Juicing Joy: Juicing For Health
Drink Your Way To Good Health
After trying nearly every diet known to woman, I have discovered juicing. Yep. Juicing.
After hearing so many good thing about juicing, I decided to check it out. I began with lots of research, which I'll share with you here.
That convinced me that not only is juicing is great for over-all health, but it contains a built-in diet. I think of it as the ultimate stealth diet.
I was not only sold, I was salivating. I wanted in, now! So, I turned my attention to juicer equipment to see what I needed. (BTW, a blender is not a juicer. I already had one of them.)
A few days later, my shiny new best friend arrived at my doorstep. Armed with my research, my recipes, my fruits and veggies, and NOW my juicer, I jumped in.
In the first 2 weeks of juicing, I lost 5 pounds and my energy level increased.
I am now happily drinking my way to good health. Along the way, I expect to lose the rest of the weight I gained on all those failed diets.
I'm so excited about this new approach that I wanted to share it with everyone: what it is, how to do it, why it makes sense, and exactly what equipment you need for best results.
This will be an ongoing chronicle of my experience: research, recipes, and results.Get ready to be amazed because this is a pretty amazing gadget.
If you decide to give it a try, please let me know what your results are.
Check out my favorite book on juicing: Juicing Joy - Kindle edition
Photo © Frankie Kangas/2012 - all rights reserved
Tell Me About Your Juicing Experience - You Can Leave A Comment As Well
How much do you know about juicing?
Juicing: Topics To Be Covered - Learning about Juicing
- What is Juicing?
- What are the health benefits of juicing?
- Juicing terminology
- What foods to juice
- Juicers: The 3 Types Of Juicers
- My Juicer Choice
- Accessorizing your juicing kitchen
- Recipes
1. What is Juicing?
Juicing Separates The Juice From The Pulp
Juicing at its most basic is the mechanical separation the juice (with all the nutrients) from the tough, fibrous, hard to digest pulp of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. It is the ultimate in raw, natural foods. Vegans and vegetarians will love juicing.
With the new juicers, the separating of the juice from the pulp is fast and easy. I think it's fun -- chunks in, juice out.
In the next module, you will learn about the many health benefits of juicing. Onward.
2. What Are The Health Benefits Of Juicing?
Why separate the juice from the pulp?
Separating the juice from the pulp has many benefits. These are my favorites:
1) massive increase in nutrients and micro-nutrients.
2) elimination of hard to digest pulp
3) reduction in toxin consumption
4) elimination of digestion difficulties. Can you say, "pre-digested?" [a]
5) promotes weight loss. [b]
6) detoxifies the body. [c]
7) Increases energy level.[d]
8) promotes internal healing
In the first 2 weeks of my juicing diet: -- juicing 2 meals and eating a regular lunch:
[a] My frequent heartburn disappeared.
[b] I lost 5 pounds effortlessly.
[c] at first, my face became a little bumpy, as my body was eliminating toxins. By week 4 it had cleared up and now looks healthier.
[d] My energy level jumped at least 50%.
Photo: Hemera Photo Clip Art
3. Juicing terminology
Centrafugal - A physics term meaning to move away from the center.
Masticating - chew food.
Pith - is the white fleshy part of the fruit between the peel and the fruit itself.
Phytonutrients: According to the Glyconutrients News, "Phytochemicals are non-nutritive plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing, compounds."
Triturating - grind food thoroughly.
4. Which Foods To Juice
Juicing Ingredients
Almost any raw fruit and vegetable is good for juicing. Raw produce is filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and plant enzymes. Pick out your favorite fruits and vegetables, but also try new ones, even ones you don't like cooked. Many taste different raw.
Fruits I juice: Red apples, green apples, oranges, grapes, mangoes, pears, bananas, grapefruit, pineapple, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, lemons, limes, kiwis, Honey Dew melon, watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya.
Vegetables I juice: Carrots, celery, cucumber, kale, Swiss chard, butternut squash, asparagus, yams, sweet potatoes, bell peppers (red, yellow, green, orange).
Miscellaneous flavorings I use: Parsley, ginger, garlic, onion, cinnamon, ground pepper, salt, ground cumin, nutmeg, celery seed, ground pepper, whey protein.
Sweeteners I use: Agave, Sucanat, Stevia, honey, Agave.
Photo © Frankie Kangas/2012 - all rights reserved
5. Juicers: The 3 Types Of Good Juicers
Many Models Make Maximal Confusion
When I started looking at juicers, I found that of the huge universe of choices, only 3 types are acceptable:
Centrifugal, masticating, and triturating.
