cleanse 18-21 Amy

I have completed my 3 week cleanse!! So, now what? That is the question, lots of people have asked me. The goal of the JOOS cleanse is to begin a path to a clean eating lifestyle. The cleanse has definitely helped me to find that path. I have discovered I feel better when I either eliminate or cut down my quantities of any foods with wheat. The other major goal with a JOOS cleanse is to become more mindful of what you eat. At parties I am much more aware of what I eat. Going straight to the fresh veggies first helps me fill up then I will treat myself to only a few other apps. I have also become more of a vegetarian. I have found that I prefer fish over meat. It makes me feel healthier. My digestive track has never been better. The 3 week JOOS cleanse has been a wonderful experience for me.

cleanse day 15-17 Amy

My 3 weeks are winding down. I feel great. I have fallen into a daily routine. My grocery shopping has changed. I have been buying more than usual fresh veggies which has not only benefited me but my family as well. I feel that after my cleanse is over I will continue to explore new vegan style recipes b/c I found that not only do I enjoy them, but I feel better when I eat that way. I feel I have definitely attained my personal goal of being mindful of my eating and have changed my habits. Just to be realistic (and honest), I know I will go back to coffee, but only decaf, and 1 cup a day.

cleanse day 12-14 Amy

I have completed 2 weeks of my cleanse. Last night I was challenged with a Bar Mitzvah - I had an AWESOME time! It was not difficult at all to be mindful of the cleanse because the meals now are much healthier than ever. They served a great greens salad and a chicken with lots of veggies, I would skip dessert normally b/c it was ice cream so I really did not feel deprived at all.

I started my cleanse with 1o people. One person quit after the first week. She truly had a hard time with the taste. She wrote me a wonderful note. She said that although she stopped the cleanse I have helped her to a better path of healthy eating. In just one week she learned so many healthy food choices for a working mom. She said she feels great and plans to stick with her changes to work on her weight loss goals. Another cleanser has completed her 2 week goal and lost 7 pounds! She plans on drinking 1 JOOS a day for breakfast for the next month. She feel that if she starts her day with a JOOS, she feels great and she will make healthy choices the rest of the day. Prior to the cleanse, she was a Diet Coke junkee, now she doesn't crave it at all. This is the beauty of the cleanse.........

cleanse day 10-11 Amy

"It is not enough to take steps which may some day lead to a goal; each step must be itself a goal and a step likewise" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
Many people have said to me, how can you do a cleanse? I could never do that. Lots say things like I could never give up coffee or chocolate or meat. Anyone can do what they set their mind on and what they make a priority. Isn't everyone's health a priority? Each day of my 11 days so far, my goal is to be mindful of what I eat. From completing two 2-week cleanses in the past already, I have learned that I can feel full and feel great if I eat the right foods for my body. Everybody is different and that is part of the wonderful self-discovery when you cleanse.

cleanse day 8-9 Amy

Hi - I have been feeling amazing. My clothes are fitting better and I have lots of energy. I am finding so many foods that I love, I can't fit them in all in one day! I made a delicious quinoa recipe - basicly its quinoa with black beans, tomatoes and cilantro with a garlic and olive oil drizzle. Back to the high energy effect. I want to talk about exercise while on the cleanse. I find that if I am working out, I definitely need to eat 2 smaller meals plus 2 JOOS that day. In addtion, I need to drink alot of water. It is very important to know your body and its needs. Channel 5 Boston had a recent report on juice cleanses -they were reporting about the type of cleanses that only promotes juice drinks, no food. It is important to remember that the JOOS cleanse allows a great deal of food, it just elimates very common allergens, like wheat and dairy. The JOOS cleanse enables you to discover what makes your body feel good - exercise and eating healthy!

cleanse day 5-7 - Amy

I faced some everyday life challenges while on the cleanse. Day 5 was Friday and I went to CT for a family baby shower. I meant to bring my JOOS for breakfast and forgot. I was great anyway and had a banana w/peanut butter and a grapefruit for breakfast. The challenge was at the shower. I did not plan correctly - I forgot to bring some nuts and fruit for my car ride and to snack on before the shower. The shower was lovely, except extremely unhealthy - everything had a cheese ingredient! I felt like a pain, but asked the caterer to set aside some greens before she tossed the salad with cheese and croutons. A plate of greens and some fruit does not cut it for me! I was starving by the time I traveled back to MA. I came home for dinner and went out with my family and friends. I had an amazing salad with peanuts and seared tuna and felt better. Although I felt I went "off track", I feel that I made the most healthiest and mindful choices I could. I am back drinking my JOOS and feel better already! I am looking forward to my delivery tomorrow to start my week off right!

cleanse day 4 - Amy

Good Evening- I had a great day. I had a very challenging workout and at the end felt more energized than ever. I was ready to train for another hour! I received my JOOS Bites-they are so delicious. 2 Bites and a JOOS is a filling breakfast. Since I worked out today, I did have 2 small meals. I had my 2nd JOOS around noon then I had a small bowl of veggies and brown rice mixed with vegan pesto. The pesto is amazing - www.linabellaspesto.com. My husband found it downtown at a farmer's market and thought of me b/c I love pesto, but am lactose intolerant. I have been diagnosed with IBS and have just begun to learn what foods don't upset my stomach. My first JOOS cleanse was extremely eye opening. I was hesitiant because of my stomach issues. Because the cleanse doesn't allow dairy, I thought it would be great for me. It was, but I also learned that wheat bloats me if I eat too much. I also learned that I feel better when I eat a healty diet. My non-cleanse diet protein source is mostly fish, tofu, eggs and chicken. After my first cleanse, I lost the taste for red meat. I could eat a bite of steak, but never order it at a restaurant. In the past, I loved going to a steak house because I thought it was a safe choice for my lactose issue. Now, I am much smarter on how I order in restaurant. The JOOS cleanse is really about getting to know your own body and being mindful of what you eat every day. My motto is junk in-junk out.

cleanse day 3 - Amy

For me, doing the JOOS cleanse forces me to be mindful of everything I put into my mouth. I am constantly telling my kids to "make the right food choices" and I am now thinking about that motto all day. I have also realized how food obsessed I am - I am always thinking about my next meal! Doing the cleanse is very easy and I may even be eating more than usual in some cases! Today I had a JOOS for breakfast and lunch. I snacked on dried figs, an apple and some Mary's Crackers, tomatoes and red peppers and hummos. Red peppers and chickpeas are a power snack - the vitamin C in the peppers helps release the iron in the chickpeas into the blood cells. For dinner I ate grilled asparagus, zuccini and eggplant over brown rice. I ate a few raspberries for dessert. Lots of delicious food, and I feel great.

cleanse day 2 - Amy

Being a mom of 2 boys, ages 9 and 11, I am constantly on the go to all the various sports and activites. We are beginning to get adjusted to our new Fall schedule. Evenings are very difficult for us all to sit down together for a healthy meal. I find that it just takes a little planning and it becomes very easy to make healthy choices. I always have fresh fruit and veggies cut up and ready for the kids' snacks after school. Starting the cleanse has been great timing for me. I have done 2 cleanses before and each one has helped me discover new, healthy recipes and foods that I may have never tried. Taking some time to browse the organic section in your favorite market or visiting Whole Foods opens an entire new world of flavorful, healthy and organic foods. I chose to do this 3rd cleanse not because I wanted to lose weight(I am thin), but to "reboot" my body for the new season. The cleanse makes me feel more balanced and more energized. I believe in the JOOS product so much, that I decided to work for the company.

cleanse day 1- Amy

Today was my first day of my 21 day cleanse.I feel great. I ate a banana with natural peanut butter, an apple and a few almonds and drank 2 JOOS. I drank a TON of water also. I have a pitcher filled with lemon water in my fridge at all times. Everytime I was in the car, I made sure I had a water bottle with me. I know where all the restrooms are in my carpool radius!For dinner, I enjoyed my stir fry. My biggest challenge is after dinner when I crave a sweet. I had a piece of gum tonight!

