Souping: Juicing's Healthier Cousin?

Remember when juicing was life? You spent your mornings washing vegetables. Wondering how many apples you could use to make the greens a little more yummy. Sometimes you would plunk down the ten dollars to get your cold pressed fix since you didn’t have the time to make your own. Ready to meet juicing’s cousin, souping?

It’ll leave you satisfied longer. Give you the fiber you need. Plus, you’re not adding tons of sugar to your diet from all the fruit used to make greens easier to drink. Some people go the

juicing route for a cleanse, but it’s only a short term fix. Souping can be part of a regularly detoxing way of life. 

I have to admit, I was a little taken aback by the souping concept. When I think of soup, I think of the traditional American fare like chicken noodle. Or if it’s a family gathering, we’d have albondigas soup, spicy mexican meatball soup. Neither is something you’re having through a straw. So I opened up my mind to the concept of souping. What’s it all about?

I love juicing. There is nothing better than a fresh made cold pressed drink right at home. I did have a little guilt when I ended up throwing away so much pulp, and figured out other goodies to make with it. But still I was left with the thought, “Why am I working so hard to make a drink.” The more I learned about souping, I think this could be a new route for me.

Juicing gives you so many vitamins and minerals which are quickly absorbed by the body. It’s a great way to detoxify, but how much goodness are we missing out on by not having the roughage? Learning about slow cooking taught me how much vegetable skin is good for us. You’re throwing away nutrients by not having the vegetable skin. It’s the vicious cycle of juicing. 

It’s a lot of work. It’s not always satisfying. It’s wasteful when you’re throwing away vegetables because you missed a day or two of juicing. Don’t get me wrong, I love juicing. But like all things, let’s mix it up in moderation. 

Here are some more fun souping pros for you:

• Souping Is More Economical.
• Souping Retains The Fiber
• Souping Is Mentally Easier To Sustain
• Soups Are Veggie-Loaded
• Benefit Of A Wider Variety Of Herbs, Spices, And Broth
• Won’t Leave You Feeling Hungry
• More Textures Instead Of Only Sipping Your Meal
• Warming & Grounding According To Ayuverdaa

I hope I’ve piqued your curiosity. I take my health and well being seriously. I’ve definitely noticed a difference in my body, internally and externally since I’ve made a conscientious effort to treat my body well. But like all humans, we get stuck in our ways. Even with our foods when we’re being healthy. You should see me when I realized I ran out of raw coconut vinegar!

I told myself it’s okay. My usual health food store isn’t open, but I can run to my local supermarket. I’m going to try a new cleanse tomorrow. Now to decide between these two. What do you think? 

Beetroot Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Large Beetroot
• 1 Large Carrot
• 1 Potato
• 1 Onion
• 1 Can of Peas
• Small can of tomato paste
• 1/4 Cabbage Head
• 1/2 Lemon
• 2 Bay Leaves
• Salt, Pepper and other spices

Instructions:

Boil a pot of water and add chopped potato and bay leaves to it.

Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with a little bit of oil and add chopped onion to it. Once the onion turn yellowish add grated beetroot and carrot. Stew them for 15 minutes. 

In a separate bowl mix the tomato paste with 2 cups of hot water and add it to the frying pan after 15 minutes. Let it stew for additional 15 minutes. 

Chop the cabbage. Once you finish stewing the beetroots and carrots, add all the frying pan contents to the boiling pot, add the cabbage and the peas as well.

Add Lemon juice, 1 table spoon of sugar, salt, pepper and other spices of you choices. Let it cook for additional 10 minutes. 

Lentils Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Lentils
• 1.5 Liters of Water
• 2 Tomatoes
• 2 Carrots
• 1 Onion
• 1/2 Lemon
• Salt, Pepper, Cumin and other spices

Instructions:

Boil a pot of water and add the lentils in. Meanwhile, spray a frying pan with a little bit of oil and add the chopped onion to it. Once the onion turn yellowish add grated carrots and chopped tomatoes. Stew them for few minutes.

Add all the frying pan contents to the boiling pot. Let it cook for about 40 minutes. Add salt, cumin, pepper and lemon juice. Use a blender to blend everything to a uniform puree soup. 

2015’s HANGOVER CURE

Maybe you have some self-control with the bubbly, or maybe you don’t. Either way, a green juice can definitely help you on January 1^st.

Green juice is an incredible hangover remedy-- 

way better than any cheeseburger and fries combo out there!

dehydration cure = green juice

electrolyte imbalance cure = green juice

headache cure = green juice

tummy and digestive issues cure = green juice

Try these ingredients below in your hangover green juice to rejuvenate after a long New Year’s celebration:

Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Ginger, Lemon, Grapefruit

Why?

