Juicing For Beginners
By mike schulte | January 2, 2012 at 8:00 am
There are many great reasons to juice. Separating the liquid from the fibrous pulp allows the vitamin content to quickly enter the bloodstream and be assimilated effectively. Juicing at home yields a nutritional product that store-bought juice can’t compare with. Enzyme-rich food is important, and store bought juices are likely to be pasteurized, an enzyme-killing process. Also, it’s fun to experiment with the endless flavor combinations you can come up with using fresh produce. Here are some tips to get started juicing and on your way to a younger, healthier you.
Choose a Juicer
Obviously, you’ll need a juicer. There are countless machines on the market, so do your research and find the one that best fits your needs and budget. Don’t be intimidated by the various types: masticating, centrifugal and triturating, make your decision based on reliability and price-point. The Hamilton Beach 67650 Big Mouth Pro Juice Extractor is a great mid-priced juicer at $60 from Amazon.
Build a recipe library
Before you go shopping for produce, you’ll need to compile a library of recipes. There are many online resources to choose from, but nothing replaces a book. The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing by Jay Kordich is a voluminous resource that will keep your regimen nutritious and varied. $10.15 from Amazon.
Go shopping
When you’ve decided what to juice, try to buy organic and seasonal. Non-organic produce may not only contain pesticides, but may be genetically modified. Not only is organic produce better for you, it tastes better. If cost is an issue, consider growing a small, focused garden of your own.
Don’t forget your veggies
Most people start with fruits, but green juice is an incredible source of nutrients. Start with celery, romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumber and alfalfa sprouts. Other great juicing vegetables are: beets, red cabbage, zucchini, tomato and green beans. Use your imagination.
Prepare your produce ahead of time
Peel your citrus, core your apples and wash everything ahead of time. If you are an early morning juicer, prep your items the night before, portion them out in a sealable bag and pop them in the refrigerator.
Keep it interesting
While it’s best to keep your recipes under three items, you can make it interesting by adding a banana to the mix and blending it like a milkshake. This will also counteract the bitterness of fruits like grapefruit.
Get the most out of your produce and enjoy
When you’ve fed your produce through the juicer, take the pulp and re-feed it to ensure that you have extracted all the nutrients. Drink your juice as soon as possible. It will begin to lose nutritional value as time passes and some fruit (like apples) will oxidize and discolor if left to sit.
Online Resources To Get You Started
- Juicing Recipes For Health is a great blog with lots of helpful tips. You can subscribe to the site and have new recipes delivered directly to your inbox.
- Juicing For Weight Loss has a library of juicing recipes, smoothie recipes, a health blog and other great resources to help you get started shedding the pounds and feeling better.
- Juicer Recipes Now is a comprehensive juicing blog by a Maryland couple with some wonderful vegetable concoctions to get you focused on the greens. Check these out, but also explore their whole site.
- If you’re looking to detox in the New Year, Juice Detox is a good place to look for inspiration, guidance and recipes.
- Part cautionary tale, part inspirational quest, the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead tells the story of Aussie Joe Cross and his juicing journey across America.
Do you juice?
More Healthy Living in 2012 from HalogenTV.com
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