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 Champion juicer and a NutriBullet (like Bullet blender). I use the bullet the most. In the morning it’s easy to put some greens in it. I use the Champion for veggies that are hard to digest due to all the fiber: kale, carrots, beets, for example. It’s huge, heavy, and VERY messy. I usually juice a whole lot to freeze with that.
I think I screwed up my thyroid over doing the kale… 🙁 I have been diagnosed with Grave’s disease for about 4 years now. Can it cause hyperthyoidism? or just Hypo?
Probably not, but, it probably didn’t help. It takes a long time to develop these disorders. I have a low-functioning thyroid, and have been told to avoid raw cruciferous vegetables.
I sub romaine lettuce for the cruciferous greens. I also have hypothyroidism.
Maybe this article could help you with what you shouldn’t juice.
I love juicing but I avoid things listed here:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/
Thanks for the pointers however I am wondering about the sweet fruits/veggies…how do you know which ones are sweet and which ones are not. For example, your ravishing red recipe has 5 carrots and beets in it….I love juicing with beets and carrots so I don’t want to do something that isn’t good! It’s so hard to know what is best!
Well, that’s a high sugar beverage right there. Carrots and Beets are both high sugar vegetables. And if you are like me, you add apples to this juice.
I started adding a whole cucumber to tame down the sugar content.
How can you know? Google is your friend. You can look up the nutrients of any and all foods, find great nutrient resources online, or find books that you can keep near your juicer.
I just got turned on to myfitnesspal.com — they seem to have a complete nutrient database. You enter your food and portion size and it tells you how many calories, and the quantity of protein, carb, fat, sodium and sugar.
Any advice on good juicers? I’m ready to start juicing daily and have heard so much from so many about all the options out there. Wondering which ones you think are best. Thanks for all the great advice!
I bought the L’equipe juicer for only $119.00 plus 20% off with a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon. I truly love it because it has a 10 yr. warranty plus a 3 yr. on the blade. It juices everything just don’t rush through it. I use a small bag on the catcher to save a bit on cleaning and use a toothbrush to clean the blade. Very simple to assemble and disassemble. It comes in black and white. Just google it. Join BB&B via email and they will immediately send you the 20% coupon. Hope this helps. 🙂
https://foodbabe.com/2011/10/23/day-2-all-about-juicers-recap/
Breville Juicers are great quality!
But only come with a 1 yr warranty and that’s not what you want.
It depends on your budget. I have the Breville slow juicer. I don’t know the model but it is a slow juicer which is a better option than lets say the Lelane power juicer. Juicing I’ve realized takes a lot of practice to get into a daily habit of doing. Why don’t you try the cheaper option first like the Jack Lelane and see how it goes. I have to force myself to do it because it is a little time consuing but so worth it. I also reccomend watching fat sick and nearly dead. Its a great boost. lol
Walmart has the Big Boss Masticating Slow Juicer for $98, reduced from $188. It’s the only juicer on their site that had no bad reviews. I’ve had mine for about 2 months, like it a lot. It’s easy to disassemble, clean, and reassemble.
In response to Dani…
Kale and other cruciferous vegetables, along with strawberries, peanuts, and soy (among others) are goitrogenic foods that inhibit thyroid function by making it harder for the thyroid to create its hormones. Goitrogens are able to disrupt normal thyroid function by inhibiting the body’s ability to use iodine, block the process by which iodine becomes the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), inhibit the actual secretion of thyroid hormone, and disrupt the peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. If you have any kind of thyroid problem, you should not consume these foods, especially raw. Gluten can also be a culprit.
I’m compelled to comment because I have autoimmune thyroid disease. I avoid goitrogenic foods, such as kale (I eat broccoli once in a while, but always cooked) and gluten. I also limit my dairy consumption. Tough to do, but worth it!
Check this out: http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/goitrogenicfoods-thyroidhealth.aspx
Thanks Nicole… I had no idea strawberries were a part of them too. 🙁 I will definitely check out the link… Thanks again 🙂
Excellent article Food Babe!
Thank you for the awesome advice – I am a big offender of not juicing on an empty stomach so after reading this I’m going to try and be much better about that! One related question – how does one reconcile the fact that you should juice on an empty stomach to get the most benefit with the fact that you need fat to absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K? Would it be okay to have maybe 1 tsp of coconut oil before consuming the juice? Or should you really stick to the empty stomach rule? Thanks so much!
How often should we be rotating the greens (i.e. spinach and kale)?
Would it be okay to make a big batch of juice and then freeze it in smaller portions? Also, how long would juice be good in the fridge? Could I defrost a batch on Monday and have it still be good on, say,u Wednesday. I know fresh is best, but I work two jobs and have two kids. I can’t juice for 3 people daily. . .
Hi Alisa – it really is best to be consumed right away. It starts losing nutrients really quickly. Good luck!
Maybe freeze the ingredients and juice daily. Would save some tjme. When I’m busy I chop up all necessary pieces and freeze in a sandwich bag. All portioned out for you.
Good Morning, This is off the current topic, but has anyone heard of a supplement called Marine D 3???
Thank you for this article. I was making a the mistake of adding too many sweet vegetables. I want to get your opinion on something: I juice my veggies and pour it into a blender, add avacado, spinach, etc and make a breakfast smoothie out of it. I am not exactly drinking my juice on an empty stomach and adding fiber into it. What would be your take on that?
So can I use my vitamix for juicing?
Hi Martha – a Vitamix is awesome but it is a blender not a juicer. Both are great, just different.
Hi,
I’d like to add some important information and insight to this question.
Yes, the Vitamix is a blender – a super powerful blender. Many people try to make juice, but it is really more of a smoothie. And if you let it sit for more than a few minutes, the mixture turns to a gel.