Gluten-free can be very easy...

People are constantly asking me for gluten free meal/snack suggestions. Trader Joe's does an excellent job at providing a full range of gluten-free, competitively priced products, as seen in this link:

http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/lists/list-no-gluten.pdf

I am currently hooked on the Rice and Bean Chips with Adzuki Beans with the Lentil Masala dip (found in the hummus section). This makes a quick, delicious, satiating meal for us parents on the go.

I'd love to hear your gluten-free, healthy and delicious meal suggestions!

JOOS Cleanse-prep day by Amy Emerman

Tomorrow I will begin my cleanse, a 21 day journey to a better me. After an amazing summer of great weather and lots of indulgences, I feel that now is the time to cleanse. Today I prepared a stirfry of greenbeans,spinach,tomatoes,mushrooms,peppers,chick peas,black beans and garlic with a dash of Thai Chili sauce. I also made some brown rice. I plan on eating the veggies and brown rice for dinner for the next few nights. I have done two 2 week cleanses before and have felt great after. The cleanse gets me back on track physically and mentally. I am looking forward to the next 3 weeks.

Feeling Irritable, tired, uptight and/or stressed? Could be because you're not nourishing your body properly...

Do you feel irritable, tired, uptight or stressed? If you are, chances are that you're not nourishing your body properly with breath and nutrients.

The purpose of breathing is to bring oxygen into our cells with the inhale and depose waste or carbon dioxide on the exhale. The problem is that most of us do not breathe properly.

Watch a baby breathe. Their belly expands fully on the inhale and contracts fully on the exhale. Do you do that? If not, you may be feeling any of those negative emotions I mentioned above.

Likewise with food, are you eating acidic and processed foods or highly alkaline foods the way our ancestors did? While some of the acidic foods may give you quick doses of energy, like coffee, ultimately we end us crashing if our bodies are not properly nourished.

The purpose of the JOOS Cleanse is to kick start sustainable healthy eating habits so that you will feel energetic, centered and focused. In the process, you will return to your ideal body weight.

The problem for many of us is that we're looking for the quick fix because we've become accustomed to having everything at our finger tips. Well, easy come, easy go. You must be truly committed and patient about embarking upon this journey as a process to achieve the desired results. It is also about what Oprah says, "give more love" to yourself.

What are you waiting for? Call us today to embark on your journey to a healthier life.

Feeling Off Balance, Lack of Energy? Time to JOOS Cleanse!

The JOOS Cleanse is very different than most other cleanses in several ways, including:

1. We are a non starvation/non deprivation program.
2. As part of the cleanse, you will be assigned a lifestyle counselor who will support you, give you guidance and provide tips how to come off the cleanse.
3. We do not add extra water or other sweeteners to our JOOS.
4. JOOS is made from 100% organic fruits and vegetables.
5. JOOS is competitively priced.
6. As part of the JOOS Cleanse, you receive unlimited email support.
7. Each week that you're on the JOOS Cleanse, we will deliver to you a package of our joosbites. Our delicious, nutritious, vegan, gluten-free muffins.
8. We deliver fresh, organic JOOS daily to a network of JOOS depots in health clubs and yoga studios.

Has your child lost his/her communication skills to texting? Solution: Young Broadcasters

Young Broadcasters of America teaches generation text (specifically 10-18) how to talk using TV broadcast skills and training.

YBA offers after school and weekend workshops for young people, and work with aspiring professionals on their... oral communication skills. They produce weekly programs that stream live on the Internet including Back Talk, a sports talk show for kids, and BTE-an entertainment news program, and this fall Back Talk Teen- a Sunday evening talk show for HS teens.

For more information:

http://youngbroadcasters.com/


Plus, I have to say, Jimmy is truly one of the world's nicest guy.

I'd love to hear your strategies how to improve your children's communication skills

Do you have a fixed or growth mindset and why is that so important?

Back to school and what better time to recommend Carol Dweck's enlightening book, Mindset.

Our mindset creates our whole mental world and drives every part of our lives, from relationships to parenting.

If you have the fixed mindset, you believe that your talents and abilities are set in stone-either you have them or you don't. You must prove yourself over and over, trying to look smart and talented at all costs. This is the path of stagnation. If you have a growth mindset, however, you know that talents can be developed and that great abilities are built over time. This is the path of opportunity - and success.

How about you? What type of mindset do you have and, more importantly, what type of mindset are you teaching your children?

Are you really serious about losing weight? If so, read this blog to see if this is you...

Please tell me if this is you - or similar to you?

We wake up in the morning in a rush. We run to Starbucks for a cup of coffee? Maybe a muffin? We rush around all day with scheduled activities to work out, take our dog to be groomed, business meetings, etc. We may grab a quick snack during the morning, but is it nutritious or is it some processed, fortified bar? A donut?

Maybe a salad for lunch? A piece of pizza? A lunch with friends where we order the lightest item on the menu to show that we're watching our weight?

By the afternoon, we're so tired from running around and not eating enough - or not consuming the most nutritious foods - that we're flat out of energy and then what do we do? Another coffee? Another sweet?

For dinner, we're famished so we binge. Forget portion control. Inevitably, something happened during the day that disturbed us so we emotionally sneak in an extra cookie, and then, in anger or frustration that we consumed the first, we eat another.

If we've had a drink or two to loosen up our senses, where does that lead? Free fall. Forget about mindful eating at that point.

We go to bed and what happens to that big dinner we just ate? It sits around all night long in our bellies fermenting because we haven't had time to allow it to digest properly.

We wake up in the morning feeling nauseous (wonder why?) with no appetite, except for that coffee and we wonder why we feel groggy? Irritable? We wonder why we keep that weight on despite that we're not eating that much?


Try this, even if it's just for 3 days:
Plan a night that you're not going to eat anything after 4 PM. I promise, you'll survive.

The next morning, hopefully you'll wake up hungry. Eat something healthy that will sustain you: a bowl of oatmeal, a bowl of fruit or a healthy muffin (e.g., joosbites). If you crave your coffee, go for it, but have it after you eat something nutritious and satiating.


Yes, of course, drink your JOOS. That's your insurance policy that you're consuming enough nutrients. That's why JOOS is so satiating.

For lunch, go for it. No wimpy salads with high calorie dressings, unless you feel just having a salad will satiate you. Instead, have a meal! What does that look like? A starch (make it the size of your fist), a protein and tons of vegetables. Maybe you want a small dessert afterwards (but please, nothing with high fructose corn syrup). That's what people eat for lunch all over the world! They eat salad before or after the meal. You can do that, too.

By dinner, you shouldn't be hungry if you've consumed a big enough lunch. If you are hungry, you will know to eat a bigger lunch the next day. At dinner, though, eat a small meal. This is when you can have just a salad.

Going to a restaurant for dinner? You can still order what you want, but WATCH YOUR PORTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not eat anything 2 hours before you go to bed.

Try this for 3 days and see how you feel. I'd love to hear!

We would love to support you on your road to a more fulfilling lifestyle, which means, in part, to stop the bingeing and learn sustainable healthier eating habits.

