I love green juice so much that I would marry it if I wasn’t already married. When I see families, especially children, drinking green juice, my heart melts on the floor, but when I see people drinking juice in a less than stellar way and making common mistakes, I get crazy concerned and want to help. That’s why I want to go over common juicing mistakes I have personally witnessed, so hopefully I can put my crazy concerned look to rest. It’s important to remember – we are all learning in this big bad world of processed foods, and juicing is better than not juicing at all, even if you make these mistakes.
TOP COMMON JUICING MISTAKES
Not Drinking Green Juice On An Empty Stomach – Recently a blogger friend of mine tried juicing for the first time, and when she finished her first juice she proclaimed to me that it gave her heart burn. Immediately, I asked her if she drank her juice on an empty stomach, and she said “No, I had it after breakfast.” Fresh juice should only be consumed on an empty stomach. The whole point of drinking juice is diminished if you don’t, and can end up giving you digestive issues like my friend experienced. Drinking juice on an empty stomach allows the vitamins and minerals in the juice to go straight to your bloodstream. Having fiber or a meal already in your stomach prevents your body from quickly absorbing the nutrients from the juice. A good general rule of thumb to follow is to wait at least 2 hours after a meal to drink a green juice and wait 20 mins after drinking a green juice to consume a meal.
Waiting Too Long To Drink Your Green Juice – As soon as your freshly made green juice gets exposed to air, its live enzymes begin to degrade, therefore decreasing the nutritional content. I can immediately tell the difference in how I feel after drinking fresh juice vs. an older juice. The live enzymes of a fresh juice give me immediate energy – where as older juice just doesn’t give me the same boost. For this reason, unless you have a slow masticating juicer, twin gear or Norwalk press juicer, I recommend always consuming the juice fresh and within 15 mins of making it. This is especially important if you make your juice without a juicer using a blender and strainer. For slow or twin-gear juicers, I recommend storing juice in an airtight container (filled to the top with no air gap) for up to 24-36 hours, and for a press juicer up to 72 hours. If you decide to store your juice, remember to keep it refrigerated at all times before consuming. This is also important to keep in mind when you buy pre-made, raw unpasteurized juice because as soon as the juice becomes warm, bacteria can begin to grow that could be harmful. Always keep your juice in the fridge or a cooler if traveling if you don’t drink it right away. If you notice your favorite juice bar keeping juices longer than 72 hours, make sure they are using high pressure pasteurization technology (like Suja Juice and Blueprint Cleanse) – otherwise, they are getting away with selling you lower quality and nutritionally degraded juice.
Using Too Many Sweet Fruits and Vegetables In Your Green Juice – Sweet fruits and vegetables like watermelon, apples, pears, and carrots are very nutritious when consumed whole, but if you consume too many of them juiced, the amount of sugar and fructose you are adding to your diet could be over the top. If a juice has too much natural sugar it can affect insulin levels pretty dramatically, causing cravings and other not so pretty things to happen, like gaining weight. This is why I recommend keeping the sugary fruits and vegetables in your green juice to a maximum of 1 per serving. For example, in the juice recipe below you can add one green apple for a bit of sweetness. It’s important to keep sugar in check to be able to sustain steady and consistent energy levels. I personally do not add any fruit to my daily green juice any longer, but I still love the occasional carrot (for their eye lash enhancing properties) and beet (for their detoxing capabilities). Exceptions to this rule are lemons and limes that are naturally very low in sugar and do not spike blood insulin levels like other fruits. (One caveat – if you are trying to get your children switched over to green juice, you can start by adding 2 fruits per serving, but then slowly decrease this over time as they become accustomed to the taste.)
Treating Green Juice Like A Meal (unless on a fast or having it as a snack) – Juice isn’t a meal replacement, rather it is a meal enhancer or snack. Juicing is nature’s vitamin pill and should be consumed like a supplement within 20 mins before a complete meal. It’s really hard to eat the amount of vegetables recommended by most experts (6-8 servings) in a typical day. It’s rare to see Americans eating vegetables for breakfast, and at lunch a typical vegetable serving could be as small as a piece of lettuce or tomato on a sandwich, making it probable that your target amount of vegetable servings for the day will not be met. It takes a few pounds of vegetables to get a 12-ounce glass of juice – which gives you an entire day’s serving in one glass. Juicing should be like taking a vitamin but of course it’s a billion times better. Additionally, drinking juice before a meal (like I recommend in the Meal Plans for Health Program) reduces carb and sweet cravings and completely changes your taste buds to want something plant-based versus something heavy or processed. Juicing allows you to absorb many more vitamins and minerals than you would otherwise by consuming smoothies or eating fruits and vegetables with the fiber. The only time I wouldn’t consume a meal after juicing would be during a juice fast.
