Getting your daily dosage of fruits and vegetables can be daunting. How many spinach leaves, beets and carrots can one person honestly eat each day? The pursuit of healthy living may be easy for some – for the rest of us, there’s the juicer. It's definitely a lifestyle choice that requires time and money. Is it worth it?

to juice...

We see it everywhere: people becoming increasingly aware of what they’re putting into their bodies. Want to eat raw, natural, and organic wherever possible? Whipping up homemade juice might be your healthy quick-fix. We asked and found there are tons of benefits to making your own juice at home.

You can take the market to go. If you're always on the move, toting a bottle of homemade juice in your bag is easier than juggling a basket brimming with fresh produce.

Variety is at your fingertips. Keep things fresh and try new combinations, especially if nothing on the market shelf satisfies your craving. (Beet-kale-apple juice, anyone?)

Prepping for your practice is easy. A tall glass of juice is the perfect companion for the commute to yoga. (Just don't down it too quickly right before class.)

You keep all nutrients by going raw. We all know that cooking means sacrificing nutritional value to some extent. Juicing keeps all vitamins and minerals intact.

Mother Earth gets a hug. Making your own juice keeps plastic bottles out of landfills and cuts back on food-waste coming from your kitchen.

What's up, doc? Why not drink your carrots?

...or not to juice

While many people have jumped on juicing, there are still plenty of reasons people avoid doing it at home. When we asked why people didn't juice, the answers were clear.

It's expensive to do it well. If you don't want a big mess, a big clean-up or a big pile of wasted produce, you're going to pay a bigger price. It's one of those lifestyle changes that requires you to invest a lot right off the top.

If you don't love it, you've wasted money on an appliance. Your juicer could end up being less of a health gateway and more of a dust magnet.

Your grocery bill may go up. You may not have access to inexpensive organic produce, and if you're consuming more of it, you do the math.

Of course, the alternative to juicing at home is hitting a juice bar. The convenience is great but paying premium dollars for juice is not on the top of everyone's list. (Those monthly expenses could translate into a sweet pair of shoes - or your very own juicer. I guess that would be the point.)

Annika's Vitamix has changed her life (and her boyfriend's life) for the better

a word from the believers

It seems the pros outweigh the cons in these parts. The overwhelming response was that the investment, while hefty, was well worth it.

Karen, our Production Coordinator, is getting ready for a half marathon and balancing her training with lots of yoga. She's been the proud owner of a Breville juicer for the past year and is officially sold. Nothing in her kitchen is spared, from carrot ends to pulp. (Yes, you can even re-juice the pulp and then bake the rest into muffins or fruit bars.) “We’ve actually ended up saving a lot of money because you end up using everything you buy, so the food waste has gone down,” says Karen. “Our juicer has totally paid for itself.”

Annika, a Strategic Sales Account Manager, is heavy into snowboarding, yoga, and running. She knows all about being busy. She owns a Vitamix, which is less of a traditional juicer and more like a blender on steroids. It's on the higher end of the price scale, but she loves it because she can throw in everything – including an apple’s skin, seeds, and core, for example. She says it takes a little extra planning, but juicing is worth it to get that vitamin fix - she’s one step closer toward meeting her health goals.

Editor's note: Karen and Annika brought in some groceries to sell me on their juicing obsession. We used Annika's Vitamix and in minutes we made delicious - I repeat, delicious - juice. I have already started a savings fund to purchase my own machine.

No, we did not tamper with the colour saturation. It really was this green.

a few good recipes

This is Karen's favourite concoction. She runs the following through her juicer and then tosses it into her blender with a banana and 3 cubes of frozen coconut milk.

• 2 apples
• 2 pears
• 1/2 cucumber
• 2 celery stalks
• small bunch of kale (3 leaves, torn)

Annika opts for a simple (and brightly coloured) juice, loaded with vitamin C.

• 1 mango, pit removed
• 2 oranges, peeled (the rind will make your juice bitter)
• 1.5 carrots
• 1 apple, quartered

before you buy

Consider your needs and ask yourself these questions as you do your research:

• How often will I use it? Think about cost per use. (It's like investing in an expensive pair of jeans. If you use them every day, they pay for themselves.)
• What will I be juicing? If you lean towards carrots, whole apples and other solid fruits and veggies, you'll want a powerful motor so you get the most out of your groceries.
• Is a quick clean-up a priority? If so, look for something with few parts to remove and wash. (We literally rinsed two pieces when making our green concoction. So simple.)
• Can I store a big appliance? If you want your juicer to be a regular fixture on your counter, it may not be an issue but if counter space is valuable, make sure it's compact enough for you.
• What is the capacity? If you're on your own, you may not need a huge reservoir for juice.
• What's the warranty and can I purchase replacement parts? Get these facts before you spend otherwise you may be spending lots more down the road.