Indulge you boredom, sadness or anger with these easy to grab foods

Life isn't always a pleasant ride in a boat. We all inevitably fall off track and, during those times, many of us turn to food. Excuse the vagueness, but someone did something very hurtful to one of my children that deeply bothered me. Thank G-d I had just purchased several packs of Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks and I must have eaten 5 packs of them.

Believe me, if I hadn't had those in my home and had some unhealthy, processed snack, admittedly I probably would have eaten that instead and you know where that would have led.........The next morning I would have woken up feeling M I S E R A B L E. In contrast, I woke up feeling light and attended the 6AM yoga class, which is exactly what I needed.

Here are a few suggestions of snacks you should have readily available, which you can quickly turn to in an emotional jam:

joosbites
Trader Joe's Roasted Seaweed Snacks
Sunspire grain sweetened chocolate chips
Joellyn Cooney's Banana Peanut Butter Treat (cut bananas into chunks, smear natural peanut butter on one end and roll that end into flax seed. Freeze)
Jonathan Meizler's Chocolate Sorbet (Place unsweetened chocolate almond milk with sliced bananas in Tupperware in the freezer. Can add a tsp of agave. After frozen, place in blender. Can also add other types of fruits.)
Erehorn Cereals (with almond milk)

I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Add a 1/4 of health in your next batch of chocolate chip cookies

Trade Joe's struck it healthy again with their new peanut flour product. Only 1/4 cup contains 16g of protein, 4g fiber, 65% of dv for folate, 80% of dv for magnesium, 25% of dv for niacin and 60% of dv for phosphorus. I wish we could add this to joosbites, but I don't want to add a food in which so many children have allergies.

I was hesitant to write this as the tip because of the allergies, but for any of you with children who do not contain allergies, just add this 1/4 cup to your next batch of chocolate chip cookies (Fia just did this and they were delicious!!!) or banana bread.

Check out this blog for great recipes that contain peanut flour:

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1103622828010&s=2&e=0013ltlUZVVbdFeDmtqDhELtVFv78exsqJb_TCkff-rdY2Fv8n8Wjscd6NyD2mQBGmFmCyaCUE63wSrS2XD-ZEK8X0DEv_qIq-2vRXXEjm1guehUXYQbd67C0vswKRwVVyGSWVrOTLpjxkF-u6tOmbkvgt7NoVUXakutLWPBJmFMG6x1dArIC4yFQMwMHG5ktYw

So do you REALLY want to lose weight permanently. Debunking the perfection myth (with pictures of Sasha in Seusical)

Why do we all believe that we have to be perfect when we diet?

The JOOS Cleanse is about stepping out of perfection and learning which way of eating is best for your body-type so that you can develop sustainable, healthy s
Time to debunk a couple JOOS Cleanse myths:

Myth: "I just broke the JOOS Cleanse because I've eaten the wrong foods."

When I ask someone who tells me what they've eaten, they typically respond with a list of foods that are totally acceptable on the JOOS Cleanse, such as Larabars, raw nuts, Mary's Gone Crackers with hummus, brown rice vegetable sushi, corn tacos loaded with sautéed vegetables and tofu, a falafel sandwich with brown rice tortillas to name a few. Sometimes they've even gone out for a glass of red wine. Frankly, so what if you've snuck in a piece of chicken or a sip of coffee? Just make it the exception and go back to the cleanse the next day. There are so many foods that are acceptable and delicious on the cleanse.Your Lifestyle Counselor can help you with this.


Myth: "I only ate one meal and I'm starving."

I just spoke with a woman who is doing the cleanse and did a very intense workout. She thought she could only have one meal and was feeling starving and deprived. Ideally, part of the cleanse is having one meal and unlimited fruits and vegetables throughout the day, but some people may need more. If you work out intensively and/or have a busy lifestyle, you may need a bowl of oatmeal in the morning or a Vega shake with a banana and almond milk afterwards. Again, your lifestyle counselor can give you suggestions.


The JOOS Cleanse is NOT about starvation or deprivation; it is about learning mindfulness and how to pace yourself. If you are genuinely hungry, then you need to
eat more. If you are not hungry, but eating out of habit or boredom, again your Lifestyle Coach can give you strategies how to deal with that.

I can assure you that the JOOS Cleanse is not complicated, unless you allow it to be. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you may find that you will be able to follow the principles of it for months to follow. Sure you will probably fall off track. We all fall off track if we don't practice anything regularly, such as exercise...and healthy eating habits. So the key is to plan ahead


Most of you are familiar with the 90/10 rule in your daily eating: 90% whole foods and 10% whatever. This also should be taken into account when you plan your year; that is, know that 10% of the time you are going to go "off track," such as periods during the summer and holidays.

My recommendation is to do a minimum of 3 cleanses per year and plan when you're going to do them at the beginning of each year. That way, if you fall off track, as we all inevitably do, you know you have a schedule in place to help you regroup.

The line below is an insightful blog by a woman from Healthworks who just finished a one week cleanse last week.

http://livewellwomen.wordpress.com

Remember, this isn't about perfection, which is an illusion in our minds; it's about learning how to incorporate sustainable healthy eating habits into our daily lives.

New JOOS Depot at Bodyscapes Brookline

We're excited to announce our newest JOOS DEPOT:

BodyScapes
1285 Beacon Street (Coolidge Corner)
Brookline

As a reminder, orders may be placed at orders@drinkjoos.com.
For questions or comments please contact us at info@drinkjoos.com or call 617-942-JOOS (5667).

How important is it for you to minimize stress and reduce chaos? Here's a way out of it...Maxine Gautier to the rescue

What do you do to be organized and minimize chaos?

Some people may consider hiring a professional organizer as a discretionary item, but I consider this a necessary expense, especially in the case of Max Gautier. With the rare exception, no one works well in chaos. Simply put, chaos adds stress, and in many of our cases, a lot of stress. When we're stressed, we don't function well, can become ill, and are uptight with our loved ones.

When I feel like my house is whirling out of control with mail piling up and papers scattered in every direction, my first call is to Max. She is non judgmental, efficient and a master mind at developing easy-to-use systems.

For more information, go to the link below:
http://ofuorganizing.com/
or contact her at:
978-857-5513
info@ofuorganizing.com

My Daughter Fia and The Night We Lost Electricty: The little lessons in life can teach us so much, especially about mindful eating!

Our neighborhood lost our electricity for approximately 7 hours on Friday. As I took a walk with my 9-year old daughter, Fia, in the evening, we marveled at people sitting at their dining room tables huddled around candles eating take-out. There were more people out walking than usual and we all greeted each other with warm smiles. The energy in the neighborhood seemed more relaxed than usual.

When Fia and I arrived home, we sat on the living room couch and had a long conversation about her week at camp, friends, anything that came to her mind. Typically, I'd be running around the house doing yet another load of laundry, attending to never ending emails, making beds, etc. I actually had a good excuse to take a breath and give my daughter my undivided attention. Sadly, it felt like a luxury.

For dinner, since I couldn't cook. We had raw nuts and fruits and vegetables I had purchased that day at a farmers market. When I asked Fia if she wanted dessert, she said, "No Mommy, I'm really full." I was, too.

This experience underscored for me how the more stimulus we have around us, the more absent we become because we're so distracted. Less truly is more, particularly when it comes to being present and mindful in the way we eat and deal with the relationships around us.

How many times do we say something we regret because we're over-tired or anxious? How often do we beat ourselves up for turning to food for comfort because we feel so overwhelmed with life?

