Juice With Cruice.
I drink juice. So should you. #juicewithcruice
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It’s not easy.
People ask me about my story all of the time. They wonder if I’ve always been a healthy eater, if I ever felt like an alien, if I just woke up one day and changed my life. While I have had a few of those days, my path is not a short story, it’s a novel about how I got here.
A little over 10 years ago, I made the first step towards living a healthier lifestyle when I became a vegetarian. Little did I know that it was only the beginning. To follow, I finally figured it out and committed 100% to veganism 3 years ago. 1 year ago, I transitioned from vegan to a plant-based lifestyle. Then gluten-free, then soy-free. In a couple of months I will begin a sugar-free stint. This will be the hardest of them all.
Making any change to your diet is hard. Whether it be a cleanse, an elimination diet, or cutting something out that you love but you know is killing you. But like anything, if it isn’t difficult, it isn’t worth doing. We all want the meaningful stuff to be easy; getting promoted, running a marathon, eating right, nurturing loving relationships, parenting, therapy, making more money, having more friends… But let’s face it, it isn’t easy to live a healthy and happy life that allows us to feel fulfilled each and everyday.
It comes down to how badly you want it, what your motivation is and how willing you are to put the work in. Anyone in your life who seems to have it all together A.) doesn’t (because he or she is probably the kind of person that realizes there is always work to be done.) and B.) has busted his or her ass to get there.
I used to ask: Do you want to be healthier and happier? But, who doesn’t?
The correct question is: how badly do you want to be healthier and happier?
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What if…
What if you had everything you wanted?
No, really. Think about it. Make a list. What do you want?
I want: to be home, to be more organized, to have longer hair, to make more money, to have a classier wardrobe, the perfect rug for my living room, to know that those that I care about are safe and feel loved, to know how and when I am going to die, to be comfortable letting people in, to let other people take care of me…
How would this very moment be different if you had everything on your list?
What if you owned and felt and embodied everything you dream of? What would you desire then? Would you close your eyes and dream of having, or being, or wanting more? Or, less? Maybe you would lay awake at night, wondering why you ever wanted it all. Maybe you would long for the days when you wanted more. Maybe when you are surrounded by everything you ever wanted, when you have the perfect job, have found a perfect companion, when you want nothing and need nothing, maybe that’s when you merely exist, and stop living. When you lose direction. Maybe all these wants, these desires and monumental moments are what set us back. Maybe we should learn to want exactly what we have. To want nothing more than the journey of getting to what’s next. To want this moment, to be grateful for this moment. To find the joy in the precise circumstance we are in.
I’m not the first to say that the journey is what’s important, or that we should want less and do more, or that we should be careful what we wish for. My thoughts are not unique. But, I don’t need to be unique - I don’t want to be. I am a sum of my decisions, experiences, lessons, needs, and wants.
Want this moment. Want to be able to take this moment in, as monotonous as it may be, and enjoy it.
Here’s to being grateful and allowing ourselves the space to find joy.
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Meat Free Monday
Monday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week!
Here are my meat-free picks for the week:
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Day 9.
Well, I intended to update every few days, but this week has been crazy!
On Monday, I was featured on Chicago’s DailyCandy! I am so excited that people want to learn more about juice cleanses and how they can be utilized as a platform for major lifestyle changes. I’ve been flooded with emails, requests for information and people who want to meet with. (PS. If you are one of the people, I will be in touch no later than Friday.)
So, Day 9!
I am down 11 lbs and my sleep cycle has decreased from 8 hours to about 5 and a half. That alone is an adjustment. I went to bed just shy of 11 last night and naturally woke up at 4:18am - an hour before my alarm was set. It’s amazing how much energy I have throughout the day and while I am getting less sleep, it is far better quality. Someone the other day was explaining that a standard adult REM cycle is 4 hours. It isn’t unlikely for 4 hours to feel more energizing than 6 hours, where you interrupt that cycle. I’ve put this on my list of things to learn more about!
Beginning yesterday, I started a slow break. This upcoming weekend I will be traveling and be away from home and I decided that the logistics (and cost) of juicing out of my comfort zone was not ideal. Until Friday I will juice most of the day but will introduce 1 blended smoothie and a raw, vegan solid snack. So, while I will continue my cleanse for 13 days, It will not be pure juice.
