About 4 years ago, my wonderful mother, Linda, took me to this incredible spa and wellness resort, Miraval (www.miravalresorts.com), outside of Tucson, Arizona. It was a very special experience I shared with her and while I was there, I was introduced to juicing. The menu at the juice bar listed all of these interesting concoctions made with fruits and vegetables. I was never a huge fan of juice and couldn’t imagine drinking vegetables but I figured why not. I can’t really remember the first juice I tried but I instantly felt this “electric surge” go through my body and I was so energized!!!!! I tried everything on the menu and by the time I left, I was glowing. Literally. My skin was clean, fresh, and radiant and most importantly, I had never felt happier, healthier or invigorated in my life. I was hooked! I immediately went home, bought a juicer, and started on this amazing journey of designing my OWN fruit and vegetable concoctions.
My juicer and all the ingredients!!!!
BENEFITS
The benefits of juicing are outstanding! First and foremost, I find that getting in the required 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies every day is not so easy. Most people barely have time to eat three meals a day, let alone include fruits & veggies at every meal and snack. Juicing allows you to consume more fruits and veggies on a daily basis than you would if you actually ate everything you threw in your juicer. Below are more awesome benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables!
o Variety! Juicing allows you to include fruits and vegetables in your diet that you wouldn’t normally eat. For instance, I don’t like to eat beets or peppers (just to name a few). Adding them to my juice with some fruit and other mild veggies disguises the taste but I’m still getting the amazing benefits!
o Available Nutrients! Digestion is an energy-zapping process for your body. Giving your body the much-needed vitamins and minerals it craves in a form that is easily digested and more bioavailable for your body to absorb. It's like drinking energy in a glass!
o Vibrancy! Juicing on a regular basis has made a huge difference in my skin, hair and nails. More vitamins and minerals to support your glowing appearance!
o Lots of H20! Juicing provides an abundance of water, helping to flush out toxins, metabolic waste, and assist in regulating all bodily functions.
o Boost immunity! The extensive amount of nutrients provided by a wealth of fruits and vegetables will enhance your immunity, preventing common colds and other ailments.
o Prevention! Increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the raw form will lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, inflammation, dementia, strokes, and Alzheimer’s.
o Go Green! Juicing produces a significant amount of pulp, which can be turned into a compost pile, allowing you to give back to the Earth and provide plants with rich, natural nutrients.
FRUITS & VEGGIES
Here are some fruits and vegetables I use on a consistent basis to make my juices! The * notates that this fruit or veggie is part of the “Dirty Dozen” and should be organic.
Apples* Lemons
Oranges Limes
Beets Spinach*
Carrots Kale*
Celery* Watercress
Cucumber Peppers (any color)*
Parsley Pear*
Radish Peaches
Ginger Grapes*
Strawberries* Cabbage*
Turnip
THE JUICER
I have had my Jack Lalanne Power Juicer for almost four years and it is still in great shape. There are plenty on the market but I feel that this is a great model and is at a great price point for its’ design and durability. Here are some suggestions as to where you can get your juicer!
www.bedbathandbeyond.com **Remember to bring your 20% off coupon!
www.amazon.com
www.overstock.com
RECIPES
I think the best part of juicing is being the master of your OWN juicing recipes. I love to experiment with new fruits and veggies I have never tried and make different combinations. Additionally, adjusting the recipes to what YOU like makes the experience so worthwhile and will keep you coming back for more.
These are just a few that I have come up with!
Jared’s Garden (split between two people)
1 beet
2 apples
1 lemon
5 stalks kale
3 stalks celery
¼ piece of ginger
3 small radishes
1 handful parsley
1 large green pepper
2 large carrots
½ cucumber
Sweet Sunday
2 oranges
6 strawberries (with tops)
2 carrots
1 apple
Green Mania
2 handfuls spinach
2 stalks broccoli
2 stalks celery
5 stalks of kale
1 apple
1 lemon
¼ piece ginger
BOOKS ON JUICING
I have purchased a few books on juicing to increase my knowledge and find different “cures” for common ailments.