One of the biggest goals of the JOOS Cleanse is to enable us to regroup. I do the JOOS Cleanse at least 4 times per year, in each season, because inevitably, life creeps up on me and I need to get back on track.

JOOS would love to support you on your road to a healthier lifestyle!

Looking for a Fabulous, Fun Workout? Try Zumba with Alexa at Siagel Productions

This past Wednesday, I attended my first Zumba Class with Alexa at Siagel Productions at 94 Rowe Street, Auburndale! My friend Suzanne wore her Polar watch and it registered she burned 900 calories in one hour. If you want to have so much fun, see friends and have a terrific work out, this is the class to attend. Every Wednesday at 10am. Hope to see you there next week.

For more information, please go to: http://www.siagelproductions.com/

What type of example are we setting for our children by blaming our being overweight on our genes?

Scenario: A wife eats an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food ice cream and blames her husband for purchasing it because he should know that she has a weakness for this type of ice cream.

Question: Who is at fault for the wife eating an entire pint of ice cream and showing no restraint?

Scenario: An adult mother blames her genes for the reason she's overweight. Her parents are overweight so she's destined to be overweight.

Question: Who is at fault for her weight problem?

True, some of us have genes that could make us more prone to retain fat, but it's the WAY we eat that makes us overweight and we have control over the WAY we eat!

The Pima Indian tribe was always fit; that is, until they started eating the Standard American Diet and adopting the Standard American Sedentary Lifestyle. Now the tribe is experiencing epidemic obesity and diabetes. It's the WAY they ate by adopting poor eating habits, combined with their inactivity, that caused their weight problem.

What type of role models are we setting for our children if we do not take responsibility for our actions? Do we realize what message we're sending to our children when we blame our being overweight on our parents and our genes?

We would love to support you on your road to

Finding the Diet that is Best for Your Body Type: Being Honest with Yourself

I saw a friend Saturday morning at yoga who experienced a highly traumatic event five years ago. Through this period, she's read countless self-help books and embarked on an intensive spiritual path to understand how this could have happened and to alleviate the pain. On the surface, she was always upbeat, but I suspected that there must be going on inside.

When I saw her Saturday morning, I detected a more melancholy mood that I had never witnessed in her. I asked her what she had planned for the summer and she said, "Nothing. No fancy vacations. I'm not making any plans. I'm taking this period to regroup."

As I practiced yoga, it struck me all the paths we take to escape the pain, instead of confront it, the way my friend is. Some of us escape in harmful ways through alcohol, drugs and, of course, food. Others of us take a seemingly more "healthy" path and turn to sports and reading countless self-help books.

There comes a time, though, that if we really want to deal with the pain and alleviate it, we have to do what my friend is doing and just sit with it and figure it out for ourselves.

I remember when I was going through my own painful time and a friend said to me that if I really want to feel my best, I had to eat only raw foods. So, I tried it for a year. Now a raw food diet may be great for some body types, but not mine. I was too thin and my stomach was terribly distended. People in the raw food world told me that I wasn't food combining properly; yet, no matter what I did, nothing alleviated the discomfort, until I started adding healthy cooked foods back into my diet.

This was a very important experience for me because it taught me that I had to find the diet that worked best for my body-type. Remember, one person's food is another person's poison.

This is precisely what the JOOS Cleanse will help you do: put you on a path to discover what diet plan is best for your body so that you feel healthier and more vibrant.

We would love to support you on your road to a healthier lifestyle.

Are you hydrating yourself properly this summer?

Many beverages are NOT hydrating, including soda, coffee, tea, milk, pasteurized juices and alcoholic beverages.

In the heat, we need an extra boost, which is why we turn to drinks with electrolytes. but many of the sports drinks that contain these electrolytes, including many sports drinks, also contain sugars and high fructose corn syrup.

The best solution I've found so far is to add a small amount of Himalayan pink crystal salt to pure water.

I'd love to hear your suggestions about hydrating!

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life...and perhaps eat healthier while you're at it!

Here is a very powerful exercise that I am borrowing from Daniel Amen, MD, author of Change your Brain, Change Your Life.

On one sheet of paper, write down your vision of how you would like to see your relationships with your spouse/partner, your children, your business colleagues, your community and, or course, with food.

At the bottom of that paper, write the question "Is my behavior consistent with my vision?"

Each day, read the vision you wrote and ask yourself if you are behaving in a way that you are reaching your vision.

Sometimes we need tools to help us change our behavior so that we can realize our vision. For example, we may seek the help of a psychologist or a nutritionist. We may go to yoga or church or synagogue to pray.

Here is obviously where the JOOS Cleanse can help you: It can put you on a path to sustainable, healthy eating habits.

We would love to support you on your road to a healthier

What are those cancer causing foods and why are you eating them?

I am in the midst of reading a fascinating and highly informative book called Anti-Cancer by David Servan-Schreiber, MD, PhD. Even if you don't have cancer, I highly recommend it. I will be quoting studies from it over the next couple of weeks because this book is filled with ground breaking material how we can prevent and cure cancer through our diet.

Dr. Servan-Schreiber states that "certain foods in our diet can act as fertizers for tumors, and others, to the contrary, harbor precious anticancer molecules. As recent discoveries show, those go far beyond the usual cvitamins, minerals and antioxidants."

The food cancer promoters unsurprisingly include high glycemic index foods (i.e. sugar, white flour, etc.), hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, sunflour, soy and corn oil, conventional dairy products, fried foods, chips and fried appetizers, nonorganic red meat and eggs, poultry skin and skins of nonorganic fruits and vegetables (since pesticides cling to their skin).

These are the foods that we urge you to eliminate during the JOOS Cleanse. The cleanse acts to kick start sustainable healthy eating habits. As a result, you should feel more energetic, strenghten your immune system and get rid of excess weight.

No JOOS Delivery on Monday, July 5th in observance of the Independence Day Holiday

Just a friendly reminder that we will not be delivering on Monday July 5, 2010 in observance of the Independence Day Holiday.

Deliveries to H.Y.P. Studio in Needham and BodyScapes in Lexington will be T,W,F for this week only.

We will resume regular deliveries on Tuesday, July 6th. Orders may be placed at orders@drinkjoos.com. For questions or comments please contact us at info@drinkjoos.com or call 617-942-JOOS (5667).

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

To Your Health!

New JOOS Depot at Bodyscapes Fitness at 1762 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington

We are pleased to welcome our newest JOOS DEPOT pick-up location, BodyScapes Fitness in Lexington. Beginning Monday, June 28th, we will be delivering to BodyScapes on MWF and expanding this as demand grows.

The address is:
1762 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Lexington, MA 02420

Pick up hours:
M-F 7am- 5pm
Sat 7am - 1pm
Sun 8am - noon

Orders may be placed at orders@drinkjoos.com. For questions or comments please contact us at info@drinkjoos.com or call 617-942-JOOS (5667).

Obesity in the United States: A Tale of Two Davids

David Pre USA

David after spending 2 years in the USA

Sponsored by McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's

Someone just sent me the above joke, which is obviously self-explanatory, but what struck me is that we Americans are so bent out of shape eating pizza and pasta; yet, this is a normal way of eating in Italy and the Italians who live in Italy are not fat.

I lived in Italy for a year. I couldn't believe the abundance in which the Italians ate. At lunch and dinner, they would have what the called their first plate (appetizer), their second plate (main meal) and a dessert. Here are the main differences I observed between how Americans eat and how Italians eat:

1. Italians sit for long periods of time conversing while they eat. They get into large political debates in the middle of meals that can last for a couple hours - even longer. No one takes the conversation personally. It's all part of the banter and they enjoy it. I don't need to tell you that we Americans, on the other hand, gobble down our meals without a second thought about the quality of our food.

