A juicy idea to be healthy and save money

* Collaborative post

Being a busy mum (or dad, or human being) can take it's toll and I know that it took me a while to adjust to life as a working mum, juggling everything that comes with it.

Work life. Home life. Doing the shopping. Arranging appointments. Scheduling family visits. Squeezing in, dare I say it, 'me time' to do, you know, things that are just for me or for hubs and I. We were a pair once upon a time, after all.

Life certainly picks up pace when you have little ones and I think you really can make of it what you will. Sure, you have a timetable and requirements and things to remember, more so than ever before, but you can and will make it work. For you. For your little one and for your family.

We all do this in our own ways and we all need to find a way to make time for what we need and what we want. Either that or we simply become workbots / homebodies / insert other appropriate nickname here.

For me, at the moment, I feel on track with some things and slightly outside the lines on others. I like to be organised as it makes me feel in control and being in control makes me feel calm. Together. Collected.

It's our eating habits in particular which have been a little out of control of late but it's something we are focusing on, to both eat and drink better but also to be more mindful of the pennies we spend, as lack of planning and relying on pre-made food and drinks really does add to the monthly bills.

So, I'm dusting of my juicer and getting back into making healthy smoothies and juices packed full of good things. 

Juicers help you to make juices at home, as 'green' as you like, and some remove a lot of the pith or pulp if you prefer, by quickly juicing your fruits and veg and chucking away the tougher bits. It all depends on what you like. 

There's some great options out there, like the juicers by Panasonic which are compact, quiet and easy to handle so you fit them into you routine. If you're partial to a morning orange juice or two like me, these juicers extract the maximum juice all the while retaining important vitamins, nutrients and anti-oxidants. 

Why do I love juicing at home?

* You can pick and mix which ingredients you use, to suit your taste and what you have to hand

* It uses fresh ingredients (or fresh fruit and veg that you can bulk freeze to store for longer)

* It's really quick to whizz together

* Homemade juices and smoothies are a great 'on-the-go' breakfast treat or post-workout choice

* You can easily get lots of good things into your diet this way

* Eating fresh means you will save money - if, like with all healthy eating, you plan your shop out first

Source

It's all about experimenting and just trying out different combinations and with the right juicer, away you go - so you can enjoy fresh juices, made at home, and for less than shop bought options.

My top tip is to mix fruit and veg equally, to counteract the natural sugars and pack you juice full of vitamins and antioxidants. Carrots and cucumber are particularly good additions and versatile too. 

My favourite juice concoction so far is made up of two oranges, two apples, two celery sticks, a handful of spinach, an inch of ginger, squeeze of lemon and a squirt of honey. Trust me, it'll add a zing to your morning!