Tuesday 24 January 2012

Juicing!

Juicer with fruit

Over the past few weeks I have been debating whether or not to begin the adventure that is juicing. My sister has been juicing nearly every fruit/vegetable imaginable for ages and swears by it. I know for a fact that I don't eat nearly enough vegetables and I don't mind the juice that she makes! But, is juicing what "I" need?

I'm still deciding, but in the meantime I figured I would share some of the things that I am learning!

fresh carrot pineapple juiceWhy Should You Juice Vegetables? 

Everyone knows that you're supposed to eat 6-8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. How often does that actually happen? I know personally I'm lucky if I eat that much in a day once a month! Juicing allows you to consume the benefits of all those vegetables in a single glass. It is way easier to get all those nutrients into your body.

Your body can absorb the nutrients more readily in juice form; so you're not wasting nearly as much.

You will end up eating a greater variety of fruits and vegetables than you normally would.

Juicing is also beneficial because it uses fresh uncooked fruits and veg. Once a food has been cooked it loses its micro-nutrients, but not if it has been juiced!

Vegetables received, beetsDoes it really make a difference?

Everyone that I know that juices has told me that they feel more energetic, healthier, they recover more quickly when they get sick, etc... I've seen how much of a difference it makes in their lives and really believe that it does. I don't think so many people would go through the 'hassle' of it if they didn't find it beneficial.

Why juicing and not making smoothies?

I'm not 100% clear on whether or not there is a big difference between blending and juicing; except that some blenders can heat the food resulting in a loss of nutrients. For me, the choice is more personal. I enjoy smoothies but I cannot get them down very easily. I can drink a whole lot more juice because it isn't thick; so juicing would be a better choice for me.

So what is taking you so long to decide?

I 'know' that juicing would be a good idea; but I'm a pretty busy person. My biggest concern is whether or not I would have the time/inclination to do it. I have no desire to spend the money on a good juicer only to use it for a few days and decide it is too much of a hassle. You have to clean the juicer RIGHT away or it will mold, something you want to avoid at all costs. Will I have the time to do that?

The other fact is that there are an absolute ton of juicers out there. I personally want one that is as easy to clean as possible, and still gets the most out of the vegetables that it can. (Without being too expensive.)

Breville® Juice Fountain OneBreville® Juicer Elite with Coulis

One of these juicers is just over $100 - The other... over $300! That is a lot of money for me to invest before I figure out what I really need.

If you are thinking about juicing you should check out what Dr. Mercola has to say about it

I'll keep you posted and share any new juicing information that I come across!

Thanks for stopping by!

Photos courtesy of mathiasbaert, rick and cbb4104
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2 comments:

  1. I really think I will soon be getting a juicer...gotta do what you need to do!! Say yes, to juicing....

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    Replies
    1. You'll have to let me know how you like it!

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