2. The food in Italy is minimally processed and grown in rich soil, unlike us, who eat highly processed food in mineral deficient soil.

3. The portion sizes in Italy aer much smaller than in the United States. I don't know if we eat so much out of a sense of entitlement. In fact, I'd love to hear your view on why we eat such large portions. What I do know, though, is that these large portions are making us obese.

The Most Delicious and Nutritious Rice Crispy Treats - Made by my 10-year-old

Julia, my 10-year-old, is constantly concocting new recipes in the kitchen. Sometimes they're a miss, but sometimes they are a home run and last night she came up with a doosey.

We typically don't measure, but here's a stab at her most delicious and nutritious rice crispy treat recipe

3 Cups Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (Erewhon makes the best cereals I've been able to find on the market. A bit on the expensive side, but worth it)
1 cup agave, brown rice syrup or honey
1/3 cup peanut butter, almond butter

Melt the peanut butter and agave on the oven. Add the cocoa crispy cereal. Spread out on an 8x12 pan. Let set (preferably in the fridge)

This was Julia's dinner (with a vegetable) and breakfast this morning.

Overcome the Afternoon Blues the Healthy Way

Do you know that over all we're supposed to feel the same energy levels throughout the day? If you're feeling a mid-afternoon drop, I have a few questions for you - some are very obvious?

1. Are you sleeping enough? The best sleeping hours are between 10pm and 4 am. Many of us need 7 hours of sleep.

2. Are you drinking enough pure water? Remember, we're supposed to be drinking approximately half our body weight in ounces of pure water?

3. Are you eating a large enough breakfast and lunch?

4. Are you drinking too much coffee? I'll get into coffee in another newsletter, but simplistically put, when we consume caffeine, we are using energy that we don't have and ultimately, we end up feeling tired.

5. Are you feeling stressed?

6. Are you eating a high acidic diet of fried foods, processed and refined foods, animal protein, sugary, high glycemic foods?

7. Are you exercising too intensively and not giving your body time to rest?

8. Are you pacing yourself throughout the day or running around like a maniac?

9. Related to number 8, are you giving yourself a time during the day for quiet reflection and gratitude. I know this may sound hokey to many of us, but I started meditating for 20 minutes EVERY DAY and I can't tell you enough the calming benefits the practice has given me.

10. Related to no.6, are you drinking nutrient rich foods. Try drinking at least one JOOS per day - 2 even better - you will notice a difference.

I would love to hear your suggestions how to prevent the afternoon blues.

Can Eating Healthy be Correlated to a Brighter Outlook on Life?

Given my passion to educate people to eat sustainable healthy eating habits, I came across the following about Abraham Lincoln:

There was a man who lost heavily in business at 20, defeated in a legislative race at 22, failed again in business at 24, overcame death of his wife at 26, a nervous breakdown at 27, lost senatorial race at 34, lost his chance to be vice president at 47, but became the president of USA at 52. This is the history of Abraham Lincoln. Could we call his life as a life of failure? Get on with life! There is always a day after night.

So what does this synopsis on Abe Lincoln have to do with eating healthy? For me, a lot. First of all, we turn to food when we feel defeated, lonely, empty and/or depressed. Then we over eat and we feel even more defeated, lonely, empty and/or depressed. We forget that there can always be a brighter tomorrow, despite our current circumstances, but we're certainly not going to make tomorrow a better day if we're so focused medicating ourselves through food, alcohol or drugs.

Next time you turn to food to dull your emotions or fill a void, encourage you to take a simple pause. Is this really what you want to be doing? Remember, tomorrow will be a brighter day if you allow it.

As usual, I have to go back to our JOOS Cleanse, because it will enable you to kick start healthy eating habits and put you on a path to a brighter future.

How Committed Are you to Teaching Your Children to Eat Healthy?

Last night for dinner, William, my 7-year-old-son, made hummus from scratch all by himself. The only help I provided was gathering the ingredients, taking out the Vitamix and providing him with the recipe. He did everything else. I have to tell you that it was one of the most delicious hummus I've ever had, including when I was in Israel. Even better, all four children loved it.

If you really want your children to eat healthy, then I highly recommend that you involve them in shopping with you and in the kitchen.

If that sounds like a pain to you, try it. I actually find it easier to involve them than to do everything myself. First, I don't have to nag to get them to eat it because, since they feel invested in it, they have more of an incentive to eat it.

All four of my children started cooking when they were 2 years old. They feel comfortable in the kitchen and have a decent sense of spices and which foods are healthy or, what we call "strong" foods.

There are plenty of recipe books for kids, but have fun with this. I find that when they are responsible for cooking their own meals, they make healthier choices.

I'd love to hear your experiences with this.

Do you want radiant skin and lose weight while you're at it? Try eating cumcumers...

If you want radiant skin, consume cucumbers. They can soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumbers are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium, Vitamin A, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Manganese. They are ideal for weight loss. Don't include too many cucumbers in your diet if you're interested in weight gain. They're ideally eaten during the summer months to cool us down.


Incidentally, we put cucumbers in all of our JOOS!

How to eat healthy while you work

When I worked strenuous hours on Wall Street, my eating routine was so much easier to maintain than spending time at home as a mother and taking care of children.

When I worked, I woke up, had breakfast, went to work, had lunch mid day and then typically ordered in dinner. We were working so hard, we didn't have time to snack in between.

The downfall of course is when the company orders pizza and soda for the trading floor, which I truly don't understand if companies are attempting to maximize employee performance, but do you know what? One piece of pizza and plenty of water is not going to make you gain weight. Look at the Italians; that is, those Italians who live in Italy: They're eating large lunches of soup, pasta, a main course and a salad and they're not overweight.

The problem comes when we wolf down the piece of pizza, barely realizing that we've eaten it, and then quickly gulp down a second and sometimes a third piece. If we slowed down for just a moment after we ate the first piece of pizza, chances are that we would have realized that we were not hungry for that second or third piece.

People who have done the JOOS Cleanse while they've worked have achieved considerable success in feeling vibrant and losing weight. Why? Because the JOOS Cleanse forces them to slow down and think about what they're eating, instead of chowing down almost anything that's in front of them.

If you've had enough of your current eating regimen and truly want to kick start healthy sustainable eating habits, please contact us at info@drinkjoos.com. We would love to support you on your road to a healthier lifestyle.

I'd love to hear your suggestions how to eat healty while you work!

Here's a way to make certain you're drinking enough water...

A friend of mine gave me the following tip to make certain she is drinking enough water:

Each morning, she pours three bottles of water: one she consumes in the morning, one during the day while she's at work or driving around with the kids, and the last in the evening.

I can not stress enough how important it is to hydrate. I'd love to hear your suggestions...

So what makes the JOOS Cleanse so unique? Read on for a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life!

The word "cleanse" is popping up all over the place. Every day I hear about a new type of cleanse offered or cleanse product.

For many of us who don't know what a cleanse is, this can be very confusing.

I'm weary of cleanses that involve eliminating food because, inevitably, while we may feel great while we're on the cleanse, most of us end up bingeing afterwards.

How many famous athletes do we know who went all out in their youth and now can barely function? Tom Fleming, a two time NYC marathon winner, comes to mind. Once, one of the greatest marathon runners and now he can barely go out for a jog without pain.

