Juicing is a great way to introduce more servings of fruits and vegetables into your diet. It doesn’t have to be a difficult process, but there are certain things you need to watch out for. Read this article for some helpful tips and tricks about juicing your fruits and vegetables.
Drink your juice on an empty stomach, such as first thing in the morning or about half an hour before a meal. This allows your system to better absorb the nutrients in your juice, without the interference of other foods. Juice drunk on an empty stomach can enter your system in as quickly as thirty minutes.
When you start making your own juices, try adding a vegetable in the mix that you tend to avoid. Vegetables that you do not like alone might end up tasting great to you when mixed in a juice with other flavors. This is a great way to get nutrients you otherwise wouldn’t.
Look into getting a system for vacuum sealing your jars if you are planning on making larger quantities of juice at the same time. Being able to fully vacuum seal your container means you will be able to store it for much longer periods of time without suffering a loss in quality or health benefits.
Start gradually with vegetables. Start by adding bits of vegetables to your fruit juices and work your way up to full vegetable drinks. Vegetables are more nutritious than fruits as a group but not as tasty sometimes. Adding more veggies to your drinks will make your taste buds ready to get that superior nutritional value.
Buy a juicer that does NOT heat up any parts near the items being juiced. The heat can cause the juice to begin oxidation, leading to a breakdown of the nutrients in it. Choose a juicer that says specifically that the parts touching the juice will remain cool throughout the juicing process.
When looking for a juicer to purchase, check out the additional features it provides. A masticating juicer often comes with attachments to make pasta or grind foods, which can save you money by making other foods from scratch as well. Consider the juicer an investment for your whole kitchen, and pick up a few attachments while you’re out.
Start juicing with the softer items in your ingredient list and then follow them up with the harder items. This will help clear the pulp from your machine to facilitate an easier clean up later. You want to work your machine in the easiest way possible to give it a long life.
Having trouble juicing leafy greens? Try rolling them up into balls, or cigars, and then feeding them through your juicer. You can also try wrapping them around other fruits or vegetables and then pushing the whole thing through, or chopping them very finely and placing a spoonful in the machine at a time.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is to be sure to listen to your body as far as how it reacts to certain types of juices. This is important to consider both in the case of positive and negative effects that your juice can give you, ranging from allergic reactions to clarity of mind.
If your fruits and vegetables are organic, go ahead and juice the peels as well. The skins of produce are loaded with antioxidants and other nutrients, so peeling them will remove a lot of the nutritional content. The only exception is citrus fruits like oranges or grapefruits, where the rinds are not very digestible.
If you’d like to add an exotic flavor to your juice recipes, try some fresh coconut! It adds a nutty smoothness to any mixture, giving you something new and different to enjoy. Try mixing it with other exotic juices, like mango or papaya. Some like to chew on a piece of coconut while preparing their juice!
When juicing soft fruits such as melons, peaches and strawberries it is good to know that the resulting juice will be thicker as opposed to juicing hard fruits such as apples. A good way to have great juice is combining both of these juices. This will create balance and will result in a much better texture.
Consider organic produce with a few blemishes if you’re trying to save money on your juicing budget. If you use it right away it won’t spoil, and the seller will typically discount it so they don’t have to throw it away. Farmer’s markets are an excellent place to get less-than-perfect produce at an incredible price.
If your blood pressure is high, it’s time to buy a juicer! Vegetables and fruit carry so many health benefits, and increasing your intake will not only help you battle blood pressure, but it’s likely to cause weight loss and replace sodium-rich foods you might not eat otherwise. Choose cucumber, garlic, lemon, parsley or pear for the biggest blood pressure regulation benefits.
A good juicing tip is to make sure you clean your juicer right after you use it. Cleaning your juicer right after use will prevent particles from hardening, which will make the juicer much easier to clean. You’ll save a lot of time and energy by doing this.
Vegetables and fruit are an excellent way to include anti-oxidants in your diet, helping to slow the aging process. Try some of these foods which contain nutrients that are perfect for treating age-related disease: apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, garlic, gooseberries, kale, radishes, and spinach. All of them taste great and will help your health immensely!
Having read this article, you are well on your way to slimming your waistline and improving your health through juicing. As mentioned above, if done right, juicing can be a very simple and easy way to improve your diet. You’re now ready to head to the store and get started juicing!
