None of what we have achieved would have been possible had we not been introduced to Juice Plus^®. We began taking it in 2007 and noticed a difference immediately.

We were so happy with our results that the next year we became a partner to learn how to best spread the message of good health to our friends and family. As a parter, we were able to study in more depth the concepts of plant based diets and their major proponents, such as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, whose diet we generally follow.

Even as vegans, we can’t always get the variety of fresh, nutrient rich produce we would like to consume, and that’s where Juice Plus^® comes in. It bridges the gap between what you can get and what you can’t, assuring your nutrient load remains high at all times.

Yes, there are other products on the market with a similar look, offering fruit, vegetable and/or berry powders in capsules. But look closely, because for the possible small price savings, you will not find a trusted product that has been on the market for over 25 years. You will see that Juice Plus^® has a food label, not a supplement label, because it is 100% whole food. And more importantly, with the other products you will not see the kind of clinical research provided by Juice Plus^®. With currently 40 published, peer reviewed clinical studies in major medical journals, Juice Plus^® is quite simply the most researched nutritional support product in the world!

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Apologies for taking so long to get back to the site, but we do plan to start to put some regular posts up that we hope will be of interest to you, our readers. Since the flood we have continued the diet and have remained almost completely compliant to the low fat vegan path. At home we are completely oil-free, and we seldom eat out except when traveling. We’ve found that, for us at least, a certain amount of stress ensues when at a restaurant trying to maintain the completely oil-free profile. After worrying about this for a few months, we decided it might be OK to just make the healthiest choice available. What that translates to is almost always completely vegan and trying to keep the oil, if any, to a minimum.  (Remember: This is a narrative about our choice – not a recommendation!)

What we are finding is that there are more and more vegan choices on menus every day. Not all are suitable, of course. We try to stay away from anything with high calories, especially, and we always ask about oil and if any the type of oil used. Some recent studies have come out that would seem to indicate that the type of oil makes a lot of difference. Specifically, it appears that the amount of processing the oil has undergone may be very important.

But it is important to remember that even vegans can be unhealthy. There are choices, and they are choices. We may be somewhat saved by the fact that we seldom eat out (especially with COVID!), but we did lose a little ground during our 2019 trip overseas when we were “settling” a bit too much. Like anything in life, you have to find that happy balance that keeps you out of trouble but doesn’t take the fun away!

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The diet is working!  Within only a few short weeks of starting, I saw my blood pressure coming down to an average of 120/70.  In November I had a complete set of labs, and I have to say that the results were just short of unbelievable!  My total cholesterol  was down to 147, and in fact every number was better than any I had ever experienced.

My weight is down about 19%, almost 45 pounds below my high in October 2017 when we returned from our trip.  But my BMI change is even more dramatic, down about 23% from where I started. I’m still not quite where I would like to be, as I am technically, “overweight”, so maybe it is just phycological, but that feels a long, long way from where I started as “obese”.

More importantly, I can feel it! Believe me, if you are walking around with 40-50 pounds less weight on you, it is pretty obvious. I feel better, have more stamina and can do more.

All in all, we are ecstatic with the results. And we intend to continue the diet. We plan to remain as compliant as possible but may loosen up just a bit when traveling in the coming months and do another check to be sure that everything is still on target. Stay tuned…

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As of this morning, I have managed to lose almost 37 pounds since we began the diet. My blood pressure is well in the normal range, down about 12 points from the start. As of the last cholesterol check, I was at 165 total cholesterol, which is amazing considering that my number has been as high as 240 in the past! Arlene, who really didn’t need to lose much to start with, is down about 17 pounds. Overall, I am losing about 3 to 3.5 pounds a month, which I am told is a very reasonable and sustainable rate.

You might want to know about my compliance. We started the diet about a month before Thanksgiving, so although I lost a lot in October, November’s loss was not as great. We had three family occasions when we ate both from the new diet but some from the old. December brought Christmas and a couple of more “non-compliant” dinners. And we had a grilled fish at New Year’s. So overall I have been completely on the diet about 95% of the time, but since new year’s the number is much higher. The key is that if I am off the diet, I get right back on.

It’s about making the healthiest choices possible, and we are continuing to do that. These results are gratifying, and it helps solidify our resolve to continue to move forward.

The post How We are Doing appeared first on The Reluctant Vegans.

Our previously flooded dining room.

Our worst fears were realized when our son went to check things out and found the entire main level of our home sitting in 4″ of water. No more writing for us – our days were consumed working with the insurance company and various contractors, picking out new flooring, paint, cabinets and a whole host of other totally unexpected tasks.

We stayed in temporary housing, kept long and unhealthy hours and and ate off schedule. Finally, we are back at home, an almost new home after repairs totaling over $165,000! Kudos to Allstate Insurance, who handled everything with hardly a hiccup.

But, how about the diet? Even with all the turmoil, we were able to stay pretty closely on our diet throughout it all. As the old saying goes, “Where there is a will, there is a way!”

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