At JOOS, we want you to develop sustainable healthy eating habits. As a result, we have designed the cleanse so that you will be able to pace yourself and not feel these abrupt changes.

The basic premise of the JOOS Cleanse is to drink 2 JOOS per day, eat one meal (preferably vegan) and unlimited fruits and vegetables. The premise is to eliminate the high allergen/sensitivity foods and give your organs a break.

While we understand that three weeks sounds difficult, once you're past the first couple of days, the JOOS Cleanse can become routine.

Please contact us at info@drinkjoos.com for more information.

Do you want to cure your diabetes? Try adding chicory to your diet

Last week I blogged about the powerhouse "weeds" discussed in this month's Oprah Magazine article "Eat Your Weedies."

I wanted to specifically discuss chicory. The first reason is because it is the featured produce in JOOS this week. The second, as the article mentioned and we've been discussing, despite its strong, bitter taste, chicory is so unbelievably healthy for us. Why? First of all, if you're a diabetic, chicory contains insulin to help regulate blood sugar levels. It also may be cleansing to the liver and gallbladder and beneficial for the digestion, the circulatory system and the blood. It is a good source of calcium, vitamin A and potassium.

Do you really want to lose weight permanently? Here's your answer...

One of the key goals of the JOOS Cleanse is to establish mindfulness or, simply put, abiding to the present moment. In the context of food, if we're mindful, or present, we do not overeat from frustration, depression, emptiness, deficiency or loneliness. We eat because we're hungry.

Often, being present requires nothing more than a PAUSE. Before you open the refrigerator or cupboard doors, take a moment to feel if you're eating out of hunger or from an emotion.

Sometimes, though, the emotional sensation of loneliness, frustration, anger, etc. is so poignant that we are unable to control ourselves. As a result, we overeat and then we feel even worse.

This is why we turn to the JOOS Cleanse: it's our emotional reboot to get us back on track to healthy eating habits. Notice how I say "habits," because eating "well" encompasses WHAT foods we eat and HOW we eat those foods:

The WHAT means:
Are you eating a diet of 70% alkaline forming foods?
Are 90% of the foods you eat whole foods?
Are you drinking enough water?

The HOW means:
Do you pause before you eat?
Do you chew your foods?
Are you snacking all day long?
Are your portion sizes too big?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions about the JOOS Cleanse. JOOS would love to support you on your journey to get to the root of why you've developed the bad eating patterns and how to establish healthy eating habits.

As always, I'd also love to hear your comments!

"Eat Your Weedies" Artlicle in Oprah Magazine: Guess what? These powerhouses are in JOOS!

I was very excited to see in the June edition of Oprah Magazine (p. 97) the article entitled "Eat Your Weedies." Finally, the truth about our little powerhouses growing right before our eys in our front lawns is finally revealed! In fact, the article says, some of these wile greens "are so nutritious, they can make spinach look like iceburg lettuce."

Why am I happy to see this? As people who JOOS know, we've been adding these wild greens to your JOOS, from chicory, to dandelion greens to even purslane.

JOOS is committed to deliver to you the most nutrient rich, fresh juice that changes with the seasons. This is why many people who drink JOOS experience reduced allergy symptoms, colds and flu.

JOOS is admittedly an acquired taste for people who have highly acidic diets, which to me is sad because it shows how much they've grown away from what we're intended to eat.

The good news is that, after a couple days on JOOS, most people adjust and actually start liking the taste, because their bodies are craving the nutrients.

So, if you live within the 495 Belt, give us a call and try a JOOS!

Simple Ways to Reduce Obesity. If you're a parent, you're going to want to read this!

Why is childhood obesity pandemic? Here's one of the simple answers:

Are you aware that annual US per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) grew from 0 pounds in 1967 to 53 lbs in 2008, according to the USDA?

What is HFCS? A highly refined clear liquid derived from corn starch. When HFCS is ingested, it goes straight to the liver and turns into fat. Unlike other carbohydrates, HFCS does not cause the pancreas to produce insulin, which acts as a hunger quenching signal to the brain. As a result, we don't feel satiated when we consume foods that contain HFCS.

Studies are finally showing the dangers of HFCS! A group of researchers from Princeton found that rats that consumed high fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those that ingested basic table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same.

Why is HFCS so popular among food manufacturers? Because it prolongs shelf life at a relatively low cost.

How can you reduce HFCS from yours and your childrens' diet?

1. Eliminate almost all the sweetened drinks - Drink JOOS and water instead:
If you think you're quenching your or your children's thirst by giving them soda, Gatorade or any of these sweetened drinks, you're really feeding them poison - and
dehydrating them in the process.

2. Home cook as much as possible: Many restaurants tend to use HFCS.

3. Make certain you read all labels when you shop. Incidentally, if there is an ingredient you are unable to pronounce, don't buy the food. Ingredients should be easy to read like: wheat, corn, egg, etc. Why are you buying foods that contain chemicals that do NOT assimilate in the body?

I'd love to hear your suggestions!

Teaching Our Children "Strong" vs. "Weak" Foods: A Lesson By Pinocchio

I often tell my children the story of Pinocchio who, as we all know, was lured to Pleasure Island by taunts of boys saying "Come with us. We know a wonderful place filled with giant cakes, pretty candies..."

As we know, those "giant cakes, pretty candies" were just a facade and, behind it, was a gruesomely ugly land where bad boys turned into donkeys.

The boys who taunted Pinocchio are today's food companies who are convincing us, the consumer, and our children, that the sugar coated, processed foods they're selling to us are good for us and our families and will even help us to lose weight.

Of course I don't want to make food an issue with my children because we know where that can lead, but I do want them to understand the difference between "strong" and "weak" foods. I believe it is fundamental to give them this base of a healthy relationship to food at an early age so that they'll keep coming back to it in later years.

I also know how extremely important it is for us, as their parents, to act as role models to them. That includes showing them that once in awhile, it's OK to eat a "weak" food, but that over all, we eat "strong" foods so that we can do well in school, in sports and in friendships.

As their parents, think about how much processed foods you're eating. Why is it OK for you to eat these "weak" foods? What can you be eating instead?

The Times are Changing - Americans are Turning to Health - JOOS in the Herald!

Little by little we're realizing that all these sugar coated, processed foods are making us fat and sick. "They" meaning food and diet companies, who have come to be known as the establishment, have been tricking us for years to think that if we eat their fortified, low calorie, low carb, low fat foods, we would lose weight and be healthy. America is waking up to the fact that they're wrong!

Many of us thing that losing weight will make us look good and feel better, but that's just the band aid, which is why we inevitably gain back the weight.

First, we have to get to the root of WHY we have allowed ourselves to gain weight.

The JOOS Cleanse addresses this. We focus on your health first and, as you become healthier, you naturally lose weight.

The article just published in the Herald (link below) about JOOS is an indication of how we're learning to take back our health.

http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/health/nutrition/view.bg?articleid=1255480

What do you think? Do you agree?

The Importance of Alkalinity - Oxygenating your cells - Get it in JOOS!

With four active children, a thriving business and some other personal issues, the stress can undeniably build up, which throws off my system in various ways, including UTIs and stomach aches.

By almost anyone's account, I have a healthy diet. Approximately 70% of my diet is composed of fruits and vegetables and approximately 90% is whole grains. Yet, I still feel the effects of the "acid buildups" from the rigors of everyday life.

If this is what happens to me with a healthy diet, there's no wonder that disease is so prevalent in our society with so many of us consuming a diet composed of acid forming, processed and refined foods, large portions of animal protein, wheat and dairy. Scary!