Not Chewing Your Green Juice – Juice (and smoothies) are food and should be chewed. It’s important to swish around the juice in your mouth or move your jaw up and down for a couple of seconds before swallowing it to release saliva that contains important digestive enzymes. The digestive enzymes are crucial in delivering key nutrients to your cells. When I visited with Dr. Mercola for lunch, it was fun witnessing him doing this when he drank his green juice – he swished it back and forth quite energetically! I personally like to use less of an obvious gesture and keep the juice in my mouth a few seconds before swallowing it.
Leaving Your Juicer Dirty – I know juicing can take time and life can get busy, things like cleaning your juicer right away can get pushed to the side, but let me tell you, cleaning your juicer (at least rinsing it off) will save you and your knuckles a lot of scrubbing later. If I know time is going to be tight, I’ll often throw all the parts of the juicer in a sink and let them soak with water and a little soap – that way, when I get back to cleaning the juicer, it will be much easier. Also, to save time when I juice in the morning, I’ll pre-wash the vegetables the night before, eliminating this step the next day, and allowing me more time to clean the juicer right away. I’ve gotten my juicing routine down to 20 mins using a 2 step press juicer, which is pretty darn good if you ask me! When I use a centrifuge or another type of juicer, my timing is usually around 15 mins from start to cleanup.
Juicing Spinach or Kale Over and Over Again – Variety is the spice of life, and it’s key for juicing correctly and safely and to avoid hormonal issues. Remember to rotate the greens (kale, chard, spinach, mustard greens, collards, dandelion, arugula, etc.) in your juice each week to prevent build up of oxalic acid (which can affect the thyroid gland) and provide a balanced amount of different vitamins and minerals for your body.
You Stopped Green Juicing Because You Heard That Drinking Smoothies Is Better (or maybe you never started) – For the record, I consume both smoothies and juices, but I also know there is no other way to get the extraordinarily amount of powerful nutrients trapped inside green vegetables than to juice them. Drinking juice has the power to make you feel like you have never before – it’s quite magical and something I wouldn’t give up for every smoothie in the world. Our soil is nutritionally depleted due to the use of pesticides, genetically modified seeds, and conventional farming practices, drastically reducing the amount of many vitamins and minerals once abundantly available to us. Eating a piece of broccoli now vs. 20 years ago does not yield the same amount of nutrition. It’s crucial that we try to compensate for this fact by juicing. Juicing allows you to get the extra boost you need much more efficiently than trying to chew an unachievable amount of vegetables all day. When I started drinking carrot juice, my eye lashes immediately started to grow longer within just a couple of weeks. Feeling the extra energy boost is one thing, but seeing the results in the mirror can be quite dramatic and make you a firm believer of the powers of drinking juice. Drinking juice reduces the amount of energy your body uses for digestion, giving your cells a chance to repair and rebuild. It’s the ultimate preventative medicine when it comes to avoiding disease. Don’t wait until you are already sick or trying to get better to consume juice, it’s about creating a healthy body from within now so you never get sick in the first place.
With all this juicing talk… I have to share my most recent concoction which includes both lemon and lime. This juice is so tart and delicious and perfect for a hot Summer evening!
- 1 bunch of any green of your choice (collards, chard, spinach, kale, dandelion)
- 2 cucumbers
- ½ bunch herbs like parsley, cilantro or mint
- 1 lemon with peel removed
- 1 lime with peel removed
- 1 green apple (optional for added sweetness)
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly and place into a large bowl
- Juice each vegetable in this order – greens, herbs, lemon, lime, cucumber
- Stir mixture before serving
- Rinse and clean juicer immediately
Do you know someone who might be making these common juicing mistakes? Then please share this post with them. I want everyone to feel the ALL of the magic of the juice they are drinking!
Cheers,
Food Babe
P.S. Ready for a 3-day juice cleanse? It’s the ultimate way to break the cycle of consuming processed foods! Check it out here.
I have a question. My family is adding juices to our daily routine. We commonly do apple/orange/grape/carrot/spinach or kale, we are not subbing a meal we are just adding this to our meal. Am I doing a bad thing to my body and I am going to start gain weight?
if you are now consuming more calories (from the juice) than you did while maintaining a consistent weight, then yes, you will gain weight.
