Juicing

I went without chewing food for over 4 days. No it wasn't a fast because I consumed more than just water. It's the New Year and I wanted to support Mr.pairs4life so we were supposed to do 3 days of mainlining fruit and vegetable juice. Of course he caved, and I got stuck drinking all 3 days of my juice plus his juice yesterday and more of his juice today (supplemented today with 2 home-cured olives & 8 cashews).

We went with the 3 day juice regimen from Peeled. The gent working there said when I picked up the juices that the 1st day was the hardest. He was right. It wasn't because we were hungry, but because the bulk of the juices were vegetable-based with maybe 1 fruit seed "juiced" into the concoction. I can honestly say I was never hungry unless I let more than 2 hours pass before having another juice( you were supposed to have a juice every 2 hours) and the hunger went away as soon as I did. Additionally, my energy was about the same as it would be when supplemented with caffeine (primarily in the form of a Coke Zero, but lately through coffee). I didn't suffer any headaches. I didn't feel lightheaded either. Oh, and I slept the "sleep of the just" as my mum-in-law would say.

Day 2 & 3 were fine. The juices even tasted pretty good. I think your taste buds adjust.

I'm roasting garlic now for a fettuccine with preserved lemon I'm serving tomorrow and it smells wonderful. Oddly enough, that lovely fragrance does not make me want to eat anything tonight.

This is an interesting way to operate. I can't wait to get back to making my own juice. I learned a lot through this process.

Not much of a downside to this experience for me. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I look forward to consuming more juice.

Anyone else out there regularly juicing?

I do every am. Today was celery, carrot, rutabaga, beet, cuke, kale, fennel, radish, ginger, strawberries, blueberries, banana, kiwi, honeydew, pear, apple, ginsing xtract and Braggs vinegar w/the mother. Basically we go to Stanleys and spend $20. Lasts a wk. I got tired of watching my love eat a granola bar before leaving for a long day. She could live happily on hamburgers and pepper jack cheese sticks. This way she @ least gets some good ju ju going. We love it.

Jazzfood wrote:I do every am. Today was celery, carrot, rutabaga, beet, cuke, kale, fennel, radish, ginger, strawberries, blueberries, banana, kiwi, honeydew, pear, apple, ginsing xtract and Braggs vinegar w/the mother.

Wow! What kind of juicer do you have?

Juiceman 2 that I bought @ the Ark for $10.

So today is the 1st juice of the week. I found I missed having these juices all week.

It's beet, carrot & ginger (I have to have it served over ice) in a quart mason jar with a straw.

I can feel the yummy nourishment coursing through my body.

My juicing is limited to mornings: just grapefruit, apple, and orange. Yields about 16oz.

I feel a bolt of energy when I have my first sip of fresh juice in the morning, even when it's mostly the non-sugary grapefruit.

The only possible downside to juicing is that you lose all that fiber (which I correct by taking a fiber cap, ).

This is going to be an advertisement for the Nutri-Bullet which is a $100 appliance that juices.

In the last few months we've been introduced to this device by a friend who is a physician and who, like me, is a perpetual dieter.

The device is simpler and easier to use than our blender, and much easier to clean. And it grinds up whole pieces of fruit pretty quickly.

We use it to substitute a shake for a breakfast meal.

This morning's shake was pretty typical.

1 1/2 cups of fresh kale
1/2 banana
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1/2 cup frozen berries
Couple tablespoons of yogurt
Some almond milk
Some water
Scoop of protein powder

A cut up clementine with it's skin is really nice as well. But not every day.

I have found that it provides decent energy into the middle of the day and I don't have food cravings.

We've been trying for a couple years to cut down (cut out seems impossible) our white starch consumption. Maybe it's psychological and we're in a bit of a groove, but it's never been easier to cut out the starches with the daily shakes.

I had my first small glass of green juice last night. I am not sure what was in it but it had kale, maybe apple and carrots. It was very pleasant tasting. I would not mind having a juicer. I like smoothies but I like juice too. I already have a citrus juicer and love it but I do think green juice would be a healthy thing to do as long as it would taste good.

Think I'll stick to Mimosas, made with fresh orange or tangerine juice from The Grand Food Center in Winnetka. For some mysterious reason, they sell their house-squeezed juice for a measly $5.99 a half-gallon (!), the same price as a quart on Marketplace on Oakton. Dandy bakery and deli, and butcher-served meat, too, and a good selection of wines, beers, and liquor. Highly recommended, if you're anywhere near the North Shore.

