Modern Guide To Juicing For Beginners

Home Juicing – The Ultimate Liquid Lunch

The alcoholic liquid lunches of old take on a fresh new look as more people take up home juicing.

A growing number of health food stores and juice bars now prepare fresh, pre-made and made-to-order juices to cater to the thriving wellness industry. However, the trendy niche has a drawback. Priced at $7.95-$10 per bottle, not everyone can afford to buy a juice daily. You could opt for a cleanse, lasting three to ten days, but honestly speaking, we all need freshly pressed juice on an ongoing basis to truly benefit. After all, we are exposed to toxins all the time.

Home juicing also provides assurance that your juice is organic. While some juice bars use glass bottles, many use plastic, which may not be the best choice for your health or for our environment.

With juicing becoming increasingly more popular, appliance manufacturers are constantly striving to design innovative new blenders and juicers with the objective to make juicing simpler and more affordable. Home juicing is a great way to:

• save money (You no longer have to buy juice!)
• enjoy fruit and vegetables
• save time (easy to prepare, easy to clean)
• look and feel great

Important Note:  While juicing is a wonderful way to consume fresh produce, it’s still good to eat fresh whole fruits and vegetables.

Your Juicing Questions Answered

If you’re new to juicing, you probably have lots of questions. I will endeavor to answer them here.

Q:  Where do I start?

A:  Congratulations on deciding to start juicing and making a commitment to your health. Keep reading and you’ll find some great new recipes to try. I highly recommend that you give up alcohol and smoking a few days before you start juicing and that you try a 3-day detox cleanse. This alleviate burdens on the body and allows major organs and systems to clean out toxins, even at a cellular level.

Q:  Do I have to juice daily to enjoy the health benefits?

A:  Daily juicing is a great way to consume the required nutrients and to combat the daily assault of pollution on our body. I look forward to my green juice every morning!

Q: Can I pre-press juice for a few days at a time?

A: Ideally, you should consume your juice immediately, as it oxidizes quickly, which will decrease the nutrient levels. (Think of how an apple starts to brown when you cut it, because it’s oxidizing.) However, if you have to store it, use an airtight glass container and refrigerate it right away. You’ll want to fill the container to the very top (to where it runs over a bit) and then put the lid on. This method insures the least amount of oxygen exposure possible. If you need to store juice for longer periods of time, invest in a cold hydraulic juice press like this, which will retain the nutrition for 72 hours.

Q: Do I have to peel my fresh produce?

A:  Not if it’s organic. However, make sure that you peel non-organic fruit and vegetables and always wash and scrub your produce thoroughly.

Q:  Must I leave the seeds in my apples?

A:  Apple seeds contain trace amounts of cyanide, which the body can easily detoxify. It’s up to you.

Q: Can I only drink juice during a cleanse, even if I’m hungry?

A:  A juice cleanse gives your digestive system a rest, but you should listen to your body. If you want to enjoy the full juicing effect, stick with juice only; however, if you’re struggling, add light soups and salads to the mix.

Q: How long should a cleanse last?

A: As a first timer, your cleanse should be no longer than three days. If you’re doing it a second time, go for 5-7 days. You may even consider a longer cleanse if you’re trying to lose weight or reduce your dependency on medications. Speak to your health practitioner first.

Q: Where will I get protein from if I juice?

A:  Contrary to popular belief, many vegetables are rich in lean protein. Think about chia seeds, hemp, sprouts, broccoli, collard greens, turnip greens, carrots, romaine lettuce, kale and spinach, for example. These sources will provide you with abundant healthy protein. Think about it… Where does an elephant (the largest land mammal) get it’s protein? … from plants!

Q: Must I drink juice on an empty stomach?

A:  Ideally, yes. This will allow the nutrients to be injected straight into your bloodstream. Wait twenty minutes before you eat food.

Q: Do I use a blender or a juicer?

A:  It’s up to you. A blender leaves a thicker texture –  which is great for smoothies. If you’re planning on following a cleansing program, you’ll want to use a juicer.

Q: I prefer fruit to greens. Can I use more fruit?

A: Fruits have a higher sugar content, so you should use it in moderation. Improve the taste of your green smoothie by adding mint, lemon or ginger. Don’t worry, after a couple of days your palate will adjust.

Q: I’m diabetic and taking medication. Should I not use any fruit?

A: This question is best answered by your health practitioner. Whatever you do, keep up your water consumption and add lots of greens.

Q: Will juicing help me lose weight?

A: It depends how much weight you carry and the length of the cleanse. Most people lose weight during a cleansing program. You will lose water weight first. Remember, toxins like to store themselves in fat, so you must discard the toxins first, before your body will let go of excess weight.

Q: How will my bathroom habits change from juicing?

A:  You will visit the bathroom more frequently, and you may notice color changes in your bowel movements and urine. This is normal.

