by Kristen Bagwell

I am so excited! I have finally bought a juicer. Who cares, you ask? Well. It's not like I am susceptible to trends...maybe. Actually, let me think about all of the fitness and health items I've purchased over the years (and subsequently given to goodwill, returned, or sold on ebay):

* Body by Jake Fitness Chair - I actually can't remember what the heck this thing was supposed to do, but I can tell you that it didn't.
* Slim in 6 - I think this was just a diet plan. I actually still have the workbook.
* Tae Bo - I liked this one a lot but have lost 2 of the 3 dvds in the series. That, and I am not exactly flexible anymore.
* The Firm - I would probably still be using this one if 1 - I could find an hour in a row that was free besides 4am and 2 - if the VHS tape still worked in my player. I do love it, though.
* Any number of yoga dvds, I have 3 here now but I know I've purchased more
* I cannot remember the name for the life of me, but it was the one that had exercise dvds and also a diet book that, based on your body shape, gave you the "approved" foods and volumes to help you slim down.
* P90x - This one is humbling. That's all I will say.
* Pre- and post-natal exercises...one of these dvds is flat out scary. The woman contracts her abs and moves her 9-month baby belly up by about 6 inches! eewww
* Brazil Butt lift - I had high hopes for this one...but couldn't get it off the spanish setting, so I sold it. Do you know how hard it is to keep up with that thing without attempting to translate at the same time? (That, and I don't speak spanish.)
* Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred - this one is great but it kills my knees. I am sure I am doing something wrong.

I'll be racking my brain for the next few minutes because I know I am forgetting at least two options, but you see where I'm going. Currently, I am desperate for the Mari Windsor Malibu Pilates Chair and workout but given my track record, I can't make myself do it. That, and the fact that I still have at least 4 options here that I can only commit to for a week at a time. I've also concluded that there's only so much a workout can do if I continue to eat whatever I want, so I've embraced juicing.

Evidently, juicing is not just for hippies and vegans anymore. In fact, I swiped this last juicer right out from under someone at the big-box store last week. I have this feeling that if I can get on the juice wagon, I will be able to detox and start feeling better, and then the last ** lbs will blissfully drop themselves off my body. I guess we'll see.

Here's the one I am convinced will work wonders...daily green juice, which includes a handful of kale, a couple of cucumbers, a green apple, and 1-2 other green things. How could someone feel badly after drinking that? The juicer came with a recipe booklet that has a ton of juice and non-juice recipes, including ways to use the juicing waste (pulp) to make wholesome fruit and vegetable breads and dips. What could be healthier?

In addition to the obvious benefit of taking in a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables -- most of these recipes at least double my current intake in a single serving -- there are also proven health benefits. The antioxidants in fresh fruits and veggies are said to reduce aging-type damage in skin and in bodily systems. The increased fiber and vitamins gained when adding a fresh juice component to your diet are said to help eliminate toxins from the body and improve the digestive system function. There are many more health benefits, depending on who you ask.

I'll admit that I am a bit intimidated though, and not just because I am not sure whether I like kale. This juicing thing requires a ton of produce, and they recommend that  you juice and drink immediately. Makes it a bit tricky to do during the workday if, like me, you work outside the home. Hmm. Maybe it will be happy in the box for just another day or two while I figure out how to plan and shop for all this.

Have you tried a raw or juice type diet? Any suggestions?