*Because greens like spinach, kale, and parsley are best for liver detoxification. They provide potassium and magnesium to hydrate, and bounce your B levels back up after they’ve been depleted by alcohol consumption.

*Grapefruit and Lemon help restore electrolytes and the Vitamin C helps repair damage cells and stimulate the liver.

*Ginger is one of our favorite anti-inflammatory nutrients. It also helps calm the gut and eliminates headaches.

So whether you’re nursing a headache on the 1^st or not, grab something green to get your New Year going great!

Goodbye Hair Dye, Hello Wheatgrass!

We’ve shared countless benefits of juicing and how important it is to keep a surplus of greens in your diet. It’s not a secret that one of the best things you can do for your body is fuel it properly. Today we want to single out one very special green that has tremendous benefits and nourishes your body in more ways than one: Wheatgrass.

Why is Wheatgrass so special?

-High in CHOLOROPHYLL (nature’s most health-promoting nutrient), which helps to purify the liver and other organs

-Contains 20 AMINO ACIDS

-FIGHTS AGAINST INFECTIONS and improves the body’s ability to heal

-High MAGNESIUM content in chlorophyll BUILDS ENXYMES that restore the SEX HORMONES

-Provides several hundred different ENZYMES NOT FOUND IN OTHER FOODS

-Keeps bowels working properly

-Aids in PREVENTION and FIGHTS AGAINST CANCER and other diseases

Overall, Wheatgrass is a complete food rich in essential vitamins, minerals, complete proteins, fiber, enzymes, fatty acids, phytonutrients, and more!

What might just be the best-kept secret about Wheatgrass is that it has proven to have an incredible ability to restore the natural pigment of hair once hair has started to go gray.

Say goodbye to hair dye, hello to Wheatgrass!

Due to the elevated amount of chlorophyll, which oxygenates the blood and rejuvenates the entire human system, Wheatgrass can actually preserve the natural color of hair.

To get your grays away:

-Drink 1 -2 fluid oz. fresh-squeezed Wheatgrass juice a day

or

-Drink 1 Tablespoon of Wheatgrass powder, 1-3 times a day

or

-Take 7-10 Wheatgrass tablets (500mg) a day

Wheatgrass has seemingly an endless list of benefits! Whether your goal is to be rid of grays or to simply to rejuvenate your body, we hope you give Wheatgrass a chance.

Cleansing Recap

Glow Pros and Cons

It’s officially been a week since we completed the Glow Bio 3 Day, Level 1 Cleanse and we are so happy to have found this place!  The Glowing Green Smoothie (GGS) is the best way to start our day! As promised, we’ve listed our final thoughts on the cleanse in our list of pros and cons below. We hope you’ve been able to experience Glow with us, and at the very least, that you’ll stop by and grab a juice or smoothie after your next Pilates Platinum class.

PROS

-Glow’s cleanse offers different drinks every day, so you’re never bored, and your body is constantly surprised by new healthy drinks, smoothies, and boosters. This keeps the cleanse exciting and you don’t feel like you’re being punishing with a boring juice-only routine like most cleanses.

-The juices are neatly packaged and labeled, and the cleanse order is extremely easy to follow. It’s equally as convenient to pick up your box everyday, or have the juices delivered to your house. You’ll get your daily dose- no excuses!

-Glow’s website, staff, and cleanse guide are really informative, and if you have any questions along the way, the Cleanse Specialist is right there to help you with anything you need. It’s like your very own personal cleansing support group!

-EVERYTHING is delicious.

-Your body feels better, instantly. By day 3, we felt like we could keep going and going because we felt an overwhelming sense of clarity in our mind and body. They don’t call it Glow for nothing.

-The shop offers raw food and snacks, and even sweets, made daily and pre-packaged so it’s easy to transition out of the cleanse with several healthy, raw, and delicious meal options.

CONS

-There comes a point somewhere towards the middle of Day 2 when you really miss chewing actual food. Sure, chewing the smoothies helps a little bit, but a liquids-only diet doesn’t quite feel the same to your teeth.

-For caffeine addicts, not having any coffee during the cleanse may be a bummer. We were super surprised to find out that we didn’t miss coffee one bit! For most of us, getting our daily coffee tends to be more about that specific part of our routine, and not an addiction to the coffee itself. Drinking the juices on schedule helped fill our day and we didn’t think about our cup (or two) of Joe at all.

