Juicing up

Time for an update on my recent blood pressure diagnosis. 

I've been doing pretty well on keeping track of my blood pressure. The highest I recorded at home was 158/93 on March 3. I kind of forgot to take any readings last week, so I was really happy this morning when I took a reading and it was 120/78! I've also lost about 4 pounds.

One of the things I decided to do to get this under control was to get back on juicing. So I splurged a little and got a NutriBullet — yes, one of those TV gadgets. I'd been looking into it for almost a year, though, reading reviews and user comments on sites where you can purchase it, like Amazon, Target, and Bed, Bath and Beyond. I ended up going with Amazon, and it arrived about a week after I saw the doctor.

I've done pretty well using it, missing only a couple days in the last two weeks. I've followed recipes on this site. I like that you can look up recipes according to what health condition you want to benefit, or by what ingredients you have on hand.

Here's one juice I had recently. I guess you could call it a berry blast: spinach, frozen strawberries and blueberries, and some fresh raspberries. The NutriBullet comes with a book of information and recipes (seen in the photo), but I haven't really used it, partly because the poorly edited stock art makes me laugh too hard to read it. Seriously, you can tell they photoshopped the NutriBullet cups over a coffee mug or something.

This is one I made Saturday — spinach, cantaloupe, carrot and cucumber.

There's two things I like about the NutriBullet. No. 1 is it's so easy to clean. You might remember, a friend sent me her unused juicer a couple years ago. I used it til it just quit sometime last year. I loved it, but it took a lot of effort to clean it. I easily spent a couple hours or more cutting up the fruit, juicing, then cleaning the machine. I learned pretty quickly to make a whole lot of juice and freezing it so I wasn't spending time every week with a long task.

With the NutriBullet, I chop up just what I need (what I don't use, I keep in a vacuum-sealed bag for the next day) and when I'm done, just rinse the blade piece and the cup and it's ready for the next day.

Also, there's very little waste with the NutriBullet. With a juicer, there's the pulp left over. I usually put mine in the compost bin in the back yard, but it seemed like such a waste. And actually, that pulp is all the fiber in the fruit and vegetables that is really good for you. Without it, you might be spiking your blood sugar, and that can be dangerous.

I don't do a "cleanse," and never have, so I'm not worried about that. Instead, I just make juicing part of my diet. I usually make about 8-12 ounces in the morning for breakfast. I do need to work out an easy way to get a solid breakfast later, though — something I can put together quick and heat up to eat on my drive to work or after I get there. Maybe the breakfast sandwiches I made in this entry. They were pretty tasty.

So that's the health update for now. I'll find out officially how I'm doing after the upcoming follow-up visit.

Keep working it

Whoo-hoo! I finally got around to putting new batteries in the scale, and after two months of not being able to weigh myself, found I am just 1 pound above the weight goal I'd set last fall and had hoped to reach by my birthday at the end of the year! That means I also just squeak by into the healthy BMI range for my weight. That's been the real goal.

But it makes me feel pretty good, and I've even set a new weight-loss goal to put me more firmly in the healthy BMI range. I know I can do it, too.

Really, all I have been doing is making sure I get yoga in at least three times a week (following the Yogamazing podcasts, walking and playing with Buster whenever I can, and maybe getting in some walking at the mall when I'm there working and it's slow. I've also cut down on the junk/fast food and watch my portions. I really think it's the yoga, though, that's made the difference. With the podcasts, I can mix up the routines enough that it's not boring, and I can focus on one body area or get in an all-around workout. It does wonders for the attitude, too.

I would like to get in a bit more cardio, though, so I'm going to make an effort to get on the exercise bike a couple times a week, too.

So, yay, me. 2010's off to a great start.