I was first introduced to juicing when I was in college by my best friend. She explained to me what a juicer was and how it worked. It seemed a little weird that a person would drink all that fruit and vegetables at one time, but the juices she made tasted good. After college, I moved back home and bought a juicer for myself. I used it here and there but eventually, it collected dust on one of my shelves and I completely stopped using it.
It was not until later on in life when I was married that my interest in juicing truly ignited. As I stated in my previous blog, (How It All Started Part 2) we were learning about all the health benefits of juicing and blending. We watched many documentaries on the subject and just knew we had to explore this world of juicing.
Since then we have learned so much about juicing different fruits and vegetables. For example, I had no idea you could juice a sweet potato! Juice, from a potato? You bet! It gives your juice an appealing flavor and is great for your skin!
About every six months, my husband and I try to do a juice cleanse. As Joe Cross calls it from “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead,” a reboot. We feel we really need it after the holidays when we indulge in the huge amount of food that is served from November to January. When we are not doing a cleanse, we try to have a juice a day. This way we stay balanced and continue to feel good throughout the day.
I usually start to feel sluggish at work around the 1 o’clock hour. I have a Keurig at work, so I can make myself some coffee to help get me through the rest of the day. When I bring my juice to work, I drink that instead. I get re-energized without the caffeine jitters. My juice helps keep me going even after work and gives me enough energy to power through the gym.
If you are interested in juicing, here are some starter tips:
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Research the type of juicer that will work for you. There are so many great ones out there. Centrifugal juicers grind produce to a pulp and release the juice by spinning it through a serrated metal basket at a high speed. Masticating juicers are a bit slower and chew the produce by pushing it through a slow-moving drill and squeezing out the juice. Centrifugal juicers are more affordable and quicker. Masticating juicers are slower, but you can squeeze more juice out of the produce. I have both and love them equally. I use the centrifugal juicer for my fruits and vegetables and the masticating juicer for my kale and spinach. If you can’t afford the best of the best, get what you can now, and if you love juicing, work up to a better one.
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Prepare your fruits and vegetable the night before to help save time. If you did not buy organic, peel as much as you can. Wash all the produce in the sink with fresh water. My husband likes to fill the sink with apple cider vinegar and water to help clean our produce.
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Make sure you thoroughly clean your juicer. Use a scrub brush or toothbrush to clean out the screen area. This will keep your juicer working better and longer.
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Juice and enjoy. It is best to drink your juice first thing in the morning. This way your stomach is able to absorb all the nutrients.
There are so many health benefits of juicing. As I said before, juicing has become my passion. My hope and plan are to share enough information as a can.
As Selma Hayek states in her forward in the book, “The Juice Generation,”
Juicing vegetables and fruits, or drinking green smoothies, is not about deprivation or dieting. These are habits that help us add more to out lives: more high-grade, nutrition-rich foods in a busy, fast-paced schedule; more awareness of what our body needs to stay well and not get sick; and perhaps most important, more sensory delight from delicious foods that we otherwise might not try.
This is why we say it is not a diet, but a way of life. The more you juice, the more your body enjoys and craves it, and it becomes part of your conscience routine!
Awaken Your Inner Self!
Carol
Once again here is a link to my favorite juicing book. It is filled with so much great information.
Here is my juicer that I use and love! Click on it to find out more information.
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