Imbalances Happen to Everyone!

It all started this past summer. I was at the pool, trying to give blood during the blood drive. I take the pre-requisite hemoglobin test to determine eligibility to give and FAIL. My hemoglobin was LOW! I had been on a daily salad binge and did liquid chlorophyll with regularity in my water. How could I have low hemoglobin? The men I played poker with were walking around with their "dad bods" drinking beer,hard liquor and fried chicken sandwiches and all had a sticker on themselves showing they were able to give blood - and I wasn't - I actually was ashamed, embarrassed that the one who cared so much about health "failed" a test of health. I had been thinking strongly about giving platelets due to all the blood cancer clients I see, I certainly wasn't up for that either.

The summer ended, I was still dragging a bit, but with school in full swing - 4 after school programs and classes for the kids, working 6 days a week, and definitely burning the candle at both having to also taking care of the home and night time needs of everyone I couldn't do much about it...yet.
I started to notice other big changes in my health,

• Grey hair - 40% - me!! I couldn't even hide it if I tried! Thank you to my hair dresser, 8 weeks at a time I am keeping it blond.
• Anxiety - dread, heavy, crushing, anxiety - fall to the floor, cannot get up anxiety and depression
• Irregular periods, (well I am 45 after all), 30 days here 11 days there.
• Insomnia
• Weight gain (9 lbs, before I even noticed)

thinking it was all stress related I just dragged myself through each day trying to eat the best I could and rest when I could.

Things changed when I had a sales call from one of my laboratories show up at my office. He had kits in hand of new tests they were offering. I hadn't heard of the type of hormone test he was introducing so he gave me a free test, (the only way these days I would be able to do it, and this gave me an idea. I called another lab I use and asked if they offered any free tests for their practitioners and, viola! I had a hormone screening AND a micronutrient test, free - I thanked the stars and got them sent out with my various bodily fluids.
What came back was amazing - it showed all of the intense, relentless stresses and what they had done to me! My adrenals were tanked - exhausted! My estrogen - non-existent, testosterone, low, epinephrine, low, even my melatonin was askew!   My adrenals, helping me deal with a heavy load of stress gave in - no more cortisol or epinephrine left - I used up every drop of the stress response I had. No wonder I was an emotional mess!
I had the answer for the irregularity in my cycles - I needed more estrogen and testosterone.
My sleep issues determined by elevated sleep hormone, melatonin at 5 p.m. and none at 10:30 when I needed it the most.
I knew this meant I needed some B vitamins - especially Pantothenic acid, B6, B12 and folate, leading to a better balanced glutathione.  I now knew that vitamin E would be helpful and perhaps some betaine and selenium. I would wait  for my micronutrient test to see what it said I needed.
Six days later, my micronutrient test results arrived. I was deficient in the following:

• Pantothenic acid
• Manganese
• asparagine
• vitamin E
• Carnitine
• Oleic acid and 
• Glutathione

They matched! My imbalanced I had with all my hormones matched with the causes - the things I was most deficient in. Pantothenic for my poor, depleted adrenals, I would do these with all the other B vitamins to help with a certain type of anemia, this would be what I would need for any hemoglobin issues  - along with my salads and  liquid chlorophyll, and aid in my glutathione production too! Manganese is the necessary food for the ovaries - that made sense with the hormone imbalances - I would do raspberry leaves - highest herb in manganese, vitamin E for hormones and, what about the asparagine. I had to look that one up! This is very interesting:
https://blissreturned.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/asparagine-the-amino-acid-that-is-needed-to-maintain-balance-in-the-central-nervous-system-it-prevents-you-from-being-either-overly-nervous-or-overly-calm/
In case you just want a summary - it is the reason why I was feeling tired, anxious, overwhelmed, not able to handle stress as well, any longer - why I was depressed. High in Asparagus - I will have that every day - I love asparagus - morning and dinner for me!
Then the Oleic Acid- I knew it was a good fat. I needed to find a way to get it in my diet daily. Butter, flax, coconut oil, that's easy! I now do grass-fed cow butter and coconut oil every day - sometimes twice a day on the coconut oil!
Carnitine - It's in mostly animal kingdom foods - I'm a vegetarian - It's in avocado - I do a ton of avocado, I will need to supplement I guess. I need it for energy when I work out - for fat-burning ability when I'm active. It's good for gut mucosa, for thyroid - I need to get it in and will work on this one sooner than later.

