Whether you want to learn more about juicing fruits and vegetables for weight loss or strictly for health purposes, there is no denying that a juicer can be the healthy person’s best friend. This handpicked selection of juicing tips and tricks will give you a head start on this healthy approach to nutrition.
Use cucumber as a great flavor disguiser when you are juicing greens. Cucumber is excellent at masking the strong flavors inherent in greens. A juice’s health benefits aren’t going to do you much good if you can’t stand to drink it. Cucumber also has the extra added benefit of being chockfull of important vitamins and nutrients itself.
To get the most out of juicing, using leafy greens in your juice blends is a great idea. Kale, beet greens, mustard greens and other leafy greens are all great for the task. Try to make most of your juices 50-70% greens, and add fruit or other vegetables for flavoring. When you make juices primarily of fruit, they tend to be less healthy as they have much more sugar than those juices made with mostly greens.
If you are having issues with getting your children to eat their vegetables, juicing the produce could be the way to go. Many kids simply hate to eat their veggies. It pays to be sneaky, though–try juicing fruits and veggies to make a sweet and nutritious drink that your children will love.
You should juice your vegetables if you are not the greatest of cooks. Juicing vegetables will allow you to get the nutrients from them without having to do any extensive preparation. Juicing is a simple, quick, and efficient way to get all of the valuable nutrients that vegetables have to offer without going through the hassle of actually cooking them.
Always keep your juicer in plain view on your counter. You will get more use out of your juicer if you keep it in this location. By keeping the juicer easily accessible, you will find it much easier to use daily.
Take it one day at a time when you start juicing. Maybe today you really don’t feel like putting a new item in your juice, and that’s okay! There’s always tomorrow, or even the next day. You must avoid apathy, though, as it may mean that you never try out new items, items that you might absolutely love!
Buy a juicer that does NOT heat up any parts near the items being juiced. The heat can cause the juice to begin oxidation, leading to a breakdown of the nutrients in it. Choose a juicer that says specifically that the parts touching the juice will remain cool throughout the juicing process.
You know the health benefits of juicing but you need a juicer. Researching the different types of juicers will help you decide which machine will meet your needs. There are masticating juicers, centrifugal juicers and manual press juicers. These juicers complete the process differently but the end result is a tasty glass of juice.
Vegetable juice contains very few calories, no fat (unless you add dairy), little sugar (unless you add a sweetener, including fruit), and lots of fiber. It will taste wonderful and provide you with all the nutrients and vitamins needed to fulfill your daily required intake. It’s also a ton of fun to make!
The best way to prepare your fruits and vegetables for juicing is to follow the instructions in your manual. After cleaning, you then need to cut the produce into pieces small enough to fit into the machine. You will also need to remove larger, hard pieces, such as peach pits.
Do not wait to get started with juicing. While you are shopping for your juicer or if you need to replace one, use the blender for the time being. Start experimenting with fruits and vegetables by making smoothies. You can get to know some of the flavors you will like and you get started on a healthy regimen sooner.
Skip a water fast and instead, engage in a vegetable juice fast! It supplies all of the nutrients and vitamins you need, without any fat and not a ton of calories. It can also help clear out toxins in your body, especially if you use wheatgrass or ginger in your recipes.
Incorporate spices into your juicing. There are a variety of spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, ginger and others, that can can boost the flavor output of your juices. If you have flavors you want to experiment with, look for recipes online or you can look for spices that work well with fruits or vegetables. Be sure to check their health and nutrition values.
To entice kids to join you in your juicing adventures, start with smoothies. You can add honey, yogurt, or even fruit sherbet. Always start off with at least one vegetable or fruit in the smoothie, so that when you try adding different items it won’t taste much different than the first smoothie you’ve given to them.
In order to preserve the dark leafy vegetables for juicing, keep them stored in tight zippered bags. Wash and dry thoroughly before putting them into any bags though.
Citrus fruits often have skins containing toxins that can be harmful to you. When creating juices using citrus fruits such as grapefruits and oranges, you must always peel them first. However, the area of these fruits with the largest concentration of valuable nutrients is the pithy parts just under the skin. You want to try to keep as much of this as possible while peeling away the rest.
Maybe you have considered juicing in the past or have heard a friend gush over the many benefits of drinking pure fruit and vegetable juices. Regardless of your motivations, you are sure to find that these tips will be an excellent starting point for your initiation into the healthy juicing lifestyle.