My Pumpkin Spice Latte Experience & Green Juice to Follow

A few weeks ago I had my 1st Pumpkin Spice Latte ever. I had to, I've had this curiosity of why everyone loves it so much. The air was (warmly) crisp that morning  & it was starting to feel like fall (San Diego fall), so I took the plunge. First of all, I haven't had Starbucks in ages, I hadn't had cows milk in ages (months) either, but they don't have my preferred options (Almond Milk or Coconut Milk), so this was a big day... I took a sip. <Insert my disappointed face here> To be honest, I was not that impressed. I was bummed. Everyone else loves these things sooo much! Not to bash those of you that love these PSL's that only come around once a year, it just didn't work for me or my tummy. So, in moments like these, I keep a "green juice" on hand to help cleanse my system of what it didn't like.

How does the Green Juice help me, you ask? If using proper hearty and fibrous greens, the juice helps detoxify your body. The greens help assist the cleansing and removal of toxins that we absorb daily. This is super important as our bodies will hang onto these toxins, creating a very acidic environment which is inviting to illness and diseases, so creating an alkaline environment in our bodies is so important. A good "Green Juice" is a great step in that direction. We'll get to how to alkaline our bodies conversation another time. ;) Also, consider these toxins (sugars, foods that we're intolerant to, etc.) that enter our body and slow our bodies down. This means that these "toxins" slow or even breakdown our immune systems, so enjoying that hearty green juice can give your immune system the proper boost to getting back on track!

Definitely stock up your fridge with a few green options or keep some of the best ingredients on hand for you to juice/blend on your how. You can find some great green juice options locally or at your health food stores such as a whole foods. Just be careful when selecting your juice, try to pick the ones with the least amount of fruit. You don't need 4 apples in your juice!! Look for the drinks with heavy greens, maybe some ginger, and a cucumber. The other juices are good too, but know what your drinking when you're drinking it and what your body is asking for!

For those of you that want to attempt juicing at home, here's a simple recipe for you. I do have to apologize that I don't have exact measurements, I always eyeball (you can always save the extras in freezer or fridge)! And I use a Blend-tec, which keeps the fibers in when blending, and add a bit of water to help become more juice like.

Greenergy:

• Collard Greens
• Spinach
• Kale
• Arugula *Sometime I leave this one out because it can have a heavy flavor
• 1/2 Cucumber
• Half a Organic Green Apple
• Whole Lemon peeled
• Ice Cubes
• Water
• *Ginger root is great to throw in there, especially for your tummy!

The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte wasn't my thing, but I absolutely live for anything pumpkin at this time of year, so I had to make my own Pumpkin Spice Coffee. It's healthy and simple! I was definitely inspired by the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan I follow for this simple concoction! (I'm sure I'm not the only one that has thought of this)

T's Pumpkin Spice Coffee

• Cup of Coffee
• Splash of unsweetened Almond Milk
• Stevia
• Sprinkle of Pumpkin Spice (Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Allspice)

No matter what your coffee style is at this time of year, I wish you the greatest of memories as this fall season begins! Pull out your favorite Fall mug and get festive! ;)