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A hair update and juicer questions answered

Monday, August 17, 2009

I am doing a little better about the hair. Thank you for all your supportive comments. Kate looks so young with it short.  As we go about our day, I do feel slightly compelled to explain to people that we did not cut her hair like this on purpose (I haven't though).  The length is not the awful part.  The awful part is that it is still a mullet (short over the ears and longer in back)~it is just a shorter mullet.  Anyone have any hair growing tips?  Kate's hair grows SO INCREDIBLY PAINFULLY slow.

She told me this morning that she wanted her hair back now.  So, I know she does regret it. One of the boys mentioned that all of the princesses have long hair (she is obsessed with princesses).  Their point was to tell her not to do it again.  She thought about it and said, "Mulan cut her hair with a sword." Damn that Mulan!


Okay, now onto the juicer questions...

1.  I noticed your juices are mostly veggie juices. What about fruit juices?

I have made fruit juices for my kids (watermelon and blueberry).  They liked it but they prefer smoothies.  Fruit juices are okay  (in terms of health) but they do have a lot of natural sugars and can spike your blood sugar.  So I have not done many. Also, I have not really craved the fruit juices as I think they are really sweet. It is my understanding that the veggie juices really pack the nutrients.  I use fruit to sweeten the veggie juices.

2. Do your kids like it too?

Harry is very willing to try all the juices.  He liked the beet and green veggie juice I made yesterday.  He also likes the carrot, apple, ginger juice.  However, I only make them for myself unless they ask.  Right now, my strategy is to be a role model for the children.  I am hoping that by seeing me drink them and feel energized (and hopefully Dave), they will ask for more.  I typically pour Harry a small cup from mine when he asks.  Also, for children the juices ought to be diluted with pure water (it can be too much for their little systems).  

3. What kind of a juicer do you have...brand/model?? Do you like it enough that you would purchase the same kind again? Is it easy to clean??  

I bought the Breville Juice Fountain Elite.  I got it at Bed, Bath and Beyond using a 20% off coupon so I saved quite a bit. It retails for about $300 but you can find it on Amazon for $259.00.  I paid slightly less than that at BBB and really I was impatient and did not want to wait on shipping. 

I LOVE my juicer! In fact, I wish I could take to with me when we travel:) It took me a few tries to figure it all out but now it is super easy.  Cleaning takes 5-10 minutes.  All the pieces are dishwasher safe but I hand clean them because they are big and I don't want to run the dishwasher twice a day.  I did a lot of research and for my needs and budget, this was definitely rated the best.  Martha Stewart uses it too:)  Have a look here to see her juicing...

4. The taste - did you have trouble getting past the taste of some of these mixes?

You would be surprised!  They taste very good to me. I put either a pear or an apple in all of my veggie juices and they really sweeten any bitterness of the greens.  I actually CRAVE the green goddess every day and I have missed it when I was away. Try one at whole foods or a juice bar sometime!

The carrot juices are a little strong for me but I try to drink one or two a week because I have premature cataracts (it is hereditary!) and carrot juice is GREAT for that!

5. Do you drink the juices in replacement of breakfast and lunch? 

I did not start juicing for weight loss so I was just adding the juice to my diet.  But I generally drink one large veggie juice for breakfast now. I was never a big breakfast eater though.  I want to start adding spirulina (a protein) but I have not gotten around to purchasing it yet. I know many people do replace meals with juice and lose lots of weight.  I hope to do a juice fast (1-2 days) when the kids return to school as a small detox.

6.  I really am curious if the juices would be better though that eating the fresh/organic fruits & veggies I eat? 

Okay so here is what I have read....When you eat a carrot your body absorbs 11% of the beta carotene because your stomach works so hard to break down the food and extract the nutrients. If the carrot is cooked even less is absorbed because cooking destroys the enzymes.  When you juice a carrot, you get 100% of the beta carotene.  Juice is live, full of enzymes and super easy to digest so it gives your stomach a rest (which is why I started juicing). So, while you don't get all of the fiber, you get TONS more of the the live enzymes and nutrients (which fight cancer).  I am NOT an nutritionist or an expert.  This is purely what I have read from the experts.  I would certainly read all you can about juicing before you decide if it is right for you.