That’s too much fruit!
amazing drink recipes and make healthy body, my boss thanks to a fresh drink recipes
I believe your article is being plagiarized:
http://www.undergroundhealth.com/drink-green-juice-avoid-these-common-mistakes/
Actually, that article you posted seems to be plagiarized. Check the dates.
I apologize; I was unclear. I meant that somebody else was using Food Babe’s work as their own.
That’s what she said. READ.
I am looking into starting Juicing. I was wondering how the “pulp” could be used? I watched a demo and thought that’s not using all the fruits and veggies. Do most just throw it out? Should I look into learning about composting too : )
YES, Depends where you live. I live in South Florida. Put it round the base of the tree then once a week mix it with a shovel. Weather and the soil will compost it for you. Any way that’s the way I do. around Mango, Papaya, lychee avocado oranges etc.
The pulp is also excellent in burgers!!! Try mixing Beet pulp and other kinds of veggie pulps in whatever kind of burger meat (or soybased or tofu based, wtv) of your choice and it’s amazing! Chicken/turkey grounds are great with citrus pulp too 🙂
You can mix the pulp in muffin or granola mixes as well!!
It also makes great compost. =^..^=
Most recently I have added the veggie pulp to my salads along with my other salad fixings. By doing so, I feel that it gives it a “meaty” taste especially if you are a meat eater and trying to cut back. I do use the veggie pulp in my black bean burgers.
How long is too long? I see that for best results and the most nutrients you want to consume your juice sooner than later. Is it bad to juice enough for two or three days in advance? I live a very busy lifestyle like most so I’d like to juice Sunday night for Monday and Tuesday if possible. Thoughts??
Thanks!
preparing you juice even hours ahead of time results in a significantly less nutritious juice.
I add a teaspoon of olive oil to my juice. I was under the understanding that you need fat to absorb the vitamins. Comments?
Also, what are your thoughts on sprouted grains. I’m eating my sprouted oatmeal porridge as I read your blog!
I have often that vitamin A needs oil to be absorbed……….many vitamins are water soluble but not that one.
Vitamin E D A K are fat soluble so A isn’t the only one
The fat you need absorb vitamins in is your BODY fat. I don’t think there’s any point in mixing oil with your juice, most of it will float on top anyway. It makes much more sense to add oil to fiber-rich food.
If adding oil, I would use coconut oil. Why not just eat a spoon full of it instead?
I made 5 different sets of juice and froze them. I would thaw out one jug per day and drink it throughout the day. Is freezing the juice bad?
I also freeze. Never had a problem with taste, color or hopefully, health impact.
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There is a lack of evidence to support your claim of GMO seeds, pesticides etc. depleting the nutritional content of the soil.
Please do more research before making such claims.
Also your body still needs fiber which is one thing juicing gets rid of (unless you put the pulp in your juice). Remember to find another source.
Other than that great post!
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/
It took me 20 seconds to find this article reaffirming the authors comments on declining nutrition in vegetables and fruits. Please do your research before telling others to do their research. Other than that great response. 🙂
Your comment is senseless!!
Hi,
I just did the rebootwithjoe.com 3 day juice cleanse a couple weeks ago and I feel amazing so I am continuing.. It’s made me crave more fruits and veggies and the urge to get back to the gym. I don’t want to consume too much juice for the sugar purposes, as well as enjoying eating veggies, so I assume 1 green juice a day is good? (Green apple, spinach, celery, cucumber, ginger, and lemon…with some daily variation). At work I’ve been having it as a mid-morning pick me up/snack (on an empty stomach), however I’ve been having it after the gym on the weekend as that’s also my mid-morning BUT I have been mixing it with plantfusion protien.. Am I still getting the benefits of having my juice mixed with plant protein?? I am thinking I would like to switch this to my morning/breakfast (possibly mixed with oats to get protein/carbs/juice). I guess this is more of a smoothie but I juice the veggies first and then blend in the other stuff.. Just wondering if I will get the same benefits if I mix it?! Thanks! Green juice for life 🙂 -Andrea
I am fairly new to juicing and would like more info on the rotating kale n spinach with other veg? Can you clarify what you mean please as I’ve been juicing this daily for me and my 3 yr old. Kale, spinach, celery, red cabbage leaves, celery, ginger, one apple, romaine lettuce, and lemon juice..is this not the right thing to do? Please help? X
that is what her post is about… change up the recipe or she could eventually experience adverse side effects. also you don’t have to juice so many things at once (i like to keep mine to 4~5ingredients). so one day do kale, the next day spinach or collards. i believe that your body only needs so much of each nutrient so extra just gets flushed out.