Q: Should I avoid tea while I’m on a juice cleanse?

A: You can drink tea, unless it contains caffeine. Herbal teas, like chamomile, are great.

Q: Can I still exercise during my cleanse?

A:  Light exercise is usually fine. Try stretching, Pilates or a light walk.

Q: Should I supplement while I’m juicing?

A: Most people are low on vitamins B and D, but you can ask your health practitioner to test your blood. Daily juicing will supply a large amount of nutrients, so don’t overload your system with supplements. Overall, it’s best to get those nutrients from organic, whole foods when possible.

Q: Should I drink the same juice daily?

A:  You can, but variety is best for you. Switch it up to ensure that you get the widest range of nutrients.

Q: How much juice can I drink a day?

A:  If you’re drinking juice on a regular daily basis, drink 3-4 average glasses a day. Juice should be consumed before meals or between meals; but never with meals, as it is more readily digested when consumed alone. During a cleanse (since the juices are your meals) you can drink six to eight large servings a day.

Q: How long will it take to make a juice?

A:  This depends on the type of juicer, but it takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare your vegetables, press the juice and clean up.

Q: I can’t find leafy greens in winter. What should I do?

A:  Green powders are a great alternative to fresh greens. Try spirulina or blue-green algae, or both. Juice your veggies then add powders to your glass & stir. I use this green powder in my smoothie, but also works with juices. *Be careful to buy high quality powders from trustworthy companies; if not sourced well, they can contain high amounts of heavy metals.

Did You Know? Too much of a good thing is not always good. Excess protein consumption can put strain on your vital organs. This is especially true for you pancreas, which produces certain pancreatic enzymes to help digest proteins. A daily green juice as part of a balanced diet can provide you with sufficient protein to lead a physically active lifestyle.

Juicing Produce: Choose Organic

Conventional commercial farmers only grow a small variety of profitable crops which can be produced cheaply. However, it has caused a major decline in the variety of fresh produce available in the United States.

In order for produce to contain a good amount of nutrients, the soil in which the crops grow should be rotated. However, commercial farmers are profit-centered, and less concerned about nutrients. Additionally, they follow the FDA’s guidelines (or lack thereof) regarding pesticide and herbicide use. However, if you look beneath the surface, you’ll see that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ties with major drug and food companies that cause them to make decisions based on profit, which are not in the public’s best interests.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been a strong advocate in the area of corporate accountability, agricultural subsidies and toxic chemicals for around two decades. The group informs consumers of issues relating to public health.

Commercial crops are routinely sprayed with herbicides, insecticides and chemicals to control pests and weeds. This has led to a deluge of health scares, including allergies, asthma, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting, depression, heart irregularities, headaches and migraines and even seizures. Recently, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) has been sprayed on crops as a preservative. These toxins often have dramatic, harmful effects on our bodies.

Soils have become toxic, as they contain petroleum, pesticides and chemicals. Genetically modified organism (GMO) foods are planted in the contaminated soil, which leaches toxins into the plants. This is harmful to our health and should never be consumed.

Now, more than ever before, it is crucial to use organics not only for juicing, but for all your foods. Since juicers extract everything from the product, it is important to use only 100% certified organic produce.

According to the EWG, there are 10 foods that must always be bought organic:

• kale / collard greens
• spinach
• potatoes
• hot peppers
• imported snap peas
• cherry tomatoes
• cucumbers
• celery
• imported nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• peaches
• strawberries
• grapes

**All thin skin fruits, all greens and all root vegetables should also be included.

It is usually ideal to shop at farmers’ markets, as the produce is typically local, organic and fresh. Buying local is better, because the food is picked ripe; it contains a higher concentration of nutrients and no preservatives. Rather than if it was picked 3 weeks ago, then loaded onto a truck, and shelved in a warehouse. As an added bonus, it will taste better… really there’s no comparison! Also, small local farmers tend to use less (or no) pesticide and herbicide sprays.

Did You Know? Dr. Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner said that most ailments, illnesses and diseases can be attributed to commercial farming procedures that led to mineral deficiencies in the soil.

Processed, refined foods lose 90% of their nutritional value. These shouldn’t even be allowed to be called “food”; we’ll refer to them as “food-like product”. Certified organic produce, on the other hand, is declared free of any prohibited chemicals for three years prior to being harvested. Also, organic farmers practice water and soil conservation practices and make use of renewable resources.

Safeguard yourself and your family from short and long-term health risks – buy organic (and local!). This is how we ensure that he good farmers will survive… by voting with our dollars every week.

Juicing: How to prepare your fruits and vegetables

Always prevent food-borne illnesses by washing your produce before juicing it. You don’t need to peel your organic produce, but always wash peel sprayed or waxed fruits and vegetables.

