Juicing & The Blend Co.

Juicing

Welcome beautiful! So glad you are here to join us today as we talk about something that is DEFINITELY beauty related but not in the conventional sense. We are going to talk about nutrition- more specifically- juicing!!

Since my battle with cancer and with my husband being a physical therapist, health and proper nutrition is a HUGE part of our lives. I don’t measure my health by a scale, in fact I don’t currently own one (I will talk about why in a later post), instead I measure my health by how I feel: my energy, my endurance, the way I feel in my own skin, etc. and all of this is so directly affected to my gut health that it is first and foremost.

While I notice an increase in inflammation on my extremely sensitive digestive system (thanks cancer) from a variety of things including diet, the biggest factor is STRESS.

This creates a cycle- if my anxiety and stress begin to rise, or negativity is in our lives, I begin to become more stressed because I know what comes next with my psychological response. Which in turn creates more anxiety and stress. SO fun. I have found that while not everyone has had cancer, a lot of people can relate to this.

So I do several things that help combat this. Positive vibes only! Yoga and exercise! Juicing! (which is the focus of today).

JUICING

Juicing is da-bomb. It is an easy and quick way to get the nutrients you need. A condensed power pack! When juicing you want to use FRESH! I enjoy the ease of picking up fresh cold pressed juices.

Most store bought juices are over-processed and lacking in nutrition while freshly juiced fruits and vegetables are loaded with an abundance of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

These nutrients protect against cancer, cardiovascular disease, and various inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis. Valuable compounds called flavonoids and anthocyanins are abundant in a variety of fruits and vegetables and guard against oxidative cellular damage, which comes from everyday cellular maintenance and is exacerbated by exposure to chemicals and pollution.

Another great benefit is exposing your pallet to the flavors of the fresh fruits and vegetables. My toddler is a huge juicer and prefers fresh fruits, veggies, fish and whole foods over anything else. Because that’s what he is used to.

Similarly, if you are wanting to start adopting healthier eating patterns you can juice to get those nutrients- without having to “eat all of your vegetables”. If you aren’t a salad or raw veggie lover, you can begin by juicing and use it to develop that taste. Eventually you can retrain your body to crave the good stuff.

If you aren't a salad or raw veggie lover, you can begin by juicing and use it to develop that taste. Eventually you can retrain your body to crave the good stuff.

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The AMAZING Benefits: An Easy To Follow Guide

The Blend Co. Juice Bar

When we moved to Charleston in January one of the first things I was looking for was a fresh juice spot. I was thrilled to find The Blend Co. We even had a “bloggers” night here and taste tested everything!

They have a fantastic selection of locally sourced produce, they participate in local farm co-op programs as a pick up spot and they have a great staff

Their Juicing Philosophy

They work with local farmers and like-minded people both in the Charleston area and all over the U.S.

“Keeping things local is a major motivator for us. Most of our produce is locally farmed and organically grown… By dealing locally, everyone benefits and our community becomes that much stronger. As Charleston grows our local businesses must grow, we believe that we should grow together.

Our goal has always been to provide a healthy alternative to fast food that is fresh, local and all natural! ( nothing added just fruits and veggies)”

Their founder is passionate about this philosophy and it is catching on! They even have new food truck!

If you are in the Charleston, SC area stop in and grab a smoothie, some avocado toast, a “flu shot” (my favorite), and a cleanse if you are wishing to “reset”.

You can check them out here!

Juice Cleanse

I’ll be cleansing today if you want to join me and follow along on social media. It’s the perfect way to bring down the inflammation and feel balanced… beware claims that juicing is the only way to stay healthy, that you should avoid solid foods, or that juicing is a substitution for a medical diagnosis or treatment. It’s not!

And while you can definitely juice on your own, there are some important things to remember:

ONLY make as much as you will use at one time. Juice that isn’t consumed right away can cause food poisoning with the bacteria that grows naturally. Exposure of the drink to air, bacteria and other pathogens can not only make you sick but can also threaten the nutritional value of the juice.
Before using juicing your desired fruit, you should wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt, pesticides or bacteria.
Make sure your cutting board and utensils are clean as well. E. coli is a very dangerous bacteria that can live on your fruits and make you sick. The problem is that it can only be killed with heat, which can also damage the nutritional content of the juice. If you don’t want to boil your juice on the stove, you’ll have to wash the fruit thoroughly before juicing.

This is one of the reasons I like to use a local juicer- like The Blend Co. It really is so easy and a lot more cost effective. They source the local produce, they have invested the thousands of dollars into the cold press and alkaline water machines, and they take the time consuming steps of preparing the produce to be safe and healthy.

We will talk more about juicing, it’s benefits, my cleansing tips and at-home options next week!

