JUICING 101
Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants needed to nourish the human body. Juicing extracts these vitamins and micronutrients delivering them in a concentrated and nutrient dense form that is absorbed quickly into the blood stream.
A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar.
Fruit and vegetable juices retain most of the vitamins and phytonutrients that are found in the whole versions of those foods. These nutrients help protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer and various inflammatory diseases.
Valuable compounds called flavonoids are abundant in a variety of fruits and vegetables and guard against oxidative cell damage. Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner and are naturally low in toxic fats, added sugars and salt.
WHICH JUICER SHOULD I BUY?
Juicers break down into two categories.
Fast (centrifugal) juicers spin at high rates of speed (12,000 rpm) and are the most common types of juicers on the market. These juicers utilize a metal blade that spins against a mesh filter, separating juice from pulp into containers using centrifugal force. The fast-spinning metal blade generates heat, which destroys some of the enzymes in the fruits and vegetables. The heat also oxidizes those nutrients, rendering the juice less nutritious. Juice made with these juicers should generally be consumed immediately to avoid any additional loss of minerals and nutrients. Price range $50-$200.
Slow (masticating or cold press) juicers extract juice by chewing, crushing and pressing fruit and vegetables for the highest juice yield possible. At 80 rpm, they don’t produce much heat allowing more nutrients to be kept intact during the juicing process. Juice made with these types of juicers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days after juicing. Price range $150-$40.
HOW TO START JUICING
Juicing is an easy way to add fresh fruits and veggies to your diet. However, I find that most people who want to start juicing complicate the process. The way they do this is to try and juice EVERYTHING under the sun their first go round. They think by putting everything from the fridge into the juice that somehow this will make the juice healthier. Often times, adding a lot of ingredients results in a juice that actually tastes awful, thus turning first time juicers off to the process never to be seen juicing again!
My first time juicing I thought it was a good idea to juice green peas! Yes. I said green peas. And guess what, it was disgusting. Since that first juicing debacle, I have honed my juicing recipes and learned how to keep it simple. Follow this simple formula when starting out and you’ll be well on your way to making juicing part of your healthy lifestyle.
JUICING FORMULA
The formula is as follows: fruit+veggie+wildcard. (My three favorite wild cards are lemon, lime, or ginger.)
JUICE 1: orange+carrot+lemon.
The juice comes out dark orange from the carrot, the orange sweetens it nicely and the lemon gives it a pop of citrus. Simply delicious.
JUICE 2: apple+beet+lime.
The juice is dark purple from the beet, the apples is so delicious and the lime sneaks up on you at the end! You’ll be in heaven.
JUICE 3: pineapple+spinach+ginger.
Wow, dark green spinach, sweet pineapple and the ginger gives you that kick that makes you scream out loud…THIS IS GOOD.
So there you have three easy recipes to get you on your way to adding fresh juice into your day.
RECOMMENDED JUICERS
Omega VRT350 Masticating Juicer
On AMAZON’S CHOICE list, it’s durable, easy to clean and well made. It produces delicious juice day in and day out.
Omega VSJ843QS Vertical Slow Masticating Juice Extractor
Easy cleaning with automatic pulp ejection, a no-drip juice tap and a powerful quiet motor.
GET INSPIRED
REAL MEN JUICING documents the personal struggle of Chad and Kenny as they work to overcome their own fears and habits in an effort to adopt a healthy new lifestyle.
They haven’t always been overweight, but years of unhealthy eating have finally caught up with them. Diet after diet have failed, leaving them frustrated and confused. Can Chad and Kenny survive going from fast food to fresh juice?
Juicing is the train that drives the film, but other themes such as male body image, plant based nutrition, exercise and wellness are also explored. Juicing also puts them at an interesting juxtaposition where conflict, change and habit really highlight the inner struggles they are dealing with.
The film includes facts on juicing, the personal struggles of the main two characters as well as interviews from leading medical professionals.
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