I would ask the doctor, or nutritionist. There is a place most know that help woman and children WIC office, should be one in your area; they have a nutritionist there I’m sure they would answer questions like that for free! It would be a good question to have answered since you are giving it to a child. ‘Too much’ of anything can’t be good( especially uncooked) because of thyroid and other issues. Or another thought- ask the child’s pediatrician. Don’t rely on internet answers when it comes to a question about your child!
Don’t rely on just doctors. We all assume dr’s have all of the answers and they don’t. Especially in regards to thyroid issues. You should look for a reputable naturopath or an integrative dr, or a homeopath. Any dr who says they have all of the answers is someone who only believes in what they were taught and not in the neverending discovery of new knowledge and science. I have solved 90% of my daughters extremely rare health issues from birth defects to blood circulation and nerve issues when dismissed by most doctors. The idea is to do lots of research from all sources and google your search in multiple ways and google hypothetical options to see what comes up. And then assess all of the info. Most illnesses have so many crossover signs and symptoms and most drs won’t look to see how you are nutritionally deficient that could be causing the symptoms, but will gladly write you a perscription. Good luck!
I recently purchased a Nutribullet and have been making Nutriblasts each day. It is a great way to juice and retain ALL of the vegetables and fruits. There is no waste and all the good stuff (stems and seeds) can be consumed and are all pulverized and easily digested. I highly recommend it. It is also so easy to clean and you make it right in the container you drink from! And NO I am not a paid advertiser, just am very impressed with this product. Love it!
I totally agree w/ Trish… I have 2 other juicers and the Nutribullet is by far the best and the easiest clean up. Does anybody know how to make the juice thinner and avoid the thick topping?
I just add more water or juice to thin mine out
Guess u don’t get it.
Juice must be pulverized at low temperature . Blenders and nutribullet run at very high speed. The best juice comes from very low speed juicers. any temperature rise kills the enzymes and it has very little nutritional value. Time to do more research. Even the $2500 Norwalk can be a problem if the temp is not monitored. Norwalk didn’t know better in 1929, but we know a lot more today. Remember u can cook soup in ur Vitamix.
My juice I make in my Nutribullet is always very chilled and is in the machine for a very short time. I hate the arrogance of some know-it-all types that love nothing more than to put anyone down in order to make themselves look more intelligent.
Actually Sam I wouldn’t say the Vitamix “cooks” the soup, but warms it. The Vitamix 750 has settings for soup and sorbet, among other things. The sad thing about the freedom of comments is that some do not use tactful ways to communicate. There is absolutely no need for sarcasm, unkind words,etc… What is the point? We are all here to educate ourselves for healthier habits, right?
Here’s a thought,… (Sam) if you feel it’s important to keep the temperature on the cool side, use some frozen fruit or veggie chunks in your nutribullet. I make smoothies in a blender using fresh frozen bananas, mangos, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, etc.
It’s a little bit of prep work to get all the mangos peeled and cut up into slices for freezing, strawberries are easy, the rest is nothin’. Cool water and/or chilled cider is also good. And if you’re not using frozen ingredients, then you could even toss in an ice cube or two if you wanted to.
So,… using that strategy, I would imagine that in a nutribullet, the temp won’t be an issue. I’ll find out soon enough though,… I just ordered mine a few days ago.
Sorry for my enthusiasm, Juicers can see the different machine types on youtube videos and it all depends what u R trying to get from the product. I guess the old adage applies u get what u pay for (usually). In any case, Chris has a good idea in adding frozen fruit and ice cubes to the mix to keep the temp as low as possible. With this approach it is important to monitor the temp so enzyme degradation does not take place. HEALHTY JUICING!
Need to think about basic physiology here. When you introduce anything into the stomach, it has to process it in order to start to break it down further. The process happens in numerous ways to many to mention here. Our stomach further cooks food to be able to introduce it to the first part of the small intestines (duodenum). To be able to do that our stomach needs to be in a temperature range to be able to do that. If you introduce something that is too cold it cools down the digestive fire and the contents sit until the temperature of the stomach rises. Therefore it beneficial to have the foods you are introducing to your stomach slightly warm (body temperature). Coldness also contracts the stomach and slows down the release of enzymes and other digestive juices needed for healthy digestion. Another thought is to think about what you would like to eat everyday and would you eat the same things over and over? Change up the ingredients of your juice according to what you would like to eat! Get creative!