We Americans are under more stress than almost any other nation. We are also a nation of pandemic disease.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

This is why I founded JOOS? To help people alkalize - or oxygenate - their systems so that they build up their immune systems and help prevent free radicals from running rampage.

Join us on a JOOS Cleanse! This is the biggest gift you could give to yourself and your family!

Oprah and Women Food and G-d - The JOOS Cleanse can help you break the diet cycle!

I listened yesterday to Oprah's interview with Geneen Roth, who wrote the must read book, Women, Food and G-d. There are seven basic principles in the book that I'm not going to review right now because the MOST important part is, as Oprah and Geneen say (and I 100% agree), you are not going to follow these principles until you get to the root of why you're overeating.

Geneen Roth's premise is that "The way you eat is inseparable from your core beliefs about being alive...When you begin to understand what prompts you to use food as a way to numb or distract yourself, the process takes you deeper into realms of spirit and to the bright center of your own life."

I counseled a woman who "told" me she wanted to lose weight, but I could tell from our first meeting that, consciously or not, she really didn't want to lose weight. She went on multiple diets to prove that she was doing everything she could to lose weight, but nothing worked because, in her mind, she was destined to be overweight. She was undergoing a lot of pain and suffering, but each time I tried to pull it out, she retreated and said, "my pain is not nearly as bad as other people's."

Gallant? I don't know. To me, it's irrelevant if her pain is worse or better. The bottom line is that she needs to resolve that pain - let herself FEEL THE PAIN - if she is going to move forward with her life on a road to happiness. Many people do not want to go there.

Plain and simply, she is self-medicating through food to numb the pain so no matter what diet she goes on, it won't work and she'll continue to feel the pattern of feeling like a failure.

Food for thought.

Why Oprah Says She'll Never Diet Again! Here's JOOS can help you live healthy and lose weight permanently.

Oprah's elevator weight loss story is typical of many of us Americans. Do you know that we're the only country in the world who experiences these big up and down swings in weight? You probably know by now that we are also the most obese nation in the world.

DIETS DO NOT WORK!!!!

Many people have asked us why we have not offered a three day intense cleanse. Many cleanses are offered in this 3 to 5 day format, which are growing in popularity, but I have some deep reservations about them.

While JOOS may consider doing a quick start cleanse to help ease you into the JOOS Cleanse, our goal is to educate people how to live healthy and lose weight permanently. This is a process, which requires patience.

JOOS is here to support you! Our cleanse is designed to kick start this process and put you on the road to permanent health and weight loss.

The More We Cram into your Life, the Emptier we Feel

Like everything I can think of in life, it comes down to balance. If we don't fill our lives up enough, we feel lonely and depressed. If we cram too much into our lives, we feel empty, overwhelmed and depleted.

I'm guilty of the latter. I jam pack my life to fulfill some need. Admittedly, this is an addiction.

It's ironic that we gravitate to what we need to work on most. For me, I founded the JOOS Cleanse, which has the main goal of feeling mindful - to FEEL what is most nourishing for ourselves in what we eat, think and do. For example, are we overdoing exercise? Do we socialize with people who deplete us of energy? Do we rush around, late for almost everything, the way I do, and feel horribly about it?

The point is not to beat ourselves up about it; but to recognize that this is our journey. Personally, I know I'm a lot calmer now than I was six years ago when I was coming out of an incredibly unavoidably hostile divorce. I know I'm going to be an even more mindful person two years from now because I'm committed to this journey.

I encourage you to take the first steps towards becoming mindful, whether it be in the way you eat or another addictive pattern you want to break, through doing the JOOS Cleanse. We will support you along the way.

To Your Health!

Weight Loss is a Process and the JOOS Cleanse is an intelligent way to kick start healthy eating habits!

Our Russian babysitter gained approximately 25 pounds from when she came to the US approximately a year ago until she starting living with us about six months ago. She said she filled herself on ice cream and the SAD Diet - Standard American Diet. That would do it.

She started a cleanse within a couple weeks of moving in with us and lost perhaps 3 to 5 pounds. Many Americans would be discouraged with that, but she continued drinking 1 JOOS per day, consuming at least 90% of her diet consisting of whole foods and barely eating dinner at night, if at all. Each week she got on the scale she lost 1/2 to 1 pound. Sometimes not even that much. Still, she persisted.

In April, she did her second JOOS Cleanse and lost another 8 lbs. She looks absolutely gorgeous and she is so happy! She goes throughout the day giggling, which is contagious.

Not to be hard on Americans, but I wish more of us would adopt her attitude. She never said to me, "I can't do this." She never complained that it's coming off too slowly. She didn't give up and she didn't look for an alternative diet.

She knew that this was going to be a process and she accepted it, without attitude.

We, as Americans, are accustomed to quick fixes. We starve ourselves, then binge, because we didn't pace ourselves. We go on so many diets that don't work. We're often impatient or just give up.

You can lose weight. We can help you realize your goal, but we adopt a different philosophy than most weight loss companies: We believe that first you must focus on your health and, with it, naturally you will lose the weight.

It may take two or three JOOS Cleanses before you realize your goals. If you find a program in which you lose your weight over night, there's a very high chance that you're going to gain it overnight.

We have a staff of Lifestyle Counselors who would love to support you through this process. We would love to work with you!

To Your Health,
Lauri

Pace Yourself for Sustainability

We all know that if we start a race too quickly, it is highly likely that we end up burning out by the end of the race.

This is exactly what happens on many cleanses or weight loss programs that involve starvation and/or deprivation and why these types of programs do NOT work - we starve or deprive ourselves and inevitably we end up binging.

Our JOOS Cleanse is designed to teach you to pace yourself and develop healthy eating habits for the rest of your life. This is a process and, if you're truly committed to it, you can reach your lifestyle goals, whatever they may be.

We'd love to support you through this. Please call us and we'd be happy to discuss the program with you.

Let the JOOS Cleanse help you clean your life of chaos

Sasha is feeling so much better in the mornings. When I worked from home, the house was in chaos. Notice how I wrote house instead of home? The children woke up irritable. It was nearly impossible to establish a routine. Life in the mornings, shall I say, was not very pleasant.

Now that I'm working out of the house, we have a home. The children wake up happy and energetic. They arrive early to school. Life is, over all, so much more satisfying.

When our lives fall into chaos, we do almost everything scattered from making hapharzard decisions, over scheduling ourselves, mixing up priorities, and eating poorly.

The goal of the JOOS Cleanse is to bring your life in sync so that you become balanced and in control. Every day we are revamping our program so that we can improve our service to you.

People come up to me daily and ask how I do it with four children and a thriving business. I wouldn't be able to without JOOS!

The Power of JOOS!

This morning our entire JOOSing team was not in the best spirits. Some of the team had spent the entire day yesterday schlepping produce from one town that didn't have a water contamination issue, washing the produce there, and then returning it to Belmont. We had purchased gallons of bottled water admittedly at a considerable expense and, frankly, it wasn't the most fun we've ever had straining the JOOS, washing with bottled water, etc.

There is a reason why I'm writing this. Michael, our Director of JOOS Operations, who had to manage all this, was understandably in a grumpy mood at 3:00 am when he arrived at the commissary. One of his responsibilities is to sample every single batch of JOOS. Today it seemed to me that he was over-pouring his samples. By 5:30 am, he was down right giddy, almost drunk, from drinking so much JOOS. He had all of us laughing so hard with his jokes and wise-cracks. I said, "did you ever think that consuming the healthiest beverage/food had the power to change your mood?"