To make an intelligent decision on which to buy, I came up with my criteria. I wanted a machine that was:
moderately priced,
able to process a wide range of ingredients,
easy to clean,
bladeless (for safety),
and quiet. I have a Vita Mix blender which is so loud that my cats run for cover whenever I get it out.
Here's what I learned about the 3 types of juicers...
Centrifugal: This juicer is the fastest of the 3. It works like a washing machine's spin cycle, forcing the juice outward where it then falls into the collection area. It is also the cheapest. The major problem with this type of juicer is that it doesn't produce as much juice; some of it remains with the pulp. It is louder than the others and it cannot juice leafy green vegetables, herbs or wheat grass. The worse thing about it is that the spinning action produces heat, which kills many of the enzymes in the juice.
Masticating: This juicer chews and crushes the produce, then pushes it through a fine screen. It is a little slower than the Centrifugal, but it is quieter, gets a better juice yield, and does not kill the enzymes. It have no blades to worry about. It will make nut butter, fruit sorbets, sauces and pastas.
Triturating: This juicer crushes and grinds the produce, much like the Masticating machines. But it has a 2-gear system that is a little more efficient in getting juice out of the produce. A Triturating juicer has magnetic and bio-ceramic technology to slow oxidation allowing storage of juice for a longer time. It can make nut butters, sauces, sorbets and ice creams. The major con is price: 3 times as much, for a slightly better performer.
Photo © Frankie Kangas/2012 - all rights reserved (Omega J8006 Juicer)
6. My Juicer Choice - The Juicer I Chose - Omega J8006
I chose a Masticating juicer, the Omega J8006 for several reasons: quietness, efficiency, no blades, easy to clean and affordable. Although a Triturating juicer is more efficient, it is much more expensive. The Omega J8006 I purchased cost $299 whereas a Triturating juicer runs in the $900 and up. Besides comparing prices with other Masticating juicers, I looked at the descriptions supplied by the manufacturers of the juicers, compared speed, loudness, ease of cleaning, price and customer ratings. I am totally satisfied with the Omega J8006 juicer. It is easy to assemble, clean and use; has no blades to worry about and it produces great juices.
It is a Pulp Ejection model which means the pulp comes out into a separate container with the juice in another. This makes it easy to clean and faster too.
7. Juicer Accessories
Accessorizing Your Kitchen For Juicing
Having never juiced nor done much baking either, after I started juicing, I found items that would make my juicing easier. Here I'll share those with you.
Bowls and Colanders - Assessorizing Your Kitchen For Juicing
Great Bamboo Cutting Boards for Juicing
Tiny Ice Cubes - Trays
Ingredients
- 2 Med. Apples
- 1/2 Med. Pear (any kind)
- 3/4 Cup Strawberry chunks
- OPT: 1 cup ice - crushed or small cubes (see assessories for small cube trays)
Instructions
- 1. Clean apple and pears with dish soap and dish cloth, rinsing well.
- 2. Clean strawberries and remove green tops.
- 3. Cut ingredients into chunks to fit your juicer.
- 4. AFTER juice is made, add the ice. Do NOT put ice through the juicer.
- Photo © Frankie Kangas/2012 - all rights reserved
RECIPE: Apples, Pear, Orange, Lemon
- 2 med. apples
- 1 med. pear
- 1 med. orange
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 cup of ice
- OPT: 1 cup ice - crushed or small cubes (see assessories for small cube trays)
Instructions
- 1. Clean apple and pears with dish soap and dish cloth, rinsing well.
- 2. Peel orange and lemon, leaving some of the white.
- 3. Cut ingredients into chunks to fit your juicer.
- 4. AFTER juice is made, add the ice. Do NOT put ice through the juicer.
- Photo © Frankie Kangas/2012 - all rights reserved
RECIPE: Apples, Celery, Kale (or Swiss Chard)
- 4 Med. apples
- 3 stalks of celery
- 2 big handfuls of kale or Swiss chard
- OPT: 1 cup ice - crushed or small cubes (see assessories for small cube trays)
Instructions
- 1. Clean apple with dish soap and dish cloth, rinsing well.
- 2. Clean celery with brush, rinsing well.
- 3. Clean kale or Swiss chard.
- 4. Cut ingredients into chunks to fit your juicer.
- 5. AFTER juice is made, add the ice. Do NOT put ice through the juicer.
- Photo © Frankie Kangas/2012 - all rights reserved