Have you ever juiced or cleansed? Is it something you have ever considered? If you have, what tips do you have? Do’s or don’ts? We’d love to hear from you!

XOXO~ M&D

EDIT!!!! We are so thrilled that Blend reached out to us and offered our readers an exclusive 10% discount with the code DEUXBELLA! You can use to order online!

Comments (22)

http://madelinemarieblog.com/ April 7, 2016

Gorgeous photos! I have never actually tried juicing but have heard great things about how it makes your body feel. You definitely write a convincing post! ; ) Especially with spring, I think that is a great time to start a cleanse, I mean w/ bikini season coming up and all! ; )
- Deüx Bella April 7, 2016
  
  Haha! Definitely a good time- I didn’t even think about that part! I was like “man March was a doozy and I feel like ish” so I knew I needed to get it going again! Seriously the best way to ward off flu season too! Thanks so much for stopping by!
  Deüx Bella recently posted…Juicing & The Blend Co.
Laura April 7, 2016

I love juicing and do it every now and again when I need a reset! I’ve now got my husband into it which at first wasn’t easy but now he’s doing them on his own when he needs a reset. We both love the taste of fresh juice so its not that hard to do and even when we’re not on a cleanse its still nice to make fresh OJ or have a green juice!
xo, Laura
Have Need Want
- Deüx Bella April 7, 2016
  
  I TOTALLY agree! Just having the nutrient packed “shots” ward off flu season in our house. I love adding the green juices to our daily smoothies to get the extra nutrients I wouldn’t regularly get- I mean c’mon I don’t usually eat handfuls of parsley 😉 Thanks so much for stopping by!
  Deüx Bella recently posted…Juicing & The Blend Co.
Kristin April 7, 2016

AWESOME information!!! I’ve been worried about trying juicing but this is awesome. Thank you for sharing!
- Deüx Bella April 7, 2016
  
  I hope you do it! If you do I would love to know how you like it. There are good juices to kind of ease you into it before you go full board garlic, cayenne, beet and ginger. Haha. Thats an amazing combo for nutrients but WOWza it can knock your socks off! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
  Deüx Bella recently posted…Juicing & The Blend Co.
www.sueaallen.com April 7, 2016

YUMMY! I love juicing…especially in the summer. Thanks for the post.
- Deüx Bella April 7, 2016
  
  So glad to find a fellow juicing fan! Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂
  Deüx Bella recently posted…Juicing & The Blend Co.
Zan April 7, 2016

I have had a juicer and it is seriously so good to drink all those fresh juices! Plus the benefits are amazing! I don’t have one anymore though, so purchasing is my only option now.
linda spiker April 7, 2016

Oh this looks positively lovely! What a great place. I wish they would open one here in LA!
Krista Williams April 7, 2016

This looks like an amazing spot! I love it!

xo
Krista
http://www.hundredblog.com
- Deüx Bella April 7, 2016
  
  It is! There were a couple of awesome spots in my hometown in CA and when I lived in UT as well. But as we have lived in the south over the past year there is a lot of produce but not much juicing. Happy to have found this place! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by
  Deüx Bella recently posted…Juicing & The Blend Co.
http://www.vindulge.com April 7, 2016

Awesome and helpful tips! I love to juice at home, but it can be very time consuming and labor intensive. So worth it though. When I’m in a rut I like to pick up the pre-made juices from a grocer like Whole Foods.
Lynn April 7, 2016

I need this! Curing what ails us directly links to what we eat.
http://smalltownsandcitylights.com April 7, 2016

I’ve never tried juicing, but these drinks look SO good and very healthy! I might have to give it a try!
- Deüx Bella April 7, 2016
  
  I hope you do! Such a great way to get all the nutrients you need! Easy peasy and fast 🙂 Thanks for reading!
  Deüx Bella recently posted…Juicing & The Blend Co.
Heather with WELLFITandFED April 8, 2016

This is awesome. I am a big fan of juicing and this bar looks awesome. I would love to know where you got the first graphic. It is awesome and I couldn’t read the attribution. Really great post!
Www.accidental-blogger.com April 8, 2016

I’m inspired to go out now and buy another juicer!
Ruthie April 8, 2016

Awesome and helpful tips! I love to juice at home, but it can be very time consuming. I find it is always worth!!! SO refreshing every time.
http://xoxoBella.com April 8, 2016

I love places like this! Perfect place to stop in for something to get you through the afternoon.
Marci Smith April 8, 2016

Wow! I didn’t realize there were so many nutritional benefits
http://www.juicingjournal.com/ April 21, 2016

What an amazing juice bar! Perfect solution to those who don’t have much time preparing their juices 🙂