I started on all of this about 3-4 weeks ago and immediately felt a sense of relief from the effects of stress. Yes, still having anxious moments and feeling the heavy weight that my life is right now, but able to get through it without feeling like I'm going to drop - going to lose it at any given moment. Within days started sleeping better, heavier. Energy has come up over the past 3 weeks, mood better, just all over feeling more balanced! I have a lot of work to do, but I am on it and benefiting daily!
The changes to my diet, other than adding the things I needed more of , I also changed by removing the two bad things I felt I did too much of. Cheese - even goat cheese and alcohol - the wine in the evenings here and there as my "reward" for getting through the day. With these gone and the balancing things I am doing otherwise, so far I've lost 2 1/2 lbs - yes, the 1/2 counts - on the scale here at the office, anyhow!

If you are interested in or know someone in need of the micronutrient testing, send them over! I offer all the lab here at wholesale, and that one is $290 for my clients and those planning on being clients. Retail for someone that isn't a client, and that's just $390
For hormone testing, I can help you to determine what kind of hormone testing would be needed - and yes, that is wholesale as well. Talk soon!
Jill Clarey, ND
336.456.47413
3723 West Market Street Unit B
Greensboro, NC 27403

Invest in Self Care

Why Invest in Your Own Self (Care)

Why not just start with stress. We all have it, (most all of us). When not managed it can cause many symptoms! 

• High blood pressure
• insomnia
• headaches
• inflammation
• depression
• anxiety
• Irritability in the gut
• Indigestion
• Heart Burn 
• Ulcers

And so many more!  I see many clients that suffer from un-checked stress and if managed,  many would heal faster and benefit long term. I suggest  that most invest time several times a week in themselves.

• Take naps
• meditation
• yoga
• go for a walk
• reike
• get a massage
• take a mindful moment daily
• "feel your feet in your shoes" , or otherwise known as get grounded daily
• take a bath with essential oils
• hang out with your friends
• take a moment with a family pet (unconditional love)

You get it - there are many options. Today I will catch up, see clients, get my kids to their after school practice, pick up my teen from his Beta convention, take care of the house and family pets, feed everyone, and EXERCISE! That one moment of giving back to myself is all I need sometimes to keep my "batteries charged".

This un-checked stress can throw us off, chemically. Cortisol, for instance, comes from the adrenal cortex and helps us deal with stress, good stress and bad! It will go up to get us through it and in an ideal world come down when we take these wonderful, necessary moments for ourselves. Some individuals have the hormone up more often than not and that is referred to as stressed adrenals. Did you know that when that hormone stays up that it can lead to inflammation, hormone depletion, higher cholesterol, a hypo-activity in the thyroid and lowered immune response? Yep, you will feel wired, and yet exhausted. It will keep you from resting well at night as well. When up in this way long term it will deplete the adrenals, this is called exhausted, or, fatigued adrenals. This is a state where you will have no "get up and go" and you will always feel overwhelmed....Either adrenal state is not healthy, not balanced and will make you feel nuts and OLD. The other chemicals and hormones wax and wane with these stress hormones. Your serotonin and gaba, epinephrine and dopamine. Especially worse during menopause and andropause with estrogens, progesterone, DHEAs, testosterone... If you feel you are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, exhausted and not able to enjoy things you feel you should really truly enjoy - you might fall in this category. I wrote a piece on this once and it's here:

Neurotransmitters and how They Affect Us

I test hormones here, for men and women, but also cortisol and neurotransmitters. I do a thorough intake to determine if there are imbalances that will cause a cascade of concerns with your health. All you have to do is call or email or text at 336.456.4743 or jillclarey3@gmail.com

Let's get you on the Natural Path! 

How to read a Label

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO READ LABELS?