I just bought a nutribullet also and love it. The ease of clean up is amazing and saves so much time for me.
Thank you for this wonderful posts. I learned a lot. I will try this and it looks nutritious.
OK I’ve read Rosemary’s responses and I laugh my ass off each time!!! She’s hilarious. I wholeheartedly agree with her, and I find it amusing that grown adults are offended by her. It’s the internet, folks. Sure, she’s…brash, but she’s right. You guys are really asking things like if certain foods can be mixed together…as if they don’t mix in your stomach. But you don’t wonder about the 100 ingredients in your pasteurized milk, the carcinogens in your fast food, or how much sugar a drink from your local Jamba Juice has. I understand people are learning, but, this is natural food people. This shouldn’t need to be explained. This is the what your ancestors have ate for thousands of years…I don’t understand why modern, poisoned food is not as questioned as REAL food! Even if you somehow didn’t know that, you should have an ample mind to want to seek out the truth for yourself, doing your research, not asking others to give you the answers. So I understand Rosemary’s response, and she’s not up herself, she just has what I have: a low tolerance for…”unaware” people. There, I put it nicely.
At least they are asking. Maybe not as aware or educated as you, but imagine you are trying to break the cycle of unhealthy eating that has been in your family for generation upon generation. Imagine you didn’t graduate from high school and work as a house cleaner. Imagine you have kids and want better for them than you had for yourself. I applaud anyone for asking because it means they care. Maybe they will be healthier and in the end it will effect our tax dollars for the better. Don’t be so quick to judge please. I am a operating room RN. I see all sorts of disease and know how much education can help healing sick bodies and nutrition is a big part of it. So I say ask away. Allow people that are willing to help you help yourself and your family. If you are reading this and you are one of the people being judged in the comment above, please pay no attention to that. You are doing the right thing. Keep seeking information and I wish you good health and happiness. Thank you to all that take the time to answer questions, no matter how obvious they may seem, on sites like these.
Oh jeez, I’m not saying they shouldn’t ask questions, but an able human being should be able to think for themselves. Yes, seek answers, but you can’t even analyze what’s in your store’s food VS what’s organic – those are very very very basic thoughts. I come from an immigrant family, so yes, I know how hard people work for their families and want the best for them. But even my family can break things down for themselves.
EVEN ORGANIC SITES AND ADS WILL MANIPULATE YOU! They’ll marginalize on the ‘health craze’. So think for yourself. This is more of a compliment than an insult, because I know most people can gather information more efficiently by their own accord than any person or ad or blog can tell them.
Hey, wait a sec, I didn’t graduate and am an house cleaner but …… I take my nutritional intake VERY seriously. Self education and Food Babe helps:)
Thanks
What an epic and unbelievably informative AND accurate post. Well done. I follow all these rules. Fruit kills juicing. One question. I also juice first thing in the morning (20 minutes after a glass of water) on an empty stomach. Is it good to juice at night maybe an hour or so before bed as long as your stomach is empty? I want to start juicing twice a day and though before bed might be a good time..
Great tips! I’m glad that I found your post 🙂
I am a little concerned about all this oxalite acid I keep hearing about. We use spinach in morning green smoothies, and kale/purple kale in juice every day. Do you have a good reference to shed some light on this subject for me? We have an 18 month old, who has his own 14 oz green smoothie and we switch up the green between spinach and kale, and the fruit as well of course and he has one every morning (before breakfast) and then has his own 9oz green juice (kale, carrot, celery, cucumber, apple – somtimes parsley as well) in the afternoon after a nap. Our doctor obviously just thinks its fantastic that he drinks this over concentrated juice, but now I’m worried about oxalite acid build up.Thank you!
Julie,
Have you gotten any answers regarding the oxalic acid buildup? I am also interested in that. I mix a bunch of different greens as opposed to just one, and drink this every morning. Is this ok?
I replied below 🙂 Sorry new at this lol
hey there hope someone is able to give me an answer. i am starting to juice, i am in love with pop maybe more so carbonation can i put carbonated water into my juice and still get the same amount of nutrients and whatever
I was a huge pop drinker until I decided to get healthy. I know that it is still pop, but I like to drink club soda with crushed fruit and mint leaves. Sometimes I will add stevia for sweetness. I just put ice in a container with a lid, add the fruit (whole or juice) and mint, shake it up to release the juice and oils and then pour the soda over it. You could do the same with sparkling water. It is much more refreshing than cola. You can also add rum and lime for a mojito!
