Freeday Friday: Juice Plus

               

  This week, I was introduced to a product called Juice Plus.  At first I had no idea what it was all about...Where was the juice?  It was difficult for me to listen to the discussion, because I had one screaming baby in my arms and a pesky husband calling, must have been a least thirty times while I was trying (and failing) desperately to listen.  From the discussion I was able to gather that the product is pills; a whole food alternative to vitamin supplements.  Juice Plus is made solely from concentrated organic fruits and vegetables  and although it is not a replacement for fresh fruits and vegetables, it is a way to bridge the gap between the actually amount of fruits and vegetables that we eat and the amount that we should eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
   Later that day and for the rest of the week, I began to Google Juice Plus.  This company has the support of a lot of big name doctors (both Dr. Sears; one being on the show The Doctors), a lot of research, and a ton of good reviews.  This was all great, but I wanted to hear the negative.  The biggest thing that I came across was the price.  There is a similar product for half the price, but with less research, less celebrity support,  and less certifications.  I looked for the ultimate unhealthy health food pragmatic's opinion, Dr. Mercola.  Although I didn't find anything positive or negative by the doctor directly, there was a few Dr. Mercola message boards full of Dr. Mercola followers that swore by the product.  There was not one negative comment on the boards.  Okay, so I'm having troubles finding a reason not to use this as a supplement, but I still wasn't convinced.  I wanted to hear that this product was good by someone that is not trying to sell it to me or someone that could potentially be receiving a kickback (e.i. celebrity doctors).  Yesterday, we headed over to our doctor's office for a well check. Being a D.O. and specializing in both traditional medical practices and more natural alternatives, I highly valued my doctor's opinion.  I was finally convinced that this really was a good product when he gave his okay.
  Today, the kids and I walked over to our neighbors' house so that the kids could play with their friend, Daniel, and Daniel's mommy could fill me in on what I missed at the party.  Juice Plus, of course has the adult capsules, but they also have children's chewables, smoothie mixes, and a device to help you grow your own veggies (great for people like me who have no talent for growing plants).  Even better, I found out that my kids get free chewables with an adult purchase.  So, that means that with my vitamins, my husband's, and if we can convince one more family member to take Juice Plus, our kids will have free vitamins until they are 18.  What a deal!  It cost $1.39 a day (for one adult and one child), but considering that I was spending  $30/week to make smoothies so that we can get in enough veggies it ends up being A LOT cheaper.  I also am assured that my picky two year olds and my husband (that doesn't eat the best foods) is getting the proper nutrition and I get to get rid of those horrible Enfamail drops.  
  With everything that I learned, and being inspired by one of my sister's inlaws, I decided that I'm going to casually sell this product, as well.  I'm hoping to kill three birds with one stone by doing this; I've been wanting to give back more than I've been able to, so I've decided to give 50% of my earnings to the March of Dimes (the idea that came from my sister), I want to put the other 50% towards my children's futures, and lastly, I want to entertain more at my house.  I've been thinking about throwing more parties lately and was actually thinking about making that my New Years resolution.  Now I think I'm going to go ahead and throw dinner parties, cook up  some yummy, healthy food and casually tell my guests about my Juice Plus experience.  So hopefully this will be a new and exciting chapter in my life!