I do not know why but I am craving juices and salads right now. I do not know if it is the time of year when you are sick of winter and your body is craving green and fresh things but I really feel it. I ate a big spinach and kale salad for dinner and it really was good. I am craving juice but do not have a real juicer. I only have a citrus juicer but tomorrow I must get it out and have some fresh squeezed juice. I have been holding off on buying a juicer because I think its just another appliance that will clutter up my small kitchen but I must look tomorrow and see if I can make space for one.

Toria,

Grab a coupon online for BBB & get the Breville Juicer. Ours takes up space, but it gets used more than any other appliance on the counter. I adore it.

I was thinking about the Breville. It has good reviews on line. I am going to have to make a space. I am thinking about it. And dig up that coupon. Do they have several different models there? I was not thinking of the most expensive one nor the cheapest. I saw what I think is the breville juice fountain for about 140 on Amazon. I plan on watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead soon just to get an inspiration. I hope the breville will work well on greens too like kale and spinach.

I do not plan on going on a juice fast or even eating all my fruits and vegetables via juice. I just want to drink a nice glass of juice or two everyday along will still eating vegetables, salads and fruit.

As it turns out Frank reminded me that we have a juice that is packed away and its only been used about three times. Duh. We watched Fat Sick and Dead last night. Quite an inspiration. We got the old Cuisinart juicer out that has not been used in years and started to make juice. 2 apples, a half a lemon, one orange, a carrot, a chuck of cucumber, a handful of spinach and a handful of kale. Oh and a few strawberries. It yielded a largish glass of green juice that we split. It really looked like swamp water. But it was quite pleasant not bad tasting at all. I guess I will keep on with my old "new" juicer for a while to see how much I use it. I can upgrade to the Breville later. By the way, does anyone have a preference on what kind of apples are good for making juice?

P.S. I had green juice again for breakfast. After the green juice I could not stomach the idea of having coffee. Did not have a taste for it or any other foods for hours. Took me until ten thirty to have my first very small cup of coffee.

Wouldn't it be better to use something like a vitamix instead of a juice extractor (to retain more of the nutrients/fiber)? Does anyone have a recommendation for a less expensive alternative to the vitamix? (I don't want to a juice extractor).

I guess if you are going to buy something then you need to decide whether to buy a juicer or vitatmix. My object is not to make a smoothie or a bunch of stuff all ground up but to get just the juice. I know about the argument of the fiber but I do not like thick drinks I like watery type drinks. Also I do not plan on not eating salads and solid fruits and vegetables I see juice as a supplement to my diet.

P.S. Read up the thread someone posted about the nutribullet which I think is not a juicer but grinds things up and costs a hundred dollars.

After hearing what I juice everyday a friend of mine mentioned that it might be counterproductive and some things may cancel out others vitamin wise. Also that the amount of sugar in the fruit I add to the vegs spikes your blood sugar which in turn plays with your insulin production and therefore is not as good for me as I may believe. Thoughts?

From what I have read you have to put in enough vegetables so you do not get a sugar overload. Various websites have said to put in cucumbers and celery as well as a lemon to provide more juice without sugar. Of course you have to put in some fruits to make it palatable. I am still experimenting. If you are not a diabetic you should be okay as long as you do not overdo it with the fruit juice in the morning. A small glass of citrus juice would be okay after all a lot of people are swigging commercial oj everyday which I don't. Think of all the people drinking cokes. I know people who have a coke or diet coke for breakfast. Certainly juice would be a lot better than that. A larger glass of "green juice", made with a mix of fruits and vegetables would probably be even better. I would not go on a prolonged juice fast without talking to my doctor.

I'm not fasting or cleansing but we're doing this every am:

celery, carrot, rutabaga, beet, cuke, kale, fennel, radish, ginger, strawberries, blueberries, banana, kiwi, honeydew, pear, apple, ginsing xtract and Braggs vinegar w/the mother.

I like my excess but have been warned and am just curious. I've searched the internet and get mainly that you should add some pulp (fiber) back and be aware/careful of the fructose from the fruit. Nothing on things canceling out others or maybe digested better w/a protein.

Jazzfood wrote:After hearing what I juice everyday a friend of mine mentioned that it might be counterproductive and some things may cancel out others vitamin wise. Also that the amount of sugar in the fruit I add to the vegs spikes your blood sugar which in turn plays with your insulin production and therefore is not as good for me as I may believe. Thoughts?