I’ve been drinking green smoothies every morning using my VitaMix. Can you please explain why juicing is better. I love my green smoothies and feel and see the difference in my energy level as well as complexion. Therefore now that I read this article, I now need to purchase a juicer and begin juicing because it’s more nutritious?
I have the same question regarding making smoothies with a Vitamix v. juicing. I usually include frozen fruit in my Vitamix and do not blend for too long (my smoothies never get warm), so I don’t think the beneficial enzymes would be killed off. Thanks!
After reading your posts, I’ve decided to start juicing. Thank you for posting this.
So I started a juice fast today…and I’m an extremely picky eater (I basically hate everything green!!). I’m doing this fast to hopefully kick start some serious change in my taste buds. I made a pretty basic ‘mean green’ juice and I hate it…any suggestions into making it more appetizing?? Just until I’m more acclimated to juicing.
I know your pain! I was never raised with greens and didn’t really care for any of them and was too intimidated to buy any and waste the money. When I first started juicing, my basic recipe was 2 oranges, 2 apples, 4 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 3 pieces of kale, a small handful of spinach, and 1/4 of celery. It still doesn’t taste great, but all the fruits add quite a bit of sweetness. I still would just take a deep breath and chug it all. Slowly I have gotten used to the taste and started adding in more of the greens and less of the fruits. I have also added in parsley and a tomato or 2 depending on size. The fact that I know that juicing is good for me and chugging it, is what got me through to where I am now. Hang in there! You can do it!
I add 1/2 Lemon & 1/2 Lime to all my green juice. This will give a great flavor and cover some of the “green” taste. Also ginger and or mint will add great flavor. If you like a little kick, you can add tumeric root. One of my kids favorite juice is Watermelon, Orange, Spinach, Kale & Mint. Obviously a lot of sugar from the watermelon & orange but a good way to introduce juicing (especially if your not drinking it every day).
Does the juice retain vitamins and minerals?
Of course it does! Why else would she be juicing??
Why is it different to drink it on a ‘hot summer evening’ than in the morning after eating breakfast? When you have it at night are you supposed to drink this before dinner?
Thanks
Hi
I’ve only been juicing for 2 weeks and I love all the juices I’ve made so far. However, I am still tired and not sure what I’m doing wrong.
I’ve been hypothyroid for the last 20 years and was hoping juicing could help.
Any ideas!!
Annette,
I have read several places that there are several veggies that have a thyroid blocking effect. Do a bit of research into this Kale Broccoli cauliflower, cabbage are some in particular. Suggestion avoid the ones that are said to block thyroid hormone release and add one thing at a time into your juice until your energy levels feel right. If you are mixing a bunch of items you won’t be able to figure out what is making you lethargic. I brew a bit of green tea to put into my morning mix of veggies and fruit maybe something as simple as that might spark your battery.
Are you also taking a T4 supplement and seeing an endocrinologist or regular doctor to make sure you are on the right amount to replace the T4 your body is not producing? Or possibly taking T3 as your body may not be able to convert the T4 into T3? I am also hypothyroid for over 20 years, I had a bad reaction to the medication after having to go off it for a few months and then restarting. It took five years for the endo to titrate me back up to a regulating dose but since I have CFS it does not make a noticeable difference in how I feel. Removing MSG and processed foods from my diet, after recently finding I am highly allergic to many additives, has somewhat improved my energy and how bad my crashes are. Many of these additives (Toxins) mess up your bodies hormone regulation and can make you very sick. Moving to a “clean” diet, no processed foods, and eating everything in as close to its natural whole food form, is a great way to find out what chemicals in your foods may be making you sick. Now if I eat processed foods I will almost immediately feel sick again but I can enjoy some minimally processed foods occasionally, like cheese and other dairy. Good luck.
hi – i have a mild case of UC and decided to try some home made juice. i used my juicer and also took some new vitamins, flax seed, and a vit that has a few items in it. About two hours later I was at the gym and started to get lightheaded. I then blacked out. Could this be from the juice and vitamins? Sorta like a OD of nutrients? If you can email me your response that would be great.
thanks
Sounds like you blacked out from lack of food, and too much exercise. It’s important to eat enough calories, and start exercising slowly, then build up to more and more.
I am just starting to open my eyes to all of this and chose to start with juicing. I just want a good solid juicer that gets the job done. Any suggestions for a newbie?
Breville Juicer Fountain Plus. its the best value unit on he market and you find it on sale regularly.
William thanks, I read some reviews and watched some videos and this juicer looks perfect. Appreciate it.