One of the things I do is teach people how to eat. When you go grocery shopping the best place to start is the labels on the sides of all the boxes and bags. The ingredients list has always been there. I look for a few things on every label. I want to know that there isn't anything artificial. The rule of thumb is, if you cannot pronounce it you shouldn't eat it. They are mostly chemicals and damage your body. The things I avoid every time are anything that says high fructose corn syrup, enriched grains, artificially flavors and colors, all of the FD&C colors, MSG, (even listed as "spices" on ingredients lists). 

As far as the label, the serving size is at the top, it will give you an idea on how much you can eat in order to get enough good guys -  nutrients. It also tells you how to avoid getting too much of the bad guys (sodium, fats...)You will see that this is different on every label. Let's take crackers. You might see on one that you get 90 mg of sodium in one and 145 in others. Now let's look at the first one, how many crackers can you eat to get that 90 mg? 11?  Now the second box with 145 grams, you might find that you can get 24 crackers for that much. It makes more sense to do the latter, if you are striving for a healthier amount of sodium. You can eat the same amount as the first and just be getting 66 mg of sodium instead. Seems a little bit like trickery - but it just takes a little bit of math while deciding which to buy. (I bring my 11 year old to help with the math)! Hint, you are wanting no more that 140 mg. per serving on anything you eat.  

The fats are listed on the label too. Let's start with the bad guys. Avoid too much saturated fats and trans fats. They will damage your cardiovascular system and cause excess weight. How much is too much?  Get no more than 7% of your total daily calories in saturated fats. So, if you consume approximately 2,000 calories per day that means your saturated fat limit is 16 grams or 140 calories from saturated fats per day. You should really try to avoid any thing that has trans fats listed in any quantity. Now, the good guys.  Good fats such as the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega 3s are healthier fats. They are fats that protect the nervous system, help manage moods, help with hormone production and can help to control your weight. I usually don't strive to get these, I just try to get my fats in things like nuts, seeds, avocados, flax, chia and cold pressed oils like olive, grapeseed, walnut oils. 

SUGAR, this is one of the first places I look. I try to stay lower than 9 grams per serving size. This can get tricky. You might find a healthy looking product and see that it contains 39 grams  of sugar. You will scan down to the ingredients and notice that those sugars are from cane sugar and/or fruit. These sugars will still adversely affect your health. They will still cause a rise in your blood sugar and, lets get real, that is the amount of sugar in a 12 oz. soda!! You will find a similar product next to it with 12 grams of sugar and it will taste better! It doesn't matter where the sugar comes from, sugar is sugar and it will all cause blood sugar problems, inflammation systemically!  Now, the answer isn't sugar free, these will contain chemicals that will damage your cells and brain. 

A couple more basic rules of thumb. Daily fiber intake for an individual under age 50 needs to be 25 grams daily. Over 50, 40 grams a day. Fiber is needed for the intestines, blood sugar and the cardiovascular system. 

Daily protein depends on a lot of factors. In general you need a 1/3 of your weight in grams daily.

It's really that simple. It only takes a few seconds to determine if you should go with one choice vs. another. Happy shopping!!

What I Learned About Vaccinations

69 Doses of 14 vaccines delivered in 50 different injections before 18 years of age

So I was invited to be on the WFMY news last week to sit on a vaccination panel. I was to represent the side with children who aren't vaccinated. I was to sit with a mom who also had the same views. I was suppose to be "against" a pediatrician and a woman from the heads the vaccination program in Forsyth County. The day before, the mom I was to sit with backed out and left me to talk about it on my own. Julie Luck was kind enough to allow me to sit on the panel with one other person on the other side so that It was a fair discussion. I sat with the health department that evening.

I am not against all vaccines! I am for a safer vaccination schedule that is personalized to an individual. Did you know that a dog will be given a test, (titers test),  to determine if they have antibodies before being injected with some vaccinations?  Kids, our precious babies, these are never even looked at. Protocol is just to start injecting at birth!  I made the decision not to vaccinate about six years before ever having children. I took several classes on vaccinations and even taught one. When my first child was born in 2000, I discussed with my husband and his family my views and they agreed, thank the Lord! I saw my nephew go through his first round of vaccinations and the relentless screeching from the child never stopped. Such a calm infant one day and post vaccinations a screaming, flailing, suffering child. Later years answered why, he was suffering from a form of autism. While high functioning, still damaged. This a terrifying to witness.