Is your friend a nutritionist? I find that a lot of these "it's not healthy" folks say nothing about health when you eat a snickers bar or a hot dog (not that there's anything wrong with that imo). Based on all of the vegetables you are taking in for this morning meal, you are probably fine. Of course you can always check in with a nutritionist to be certain.

Keep on juicing xo

I agree. I sit here as I have eaten stuff from the dessert exchange (it was delicious...but) as well as some green juice today that contained some fruit. I should be worried about the sweets I ate not the glass of juice. I do think most nutritionists including the mayo clinic website will promote eating whole fruits and vegetables but for many of us, we do not get enough of these so having some fresh juice can be beneficial as long as we do not over do the fruit.

What would happen if you juice folks dropped a few fish or some shrimp or octopus into your juicers/vitamix thingies? A whiting, maybe some sushi grade tuna, a fresh squid?

Add some savory into your regime?

kenji wrote:What would happen if you juice folks dropped a few fish or some shrimp or octopus into your juicers/vitamix thingies? A whiting, maybe some sushi grade tuna, a fresh squid?

Add some savory into your regime?

I don't know, why dont you give it a whirl Kenji & let us know. Mine is plenty savory, as is,from the greens.

I don't own a juicer. Am thinking about it though. I also like my eggs. I'm wondering how often one might get ill if they put raw eggs into their juicers regularly?

I have had a tuna shake once. It was tasty.

If you want to do that you should blend not juice. There is somewhat of a controversy about blending vs juicing. If you want to add eggs, meat or fish then you need something else. I do not know who would put meat or fish in their stuff but I have heard of people putting raw eggs in their smoothies. Its silly I think because you can get protein powder that will provide the same thing which is extra protein. There are a bunch of machines out their that blend or liquify things and you are drinking the whole thing not just the juice where the pulp is thrown away. Then there are the people who are doing juicing so you have to do the research to decide what you want to do. If you want to drink something that is the consistency of a smoothie or something thin like juice and what kind of nutrition do you want to get. For me its not worth it to get one of these super blenders because I am not going to drink crushed up broccoli or kale, I would rather eat it. But I do love green juice so juicing is good for me.

protein powder is a processed food/supplement. Part of the allure of juicing/blending/mixing for me is not digesting processed stuff in the first place. So maybe for me it would be juicing then mixing/blending other solids into the juice.

Nothing says you can't do that. YOu could juice the fruits and vegetables and blend other stuff and mix together. You can get real creative if you want. Different strokes for different folks.

Benefits of juicing and Blender vs Juicer:

Benefits of Juicing!

1. Many people ask why they should juice when they could eat the vegetables or fruits. When you extract the juice from the vegetable all you are left with are beneficial micronutrients. Since your body doesn’t have to break down any components like insoluble fiber, your body is quickly absorbing micronutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and much more from the juice. That’s why often you get instant energy after having a juice!

2. Juicing also allows you to consume the needed vegetables and fruits that your body craves and needs for optimal health. If you find it difficult eating raw vegetables and fruit, then juicing is perfect for you. With juicing you are also getting a wide variety of different vegetables into your daily intake.

Blending vs. Juicing

Blending simply combines all the ingredients you place in your blender, leaving the pulp and fiber intact. Fiber is a great addition to your diet and can help prevent against many diseases. Unlike juicing, consuming blended drinks makes your body work harder to digest the ingredients.

Juicing separates the pulp from the vegetables and fruits, leaving only juice behind. With juicing you are still consuming beneficial soluble fiber like pectin. Juicing also helps with the removal of toxins from your body and also aids in weight loss.

Both are beneficial and should be added to your diet. I personally love juicing and have seen and felt the difference since juicing.

Good points. I think both are good. Problem for me is I do not really care for the blended green smoothies so what is the point if you are not going to consume it. I do like fruit smoothies but then you do not get the benefits of the green. I do like juice. Been doing it every day now for a week and feel amazing. More alert. I do it once a day.

I am really liking this green juice. Its got to be on my top ten faves for food. Okay its not good good like fried chicken but its so refreshing, natural and pure I just love it. And the produce just flies out of my refrigerator.....no more apples or oranges hanging around they are gone. Juiced!!!

toria wrote:I am really liking this green juice. Its got to be on my top ten faves for food. Okay its not good good like fried chicken but its so refreshing, natural and pure I just love it. And the produce just flies out of my refrigerator.....no more apples or oranges hanging around they are gone. Juiced!!!

It's almost disturbing how much you like it isn't it?