Have you ever found yourself in a juicing rut? It may not be as common as an exercise rut, but for most of us who have juicers in our kitchens, we’ve experienced this at one time or another. Let me divulge my top tips to inspire you to dust off your trusty juicer, hit the grocery for fresh product and start pumping your body full of dense, alkalizing-plant-As a power again.

As a part of my Clean and Colorful Concept, I advocate people swap one meal or snack a day for a juice or a smoothie. It’s one of the few things we can all do to boost our health and happiness. Earlier this week I put out my beginner juice guideto help newbies get on board, this is for the other half. The ones who were in love and perhaps have lost their plant-powered-passion. So whether your a newbie or pro, I’m here to help connect or reconnect with with the power of juice!

For those of you who have a dusty juicer, let’s take a look at how you got where you are…like any love story, it may have looked a little like this…

Love at first site…your juicer!

Somebody told you how amazing they felt when they started incorporating juice into his or her real life. You were like “that’s crazy.” Then someone else said it, then someone you really trusted said it, then you started to see it all around you so you were like…”hummm…” and you started sniffing around for the best juicer deal in town.

Then it arrived in your kitchen. You researched juicing recipes on-line, probably  bought a few cookbooks and played with your  juicer like you did your easy-bake-oven when you were a kiddo. Then you figured out your perfect potion and you were an expert. You felt healthy, energized and amazed as your sugar and junk food cravings washed away. Your skin was glowing, compliments were flowing and you were in control.

And then the sizzle started to sag…

And the novelty of new wore off and the burden and seemingly outrageous cost of fresh produce became a nagging chore, the juicer started to lose its luster. It got pushed to the back of the other appliances or maybe even put in a cupboard. This is not an abnormal story. This is the story of almost every juicer-owner I know. So don’t beat yourself up over it, just give yourself a pat on the back for being smart enough to invest in a juicer to begin with then read on for some tip tips to put the swagger back in your juicing journey.

4 Ways to Bust out of a Juicing Rut

1. Get the juicer out.

Just pull it out and put it where you can see it. Having it top of mind will help remind you of how good you felt when you used it regularly. Simply seeing it more frequently may rekindle your lost love.

2. Remember, it’s worth it.

You know it’s worth it, that’s why you invested in the equipment to begin with. But forget what pop-culture, your friends and people like me say. Remember how you felt when you first started using it. Did you have more energy? Did you sleep better? Did you have fewer cravings? Was your skin clearer? Did you lose weight? Did you simply feel healthier? Smarter? In control of your healthy, happy life? Revisit those feelings on top of seeing your juicer again and watch your motivation bubble right back up.

3. Go buy a cold pressed juice at a market.

For two reasons. One, because it’s a very easy way to remember how yummy cold press juice can be and how great it can make you feel. But also so you can remember how expensive it is! While buying all those veggies may feel like a hefty investment and making them takes time, forking over your credit card to someone else can motivate you to reconnect with your own juicer again. Remember, a one-off, quality juice averages about $10 and a full day detox is $75. You know you can make your own for a fraction of that cost.

4. Get inspired by new flavors.

Once you got the hang of your juicing habit, you may have fallen into a routine. That’s part of the process. But it’s also were boredom can set in. I saw this juice board at a local market the other day and found myself uber-inspired. Check out these flavor combos for new juice ideas:

■      Cucumber, kale, pear, parsley, lemon

■      Carrot, beet, lime, mint

■      Pineapple, ginger, mint

■      Cucumber, spinach, romaine, parsley, pear

■      Carrot, apple, ginger, lemon

■      Grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, honey, cayenne

■      Cucumber, lemon, mint, green apple

■      Apple, beet, carrot, lemon

Ready to take some home-made, top-notch juicing action this week? I am!

And don’t forget to check out the Beginner Juicing GuideI put out earlier this week for more tips and ideas on how to get the most out of your juicing experience. Get the answers to questions like, “how to store your green juice,” and “what do do with all the leftover pulp!” If you’re looking for a full program, check out my 3-Day Detoxplan. It’s juices, smoothies and soups and it rocks!

Have you ever been, or are you in a juicing rut? I have! Let’s snap out of it together!