Are you ready to get your body & mind in better balance this year? Have you considered making simple changes your diet? Well my friends, juicing your way to better health could be a great start.
Where do I begin you ask? Well follow along with this article as it is packed full with great tips to get you juicing journey started to better health! Not only is juicing good for your health, it also tastes really good!
Juicing is a great way to get yourself feeling more alive! You will feel more energized and balanced even after one week of juicing! I think that we all can agree that there are so many stressors in everyday life, and juicing is a great way to counter balance all that negativity!
Why Juice?
Juicing is the richest available food source of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It is very hard to eat enough raw fruits and vegetables in one day to nourish your body properly. The federal government has recommended that the daily fruits and vegetable intake are: 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day. The CDC has noted that 1 in 10 adults get the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. I think on most days it is hard for us to consume and find the time to eat 5 pounds of carrots would you agree? However, it is easy to drink their nutritional equivalent in a delicious nutrient-rich glass of juice! That is why juicing is such a great addition for a person with a busy lifestyle!
Health Benefits of Juicing
Fruits and vegetables have powerful effects for the body. Juicing daily provides the body a steady stream of vitamins, minerals and strong antioxidants essential for good healthy. It will also help regulate bowel movements.
We do not eat enough fruit and vegetables to prevent disease. Fruits and vegetables in large consumption can improve and protect the body from illness. The word disease broken down is
“dis-ease” or lack of ease or comfort. Essentially, your body is out of balance. Juicing is a great way to bring your body back to “ease” and to receive all of the vitamins nutrients and minerals to keep your body in a better-balanced state.
Juicing can help with many ailments and conditions including and not limited to:
Increase your energy levels
Weight Loss
Boost your mood
Improve disorders
Sleep deprivation
Common Cold
Headaches
Cancer
Eczema
Ulcers
Buy The Right Juicer
Picking the right juicer can be a daunting task because there are so many types of juicers out there. I am only recommending to purchase a masticating juicer. It is also called: cold press, slow juicer, or auger juicer. The other type of juicer is called a centrifugal juicer. The centrifugal juicer runs at a much faster speed and in my opinion uses more produce than what is needed and doesn’t extract all of the minerals that can be possible.
Masticating juicers are the most valuable and thorough type of juicer out there. It runs at a slower speed and it extracts more nutrients than any other type of juicer out there. They are slightly more expensive than the Centrifugal juicer however in my opinion is hands down the only juicer to buy! I highly recommend purchasing an Omega Juicer Brand. They are top quality and lead the market in juicers. I have had mine for 15 years and still works like a charm. The Omega Masticating juicer will allow you to juice fruits, vegetables, wheat grass, citrus and more. It extracts the maximum amount of nutrients possible. The other real bonus is that you can juice wheat grass. You cannot juice wheat grass with a centrifugal juicer. .
Tips For Juicing
- Always wash your produce before you begin. I like to peel my carrots and stem my strawberries before using them. I also like to wash the skins of any citrus that I am using
- All pits must be removed before juicing. Peach pits, plum pits etc. Apple seeds contain small amounts of cyanide, so always slice your apple and discard the core with the seeds.
- Avoid juicing bananas and avocados as they do not have any water content to them and will not juice.
- I like to alternate the fruits and vegetables when pushing them through the hopper. It helps to push the juice through better.
The Best Fruits & Vegetables For Juicing
- Apples: Good source of Vitamin C
- Carrots: Good source of Vitamin A, B1, B6, folate, C, and K potassium and other minerals
- Ginger: Good source of Vitamin B6, C, magnesium and potassium
- Grapes: Good source of Vitamin B1, C, E and potassium
- Strawberries: Good source of Vitamin C, K, magnesium, and potassium.
- Celery: Good source of Vitamin A, B6, folate, C, K, potassium and calcium
- Wheatgrass: Good source of chlorophyll, potassium, magnesium and fights free radicals
- Pineapple: Good source of B1, C, and bromelin which helps stabalize acid-alkaline
10 Recipes To Get You Started
1. Morning Energizer Juice Recipe
- 2-3 Apples, seeded
- 2-3 Carrots
- 1/2 inch piece of Ginger
Good Source of Beta-carotene, vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E and K; iron, calcium sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, phosphorus, and niacin
Good For: Skin, hair, cancer prevention, helps reduce nausea, inflammation, and heartburn relief. It can also help boost your metabolism.
2. Lime Ginger Zinger Juice Recipe
- 2-3 Apples, seeded
- 2-3 Celery Stalks
- 1/2 inch piece of Ginger
- 1/2 Lime
- 1 cup of Green Seedless Grapes
- Top off with Sparkling water
Good Source of vitamins A, B-complex, B6, folate, C, K, potassium calcium
Good For: Digestion, cleansing the kidneys and liver, weight loss, a guard against cancer
3. Cherry Smile Juice Recipe
- 1 cup Cherries, pitted
- 1/4 Lime wedge
- 1 cup grapes
- Top off with Sparkling water
Good Source of vitamin C; potassium
Good For: Reducing acid in the bloodstream, weight loss, and constipation. Good for treating anemia and gout. Cleans the kidneys and liver.
