I know, everyone seems to be on this juicing bandwagon lately. I wasn't sure if I was annoyed by all the juice recipe posts and lists of crazy sounding fruits and vegetables that people have juiced, or the fact that it generated "hype." I tend to find anything that generates "hype" annoying. Then I watched the documentary, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead (incredible), did some further research, and decided juicing was actually pretty awesome. I also figured out why I was so annoyed. It was because I did not have a juicer! Nothing is more frustrating for someone who loves to cook then to have an amazing recipe dangled in front of your eyes that you know you cannot make because you lack the proper equipment. But low and behold, Christmas came, and so did my juicer! So here I am after a month of juicing with my two favorite juice recipes so far.
Why juice? Quick absorption of nutrients into your system (your body does not have to process the juice like it would the ingredients you initially juiced in their original state), enables you to receive a much higher level of nutrients then you would if you tried to just eat the food you juiced (When was the last time you were able to eat an entire head of kale, parsely, wheat grass, apple, lemon and cucumber in one sitting? Right, gross.), and lastly, it gives your digestive system a break. While we do need protein and fiber, our digestive system also needs a break occasionally from processing and breaking down all the protein and fiber we eat. Juicing allows our digestive system to take a pause and focus on nourishing, healing, and cleansing itself. Juice fasts are a great way to reset your digestive system, even if you only fast for a few days. However, I have taken on juicing daily to give my system a break, as well as a nutrient boost, by replacing at least one of the five small meals a day I have with a juice. The verdict? I feel amazing, my skin is glowing, my energy is up, and while everyone around me has been sick with the flu, I have not only avoided getting sick but am feeling even more incredible. Two thumbs up for juicing!
Green Lemonade
Ingredients
5 or 6 stalks of kale
1 inch bunch of parsley
1 inch bunch of wheat grass
1/2 a cucumber peeled
1 gala apple
1 lemon peeled
Tangerine Dream
Ingredients
3 small tangerines peeled (1 large orange or tangelo work well too!)
1 1/2 cups carrots peeled & chopped
1/2 inch slice of fresh ginger peeled
What's that third reddish-pink juice lingering in all the photos you ask? It's the green lemonade + beets! Beets are great to juice because they have little to no flavor and make every juice that beautiful reddish-pink hue. Also great in the green lemonade - bok choy! And in the tangerine dream - pineapple! Happy juicing for those of you who have a juicer (or a nice friend who has one), and for those who don't, sorry for another annoying juice post! But do eventually get one, they are awesome. Promise.
So, i've been debating getting a juicer lately and this is definitely convincing! Do you have a recommendation of a good one?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I just love your new blog header it looks so good!
Ayo! So glad this post could help encourage you to get one. I use one made by Breville, the 5 speed model. I know there are a few models out there, but this one I found for $199 at Bed Bath and Beyond. It is amazing, I would highly recommend it!
DeleteAnd thank you about my header! I actually just changed it before writing you back, so I'm not sure if you liked this one or the previous one, haha.
If you can afford it I would suggest going for a cold pressed juice extractor as the centrifugal force ones create heat which can destroy the enzymes in the juice. Cold Pressed extractors can also be used for making ice creams and nut butters and will handle wheat grass and leafy foods better. I have a Breville and as with many other centrifugal force ones, the leafy vegetables are often thrown out the waste chute rather than enjoying full extraction.
DeleteEnsure you get one with a long warranty, many have them ten years or more.
I'm saving for one so in mean time I use combination of juicer for the heavier fruits and vegetables then blend with things like watermelon, leafy greens and soft fruits in a powerful blender. It gets me by.
At the moment, I have an "industrial" Champion Juicer and love it, but as soon as it's motor goes, I would love a Green Star Juicer or other tritulizing (sp?) juicer. The Champion is a masticating which is good, but the tritulizing juicers will allow you to store the juices in the fridge for about 3 days as opposed to 1-2 days with the masticating or a few hours with the centrifugal juicer. In my opinion, I would rather get my juicing done for the next day or two instead of getting it out every time i want a juice. Of course, i drink a lot of green smoothies and juices...
DeleteThe centrifugal juicers are the regular juicers which are made to extract juice from the hard vegetables and fruits. Their blades are very sharp where its motor has very high speed. That’s why the centrifugal juicer makes few noises.
ReplyDeleteLeafy Green Juicer