So you’ve decided to give juicing a try but don’t know where to begin. Juicing is very healthy and a great habit to add to your daily routine. Not only does it give you a mega shot of enzymes, vitamins and minerals, it just makes you feel fabulous. Let’s get the basics out of the way and the rest is pretty simple and easy. It’s a matter of taste once you have the equipment. There are lots of debates out there as to what kind of juicer you have to buy, but I have a middle of the road juicer that uses centrifugal force, which seems to be a popular way of extracting the juice from the fruits and vegetables. I have read that a pressing juicer yields more nutrition, but I’ve yet to be convinced that they’re better, and they’re quite expensive, so I’ll stick to my juicer for now. You can purchase a fairly good juicer in most big chain stores these days, and of course online, so it’s just a matter of how much you want to spend. Juicers can start around $50 and go from there. There are several juicers that run around $100, which is not bad.
Once you have your juicer, you will most likely get a recipe book that came with it, so that’s a good place to start experimenting.. No matter how healthy a certain vegetable may be, if you don’t enjoy eating it, chances are you won’t like it any better hidden in your juice. I can say that apple juice does make most green veggies go down much better.
Now, what to put in your juicer? Start with the fruits and vegetables you would normally eat. Yes, you can mix fruits and vegetables with no problems. I always start with some really healthy leafy greens, such as collards, spinach, or any other dark green vegetable, but I have found that some greens aren’t as easy to drink, such as mustard greens, which are a bit on the biting side! Celery is great to add and it’s a good idea to add celery after you have added something that doesn’t yield as much juice because it has high water content and will push out the remaining juice from the previous vegetables. I like to toss in a half of a beet, but only a half. A whole beet was overkill and I couldn’t taste anything else but that. Carrots are great to add and will give your juice some sweetness. I will save an apple for last and if my juice tastes good without it, I’ll save it for a snack instead. You still need your fiber and juicing does remove the fiber from your diet if you are drinking all of your fruits and vegetables. Some people would rather use mostly fruits when they first start juicing and that’s fine, but you can overdo your sugar intake easily that way.
Don’t worry too much about stems and tough skins. Just wash well and cut to fit your machine’s shoot. I also like to put a plastic bag into the pulp container so I have less to clean up. Running some hot, soapy water and putting the washable parts in the water as soon as you are finished makes clean up easier, too.
There are plenty of websites that will give you all the health benefits of juicing and I promise you, it’s well worth the effort to give it a try. Honestly, when you drink your freshly juiced concoction of all those healthy veggies, your body will feel so good and thank you by responding in a very positive way. You will start to feel better, your energy level will increase, your cravings will disappear, allergies will clear up, and so much more, but that’s for another day!
I thought it’s not recommended to mix fruits and vegetables but I also like to mix them especially carrot with apple.