To wash your produce, simply soak it in a dilution of 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV) per quart of water for 10 minutes. Rinse, and soak it again in clean cold water for a further two minutes.

Place fragile fruit such as blackberries, raspberries and strawberries in a strainer and spray it clean using filtered water.

Spinach and lettuce may be marked pre washed or triple washed, but it is a good idea to wash it again, since it is usually packed in plastic bags or containers which leach chemicals into your produce.

Expert Tip: Never wash your produce with soap or detergent! Also, avoid store-bought “veggie wash”… it contains additional chemicals and/or preservatives.

Storing your fruit & vegetables

Take a minute to wrap your vegetables in paper towels before storing them in the refrigerator. The paper will absorb moisture, keeping your produce crisp and dry. You can place the wrapped produce in a sealed container.

Never wash your produce unless you plan on using it in the next two to three days. If you plan to use fruit within the week, you can leave it out of the refrigerator (unless it’s really ripe – the cold slows ripening). Unripe fruits should be left out of the refrigerator to ripen naturally – warm temperatures speed ripening.

• Store unwashed berries in the refrigerator by laying them loosely in a paper towel lined container.
• Avoid using old, yellowed greens (these have deficient nutrients).
• Cut bruises off pears and apples before juicing.

Expert Tip: If your bananas are spotted, break them into smaller chunks and freeze them. Frozen bananas are delightful in smoothies. A great way to not waste food!

A large, green blended smoothie will give you more than 12 grams of fiber. Green juice or smoothies provide plenty of nutrition and fiber, but it may leave you bloated if you combine the wrong foods, or if your body is trying to adjust to new ingredients.

If you experience this, it may be a good idea to eliminate one ingredient at a time in order to learn what works for you, so that you can learn which combinations suit your digestive system best.

Combining Fruits & Vegetables

As you learn more about juicing, you will come across contradicting information about mixing vegetables and fruits. The only exception with which most experts agree, is that apples work well with other foods.

This thought process stems from food-combining principles. Vegetables and fruits have different digesting times and also require different stomach acids. By mixing the two, it may cause gas or fermentation. When undigested food sits in the stomach, it can lead to a lack of stomach acid.

Some believe that by juicing only vegetables together (eg. cucumber, celery, leafy greens, and non-starchy vegetables), the foods are neutralized to balance stomach acid.

Basic food combining principles to aid with absorption and digestion:

• Melons should always be eaten alone (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, etc.)
• Thinner, watery drinks and foods digest very quickly. If you eat them directly after solid food, they will ferment in the stomach because the other food is in their way.
• Juices should be consumed first, before solid foods (wait 30 min. or more, before eating after your juice)
• If having a juice and a smoothie, drink the juice first & then wait 30 min. before having the smoothie.
• If having a smoothie and solid food, drink the smoothie first & then wait 45 min. to an hour before eating the solid food.

I do put a lot of weight in the food combining guidelines, and I personally follow them daily. However, since juicing separates the fiber, which allows easy assimilation of nutrients… I believe the rules change slightly for juicing.

Some food advocates feel that blending is the most effective method for consuming a variety of fresh produce. It keeps the fruit whole and the fiber intact. The particles remaining in blended smoothies allow people to chew their drinks, and this aids digestion and a feeling of fullness. Both juicing and blending are beneficial and each have their purpose, it just depends on what your current goals are.

Vegetable Combinations

Most vegetables can be combined, and it’s best to combine protein and starch.

Mildly Starchy Vegetables

• beets
• carrots
• sweet potatoes
• peas

Non-Starchy Vegetables

• beet greens
• bok choy
• broccoli
• brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• celery
• chard
• collards
• cucumber
• dandelion
• endive
• escarole
• fennel
• garlic
• kale
• kohlrabi
• lettuce
• parsley
• radishes
• spinach
• sprouts
• yellow squash
• sweet peppers
• swiss chard
• watercress
• zucchini

Fruit Combinations

Apart from melons, most fruits can be combined. Ideally, melons should be eaten alone an hour before you eat other foods. The reason for this is that melons digest quickly.

Ideally, acidic fruits (pineapples, tangerines, grapefruits, oranges) should not be combined with sweet fruits (grapes, papaya, bananas, prunes, figs, raisins, dates), as it may lead to fermentation, which will cause gas.

Sub-acid fruits that combine well with both acidic and sweet fruits include:

• pears
• plums
• peaches
• mangoes
• kiwis
• cherries
• blackberries
• apples
• apricots

Medicinal Properties of Herbs & Spices

Enhance the flavor of any juice or smoothie by adding the powerful medicinal properties of herbs and spices to the mix. Use herbs and spices in powder form or fresh and take up the nutritional benefits of your drink significantly.

