If you’ve decided to commit to a healthy lifestyle, then juicing is one of the first steps to take. There are many real health benefits to making your own fruit and vegetable juices and consuming them fresh. Here are some great tips and advises that will help you get started.
If you want your juice to be a certain texture or thickness, know that the softer the fruit is, the thicker the juice will be. The meat of softer fruits breaks up easily to make a thick nectar. Make sure to add some harder fruits, such as apples and pears, for a thinner juice.
Do some trial and error to find what sort of juice mixes you like. Softer fruits like peaches or strawberries will have a much thicker consistency than harder fruits like apples. Mix them up in different amounts to see what makes the consistency of drink that you like the best. The more you like it, the more you will drink it!
Juice your softer fruits first and then send down your harder items. The hard textured fruit will do the job of cleaning the fruit that was left behind by the softer items. This means more juice for you and less clean up as well. Follow that trick and you’ll usually get the maximum amount of juice in your glass, not left in the juicer.
Bananas and papayas do not seem to do well in a juicer. You can still use them with juice, but it is best to stick them in a blender. They are very thick, and tend to work better when making fruit smoothies or any type of frozen dessert that you make.
Keep a fresh stock of cut and washed fruits and vegetables on hand at all times. If you have to run to the store every time you want to make juice, you’ll never use that juicer. By having the fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to use, you will make juicing quick and convenient.
Lacking space on your cutting board for all of the ingredients you need for juicing? Try to cut everything in a manner which keeps the actual food “whole”. For example, slice a carrot but don’t pull the pieces apart. You can slice an apple around it’s core and then stand the pieces up so it looks like it wasn’t cut. This will save you space to slice the other items you need without dirtying more dishes.
Pay close attention to which vegetables and fruits your juicer recommends. There are some fruits and vegetables that do not lend themselves well to juicing. Bananas are a great example of this, as they tend to thicken a mixture when added, which is why they are used in smoothies regularly. Blend these types of produce, as opposed to juicing, for best results.
Juicing can even help you treat common conditions like urinary tract infections and other bladder problems. Simply add a cupful of fresh cranberries to your favorite juice blend. The minute you feel the infection taking place, start using them.
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.
If you can’t find organic produce to use in your juices, make sure that you peel your fruits and vegetables before juicing them. Most of the pesticides on conventionally grown produce is on the skin, and washing isn’t enough to remove all of the residue. Peeling will eliminate the bulk of these contaminants from your food.
There are things called “phytochemicals” in certain fruit and vegetables juices that can get rid of cancer-causing chemicals! Include as many phytochemical-rich foods as possible in all of your juice recipes!
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is to use a variety of ingredients, not only to keep yourself interested, but also so that your body gets the best variety of nutrients. This is important because your body needs many different types of nutrients from many sources in order to function properly.
Some people claim that mixing fruit and vegetables in your juice leads to indigestion as the enzymes required to break down fruit are very different than those to break down vegetables. I, personally, have never had a problem, but if you find you have any tummy upset after drinking a mixed juice then you should probably stick to one or the other.
A great juicing tip that can help you save time is to start eyeballing the amount of foods you’ll need to make the amount of juice you want. A pound of raw produce for instance, will typically make at least one whole cup of juice. Knowing these tricks can help you save time.
You know juicing is tasty and healthy but you also need to know how to take care of your machine. Always clean the juicer immediately using it so particles do not get hard. Take the machine apart as instructed and rinse completely or put in your dishwasher. Clean the screen with a vegetable brush.
By taking the advice given here you will avoid some of the common mistakes that people make when they start juicing for themselves. Remember that juicing is only one part of an entire journey towards healthy living. By juicing you will also have greater control over what you are putting into your body. What are you waiting for? Get juicing!
