Fresh fruits and vegetables are the healthiest foods around, and one great way to unlock their nutritional bounty is through juicing. Converting vegetables and fruits into liquid form preserves all of their great benefits and makes them more palatable and easier to consume. Here are just a few of the ways that juicing can contribute to a healthier diet:
If you are planning on juicing citrus fruits only, or primarily citrus fruits, consider purchasing a juicer that is designed just for citrus. Many juicers have trouble with the amount of pith in a citrus fruit. In addition, juicers with metal surfaces will become corroded over time after repeated exposure to citrus fruits.
Don’t leave out vegetables from your regular diet just because you’re getting them in your juice. Even fresh juice doesn’t provide all of the same benefits as eating whole vegetables, especially when it comes to fiber. Juicing should be used to add to your daily vegetable consumption, not to replace it.
When choosing a juicer, do some research into how much heat they produce as they juice. Heat can kill the nutrients that you are trying to preserve. If the juicer produces enough heat you will be losing many of the benefits that you were drinking it for so make sure to find out before you buy.
Be aware that wheat-grass is actually gluten free so if you know someone or if you suffer from a gluten intolerance you are free to use wheat grass in your juicing. The benefits from wheat grass are incredible so give it a shot and start incorporating it into your juicing endeavors.
When preparing for a juice diet, make sure to stock a LOT of fresh fruits and vegetables! On average, it takes 4.4 pounds of raw fruits and vegetables to make just a single quart of juice, so you’ll need lots. Also make sure to get a large variety of ingredients so that you don’t get bored with the same old juice.
Start gradually with vegetables. Start by adding bits of vegetables to your fruit juices and work your way up to full vegetable drinks. Vegetables are more nutritious than fruits as a group but not as tasty sometimes. Adding more veggies to your drinks will make your taste buds ready to get that superior nutritional value.
Juicing your vegetables is a great way to get the vitamins and minerals that are in them without having to actually take the time to prepare them. Many people simply do not have the time to prepare a gourmet meal each and every night. Juicing vegetables allows you to quickly and easily get the most nutrients out of them that you possibly can without spending a ton of time on them.
If you can’t afford to juice with organic fruit and vegetables, don’t worry about it. It’s nice to have pesticide-free items, but you can only work with what you have available. Wash your produce in a mixture of 8 cups of water with 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and 3 tablespoons of baking soda to get all the nasty stuff off. Rinse your produce well before using.
When juicing leafy vegetables like spinach, ball the leaves together. If you form your vegetable leafs into a ball, like crumpled paper for instance, you will give a more solid mass for the juicer to work with. This will prevent small pieces of leaves from showing up in your juice and affecting the consistency.
You should always remove the pits from fruit, such as peaches or plums, before juicing or you could dull the blades in your juicer. Apple seeds contain cyanide, so it’s best not to eat those, either. Citrus seeds can be bitter and large enough to cause damage to your machine, so pick them out, too!
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is the fact that no matter how much money and work you invest in it, you are doing something that is extremely beneficial to your health. There are few other ways that you can naturally intake the same amount of healthy nutrients.
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.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is the fact that you may wish to invest in an expensive set of knives. This can be very beneficial because with nicer tools, your juicing experience will become that much easier to do and you will find that you are much more efficient.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is that a great way to add sweetness to all kinds of juice is through the use of apples. This is important because you can avoid using pure sugar or artificial sweeteners and use something that has its own health benefits.
If receiving nutrition in an easy way is a reason for trying out juicing, it is a good idea for you to learn what vitamins and minerals are in the fruit or vegetables that you would be using. This way, you will be able to pick the right produce for the nutrition that you want to receive.
Juicing is a great nutritional process that can be just as simple or as complex as a juicer wants to make it. Quick, cheap techniques can offer dramatic health benefits, and a greater investment of time and money can provide even bigger results. Hopefully, the tips presented above can be of use in starting or improving a great juicing routine.