Special thanks to Tannis for her work on this great post. We are convinced - are you?

Did lululemon's Public Relations manager, Jenn, make it 12 days without bread?

As a former NCAA Strength and Conditioning Coach with a Masters Degree in Exercise Science and Health Studies, my school of thought is our bodies work fine on their own, thank you very much, and don’t need help from supplements to clean themselves out. Plus, I’m always skeptical about extremely modified diets.

I scoured the web for info and dissected the diet (no sugar, bread, pasta or dairy products). Would this end my uncontrollable infatuation with sugar? Was this the path to long-term healthier eating? Oh – and did I have the mental toughness to get through 12 days without bread?

The first 4-5 days brought headaches and fatigue. I barely made it through a normally-easy 30-40 minute run. At first, I didn’t mind the food, but buyer beware: my life was consumed with searching for cleanse-friendly food and food prep. I didn’t have any crazing cravings, but missed milk in my coffee and toast with peanut butter. I felt better at days 6-10, but nausea, headaches and irritability set in again on the last few days.

In the end, I made it through: mental toughness proven and clearer skin to boot. The first thing I ate at the end was pizza – and it was the BEST pizza I’ve ever had.

While I won’t be doing a cleanse again in the near future, I learned some healthy recipes and discovered new grains such as millet. It helped to subdue my sugar cravings, but I still love my carbs….and that is reason #88 why I run!

End Notes: Be sure to speak with your doctor before beginning any type of cleanse, as there can be health risks involved.

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an unexpected therapy

When I was 17, I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a chronic autoimmune disease. I was told by my doctor that the discs in my spine would erode, my spine would fuse as one and I would be hunched over in a wheel chair by the time I was 30.

The strength of the pain medication and treatment would drastically lower my immune system, leaving me vulnerable to any bug people were carrying. It reached a point where small acts like shaking someone’s hand would make me nervous. Though the side effects left me fragile, I knew I needed the drugs to manage the pain. Sometimes I had such painful episodes that I would have to get out of bed at 4:00am and crouch over until the extra pain killers kicked in. I was so young but I felt so old.

Within the first two months of practicing hot yoga at least 4 times a week, the protruding discs in my L3, L4 and L5 moved completely back into alignment! Once the discs had moved back into place, I experienced incredible pain relief because of the reduced inflammation in the area.  As a result, I started to notice that my immune system was also getting stronger. I was finally able socialize without the fear of getting sick! I also recognized other positive changes in my body: my skin cleared up, I was sleeping like a log and the anxiety I had been experiencing for years, just disappeared. I was healthier than I’d ever been.

My specialist was so pleased with my results that we decided to switch to a drug that I could inject myself with at home. As my condition improved, we started to space the treatments out more and more. Now I only take the medication when I feel I need to, and I hope to one day be free of it completely.

moving beyond the body

In order to deepen my practice, I decided to sign up for a 30 day challenge at my local studio. I now understand why it’s called a challenge! I think I had all the same side effects that everyone else experiences and then some.  I could feel the benefits of my body detoxifying and I was surprised by all of the emotions that surfaced over the month. Some days were harder than others, but giving up was never an option. I was determined to finish every class, even if I had to crawl through it. My determination was not fueled by pride, but rather it was as if my soul wouldn’t let me quit. I knew I needed to keep pushing through.

The weeks following the challenge, I began to reflect on the various influences in my life and their impact on my state of mind and overall happiness. I came to realize how the unhealthy relationship with my partner at the time was negatively affecting both my physical and mental health. Thanks to my regular practice and the empowerment of completing the challenge, I was able to assess the situation with a clear head. Making the decision to get out of that 7 year relationship was a huge wake up call and one of the hardest choices of my life. Though it was undeniably difficult, I surprised myself with how well I handled the change. A year of practicing had been both healing my body and strengthening my mind. Hot yoga has forever changed my life and its benefits are still amazing me today!

This post was written by Renae, who worked as an educator at lululemon Perth City.