Everything has been going well, except a dream that I ate a 900 calorie dinner last night! Most people would read that as my mind’s way of trying to tell me that a “my body needs calories”, but it is merely a cautionary tale. In my dream, I felt awful and wanted nothing more than to undo what had been done. Luckily, I was able to by waking up. For me, coming off of a cleanse is more difficult than being on one because you have a lot of important decisions to make: what to eat, what not to eat, how many calories, how fast to incorporate certain foods, etc. I find that my clients have more questions and require more support here than they do throughout the cleanse process - but, that is exactly why I do what I do!
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Day 1
Day 1 is underway and I couldn’t be more excited about this cleanse. While cleanses are standard for the spring time and the turn of the season, I think the post-holiday cleanse is just as important. While many people make ‘new years resolutions’ to eat better or work out more (which is motivated by what they didn’t do the year before, or to make up for how they just treated their bodies for the past two months) most of these new years resolutions are forgotten or given up on come spring time.
This cleanse is different. It is not a new years resolution for me, it is another step in my personal goal to continue to be healthier and happier every day and my professional goals to help others do the same.
This past month was a tough one and all of 2012 was both life-altering and quite stressful (those things tend to go hand in hand.) I am excited for this out-of-season cleanse because it is time to do something for me. To get back on track, practice what I preach, and to take the opportunity to learn from the past year so that this next year can be less stressful, more manageable and equally life-changing.
Yes, cleanses are typically for physical detoxification, but, you get out what you put in. The intensity of a juice-only cleanse has the power to detoxify your mind, emotions, breath and heart, you just have to let it.
So, I start today for myself and for all of the 2013-day cleanse participants. Every few days or so I check in on a few key items to gauge my progress. The two that I will share here are my weight and sleep cycles, as these are the most important and most general. For weight, I weigh myself at the same time every day, on the same scale. As for sleep: I try to go to sleep at night when I am tired and wake up when my body first stirs. This is one measurement that I have learned over time is a helpful gauge for me as my energy increases and I begin to require less sleep. My “sleep cycle” is the amount of hours from when I go to sleep to when my body naturally wakes up.
Day 1 Stats:
Weight: 128 lbs (down from 131 before 3 days of pre-cleansing)
Sleep cycle: 7 hours
For those of you participating, good luck and enjoy. Take some time today to write yourself a note about what you are looking forward to. This is always a good personal reminder that you will likely reference throughout the cleanse!
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Day 0
Alright cleansers, we start tomorrow! I hope you are all excited; I know we all really need this.
If you have signed up for the 2013-day cleanse, check your inbox for your pre-cleanse checklist.
If you are following along at home, be sure to drink PLENTY of water today - especially if you are celebrating tonight. If you want more tips, advice, love, recipes, direction or support through the process, it’s not too late to sign up! Email me at marcy@marcyecruice.com if you are interested.
As always I will be offering full disclosure throughout the cleanse. Stay tuned for my pre-cleanse stats!
Cleansers: as discussed, your identity and the details of your experience will be kept confidential. But, if you do wish to share your story or photos, please let me know and I will post it here on Juice with Cruice.
Take care of yourself today!
-Marcy E. Cruice, HHC
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I’m back.
As most of you know, the past few months have held a number of significant changes for me. I left my full-time job, traveled to Ireland, started a new job with a new company, bought a condo and have been helping my family out. With my energy being focused on getting settled into these new commitments, I haven’t been able to spend as much time on continuing to develop my health coaching practice as much as I’d like.
With all of that being said, I am excited to announce that early next year I will be re-launching Marcy E. Cruice, HHC. My blog, website, Facebook page, newsletters and instagram will be getting a makeover as well as the services and programs I offer and special events I host.
There will be some exciting things coming and I am hoping for a January launch but will announce the official date as soon as I can.
If you have any input on what you’d like to see me continue to offer, post, share, etc. I would absolutely love to hear what you have to say. After all, I do what I do so that I can support each of you with your health goals.
Keep in touch and I can’t wait to get back to business next year!