The difference between when I was a kid and now with vaccinations is astounding!! Before I reached college I had a total of 24 vaccines. These days, before 18 years of age kids have 71, yes, 71 vaccines!!!! Babies, little, fragile infants have no protective barriers for their brains, (blood-brain barrier). This barrier isn't fully formed until they are two years old. Protocol says these babies get 38 vaccines injected into their blood streams before this barrier is formed. That's a lot of toxins going into their blood and brains.  Babies in utero receive antibodies from their mom. This is called passive immunity. Yep, we are "vaccinating them" as they are growing inside. Breastfeeding then passes on more antibodies right into their gut. I chose to breastfeed each of my children for 2 years a piece. This is the recommended window for them to be protected.

When asked to sit on this panel I knew what I had studied more than a decade earlier no longer applied. I studied up and became grateful all over again that we did not vaccinate. There were a lot of points I wanted to make during my interview, but for 1 1/2 hour we saw the moderator 4 times for about 5 minutes each time. Barely enough time to get my new found points out to those parents wanting to know WHY?

This is a place I can get these things to those that want to learn. It's as easy as looking in the news and in physicians references to read ingredients on these "life saving injections".  The one vaccination that I will consider is the tetanus. It is a mixed vaccine which makes it a little more dangerous for someone like myself. I am autoimmune, my uncle, my grandmother, this is familial, so we have to be careful what we do to our immune systems. What makes it dangerous? Well here are a list of ingredients:  formaldehyde, ethyl-mercury, aluminum, egg protein, sodium chloride, the inactive bacteria, antibiotics, MSG, distilled water and an ingredient that creates an acid environment. These are none neuro-toxins and carcinogens (brain toxins and cancer causing ingredients). I educated my kids on the dangers of an injury - a cut, a scrape, metal and rust injuries, being injured where there are animals present, (such as a farm). The very minute it happens to them or a friend they rush to me. We clean it, we put a silver gel on it and we cover it. A series of questions are asked, is there a headache, do you feel achy, see if they have a fever, make a visual of the injury is it swollen, red, are there streaks....and we set the timer for every 30 minutes following. Re-clean, re-protect, re-evaluate the injury and symptoms. It has always been fine, but if it isn't we will rush to get a shot. I'm not stupid, quite educated in fact.

VACCINES AREN'T A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH!

Here's an interesting terrifying fact: in 1986 the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act was passed by congress. This act removed all liability from manufactures, all pharmaceutical companies and all medical professionals for any injury and death!! Did you know that since this was passed the number of vaccines given to children have tripled?! Yes! And this part I will only say one time. Since then Autism has gone from 1 in 10,000 affected to 1 in 50 !! That is a fact. There is no such thing as a genetic epidemic in all 50 states. Wrap your brain around that! Of course according to the HHS (Health and Human Services) it is now called encepholopathy (symptoms include, loss of eye contact, not responding to stimuli apart from loud shouts or pain, and not seeming to recognize familiar people). I'm no expert, but that sounds a lot like autism, call it what you want, your Dr. will diagnose it the same way.

Next, the mercury discussion. The EPA (Environmental Protective Agency) has set the acceptable limit of daily mercury exposure to be 0.1 micro-gram per kilogram of weight. Based on this guideline, a baby at 2 months old, weighing 11 lbs. should receive no more than 0.5 micro-grams of mercury in one Dr.s visit. At 2 months old, they routinely receive 62.5 micro-grams of mercury in one sitting. That's 125 times the EPA set limit). The government (the ones that aren't accountable, since 1986), says, this is safe. Doesn't cause harm, but the CDC (Center for Disease Control) did a study any how. It took four years but they did say that they found a link between this mercury (thimerasol) and neurodevelopmental disorders, (Brain development disorders).

I know this is a lot of information, no wonder I wasn't able to get it all out to those that saw the news that night. I will need to make a part two perhaps.