-If you’re on a budget, juicing can get expensive. Glow’s prices are comparative to most juice cleanses, but you actually receive much more nutrients than competitive juice brands. If the cleanse option doesn’t work for your budget, we suggest trying a 1 day cleanse to see how you feel before committing to spending a whole 3 or 5 days’ worth. You can also incorporate a portion of the cleanse into your diet by choosing only a couple of juices or smoothies a day to supplement your diet without spending a ton. Introducing just one GGS to your day is a perfect way to benefit from Glow’s nutritious products without breaking the bank.

A huge thank you to everyone at Glow Bio, and especially to our favorite Cleanse Specialist, Joanna! You have inspired us to make healthy choices and we’re still glowing from last week’s cleanse. J

Glow Bio Cleanse- 3rd and Final Day

We've officially completed our last day, Day 3 of Glow Bio's Level 1 Cleanse!

Read on for our hourly recap of Day 3, and check back next week for our final thoughts.

It was no surprise to wake up feeling just as great after 2 busy days of juicing. We've been going to bed full every night, so we don't wake up lusting for eggs and toast. We've noticed an increase in energy, and an overall feeling of happiness, knowing that everything we've consumed has been supplying our bodies with so many nutrients, and helping to get rid of our pre-cleanse toxins. We not only feel better, but we look better, too. Glow must get it's name because your skin really does start to glow! 

We were ready to drink our morning hot lemon water, and anxiously waited for 8am to roll around to pick up our final day's worth of juices. Our morning stop at Glow was just as fun today, and we admitted that we're probably going to miss our 8 am pick up when this is over. We just might have to keep coming in…Glow has tons of regulars who aren't necessarily cleansing, but are supplementing their diet with GGS or a healthy raw lunch or snack from the grab-n-go refrigerators. (Rumor has it that Glow is going to add a 3rd fridge full of goodies soon!) We're always surprised by how busy everyone is at Glow-- answering the phones, preparing shipments, explaining the juices and cleanses to customers, not to mention all of the chopping and juicing and blending and preparing that's going on right behind the counter. We took some photos of Day 3's morning action, paparazzi-style.

Last Day, Day 3, of our Level Cleanse included:

1.    GGS

seasonal greens, apple, pear, banana, lemon

2.    Beauty Shot

spirulina, coconut water, stevia

3.    GGJ with Probiotics

kale, celery, romaine, parsley, lemon, apple

4.    Clean Red with Probiotics

beet, apple, ginger

5.    Supreme Soother Booster

raw aloe, turmeric, lime

6.    Active Vanilla Shake

soaked raw buckwheat groats, cinnamon, banana, raw coconut nectar, almond milk, vanilla extract

7.    Debloater Shot

highly concentrated, unsweetened cranberry extract with stevia

8.    GGS

seasonal greens, apple, pear, banana, lemon

(6:30am) We woke up feeling well-rested again, and excited to receive another day of juice. We noticed that we no longer felt any bloating in our body, and we could tell that after a couple of days of filling up with clean, green, healthy, nutrients that our insides were definitely more balanced. It was only natural to start our morning with another cup of hot lemon water. 

(8:15am) We were able to squeeze in a Pilates class and it felt amazing to be so in tuned with our bodies. We had no idea that this cleanse would make us feel so good on the inside, not to mention the benefits that show on the outside-- a flatter tummy and glowing skin! We headed straight to Glow after class. Glow has become our most frequented post Pilates hang out and we love picking up our juice every day. The day started with GGS. As you can see, it's so yummy that it doesn't last us very long...

(10:30am) Our morning flew right by and before we knew it, it was time for our first booster. The Beauty Shot was a new drink for us, and it was nothing like we expected! The dark blue, almost black, color was beautiful, no pun intended! And it's no wonder it's called the Beauty Shot- it provides so many B vitamins, omega fatty acids, and proteins that help nourish hair, skin, nails, and smile. It's full of the super-food spirulina as well. This booster had an interesting, but tasty, flavor. It was thicker than we expected, and like the Supreme Soother Booster, we had to shake this baby up a ton to mix up all the ingredients. 

(11:30am) We attended back to back meetings and made sure we came prepared with a cooler again. We enjoyed our GGS in between several glasses of water. It's so important to stay hydrated and even though you're drinking tons of greens throughout the day, it's still necessary to keep your water intake high as well to help flush out toxins.