I've had this same experience several times. In fact, I look forward to Mondays when I haven't JOOSed for the weekend. That's how acutely I can feel when I haven't been sufficiently nourished.

So, please join us in the power of JOOS and let me know if you have any questions.

To Your Health!
Lauri

You Can Eat Healthy on a Trip and Still Enjoy it!

Many of you ask how to maintain the "JOOS Cleanse" eating lifestyle - or just plain eating healthy - while traveling. So many of us feel like we fall apart when we go on vacation. Fun while we indulge and then we feel miserable when we return.

Like everything in life, we need to strike a balance. Going away and eating healthy is not incongruous. In fact, it is very doable. Just be realistic about it. And remember: this is NOT about being perfect because what is perfection anyway - an illusion!

Here's a sample vacation eating plan (which, by the way, can be applied to every day life):

Breakfast
Have a big bowl of oatmeal and load it with fruit. If you eat a big enough breakfast, you will not feel so much temptation to consume a big lunch and dinner.

Lunch
If you are in a warm climate, have a huge salad of greens and a protein - no bigger than the size of your fist, like a piece of fish. Avoid the heavy meat. Make certain you use a light dressing like a vinegrette or olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

If your breakfast and lunch are big enough, you will not have temptation to eat a big dinner or snack during the day.

Dinner:
If you want to order a cocktail, do! Even have a glass of wine with dinner.
Have a protein - again no bigger than the size of your fist - with lots of veggies and perhaps a small portion of a starch, like rice, 1/2 a sweet potato or 1/2 baked potato without the butter, sour cream, etc. If there is a big dessert buffet, take a bite sized piece of a few of the desserts or have 1/2 of one of them. Remember, if you feel deprived, you will binge - so better to have a small amount of something you are craving than to gorge later.

I have to go back to my French woman example. Often they eat a small piece of steak with no more than a fist sized portion of french fries, veggies and a glass of wine f dinner. They do NOT graze in between meals. They watch their portion size. They enjoy their food.

Unlike the French, we feel so constrained in what we eat that it is inevitable that we binge, particularly when we go on vacation.

Establishing healthy eating patterns is a process so take small steps. The next time you go out to dinner or on vacation, start with watching your portion sizes.

Also, you know I have to add that eating an alkaline diet of at least 70% will help you diminish the cravings. What's the best way to do this? Drink fresh, organic JOOS!

Overextending Ourselves - Where does the Cleanse Come In?

Here I am, the founder of this JOOS company and the creator of the JOOS Cleanse, which has an underlying basis to establish mindfulness - and I've been acting anything but mindful. The reason is that I've been way overextending myself. Admittedly, my intent is good. I really want to be the best mother for my children, grow the business, be a good friend, daughter, sister and volunteer in the community. Finally, it hit me that this is not feasible and that I'm really not helping anyone by over-extending myself. In fact, I've seen, it can really play into feeling insecure because when we're extended in so many directions, we don't feel like we're doing anything well. On top of that, we're so busy cramming everything in that we often arrive late, which is disrespectful, don't RSVP in time for invitations, which I learned this morning, justifiably infuriates people, and, most of all, causes way too much stress!

What does stress do to us? Build up acidity, which can cause illness and disease.

I look out my window and it's a beautiful sunny day. The temperature is perfect. Sasha is all smiles because she is attending her best friend from camp's Bat Mitzvah in PA. I get to spend quality time with her and Bill, which hardly ever happens because I'm usually running around with four children, so spending this time with them is really special.

What I also see is that I missed the boat when I did the cleanse. I did lose five pounds. I did reboot by eating habits. I did feel more energetic - but I forgot one fundamental piece: to re-evaluate how I'm going to restructure my life so I can be more present and reduce my stress. Where am I going to start? Small steps - by taking 10 minutes each day to either meditate or journal.

Another Stab at Transitioning off the JOOS Cleanse

I have to admit that without the discipline of the JOOS Cleanse, it is tempting to diverge, especially when I'm tired or stressed. What I do is keep reminding myself how energetic and light I felt while I was on the JOOS Cleanse and how much I want to maintain that feeling.

When I was growing up and made hasty decisions (guess I'm still growing up), my mother would remind me of the candy bar theory - tastes great in the short term, but you feel horribly in the long term.

I remember reading a study that said that you could tell if a young child would be successful later in life if they knew how to relay gratification.

These are the same principles that apply to maintaining healthy habits - and noticed how I wrote HABITS - NOT a diet!

Btw, it is not easy to post on my blog so I WOULD LOVE to hear your comments.

To Your HEALTH!

Lauri

JOOS Cleanse - Transitioning off

Well, I'm supposed to be transitioning off the cleanse, but I am really feeling so much more energetic and grounded on it so I've deciding to stick with it, albeit in a modified way.

Yesterday my children had brown rice pasta with ghee and mozzarella goat cheese for lunch and I had about 1/2 bowl. Granted, ghee doesn't contain casein, the "bad" protein in milk and the molecular composition of goat cheese is more similar to that of human milk (unlike cow milk) so, it really wasn't a big divergence from the cleanse.

In the afternoon, though, I really wanted my JOOS. When I'm feeling sad, anxious, tired, angry..essentially any range of emotion...drinking JOOS makes me feeling that I'm doing the best possible thing I can for my body and my mind.

For all of you new cleansers, please let me know if you have any questions. I realize that it isn't easy leaving a post here, but I would love to hear your comments and questions.

To Your Health!

Establishing Mindfulness on the JOOS Cleanse

One of the main goals of the JOOS Cleanse is to establish mindfulness. So, what does mindfulness really mean. I heard a great definition by Deepak Chopra: Mindfulness is that stillness we find in ourselves.

Why is mindfulness so important in the context of our eating habits?

If we were mindful, we wouldn't overeat so we wouldn't be overweight.

If we were mindful, we would eat what's good for us - and what's best for our body - so we would be healthier and more energetic.

If we were mindful, we would appreciate our food and make certain we're consuming the highest quality food.

If we were mindful, we would be putting loving energy into the food we prepare for ourselves and our children.

Just something to think about...

JOOS Cleanse - Day 21 - Travelling on the JOOS Cleanse

Many people have asked how they can maintain the cleanse while traveling. I just went to NYC for the weekend and so I thought I'd write what I did to give you some suggestions.

On Saturday, when we left in the mid-morning to NYC, I didn't have time to eat breakfast or lunch because I had to take my children that morning to soccer games, baseball practice, etc., and I had to rush to leave because I had promised Fia, who had been in NYC with my brother, that I'd arrive by mid-afternoon. As a result, I didn't have time to pack food for myself for the trip. Suggestion for next trip: pack my food the night before so this doesn't happen again!

I did manage, though, to drink a JOOS while I watched Julia's soccer game, which satiated me for several hours.

So, on the road, all we passed were fast food restaurants. I bought nuts at the convenience story. Definitely not perfect, but the only thing as close to food as I could find.

When I arrived, it was close to dinner. We went to a Mexican restaurant. So easy to maintain the cleanse there with guacamole and salads and, admittedly, I did have the guacamole on corn tortilla chips.

In the morning, I had some tea. I actually didn't feel hungry because I had eaten so much guacamole the night before. As you know, guacamole is so full of the good fat, so I felt satiated, which meant I didn't feel hungry at all to eat breakfast.

When we arrived back in Boston on Sunday afternoon, my kids wanted Chinese food, which is also very easy to maintain on the cleanse with so many dishes with veggies and tofu, although I'm not big on tofu.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you want to hear more suggestions. I'd also love to hear your thoughts and feedback.