One very important point. I hear things like "I cannot imagine NOT vaccinating my child. I am usually for personal choice of all kinds, but in this case I feel irritated that put other people at risk as they reap the benefits of other peoples caution" And much more like this. What I say to those is please, educate yourselves on these things before judging  and blaming others!  Here is a truth-bomb, In 2000 when the MMR was up for re-approval by the FDA, the only company licensed to sell the mumps vaccine, Merck found that the mumps component of the vaccine was no longer effective.  Virologists employed by the company witnessed first hand data falsifications and improper testing. They are now suing Merck. the outbreaks in the past 14 years need to be linked to the waning efficacy of the vaccine, not the un-vaccinated.  There are other facts about other vaccines for benign childhood diseases that have waning efficacy as well. In 1995 the FDA estimated that the chickenpox vaccine was only 70-90% effective. Who knows if this means 72% or 80%? That's a wide window. The CDC then reported "the effectiveness of the vaccine is 44% against disease of any severity and 86% against moderate or severe disease"  I'm only reporting the facts here. Most people don't know them. Now you do!  One more fact about this and it's link to shingles. Since the chickenpox vaccine came out, shingles has increased 90%! Prior to the chickenpox vaccine shingles was only seen in adults, now it is seen in children. The best way to "vaccinate" against these similar viruses is to contract chickenpox. Even better, exposure to it after is the only longer way to be protected. This is true of those adults that want to protect themselves from an outbreak of shingles. Not the $200 vaccine for Shingles now being offered.

Okay, that's all I have time for today. Clients are waiting. Thank you for  listening and learning more!

Most Common Problems I See with Clients

Okay, so I see some of the same things here in my practice over and over again. The common things I see among most are:

DEHYDRATION! I do a thorough intake with all my clients. One form gives me an idea as to what each person is eating, drinking and their lifestyle choices. I see it all the time. 2-3 cups of coffee, 12-16 oz. on average sodas daily, black tea when out to eat, alcohol weekly, but maybe 6-8 oz. of what our bodies are actually made of, WATER!!  

Yes, your body is about 74.5% water! I have posted on water before. Your blood is made of over 90% water! Your brain needs it, your body will rid of toxins better when you drink it, your skin will benefit, your hair will look healthier, your organs will be happier, cleaner and you will have more energy. So what's the deal? You need 1/2 your weight in oz. of water every single day. Without this, your body will be toxic, your blood will be thick, you will not be able to concentrate, but you will blame it on your brain or your age, your skin will be very dry, your hair, brittle, you will suffer from headaches, constipation, you will hold onto fluid (*yep, you will retain fluid, your body will hold onto it to rescue you from any more dehydrated disease tendencies)!!  I hear, "I will be in the bathroom all day if I drink my water", or, "I already have swollen ankles and hands, won't this give me more fluid to hold there"?  "I hate the taste of water".....It is necessary for life! It's not a mistake that we are made of water, it is the way we are made!!! Drinking coffee dehydrates you! Drinking soda dehydrates you, drinking black tea dehydrates you, drinking alcohol, dehydrates you. You drink it, then you rush into the bathroom and urinate, your body cannot hydrate tissues with any of those. Your blood cannot clean itself with soda, that would be like cleaning your windows with soda, they will be dirty when you finish. 

Okay, that's enough for now about water. The second thing I hear a lot here in my practice is gut problems. Gas, bloating, heart-burn, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, cramping....

THE GUT:  A couple interesting things right off the top. You have more nerve endings going into your gut than you do your brain and spine!! Your happy chemical, Serotonin lives in the gut, about 95% of what you have, lives in the gut! So, no wonder when you are constipated you are miserable, cranky, not well from head to toe. There are a lot of things that can disturb the gut, from antibiotics to parasites, a hiatal hernia, ulcers, gallbladder dysfunction, poor diet choices, living with unchecked stress, (day to day stress without giving back to yourself and having a stress outlet), and so on..... I am going to talk here about the first step to gut health. Digestion! You need to liquefy food before it reaches the latter part of the small intestines so you can absorb the nutrition from your food. I see a very common issue with simply not breaking down food well. Digestion is key! Enzymes are key to digestion. If you don't have enough you will have undigested food pass into the area you use for absorption whole, it will be in a dark, warm, moist environment for about 6-8 hours by the time it gets there, it will rot and ferment and put off quite a bit of gas. So, I suggest enzymes, a blend of digestive enzymes prior to every meal! Liquefy the food, absorb the nutrients from your food and benefit from the nutrition in your diet!  Your diet choices for a healthy gut will need to be a different blog, it is it's own thing! One thing I will say is small meals, often, don't drink at meals or you will dilute all the gastric secretions you do have or dilute the enzymes you just took and render them useless! Drink 30 min. prior and wait 1 hour after. 