(1:30pm) By 1:30 it was time to try yet another new juice! It's so exciting that even on Day 3 of a liquid-only diet we were able to enjoy new products and experience some variety during our cleanse. Today's lunch juice was Clean Red with Probiotics and it was so different from any other juice so far. According to Glow's Juice Specialist, Joanna, Clean Red is a "sweet detoxifying juice blend to help purify the blood". And it even looks good for your blood due to it's deep, rich, red color. It's loaded with antioxidants, calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamins A and C. We loved it and were happy to switch it up with something other than a green juice.

(3:30pm) Our cooler did a great job at keeping our juices and boosters fresh all day. We happily enjoyed a Supreme Soother booster during a little break from our afternoon workload. The Supreme Soother Booster has an intense flavor, but the turmeric and aloe grew on us and we almost wished the booster was a little bit bigger.

(4:00/4:30pm) The Active Vanilla Shake was next, and we waited almost an hour after the booster to open up this treat. This drink was one of our favorites and most filling smoothies from Day 1 and we were happy it was on the list for Day 3 too! By late afternoon we were getting hungry but the Active Vanilla Shake kept us going for the night. We sipped on this baby for a long time, savoring every sip/chew. It really made a difference when we physically chewed the smoothies instead of simply drinking them. Try it and you'll see what we're talking about.

(6:30pm) Another shot that we liked from Day 1 made a second appearance, the Debloater Shot. We noticed that this booster was doing its job and the sweet cranberry flavor was a plus.

(8:00pm) Just like clock-work, we were ready for our nightly GGS. This is something that we will definitely continue to drink post-clenase. Glow recommends drinking a GGS every day as an essential foundation of your healthy diet, and we couldn't agree more. 

The past 3 days were truly such a great experience, and were unexpectedly so much fun! We feel the difference in our bodies and in our minds, and we've learned so much about the Glow Bio Process along the way. We'll be reporting back next week with the Pros and Cons of Glow Bio's cleanse... and we have a feeling we'll start our day with another GGS, just for fun. :)

Glow Bio Cleanse- Day 2

Day 2 out of 3 of Glow Bio's Level 1 Cleanse is complete!

We feel amazing!!

First of all, we noticed such a change right away after Day 1. Waking up, we felt well-rested, happy, and most of all, very flat in the tummy! We jumped right out of bed and started our morning with some hot lemon water again before we headed back to Glow Bio's store on Melrose to pick up our "meals" for Day 2.

One of the surprisingly fun parts of this cleanse was making that stop in Glow every morning to pick up our juices. (Of course, you can have your cleanse delivered to your doorstop, but the shop is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Pilates Platinum's Hollywood Studio so it was just as convenient for us to pick up our juices.) The vibe in Glow was energetic, no matter what time we stopped in-- full of happy faces coming in and out, with a helpful and knowledgeable staff, and a sunny outdoor patio area. It's no wonder why everyone was in such great spirits, we were too after all of the juices!

We stopped by Glow for our Day 2 Set and everything was waiting for us in the fridge, labeled and packaged together in a little box with handles, and put in order. It couldn't be easier to follow along, and if we were ever confused, we could reference our Cleansing Guide that we were given on the first day. Joanna from Glow greeted us again that morning and genuinely cared about how we were feeling. She asked us how the cleanse was going, and if we had any questions. We talked about our favorite products and she taught us more about all of the ingredients, and specific benefits, of each juice, booster, and of course, GGS. We even chatted about Glow's raw food options for after the cleanse. We cannot wait to try the Kale Avacado Salad! But first, Day 2… :)

Day 2 of our Level 1, 3-Day Cleanse included:

1.    GGS (our new fav!)

seasonal greens, apple, pear, banana, lemon

2.    Supreme Soother Booster

raw aloe, turmeric, lime

3.    Power Green Juice with Probiotics

kale, cucumber, celery, lemon, parsley

4.    Detoxified with Probiotics

pineapple, cucumber, mint

5.    Supreme Soother Booster

raw aloe, turmeric, lime

6. Rainforest Acai Beauty

acai, pre-hydrated chia seeds, blueberries, raw spouted almond milk

7.    Immunity Shot

lemon, cayenne, ginger, stevia

8.    GGS

seasonal greens, apple, pear, banana, lemon

(7:30am) Day 2 here we go! Glow opens at 8am on the weekdays, so we began with hot lemon water and started our morning work. We didn't wake up starving, but we aren't saying we weren't counting down the minutes until we could drink our morning GGS!

(8:30am) Yes! GGS! Officially our new favorite morning smoothie. Yesterday's set had us start and end our day with this delicious (and filling) bottle of green goodness and we were so happy that Day 2 included GGS as the first drink of the day again. We worked all morning with our bottle and straw beside us, chewing the smoothie, and feeling refreshed and energized. A huge surprise? We didn't even think about our daily morning cup of coffee!