4. Rise & Shine Juice Recipe
- 2 – 3 apples, cored
- 1 – 2 stalks of Celery
- 1 cup grapes
- 2-3 Carrots
- 1 cup Strawberries
- 1/2 inch Ginger
Good Source of vitamin C; potassium Beta-carotene, vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E and K; iron, calcium sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, phosphorus, and niacin
Good For: Skin conditions, rheumatism, muscle discomfort, weight loss, and constipation. Good for treating anemia and gout. Cleans the kidneys and liver.
5. Tropical Sunrise
- 1 – 2 cups Fresh Pineapple
- 1/2 orange, peeled
- 1 – 2 cup Strawberries
- 2-3 Carrots
- 1 cup Grapes
- 1/2 inch Ginger
Good Source of vitamin C; potassium Beta-carotene, vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E and K; iron, calcium sodium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, copper, phosphorus, and niacin
Good For: Colds and flu, general cleansing, weight loss, and constipation. Improves digestion. Cleans the kidneys and liver.
6. Stay Well Detox Tea
- 2-3 Apples, cored
- 1 cup fresh Pineapple
- 1/2 inch of Ginger
- 1/4 inch Fresh Turmeric (optional)
- 1-2 handfuls of Grapes
- 3 Oranges peeled
- 3 cups Water
- Cinnamon stick
- Honey
Directions: Juice the apples, ginger, turmeric, lemon and orange. Add the juice and 3 cups of water to a small saucepan. Drop in a cinnamon stick, 2 tbsp. honey and simmer. Enjoy.
Good Source of vitamin C; bromelain, vitamins A, B-complex, C, E and K; iron, calcium sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Full of antioxidants that fight the free radicals in the body and protect against health conditions such as cancer, arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Good For: Helps with inflammation, and cancers, regulates cholesterol, colds and flu, general cleansing, weight loss, and constipation. Cleans the kidneys and liver.
7. Applemint Fizz Juice Recipe
- 2-3 Apples, cored
- 4-6 sprigs of fresh Mint
- 1/4 lemon wedge
- Sparkling water
Directions: Juice the apples, apples, mint and lemon. Finish with sparkling water.
Good Source of: Vitamin C; zinc, vitamin A, great antioxidant
Good For: Helps with colds and flu. Mint can aid in eye health and help night vision. It can also help with stomach issues.
8. Fizzy Georgia Juice Recipe
- 3-4 juicy peaches, pitted
- 1 cup strawberries
- 4 apricots, pitted
- Sparkling water or champagne
Directions: Juice the peaches, strawberries and apricots. Finish with sparkling water or better yet champagne!
Good Source of: Vitamin A, B and C and protein
Good For: Helps with ulcers, cleansing bowels, and cancer prevention
9. Wheatgrass Booster
- Handful of Wheatgrass
- 1 cup Pineapple
- 1/4 wedge lemon
- 1/2 inch ginger
Good Source of: Vitamin C, E chlorophyll. Antioxidants fight the free radicals in the body reducing oxidative stress and protect against health conditions like arthritis, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Wheatgrass is a superfood that is potent with amazing benefits!
Good For: Helps with digestion, boosts your metabolism, lowers cholesterol, cleanses bowels, and can aid in cancer treatment. For more great information on the benefits of Wheatgrass click here: https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/wheatgrass-benefits#brain-booster
9. Tummy Healer
- 2-3 Carrots
- 1/4 head Cabbage
- 2 stalks Celery
- 1 cup Cherries, pitted
Good Source of: Beta-carotene, vitamin A, B-complex, C, D, E and K; iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iodine.
Good For: ulcers, cancer prevention, general cleansing.
10. Strawberry Margarita
- 1 pint of strawberries or more
- 1/2 Lime
- 1 orange, peeled
- 1 oz. Tequila
- 1 cup ice
Directions: Juice the strawberries, lime and orange. Pour the juice into a Vitamix, and add tequila and ice. Blend.
Good Sources of Vitamin A, B-complex, C, E, K
Good For: skin and regularity
On The Road To Health
I hope that you found my article helpful. If you want to further your knowledge into the world of juicing, I would love to suggest two books that I have and use often. They offer insight into ailments and suggested diets and juices to help to get you better quicker.
2. Total Juicing: Elaine LaLanne with Richard Benyo
Please feel free to reach out to me anytime if you have questions related to juicing and juicers or recipes related to juicing. I would love to hear your feedback!