Some people have seen the commercials on television advertising the benefits of juicing. One can buy a blender or food processor and fill it with fruits and vegetables and with the press of a button have their daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables conveniently in a smoothie-type concoction. Juicing can be an excellent way to get one’s daily vitamins.
Crumple up leafy greens, such as spinach, into tight balls before putting them in your juicer. Your juicer is primarily designed to deal with solid fruits and vegetables, not thin leaves. You will get better results from your juicer if you simulate this effect by squashing your leafy greens before juicing.
If you must store your juice in the fridge, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. This small amount of lemon juice shouldn’t have a major effect on the flavor, but it will keep this juice from becoming discolored as it sits, creating a more appetizing effect. Always try to make your juice just before you drink it, for maximum health benefits.
Make sure to leave your vegetables and fruits out at room temperature before juicing. Healthy juice is best at room temperature, so make sure to take the produce out of the fridge for a little while before you make the juice. Drinking cold juice can shut slow down the digestive system.
Don’t forget to wash your produce prior to juicing, and use organic products where possible. So many people seem to think that since it’s going to turn into juice, they don’t need to wash their fruits and veggies. Just because it’s liquid, doesn’t mean the chemicals present on the peels are going to go away. Clean your fruits and vegetables thoroughly before juicing.
Be aware that citrus fruits do not always work well in all juicers. Because of the consistency of the pulp in the fruit the juicer can get clogged with the pulp or rind. If using a standard juicer, peel the fruit and cut into small pieces; otherwise get a citrus juicer that you will use for these types of fruit specifically.
If you don’t want to drink vegetables, don’t. Juicing doesn’t have to freak you out every time you throw something into the machine! Start with things you know you don’t mind drinking, like oranges and apples or even carrots. The money saved and knowledge of what really is in your drink is what makes juicing so awesome!
Do not assault your taste buds with crazy blends right away. Take it slow with your flavor blends and stick to what you know you will like at first. Then begin to incorporate items that you do not normally consume as juice, such as spinach or other leafy vegetables. This will prevent you from ruining the pleasure of juicing because you got a bad taste in your mouth.
When coming up with a combination of fruit and vegetables to juice, consider their textures to make a smooth, drinkable product. For example, soft fruits like bananas and peaches make a very thick juice. Apples and pears, on the other hand, make a very thin, watery juice. Mix the two items together to make the most enjoyable texture to drink!
Start juicing! People begin juicing – adding freshly juiced fruits and vegetables to their diet – for a vast range of reasons. Some people juice to supplement their diet or detoxify their bodies. Some people are doing it for other health reasons. Juicing in and of itself will not cure ailments – yet you will benefit from juicing – with extra nutrients and more energy!
Always drink your juice right away after you have put it through the juicer! This is when the juice is most potent and has the most nutritional value. If you cannot get to it right away, get to the juice and drink it as soon as possible. Do not make a large amount of juice to store.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind, is that you need to prepare yourself mentally and financially, for investing a lot of money into a quality juicer. This is important to consider and save for because quality juicers can cost upwards of $1500.
Keep your juicer clean; keep yourself healthy. Organic products can leave some of the hardest to clean residue behind. Also, as the pulp decomposes, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Drink your juice; clean your juicer. That is the habit you should adopt. Target a juicer that is very easy to clean and does not have a lot of nooks or reservoirs that might be hard to reach.
To get the most nutrition from your juices, be sure to drink them when they are fresh. After juicing, fruits and vegetables are vulnerable to oxidation which will destroy their nutrients. If you have to store your juices for some reason, use air tight containers to reduce the amount of oxidation that will happen.
It’s best to avoid mixing fruits and vegetables in the same juice. Your body uses different enzymes to break them down, and so mixing them together makes your body have to work harder to get the nutrients it needs. Apples are an exception that can be mixed with almost anything, so you can toss an apple in with whatever you are juicing.
Maintaining blood sugar levels helps to curb hunger, so including carrot juice in your creations can help you keep healthy and eat less. Carrots do have more sugar in them than many other vegetables, but the fact that they don’t cause a spike in blood glucose means that you can overlook that and drink them up!
Juicing may not be for everyone but it is not a difficult hobby to become a part of. With one simple purchase of a blender or a food processor, anyone can become a juicing expert. The health benefits and the convenience of being able to juice any foods you want don’t require anything except the willingness to push a button on a food processor.