• 2 handfuls spinach
• 6 romaine leaves
• 2-3 kale leaves, stems removed
• 4 parsley stems and leaves
• 1 medium cucumber
• 5 celery stalks
• 1 Granny Smith (green) apples (if not in season, use Fuji)

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Balancing Alkalizing Juice

• 2-3 cups spinach
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• Small pinch of cayenne
• 1 cup coconut or filtered water, stirred in (use water from a fresh coconut, if possible)

Juice all ingredients in the order listed before stirring in the coconut water.

Hydrating, Cell Building Juice

• 1 Granny Smith (green) apple
• 2 basil leaves
• ½ cucumber
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 carrots

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Alkalizing Juice for Cell Repair & Bone Strengthening

• 1 orange, juiced
• ½ lemon or lime, juiced
• 1 apple
• 6 medium kale leaves
• 3 celery stalks

Juice the citrus and set aside.

Juice the remaining ingredients in the list order and pour in a glass, add the citrus juice and enjoy!

Cool, Calm & Beautiful Juice

• 1 cucumber
• 3 medium kale leaves, stems removed
• 3 chard leaves
• 1 apple
• ½ lemon, juiced

Juice all the ingredients in the order specified.

Rejuvenating Juice

• 1-inch piece of ginger
• 1 cucumber
• 6 mint leaves
• 1 apple
• 3 romaine lettuce leaves
• ¼ fennel bulb
• ½ lemon, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Energizing Juice

• 1 Granny Smith (green) apple
• 3 carrots
• 4 kale leaves, stems removed
• 2 handfuls spinach or romaine lettuce leaves
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2-inch piece of fresh turmeric or a generous pinch of ground
• Pinch of cayenne (optional, to taste)

Juice all the ingredients in the order listed. If you’re using powdered turmeric, stir it into the juice along with the cayenne pepper.

Detox Juice

• 2 tomatoes
• ½ medium beet
• 1 cup cilantro
• 1 small piece jalapeño (optional)
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
• Purified water if needed

Juice all ingredients in the order listed. Stir in Himalayan salt after juicing.

Mind, Health & Body Juice

• 1 Granny Smith or Fuji apple
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger
• 1-inch finger-size piece fresh turmeric, or powdered if fresh is unavailable
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 medium cucumber
• ¼ beet with two beet green leaves
• 1 handful spinach
• 2 carrots

Juice all ingredients in the listed order. If you’re using powdered turmeric, stir it in after juicing.

Power Juice

• 1 cup spinach
• 8 mint sprigs
• ½ cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 3 kale leaves
• 1 cup pineapple
• ½ lemon, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Pain Relief & Weight Loss Juice

• 3 kale leaves
• 7 romaine leaves
• 1 cucumber
• 5 tangerines, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Heart Health Juice

• 1 Granny Smith apple
• 4 chard leaves
• ½ cup green cabbage
• 3 medium carrots
• ½ medium cucumber

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Hangover Juice

• 2 apples
• Handful of mint leaves
• ½ large cucumber
• 2 large carrots
• 3 large romaine leaves
• 1 pear
• ½ lemon, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Cleansing, Building, Boosting Juice

• 1 golden or red beet
• ½ bunch parsley
• 1 small piece jalapeño pepper
• 1 garlic clove or 1-inch piece of ginger
• 2 large carrots
• 5 romaine lettuce leaves
• 3 celery stalks

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Hydrating Heart Health Juice

• 2 cups spinach
• 1 medium cucumber
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 pink grapefruit, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Blood Boosting Juice

• 10 medium kale leaves
• 1-inch piece ginger
• 1 medium beet
• 2 Fugi apples
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Alkalizing Juice

• 1-inch piece ginger
• 2 celery stalks
• ½ cucumber
• 1 small beet
• 2 large carrots
• ½ lemon, juiced

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Energizing Summer Juice

• 1 medium cucumber
• ½ fennel bulb
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 Granny Smith (green) apple
• 1 pear

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Immune Booster Juice

• 3 romaine leaves
• 2 mint sprigs
• ½ cucumber
• 1 Granny Smith (green) apple
• 1 Fuji apple
• ½ lime, juiced
• A pinch of sea salt

Juice all ingredients in the order listed.

Child-Friendly Juice Recipes

Popeye Juice

• 1 handful spinach
• ½ cup pineapple
• ½ cucumber

Juice or blend all the ingredients. **This one is great as a juice or smoothie!

Super Juice

• 1 Golden Delicious apple
• 1 handful spinach
• 2-inch piece of cucumber
• 1 very small piece of beet
• Handful of berries

Juice or blend all the ingredients. You may have to add a little purified water if you blend it.

Happy Juice

• ½ cup berries
• ½ apple
• 1 celery stalk
• Small piece of cucumber
• ½ frozen or fresh banana (only for blending, not juicing)

Juice or blend all the ingredients. You may have to add a little purified water if you blend it.