O, Juicer, Juicer, Juicer (or, why i dont want to go to organic avenue anymore)

Dear Mouse,

Namaste, from Kentucky.

A bit of local news. 

"You have to be reductive to talk about your life. Otherwise you would have to explain every single detail of your history just to try and make a tiny point." - Lila, 'O Guru, Guru, Guru' by Mallery Avidon
                           (my current project and return to THIS wonderful theatre festival!! Opening 3/22)

Just a community of like-minded individuals.

Oh my god it has taken me forever to post. It is embarrassing, and so I'm going to confess it up front: I have been slacking for none of the reasons you might think. I mean, yes I am in rehearsal for a project that is proving emotionally and mentally rigorous in the greatest of ways. It is true that at the end of the day I am left with only enough brain space to evaluate "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" and a strong desire to go to bed at like nine thirty. It is true that I've been floating in a strangely cloistered world with ten other women engaged in beautifully intense and particular discourse about the nature of happiness, god, family,  the search for meaning in one's life, and the correct way to wrap a sari. I could easily claim I'm just way too distracted/ drained to talk about food. (As if that could ever be true.)  But really, I've had enough down time to post what I want, which is just a simple food-related discovery and isn't going to be hard to explain. AND honestly, the reason I haven't yet is that I've been SO  hung up, somehow,  on how it has to be THE PERFECT BLOG POST (funny! educational! insightful!) (Really- this from the woman who posted the marmot video), that I have for the first time given myself blogger's block - !! -  ie, have become too paralyzed to write anything at all.  WTF.

Pause to note that, once again, I may have let my character start bossing me around.

So, deep breath.

All I really want to do is just say

That I bought this ...

... and it has literally changed my life.

Accidentally deleted original photo, had to take a screen shot of instagram version,

 it's too boring to explain, it will never happen again.

Now you know - as does everyone else who has talked to me for longer than ten seconds recently -- that I have gotten really "into juicing" of late. This past Yom Kippur  I decided, mostly because you were doing it, that I would give fasting a go. But because I'm me, "fasting" was not going to mean anything so crazy as Not Ingesting Anything, oh no. I settled on a "juice cleanse" as a way of making it through the daylight hours, took myself straight to Organic Avenue and dropped let's say $27 on 3 (delicious) 16-oz juices (yep). It was so much easier than I expected that I thought, why not keep this going for five days. After I emerged from the experience energized, clear-headed, and a few pounds lighter, I was hooked, and decided I wanted to make liquid fruits and vegetables a permanent part of my diet.

I'm sure you're way ahead of me at this point, but there's at least one problem with this plan for a working actor living in NYC.  (Multiply the cost of those three juices by five....)

They say that when the mind is ready, a teacher appears.  

Just stay with me. 

About a month ago, I found myself on a Suburban Transit Bus, traveling back to the city from New Jersey. I had been to see my Fairy Godmother in a play there (a production now running in Seattle FYI), and I'd decided to take the bus back with some of the cast members. I was chatting to one of the actresses when she pulled a neat little plastic mug with a fetching handle and a gray screw-on lid out of her knapsack . It was full of an enticing and familiarly green frothy mixture.  I eyed it enviously and asked her where she got her green juice, already wondering if I could manage to justify the $9 for an OA smoothie in the AM.  Which was when she said the four words I most needed to hear: 

"I Have The Nutribullet."

I hear there is an infomercial for this product that's been in circulation for a while now, but I'd never seen it. Uninfluenced by advertising, following only her recommendation and my own intuition,  I went home that night and ordered it from Amazon, shipping it to Louisville ahead of me. When I arrived, it was waiting at my door, and it's pretty much been Love at First Blend. This user-friendly, no-mess,  petite-but-powerful blender/extractor/whatever has already paid for itself probably three times over and I am not looking back. I'm not juice-cleansing or fasting, just starting my day with one of these for breakfast. (I should note here that it's not a juicer - it's pulverizing whole fruits and vegetables, not pressing juice from them, etc.) The basic proportions are: 50% leafy greens, 50% fruits, throw in some seeds or nuts of your choice (or don't),  add water to the 'max' line, and let 'er rip. As I type, I am preparing myself for rehearsal with a delicious concoction of chopped kale, frozen mango chunks, and fresh ginger, with a little bit of cinnamon and agave syrup. It is really good. 

(If anyone has the 'Bullet, another favorite Boo recipe is: 50% baby spinach leaves, then: one small apple, 1/4 avocado, squeeze lemon, cinnamon, some walnuts, 1/4 coconut water, then regular water, blend.) 

