the power of the juice

with all the insane bodily (and hormonal) changes going on right now,

eating is more often than not just the last thing on my mind - even though I know baby needs eats.

So, Ryan and I have been working hard to get a punch of nutrients whenever and wherever we can.

I seem to be alternating between one really good day and one totally nauseous day,

so we've been sticking to juicing and smoothies on the not-so-good days.

That is a power-packed cup of juice that contains no more than about 70 calories,

but it has so many nutrients in it that even when I'm queasy, I can keep it down.

You might remember that Ryan and I used to juice fast,

and although I'm not fasting anymore, I've been working hard to incorporate this into my routine.

For this green juice, we used:

1 head of curly green kale

1 cup of parsley 

1 cucumber

4 stalks of celery

1 inch of ginger

2 green apples

The ginger and the apple give it a sweetness that masks the earthier flavors,

but they manage to keep the sugar content down.

One think we've learned about juicing is that the more fruit you use, 

the less overall healthy it will be for you.

Other than juicing, I'm sticking to about 5 small meals a day, so long as my stomach can handle them.

Between juicing, smoothies and toast, I seem to have enough energy to run and work out,

which is really my plan for now,

and I've been pounding water like there is no tomorrow - if only to flush my system.

In terms of cravings, baby Moore is weird.

The other day I had the most insane and insatiable craving for chocolate milk...with limes.

Yes, my friends. 

This baby wanted full fat chocolate milk with limes in it.

It should have been disgusting, but it was like heaven in a cup.

So, to spare you guys future nausea, 

I'll refrain from sharing those disgusting bits, and instead just share the delicious juices...

because they're awesome!

life lately

I'd be lying if I said getting used to all these changes was easy.

It's been an easy transition living with Ryan every day,

but living in Arizona, learning to be an Army wife, trying to make new friends & working from home has been tricky.

If I'm being entirely honest, I'd say that I've been feeling a bit isolated.

That doesn't mean that Ryan and I aren't having an absolute blast though.

We started our juice cleanse on Friday the 14th, and I failed on Friday the 16th.

My blood sugar was just way too low, so we're still juicing, but I've added some healthy proteins. 

Our concoctions have been colorful, delicious and nutritious though!

For Valentine's Day, Ryan hired a masseuse to come to our brilliantly unfurnished house to give me a massage.

It was a sweet, thoughtful and loving gesture because he knows how stressed I've been.

This week, Ryan's been assigned over to nights,

which means his hours for the next month will be from midnight to 8 AM, when he'll have PT.

I'd be lying if I said I was thrilled about that, 

but I also know that it's harder on him than it is on me, so I need to be strong.

This is going to be a year of changes - good and daunting. 

The good thing is that we're working towards making our little house a home,

and we purchased two couches, a desk to refinish and an incredible bed frame this weekend -

all of which should make all these transitions a little bit less insane.

We also booked a cruise this weekend.

Since Ryan will be leaving for WOCs at the beginning of June,

we decided a Mexican Riviera cruise was in order for late April.

We'll get to spend some time together before our lives get thrown into a little chaos again,

and it gives us something to look forward to, as well.

I know that my posts probably seem a little down lately, 

and I promise I'm really not down.

I am so lucky and so blessed.

Sometimes it's just easier to write the little crazies here than voice them out loud :)

juice cleansing

Now that Ryan and I are finally in Arizona and starting our married life together,

it's time to get him ready for WOCs, which he leaves for at the very beginning of June.

WOCs stands for Warrant Officer Candidate School, and it's where he'll train to be a specialized officer.

Right now, Ryan is a non-commissioned officer in the US Army, 

but after WOCs, he will have a commission, a rank bump and way more responsibility.

The fun thing about WOCs is that even though Ryan has been in the Army for 6 years,

he will basically have to go through boot camp again,

which means he needs to be in the absolute best shape of his life going in.

This means that both he and I will be working out nearly every day a week,

eating well and doing regular healthy cleanses,

like the juice cleanse that he and I will be starting on Valentine's Day.

Heck, if we survive the anger and rage of hunger through that, we can survive anything, right?

Two of our favorite juicing recipes from our past cleanses are below:

^^^ images via here and here

Now, the juice cleanse we're doing is pure, whole fruits and vegetables that we'll be juicing right at home.

It's not an easy transition to switch over to, 

but it really bumps up your metabolism, cleans things up and gets you back on track.

We've done it before, and it really isn't so bad once you're three days in.

We're hoping for ten days, but we're aiming for just six.

Juicing is not for everyone, 

and we've definitely consulted with our doctors before doing this every time,

but they all agree that it does no harm, so long as we aren't too calorie-deficient.

We made a goal to cut most processed sugars and grains this year,

so between intermittent juice cleanses, a healthier lifestyle and a whole batch of fun new recipes,

we're excited to see what this year has in store for us.

I feel like I should tell you that I love food, so it's always a struggle to start this,

but trust me, it's been worth it every time.

Have you ever juiced or done juice cleanses before?

I'd love to hear your favorite recipes, tips or tricks!