Apple seed question: I have been obsessing over the fact that apple seeds contain cyanide, (or a cyanide type substance.) Should I be cutting the core out of our apple before dropping it in? I use a Breville, make my husband and I a fresh green juice first thing every morning.
Thanks for the chewing tip! I had no idea!
The seed of an apple holds the makings of an entire baby apple tree.
Ive been eating the whole apple and its seeds every day for over 50 years. Ive never had an illness and barely ever a sick day…apples are my all time favourite fruit.
I have readTheres more arsenic, etc in ice cream than cyanide in apple seeds..
Good luck with the changes you are making….
Kind Regards
Moona, I haven’t found any further info! But, I have started rotating greens – even using parsely and arugula in morning smoothies, which is suprisingly good 🙂 And rotating collards, romaine lettuces in juice, instead of kale. Hth 🙂
Any advise on doing a juice cleanse. I found this website called ourisfruit.com, who claim to sell a 3 day juice cleanse for only $99. At the site you can choose to do a lot of green juicing or mix it up with other juices. I have never drank a green juice before, wanted to know what would be the best program. Do you know anything about this cleanse? They claim that cold pressed juice is the best way of juicing. Is that a smoothie or a juice?
Hey Rachel,
I don’t think you need to pay 99 bucks for a 3 day juice fast, you can get free recipes from sites like reboot with joe or natural juice junkie and buy the produce at the market.
Cold press juicers extract more juice from greens and they create less heat because they use low rpms thus less air is exposed to the liquid, but a centrifugal juicer would also work well. These machines extract juice, a blender makes smoothies.
I read your article last night and used your advice this morning when drinking my juice. I drank it slower, activated my salivary gland and even took a break after only drinking about seven ounces and I still feel a little nauseous and just sick while drinking it and after. I’ve been juicing as a nutrient supplement once a day for about a month and its been this way since the beginning. Different greens ect. I did change the amount of carrots, in the beginning I would follow recipes exact and then I started adding more of whatever vegetable I had more of and that’s usually carrots. After reading that too many carrots can cause that sick feeling I changed it to two, for about 30 oz of juice, is that ratio ok? And do you have any other suggestions of why I feel sick, nauseous/full, and sometimes light headed and dizzy, after consuming a minimal amount of juice. Thank you.
Hi i have a question, i really hope you reply. I am going to start a juicing fast and alot of my recipes require celery, and i HATE celery. Would it be ok if I replaced it with zuchinnis?
Hi! Question. Are there any store bought juices that are ok to consume? I don’t have a juicer, and am hesitant on spending the money for one without at least seeing how I like juicing. Thanks 🙂
Whole Foods makes fresh organic juices daily. At least the one in my town does. Jamba Juice makes plain carrot juice. I would avoid anything pasteurized because the enzymes are destroyed in the process.
Does Food Babe answer any questions here?? She says ask away, and I see no response from her to any of you….???
I agree with Melinda! Food Babe seems to be too busy with juicing :-).
More seriously: I would love to see some answers from her !
Hi! I currently use a nutribullet, is that the same as a juicer? If not, which juicer do you recommend?
Food Babe, please tell everyone that a Nutribullet or a Vitamix is NOT a juicer. The best kind of juicer to make the most nutritious juice is a masticating juicer, such as the Omega VRT330.
I juice my breakfast every day and add a Tbsp of chief seeds to my juice.
I followed another website for 30 days that gave me juicing recipes every day to follow. It was awesome. There are calculators out there that you can put your reaw ingredients into and it will give you the nutritional facts. My 2 apples, 4 carrots, 3 celery stalks, and an orange has served me well. I use kale, cucumbers, red cabbage also but I just add them to the 2 apple, carrot, celery base. My blood sugar and blood pressure has stabilized, and I have lost 25 pounds since January 1, 2014
Chia seeds
chris…what website did you follow that gave you juice recipes for 30 days? thanks!
http://www.juicerecipes.com
Yes I have not started juicing but want to. My question is this: I had gastric bypass 4 years ago so I no longer use my large intestine. since most of the absorption takes place in the large intestine can I still reap the benefits of juicing?
http://www.Juicerecipes.com
There is a 30 day challenge. And a whole ton of recipes. And recipes tailored to different health ailments.
I experience pain in my stomach when I drink green juice on an empty stomach. Any idea why?
The recipe we use is 2c organic kale chard leafy green mix, a green apple, a stalk of celery, 1/4 peeled lemon, nub of ginger and sometimes a carrot.