I'm very excited about this. And I'm aware that I might sound like I've joined a cult or something. But is it really that? Or just a community of like-minded individuals who may have stumbled on some useful knowledge that they wish to pass on to others, and if so, is there anything inherently wrong with that?

Ok, back to work.

Can't wait for your visit! 

Love,

The Boo

Some of My Best Friends Are Juice

Dear Mouse,

Remember back in 2006 when I made my record with Crazy Producer Guy? Remember how I decided he was crazy as soon as I met him, because within five seconds of knowing me he was telling me all about how he healed a devastating back/neck injury through juicing? He'd had two unsuccessful operations and was suffering pain and immobility,and was going to go in for a third when a friend/naturopath/groupie/I forget what suggested he go on a juice fast. He bought a juicer,assembled a bunch of recipes, and within a few months his pain haddisappeared.

So had most of his body weight, apparently, and ability to control his rage, but I digress.

(whatever,the man doesn't eat,he'll never read this.)

No way, I thought,as I searched in my bag for mace. Juice is full of sugar, right? The South Beach diet disapproves. And let's not even get into how I feel about fasting. He's nuts.

Or was he? For one thing,my album ROCKS. For another,I, my friends,now LOVE juice and recommend it highly.

No dramatic healing to relate. I'm just doing a play that demands a lot of energy and I'm trying to cut back on caffeine. I also had these five or so pounds I wanted gone, and am not happy with my skin,ever. En route to rehearsal I discovered a couple of fresh juice places and started having one before commencing work, or with lunch,before eating food.

* I have lost probably 4-5 pounds(this is also due to walking to theatre daily)
* gives more energy than a cup of coffee
* NO sugar crash or bloatiness. Fresh juice really is different than the rows of supposedly "fresh" bottles in the store. Or (yech) Jamba Juice,which is basically an ice cream parlor.

NOTE FROM THE MOUSE: Case in point--as found online: Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 fl oz) = 900 calories, 10 g fat, 183 g carbs (166 g sugar)
"Seventy-five percent of this chain's "power smoothies" contain in excess of 100 grams of sugar."

* causes me to eat less and feel nourished
* skin looking great as of this writing
* mm, mm, tasty.
* NO weight gained. LOST.

Here are a few recommendations - JUICE IT UP!

Best Value: Juicy Lucy, 85 Avenue A
(between 5th St & 6th St). $2.95 for a small!! For fresh juice!! Try the carrot/apple/parsley "Energy Boost", or the Pineapple/Lemon "Hangover Helper".And they have a ton of supplements you can add for $.50 I think
Good VAlue w/better Choices: That Health Place on 3rd Av & 16th Street
Also good prices, slightly more$than Lucy but bigger portions and more interesting flavor/nutrient combos. Try the "Grandma's Veggie Something", a surprisingly sweet blend of carrot, beet,kale,apple and ginger. just do it.
Best Take-Home Option: Liquiteria, 170 2nd Ave at 14th St
ok this one is expensive - a juice here will run you like $6 or $7 but it is the real real thing and is delicious. A friend turned me on to this: Buy one or two of the pre-bottled juice blends in the fridge. Try one bottle of green juice (serious spinach/kale/parsley/chlorophyll concoction) and one "Killer" (lemon, ginger, serious cayenne)and mix at home.It'll be like $14 but it'll last you through three or four glasses. And trust me, you dont want the greens straight.They don't dress it up with anything.
Rolls Royce Juice: Pure Juice & Takeaway
OK I resisted this for a long time because itis astronomically expensive and the staff seems like they are on ecstasy. And once they tried to sell me a SINGLE piece of raw lasagna for $18!!! BUT once in a while I get a juice and I swear I can taste the difference. Instant energy charge and blissful nutrient rush. It's really fresh and they have really interesting recipes.I liked "Green Spice" which was tart and bold and involved serious greens cut with ginger and lime. Not sweet. fabulous. AND was FILLING. AND THEIR DISPOSABLE CUPS ARE 100% COMPOSTED CORN.

IMPORTANT: We are talking FRESH JUICE. The more fresh and raw and good the ingredients, the more FILLING and SATISFYING the juice will be. There is a world of difference between a Pure Juice and a Jamba Juice (or Odwalla. Yeah I said it.)

Happy Juicing!

The Boo

P.S. Important Caveat. If,like me, you have decided your life needs daily juice, you will want to get a juicer and make the stuff at home, because this WILL get hard on your wallet. I'll keep you posted on my search for the right appliance.