STRESS:  Everyone has it (for the most part, there are a few that don't). It is toxic, just like poor diet choices. It will adversely affect your blood sugar, your hormones, your nervous system, your thyroid, your gut, of course and more!  It's not like you can decide not to be stressed, it doesn't work like that. You need tools. Tools meaning, show yourself some love, give back when you are taking away day to day. I love the book The 5 Languages of love. It is a great reminder of what is the best way to give back to yourself. My husband and I read it together so we knew each others language. It's not necessary, but a great part of the process of finding what you need. How to give back to yourself in the most effective way. http://www.polyu.edu.hk/sao/publications/emagazine/issue133/love%20language2.pdf Here is a quiz that I found online to see what your language is! 

Stress outlets can be whatever gives to you the most. Massage, yoga, meditation, prayer, going for a run, bubble baths, reike....whatever makes you feel like you can get up and once again conquer the world. Utilize these several times a week!  You may also feed the nervous system with nutrition. I love Holy Basil, phosphatidyl serine, Valerian, 5-HTP, inositol, gaba......I have most of these and will use whatever feels right from day to day. Last night I did Valerian Root and an herbal tea with Chamomile in it before bed. But lately, taking a theanine, B vitamin blend for anxiety has been very helpful. I can help you to determine the best route for you to take, just get in here, it's part of what I do for a living!

As far as what to avoid: hanging around with toxic, negative people, realizing that toxic, bad thoughts aren't hurting anyone but you and you only, limiting caffeine, get enough sleep and love yourself, faults and all. 

The five love languages 

Words of Affirmation 

 One of your deepest needs is the need to feel appreciated. Verbal compliments, words of appreciation, 

encouragement, kind and humble words are all ways to show love to you. 

Quality Time 

 You enjoy doing things TOGETHER! We aren’t talking about just sitting in front of the T.V. together but 

really giving each other undivided attention. This means looking at each other, talking to each other, 

sharing your life with your partner. 

Receiving Gifts 

 You are happy to receive things from your loved ones. They don’t have to be expensive. The gift is a 

symbol of “s/he cares about me” and “s/he thinks of me”. 

Acts of Service 

 For you, actions speak louder than words! You prefer your partner to do things for you such as cooking a 

meal, giving a massage, cleaning the room… You like your partner to initiate the acts of service and put 

efforts into doing them to show that s/he cares. 

Physical Touch 

 You love to receive a hug, a kiss, squeezes on the shoulder, a pat on the back, a touch of the face, and an 

arm around the waist... Touches can be 10 times as powerful and comforting as any words! 

I have run out of time today, A client is rolling in the door in ten minutes and I want to do some stretching and breathing before the rest of my day takes over. Treat yourself with respect and take care!

Enhance your Brain!

CBS Health News today tweets an article about preventing dementia with learning music. http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/learning-music-early-builds-up-brain-s-reserves-against-dementia-1.2489475?cmp=rss

It reminds me of reading about a brain issue that a client recently came in with. He fills out a brain assessment form in office and his Temporal Lobe comes up. I work on the physical aspect of feeding the brain. I recommend other help if I feel it would be helpful, but, I feed the brain with everything I know.

Let's talk about the Temporal Lobe. It is an area of the brain where abnormalities occur much more frequently than recognized. When problems arise with the temporal lobe, it can cause

• memory problems
• headaches without clear explanation
• anxiety or fear for no particular reason
• abnormal visual or auditory distortions
• periods of spaciness or confusion
• seizures
• word finding problems
• emotional instability
• mild paranoia
• aggression, internally or externally directed

I feed with supplements, every brain needs a little support. but there are things you can do daily to make positive changes on your own too. 

