance as the Vitamix, in my experiences.  Now mind you, I use my Vitamix 3-8 times a day, and have used each of the following blenders at least a half dozen times each while teaching classes.

 The first is a Blendtec, the rival to the Vitamix. It’s slightly more affordable, coming in at $454 for the “Wild Side” (deluxe version), $434 for the Basic Version, and $384 for the Factory Reconditioned Basic.  It’s slightly more powerful than the Vitamix, coming in at 1560 Watts vs. the Vitamix’s 1380 Watts. The Basic comes with a 32 oz. pitcher, the Wild Side has a 44 oz. pitcher, and the Vitamix has a 64 oz. pitcher. The Blendtec has a broader based pitcher – easier to get your food out and nothing gets trapped under the blades. Lastly, the Blendtec is programmable and you can set it and walk away and it will shut itself off  The Blendtec can also warm up your liquids and dips, which is awesome for a raw foodist.  All in all, the Blendtec is a GREAT BUY.  If you can find one, go for it.  

BUT…there are some major drawbacks.  First, it does not come with a tamper – an instrument to push food into the blades.  Therefore, you need to cut and dice your food smaller so it will move AND you CANNOT make Raw Vegan Banana Ice Cream in this blender. :/ That’s a big part of my diet, so I cannot imagine having the Blendtec permanently. Second, even though the base of the pitcher is larger (my Vitamix pitcher is tapered), it has problems with small amounts of food.  The blades will spin if there isn't enough food to move around - and while it's difficult to do small amounts in the Vitamix, the tamper makes it possible.  Also you cannot fill it to the top with food and expect it to blend.  I can make a full 64 ounces of Green Smoothie in my Vitamix, but you can only fill the 44 oz container half way!  Third, the larger motor doesn’t do any more than I need, but it is a LOT louder – which is not so good when you have kids with sensitive hearing, babies, or need to do any food prep when people are sleeping.  And fourth, with all its settings (ice cream, dips, smoothies, etc.), it's much harder to work manually.  When trying to make a dip out of cashews, for example, you need to run the dip setting two to four times to get the same consistency with the Vitamix.

It's a good machine, but you can get a Vitamix for roughly the same price.  I'd spend the money on the Vitamix.

I have had the opportunity to try out Montel William’s HealthMaster.   At 4 easy payments of $49.99 (plus S&H), it’s by far the cheapest at $200.  It comes in at 1100 watts of power, which isn’t much less than Vitamix’s 1380 watts.  It has a monster 70 oz. pitcher that has a nice broad base where no food gets stuck. It comes with a tamper! Yaaay!  Raw Vegan Ice cream, here we come!  AND…the base is programmable just like the Blendtec.   

Here come the con’s. First, like the Blendtec, even though the base of the pitcher is larger (my Vitamix pitcher is tapered), I have problems doing small amounts of food.  One cup of dip in the HealthMaster just  spins…doesn’t mix, even with the tamper.  Second, the lower wattage means that it just isn’t as powerful and doesn’t blend as smooth or creamy as the Vitamix or the Blendtec.  I tried to make a pie crust (crushed nuts and fruit) in the HealthMaster and it got stuck in the pitcher, and I had to take it all out and use another appliance.  The pitcher has pockets where food gets caught and I can’t just spatula it down to the bottom…I’m not sure if you can see from the picture.  The motor is ridiculously loud and slightly smelly (which the manufacturer says will wear off within six months).  Lastly, it has two locking mechanisms that sound like a wonderful safeguard but are actually quite annoying.  The thing won’t run unless the pitcher is locked to the base and the lid is locked to the pitcher.  Both locks are quite difficult to engage and after working with it for a half an hour, my fingers were starting to blister. I got used to it quickly, but my friend said she was less likely to work with it because of this feature.  It also doesn't run at the speeds of the previous two machines, which means it won't warm up your food. It's a great machine for the price, at nearly half the price of the other two machines, so the frugal girl in me gives it one thumb up!

Lastly, I've had more experience with the Ninja than with the previous two machines because it's far more affordable, available, and everyone seems to be getting one!  This machine is wonderfully unique in that it has multiple blades.  Because of this, a tamper is less necessary to push food into the blades - there are blades in the middle and on top!  It has a programmable base with 1000 watts of power (only 100 less than the HealthMaster!), has a wonderfully easy to use 72 ounce container.  All in all, they have taken a little bit of everything and made a great machine.  AND - it's only $100!!!!  That's crazy!

I've also gotten to play with the Ninja Prep - which is even cheaper at $50-75, depending on where it's sold.  However, it has more than HALF the wattage of the blender (400 watts!), and in turn cannot do many things (like make dips & sauces out of nuts) well. It does make small batches of things rather well and I was able to make a few dishes with ease (my Orange UnChicken, Green Smoothies!, and Pinky Pudding)

However, you get what you pay for.  With the Ninja, you pay a fraction of the price for a fraction of the ability.  I cannot make the same quality of dips, sauces, desserts, smoothies, and ice cream is out of the picture. It does many amazing things and is far better for making Green Smoothies than a traditional blender (Oster or Hamilton Beach).  

Each of the machines listed come with recipe books that are definitely a part of the price - wonderful recipes that get you to use the machine and eat healthier.  Sure, they aren't raw vegan, but they are homemade from scratch and encourage you to move away from processed foods. That's the first step - less processed, more whole foods!

So there we are.  Four different high speed blenders.  Each of the blenders tackled Green Smoothies with ease and are amazing blenders.  I still recommend the Vitamix.  It is worth the investment and even if you aren’t raw in any capacity it is wonderful for your kitchen.  Not to mention, the Vitamix has been around since 1937 and is made in the US.  If a machine has a warranty, I would trust a company that has been around more then ten years and has perfected the craft that they are in.  Just my two cents...  

If I have moved you toward the Vitamix and are interested in purchasing one, use this code for free shipping (06-005351)  and go here!  I hope this helped!!!!