Hi Vani,
As indicated in the article is a mistake to not drink your green juice on an empty stomach. My problem is that I am following your advice about the warm water/lemon/cayenne powder drink in the morning on an empty stomach and I take my green juice usually after work when I get home but sometimes after breakfast.
Do you have any avixce about how to drink both beverages and getting the most out of them.
Thank you for your reply dear.
Juan
I am new to juicing. Haven’t begun yet. Don’t know which juicer to get. Would recommend an option or two?
I’m doing it all wrong. I’ve been blending Kale, spinach, 1 banana, 1/2 c pineapple, 1/2 c frozen mixed berries, 1/2c orange juice. I’ve been gaining weight. Time to buy a juicer. Thank you for the great article.
I’ve been trying to find a good juicer, does anyone have a recommendations?
Is there a book you could recommend? I juice for my 4 year old who’s a picky eater and want to make sure I do it right. Thank you
When the article says you have to rotate you greens does that mean you cant have greens everyday or not to use the same kale kale kale all week and use spinach example during the week.
Thank you!!
Rosanna
What it means is, you do have greens everyday but change up the greens on a daily basis. Kale and spinach both contain a fair amount of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones if consumed too much. Try switching it up with collard greens, mustard, beet greens, chard, arugula, romaine, or any other dark leafy greens.
I have a question about putting your above recipe in a blender vs. a juicer. We make what I would call a smoothie daily. Greens, carrot, apple, blueberries. Is this combination healthier for us if we have juiced it vs. putting it in a blender? I realize we have too much fruits in in our “smoothie”. We are slowly decreasing the amount.
Thank you!!!
Can I juice bitter melon with cucumber celery ginger and lemon everyday because bittermelon lowers diabetis and blood pressure for my husband Can I drink beetroot juice everyday
I understand that the juice should be consumed right away, but, since I dont have time to make it each morning, I tend to juice on Sunday fro the whole week. Would freezing it in an air tight container help slow the nutrient breakdown process so i can enjoy these juices on wed-fri?
I do the same thing Cynthia. I juice on Sundays for the week. I have a large air tight jar that I put the juice in and keep,in refrigerated. I use the fiber from the juicing in oat bran muffins that are delicious, , so I feel like I’m not wasting the fiber part of the veggies.
I hope that the air tight jar is keeping the juice’s nutrients strong, I just don’t have time during the week to juice.
I have a Vitamix. some say that is a juicer and some say that it makes smoothies. Regardless, what recipe recommendations do you have for weight loss? Im 41 and weight about 225 or so. I’d like to lose the 25.
Thanks!
Hey Patrick,
You can still juice even without a juicer with your vitamix, just use a Blender then strain out all the pulp with a strainer or a nut milk bag.
If you’re starting out you could this combo:
2 – Green apples
2 – Celery stalks
2 – Capcicums
1 – slice of Lemon
It’ll taste a bit like lemonade with some apple sweetness. Hope this helps.
I have a detailed post in my blog here >> http://www.juicingwithg.com/juicing-mistakes/
Oh, I forgot, if you’re concerned with sugar, use lemon as your sweetener because it has low fructose. It’ll neutralize the bitterness of greens. Even half a lemon is enough.
People, after reading a bunch of your questions, I reread the article. Most of your questions ARE answered in the article itself. Please go back and read the article again, slowly. There is a ton of information already written and by going back over it you will likely find the answer you are looking for.
I love my vitamix, after juicing for over 40 years, I switched. I can make juice in a fraction of the time including clean up. No question that juice from cold press juicer taste better, has more nutrients per volume and gets into the bloodstream faster. This creates a problem for juice without the pulp, as it spikes you blood sugar levels. The cold pressed juicer companies claim that the friction from high speed blenders destroy some of the nutrients, but most people always use ice. Have there been any studies on this?
Blended vegetable fruit drinks get released in the bloodstream more slowly at a constant equal rate. I follow Rich Roll who makes a Vitamix smoothie before his 25 K run, how would he do with the same amount of juice.
My question is, if you use the same amount of vegetables and fruit, is there any difference in the nutritional value, from a Vitamix, cold press Juicer, or raw? what about the pulp left over in the Juicer, there must be some nutrients still in there.
I have searched all over the Internet, but only found negatives and positive for both, nothing about the nutrient comparison.
John Winkels
Apologies if this has already been asked, but do you juice first thing in the morning and THEN drink the lemon-cayenne water? Or are the two redundant?
Lorraine, I’ve been wondering the same thing! Cannot find the answer. Anyone know???