• Experience life, experience - experiences! Do something to get excited about life! 
• Sing! Songs are healing. 
• Listen to music, but don't just listen, separate out sounds. First the drums, then just listen to the guitar. 
• Learn music, play an instrument or sing, yodel!
• Get sleep! More than 6 hours a night! 
• Eliminate caffeine and nicotine
• Keep your blood sugar balanced, no skipping meals. Limit sugar, eat balanced proteins and carbs
• Biofeedback

Then, come in and see me and we will feed with the proper nutrition! It's an investment in yourself and your future. See you soon!!

Juicing: Mother Natures Multiple Vitamin and Mineral

So I have had my first juicer for about 20 years before it lost it's balance. Literally, my 11 year old would have to hold it down on the counter while I shoved fruits and vegetables into it. We would get about a cup in when he would need a break from the shaking of the machine.  We finally gave in about 2 years ago when we decided to do green smoothies instead. The blender was old too, but it worked better than the juicer! I found the main difference between the two to be fiber!! 

The juicer spun all of the peelings, seeds and extra goodies into a basket on the side. No waste with the green smoothies. I like them both very much. I find with the green smoothies however that I used a lot more sweet fruit to balance out the bitter greens. Here is an example of our favorite green smoothie (makes 2 quarts):

1 cup water

1 banana

1 mango and 

1 cup of pineapple

the only greens we use in this one was 2 handfuls of spinach

Yummy, but full of fruit sugar for some. 

Here is a great website to get recipes to use to make green smoothies:

http://www.rawfamily.com/recipes

For Christmas my aunt gave me a new juicer, one sitting in her garage un-used and needing a new home.   With Juicing it's mostly vegetables with a fruit or two to balance it out. Here is the one I did this morning:

(Juice for two):

1 stalk of celery

1 yellow beet

1 carrot

1 cup of parsley

1 apple

1 orange

1/2 " of ginger root

Big difference in the sugars, sure the glycemic index of a carrot is questionable. Let me clear that up for you. 1/2 cup of raw carrot is only 6 grams of sugar. I do 1 carrot stick, a lot less than that for the average stick, so no worries!!

Here is a good website for looking up nutritional break down of the produce you want to use:

 http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2383/2

Now, as far as the fiber in the filter from the juicer. Put the left over in a freezer bag. If it is a pile from something like the juice listed above, use it in your next soup that you make. If it is a pile with sweet fruits mostly, use it in your next batch of pancake mix. This will add fiber and micro-nutrients to your next meals too!

What do I prefer? Well, the juicing in the fall allows me to use the seasonal root vegetables and allows me to take advantage of the abundance of apples and pears available this time of year. With the green smoothies, since I love berries and mangos and pineapples in mine, I prefer to do those in the spring and summer. This allows me to use seasonal local vendors! 

So, why do either? 

The average adult over 50 needs 6-10 servings of fruits and vegetables. This gives you fiber, micro-nutrients, water, helps children reach their growth potential and aid in prevention of  childhood diabetes and heart disease as an adult!  The CDC says that that only 27% of Americans get  3 servings of vegetables and only 30% get 3 servings of fruits daily. 

It is my belief that foods that we eat needs to be as close to the way nature intended it to be as possible. 

There are a couple resources that will help you to understand the benefits of eating this way. One is a documentary on Netflix called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I've watched it twice and cried both times watching how a sick, out of shape man thrived from this kind of nutrition. 

The other is a Ted Talks with Jaime Oliver

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOPl8P2S-Lw

I watched this one with my 11 year old. All of my children have seen Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation. This knowledge they love passing on to their friends at school, their summer nanny and anyone that will listen at McDonald's when their baby sitter brings them there thinking it's a special treat for them.  They get some junk food occasionally, but they know why it's bad and what they are doing. 

Have a happy new year and enjoy your healthy new habits I hope this brings you and your family.