The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden, P.h.D, C.N.S.
The Juice Lady’s Guide to Juicing for Health by Cherie Calbom, M.S.
A FEW HELPFUL TIPS
*Always add a capful of flaxseed oil or blended Omega-3 oil to your juice. Fat is considered a carrier for the vitamins and minerals you just drank and it makes the nutrients more bioavailable to your body. It also decreases the glycemic load of the fruits and vegetables (the impact the juice has on your blood sugar levels) But don’t worry - the wonderful flavor of the juice hides the taste of the oil!
*Yes, you do lose some of the very important insoluble & soluble fiber that your body needs. You still receive soluble fiber in the juice but make sure that your juice is in addition to the fruits and vegetables you will be eating throughout the day. This way you wont skimp your body on getting the proper amount of insoluble fiber.
*Don't get discouraged with the clean up. Many people tell me they have held off on getting a juicer because it seems like a pain to clean. Sure, it’s not the quickest process, but once you get to use to doing it on a daily basis, you can juice and clean in less than ten minutes! Just know…the benefits DEFINITELY outweigh the cons.
Here’s to your first glass of freshly made juice!
Cheers,
Jill
can you address the issue with over consumption of fructose and its impact on liver glycogen and insulin response?
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteI can certainly address the issue with fructose and its' impact on liver glycogen and insulin response.
For starters, fructose must be metabolized by the liver, whereas glucose can be metabolized by all cells in the body. When the liver glycogen levels are full and fructose is ingested, the liver stops everything to begin metabolizing the fructose as it can not store it in the liver (again, that is to say that the liver gylcogen stores are full). The body begins to convert the fructose to fat, sending it out in the blood stream as trigylcerides or storing it in the liver as fat. This disrupts the release of insulin into the blood stream when there is an influx of glucose to be transported, leading to potentially becoming insulin resistance and the risk of developing Type II Diabetes.
Yes, there are some fruits on this list that are high in fructose but it is within moderation that you drink these juices and also including fruits and veggies that are low in fructose is of utmost importance. Furthermore, I do not believe that the out of control obesity epidemic in the US is due to people juicing fruits and vegetables that are high in fructose. Its due to HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, sodas, processed juices, and a diet filled with unhealthy foods and outrageous portion sizes.
I hope I answered your question.
Thanks!
Love all this great info! Do you recommend a certain amount per day/week? And about how big should a serving be? Thanks Jill! :o)
ReplyDeleteHi Cori!
ReplyDeleteI try to juice at least 5-6 days a week. Sometimes life gets in the way and I dont have time for it but if I strive for that, I normally can do it. As for the portion size, if I am juicing for myself, I usually do about 15-20 ounces, so a little more than 2 cups. This also depends on how many fruits and veggies you use.
In this case, I think the more often you juice and the more variety you add will only benefit your body!
Jill
Delicious! I am happy to be your newest follower!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting such a useful, impressive and a wicked article./Wow.. looking good!
Juicers
Jill, I have recently started juicing myself. The first thing I juiced was pineapple and kiwi, as I read it was a good cleanse. I added to that orange, lemon, apple, grapes, pomegranite, ginger root, saying "what the heck". You mentioned using the pulp in the compost pile. To take that one step further, I actually took all the pulp, put it in a pan and covered it with water. I boiled it for a few minutes, strained it, and made jelly! It was delicious! I first named this jelly "Seven Fruits", but realized ginger is not a fruit. My husband wanted to call it "Scrap Jelly". The thought came to me to call it "Remnant Jelly". One of the definitions for remnant said "scrap". It looked like pink lemonaid before adding sugar, and then it turned a beautiful red, pinkish color. You could really taste the ginger in the first batch as I used more. It tasted more tropical. So, you can extend that "green" by making jelly before discarding the pulp to your compost. I don't think I would want to try this with vegetables, but, you never know!
ReplyDelete