7. Will you share what brand you have and where you get your recipes?

I originally asked someone at the juice bar at the beach and she told me on the sly the vague ingredients of my favorite juices and from there I have looked up recipes on-line and experimented.  I have my favorites for sure but you are supposed to switch around the combinations so that you don't become sensitive to any foods.  Food rotation is super important to avoid allergies.  My next step is to get a few juicing recipe books.

Another tip I will share with you is that I put my juicer out on the counter (and put away the coffee maker). It looks good too! I also made sure I had 3-4 days supplies of produce for the juices.  That way, I see it every morning and I make the juice. It is no harder than making a pot of coffee.   If it were in a cabinet or the pantry, I think I could get lazy. Please let me know if you have any more questions.  I am always happy to share information on things that have helped me but I know this is definitely not for everyone.


26 comments:

  1. Kim:

    My heart ached for you when I saw the last post. K is beautiful with any hairstyle and someday you will laugh, but I understand that will not be anytime soon.

    Thanks for the info on juicing, I am going to get one, I have a gift cert at W&S and they carry it. I'm so excited to do something so healthy for myself. Thanks for the inspiration!!!!

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  2. Oh my gosh Kim, I just bought a juicer this weekend. I bought the Vita Mix at Costco. I'm so excited that you are juicing too. I've been making my son a lot of smoothies with it since he just got his tonsils out today, and I love it! I can't wait to try some of your recipes!

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  3. Thanks again, Kim! I love that you posted about this, too. I think that it is so important and a great way to get others involved and trying these things. I would love it if you would post a few of your recipes. I know a lot of it is taylored to personal taste through experimenting...but even if you share a couple favorites...including the portions of each veggie/fruit used.

    Cheers to good health!! <><

    ~Tanya

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  4. Oh Kim ... just now reading about Kate's 'mullet' and am so sorry! I can certainly see why you would be so upset. Kate's 'guilty' photo below is exactly that!! ;)
    Biotin works well for hair growth (I buy it at Whole Foods), but not sure if children can take it. Also, zinc is suppose to be good too.
    Thanks for all the juicing tips. I am seriously thinking of buying a juicer but need to try some of the vegetable juices at Whole Foods first to see if I can actually get them down! ;)

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  5. I have the same juicer you have and I love it! We checked around and the Breville really seemed to be the best one.

    I juice red bell peppers, baby spinch and carrots and freeze the juice in little ice cube trays and add the cubes to my kids food. You can easily add carrot juice to macaronni and cheese or spinace juice to spagetti sauce (or even Spagetti O's!).

    Donna
    Our blog: Double Happiness!

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  6. I'm definitely going to have to try one at whole foods. Richard would LOVE it, but I know I wouldn't go to the trouble if I didn't want to drink them. Sounds awesome!

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  7. Ahhh the ole haircut - we too had the right of passage...

    http://chopsticks-and-tabouli.blogspot.com/2009/07/hair-cut.html

    I about freaked out - as I too had always said don't cut your hair etc... so now I tell her - if you cut it again - we will have it cut VERY short...I too have a "princess" girl - so she did not like the sound of that - at all...
    So far so good!

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  8. Thanks for all the juicing tips. I know it was hard to see Kate's hair cut off but she does look cute as can be in her pixie bob.

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  9. I haven't commented here much, but love coming and reading. I felt so bad for you on that last post, you mentioned helping hair grow faster, Biotin. They have it in hair supplies (just google it to find many to choose from) and you can just take it by mouth too. Many cancer patients go on it after harsh treatments. It has become so well known that most prenatal vitamins include it now for hair loss. It does help you grow your hair faster and fuller. It could not hurt to try it, Biotin is just a form of B vitamin.

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  10. I've heard of using Mane and Tail on slow growing hair. It's horse shampoo that is marketed to humans. I don't how it would work on little Kate but it seems to work on adults.

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  11. Poor Kate and poor you! I tell my girls the same thing about scissors and so far, we haven't gone through this. But, with 2 of them, I'm sure we'll get at least one self-haircut. Kate is still beautiful, and hopefully, she learned her lesson.

    Thanks for all the juicing info. It's something I'm looking into and need to research more, but it's nice that you've done a little of that for us :)

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  12. Oh kim- I feel for you... I am just waiting for z to pull this little trick. You have to love k for using that Mulan comeback... she is a smarty. i am headed to whole foods tomorrow to give the juice a try- thanks for the tip...p.s. i do think kate looks adorable with a pixie!