(10:30am) Time for a pick-me-up, the first booster for today's cleanse was the Supreme Soother Booster. This one is a little thicker, and full of turmeric, lime and aloe. The little booster bottles are so cute! You've got to really shake it up before you drink it because the turmeric settles at the bottom. If you're not a fan of aloe, this one might not be your favorite, but as you sip (or "shoot") this booster you feel how good it is for you. We were a little hungry this morning, after a morning jog along Santa Monica beach, so even though the booster was a great post-run drink, we were anxiously waiting for our next bigger juice!

(11:00am) We (barely) waited 30 minutes, which we felt was long enough between juices to start our next new drink: Power Green Juice with Probiotics. This was our first time having the Power Green Juice and it was so clean and green, you could totally tell it is nothing but veggies. Joanna informed us that there's actually some lemon in the juice too, but it's considered pure liquid nutrition! It's full of dark leafy greens and it's a powerful source of enzymes, minerals, and vitamins, without any sweeteners. We enjoyed this as a morning drink, but were missing the extra smoothies that came with Day 1. 

(12:00pm) Maybe it was because we woke up energized enough to go on a run, or maybe it was because we missed our mid-day Youth Fountain Smoothie (still one of our favorites!), but we were jonsein' for another drink just an hour after our Power Green Juice. So, even though it's suggested to space our juices 2 hours apart throughout the day, it's also recommended to listen to your body, and make sure you're feeling satisfied and not hungry. We loved the Detoxifier with Probiotics. This one was refreshing and quenched our thirst immediately. It tasted much sweeter compared to Power Green, but it's still loaded with nutrients. The Detoxifier was just what we needed to get through our afternoon meetings. Joanna told us that the Detoxifier is one of her clients' favorite post-workout drinks, and is also included in the Bundle of Fitness. We agree it's a great choice if you're looking for a juice to grab after a Pilates Platinum class. :)

(3:30pm) We were feeling great all afternoon and didn't even notice it was already time for our next drink! A good hint is to set an alarm on your phone to remind you when it's time for your next juice. We're always on the go, so we also made sure to have a small cooler on hand (like this one from Built or the Cooler Tote from Glow), as well as straws and a bag of ice so we could get to our next destination, with cold fresh juice on hand. We even brought the Supreme Soother Booster with us to a restaurant for a late lunch meeting. We may have been the only one not ordering a salad, or even coffee or tea, (will power!) but we were definitely satisfied with lemon water and our Supreme Soother Booster. It pays to be prepared for the day so you can stay on track with your cleanse!

(4:00pm) We lasted just another 30 minutes before we were ready for our next treat. We were really looking forward to this one, especially because we heard it's Joanna from Glow's favorite, and it's loaded with blueberries and acai! We absolutely loved Rainforest Acai Beauty! It was thick and filling, and you could really "chew" the smoothie so we felt extra satisfied. We were thankful that we packed the cooler because we were were just wrapping up visiting the Pilates Platinum Brentwood studio, and enjoyed the Rainforest Acai Beauty smoothie while driving to the Santa Monica studio.

(6:00pm) Time for our Immunity Shot! This one is so good. The spicy cayenne kick gets us every time! This booster isn't just a great compliment to the cleanse, it's a perfect health boost for if you're ever on the verge of a cold. We're so happy to have learned about the Immunity Shot and will be scooping one up next time we feel the slightest bit fatigued or under the weather. We finished up some work in time to take a class at the Santa Monica studio! Luckily this cleanse had us feeling energized and fully satisfied and we were totally up to the challenging planks and lunges during class.

(8:00pm) What a perfect way to end our day! Pilates followed by the amazing GGS! This is seriously such a delicious and healthy smoothie that's sweet enough you forget you're consuming so many greens! I know we've been raving about the GGS since the first drink of Day 1, but it really is that good. We're hoping Day 3 includes it, too! If it doesn't…can we add it?!

We can officially check off Day 2! Feeling great on the inside and the outside. We haven't had to change-up our daily schedule much at all, except for packing our cooler if we'll be out of the office for a few hours, but we're used to planning ahead to be healthy so it's been an easy addition to our routine. We're already feeling a bit sad that the cleanse is almost over. It must be a sign of a successful second day.

We'll be starting our last day today, and will report back again tomorrow morning. How many of you have joined the cleanse? We'd love to hear how your personal experience is going and what you think of Glow Bio! Please share in the comments below, or email us at pilatesplushbv@gmail.com.