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  13. You just may sway me on those VEGGIE DRINKS!!! They really sound tempting!!

    PS Love the Mulan quip!! Too funny!!

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  14. Kate still looks as cute as a button with her new do, but I can understand how upset you were. I will be hiding the scissors when Kerry gets older (although she seems to be growing a mullet naturally). I love the Mulan argument that Kate used, very clever.

    Gin =)

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  15. SO sorry about the hair! I'm sure it was terribly upsetting, but Kate is still so beautiful. Keep getting the back of her hair trimmed, and let the front "catch-up". Before you know it, she'll have a one length pixie bob, and then yhou can start to grow it longer. Your Mulan comment made me laugh!

    Thanks for the juicing tips. I have a juicer, and you have motivated me to start using it again.

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  16. I didn't get a chance to comment on yesterday's post ... Kate does look adorable with the bob but i think i'd miss the long hair too as a mom, especially after letting it grow and grow! good news is maybe she learned her lesson with scissors!!!

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  17. Hi Kim! Do you know of any good recipes for nauseau? I have been to countless specialists who have done every test (including an endoscopy)& have found nothing...They told me it might be in my head (sure, I want to feel like crud while teaching 26
    rambunctious third graders!)Anyways, if you have any that you found due to your stomach issues, that would be so appreciated! I am also looking through my book for hair growth via juicing...I know I read it the other night and am re reading to help you out (even though Kate is still so darn precious! My kate told me she wants your Kate's do...and my Kate is ultra picky!!)

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  18. I dont think Kate's hair looks like a mullet I just think she looks younger. She is still beautiful and I am sure it will just take some getting used to.

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  19. Oh Kim...I was so sad with you over the loss of Kate's hair...I can only imagine how you felt. Lucy recently cut a little piece of hers with the clippers while I was cutting the boys hair...Luckily it is underneath the top layer of her side bangs so it is easy to hide, but it is only an inch long. Kate does look cute however long or short her hair is...I do agree she does look so much younger.

    Thanks for all the info on the juicer...I have always been interested...you are like a fine book of information for me!

    Hugs

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  20. Sometimes, when it is a really good story/post, I will share with the hubs (he "knows" some of my blog friends and their kids via me, via the internet - it's kind of fun!) Anyways, I HAD to share this story - it IS sad, and I am not making light of it, but to imagine you (in all your properness!) cursing that "Damn Mulan" - I did get quite the chuckle out of it :) Kate is right - that Mulan cut her hair ALL.BY.HERSELF.

    I can't wait to see more pics of Miss Kate in every day life with her new 'do - she is a doll no matter what - a beautiful princess!

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  21. glad you seem to adjusting a little to the hair cut- i still think it looks precious! thanks for the juicing info.- i always LOVE your recipe, healthy living/eating, etc. posts.

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  22. Dear Kim--Love the long hair--but I think her hair looks adorable short--when I saw the pix I thought to myself--If she were mine, I would have had them take the back even shorter--so since you asked--I would have the back taken up even more--I know it is frightening to cut even more off--but I think if the back were shorter than the front like one of those popular graduated bobs where the back is 1-2 inches shorter than the front-I think it would be easier to grow in and look very cute--not that she does not look ADORABLE just the way it is--just my 2 cents since you asked!!!BA

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  23. I was researching juicing after reading your post yesterday and came across a handy tip - put a little bag - sandwich bag or supermarket bag in the pulp collector, then you can just whip it out and put it in the bin instead of washing it. I dont actually have a juicer myself but if i find the pulp bit messy and not so dry, i think i'd do this!

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  24. I read your blog often. I love to see your adventures and design tips. I have been feeling LOUSY lately and I can't put my finger on it. After reading your posts on juicing, I will be purcharsing a juicer this weekend and believing that it will help me have more energy.

    Keep up the good work. It is really helping out here.

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  25. Oh Kim! Oh goodness. I am just waiting for Miss Ev to try out the scissors too. It seems every little girl does that at some point, right? But she does look beautiful of course with her new style. They do say that hair grows a lot faster after it's cut like that!!

    Glad yall had a great summer!

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Thank you for your kindness.