If you want juice, get a juicer. If you want all the fiber all the time, go with the Vitamix.
My experience is the Vitamix can be great — I make a killer banana, almond, fresh cacao powder drink with ice and it’s better than a super sweet chocolate shake. But that Vitamix works best for smoothies, shakes, purees, soups, and slaws.
The difference is the juice extractor or masticator takes all the nutrients from the foods and you get a huge hit of nutrient pow from the liquid. With the vitamix, you have to add liquid to make the contents liquify. With the juicer, you just get juice.
You need both devices. Bottom Line.
I have the blendtec, I have heard both blenders called an emulsification blender because it breaks the cell walls of the blended products so the nutrients are more quickly availble to the cells and you still get the fiber. I will have a juicer at some point right now but I am making juice drinks in my blender.
GIRL!!! That chocolate smoothie sounds to die for!!!!
I don’t know if I’m doing it right or not but I never end up having my juice on a totally empty stomache… because I drink my lemon water as soon as I wake up. Then within the hour I am usually drinking my juice and sometime shortly after that I have a spoon of coconut oil.
I’ve never juiced, but would like to start. Can you recommend a good juicer that is also affordable? Also, I read the comment on oxalic acid and how too much of one kind of green can affect your thyroid. I didn’t realize that, but was recently told by my PCP that my thyroid function was on the slower side (determined by a blood test). I eat spinach or kale almost every day and thought that was a good thing! Now I am worried about over consumption. What is a general rule of thumb?
Finally, how do you determine when to juice and when to drink a smoothie? Thank you!
Hi Elise – this post will help with how to choose a juicer. https://foodbabe.com/2011/10/23/day-2-all-about-juicers-recap/
Just make sure you rotate your greens at least every week and Food Babe drinks green juices and green smoothies. Just mix it up!
Hi, I love your information thank you…shame about the toxic blue nail polish in the photo. all that hard work looking after your body going to waste when you paint toxic chemicals on your body ??????
I wish people would be nice. There are several non-toxic nail polish brands. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse.php?category=nail_polish&&showmore=products&start=10
I hope you have a fabulous day!
My first thought was ‘WOW! she found a non toxic polish what brand is it?’ lol
You guys rock! Love you guys <3
Hi Vani,
Thank you so much for all your awesomeness! You are my go to for all things healthy.
How often am I supposed to switch up me greens…I juice every day in the a.m. only..and always use Spinach, sometimes Kale for my greens…..Did I just sabotage my thyroid? I have never left the SPinach out and this has been for about 9 months now.
I would switch it up every week. Variety is the spice of life 🙂 There are so many greens to choose from. Chard is very mild like spinach- have you tried it yet?
Ok..weekly it is..never tried chard but sometimes kale..with the spinach..i will start mixing it up …thank you.;)
Hi – I have not yet purchased a juicer, but was thinking of doing a 3 day juice cleanse through Elixir Juice Bar. They provide 6 juices per day for the 3 days. Do you think it is worth doing it or do you think I would really only get the benefits of doing a juice cleanse making my own juices? I just feel like I am not ready to commit to purchasing a juicer first without first trying it out. Thanks.
Hi Yvone – just make sure they use organic fruits and veggies and that their juice is cold pressed because it doesn’t lose the nutrients if kept for a few days. That is a great way to try it. Good luck!
You keep saying Green Juice but are these mistakes valid for any type of juicing? I try to get my juice 1st thing in the morning. I absolutely love your Red ravishing juice because it is sweet without using a ton of fruit (thank you carrots, lol) and beets is one of my favorite veggies…what i do is a try different greens in this juice (sometime using kale, or rainbow char, or others…) delicious.
Yes it applies to any juice 🙂
I have a vitamix and I make green smoothies nearly everyday however as I read above it is not “juice”. I add water and ice to make it more liquid rather than gel like — but am I missing a lot of important nutrients by Vitamixing over juicing? I don’t want to purchase a juicer at this time so do you have any helpful hints, tips or advice when green juicing with Vitamix.
Much appreciated! Amazing blog!
Smoothies are great too and they are beneficial. A juice just delivers a ton of nutrients (you use way more veggies to make juice than a smoothie) straight to your system. A smoothie has the benefit of being more filling and they have fiber. They are both good, just different. Make sure you use plenty of veggies and not too much fruit to keep them from being too high in sugar.
Dear Food Babe, What study are you getting the thyroid warning and cruciferous veggies from? In order to be followed up on so that I can decide if what you are saying might be true, you need to list your sources. Same thing with the chewing motion while drinking juice. Where did that come from? Critical thinking will keep us all healthier in the long run than simply reading something on one person’s internet site and taking it as the absolute truth without cross checking. Here is another internet health food person who strongly disagrees with what you claim about iodine levels, thyroid and raw kale and spinach: http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2009/08/07/the-real-effect-of-raw-cruciferous-vegetables-on-the-thyroid Sincerely, Trina
Forgot to add that as another cross point, Dr. Max Gerson, whose entire cancer and other degenerative disease healing therapy have people not only drinking 13 juices a day, the main ingredients of which are the same every day: green apple, carrot and greens, they are also consuming veggies in large quantities – including cruciferous ones – for meals. So really without showing the sources, your advice it really hard to swallow. http://gerson.org/gerpress/
Thanks for the tips on juicing. BTW, I think you DID name your sources with reference to the Dr. you spoke to and with the thyroid article link. I’d like to re-ask Lauren’s question about taking a bit of oil in order to assist your body in absorbing the fat-soluble vitamins. That makes sense to me. I own a vitamix and have used it for 10+ years. Still going strong. Smoothies, grinding grain into meal, making nut milks, and I just want to say YOU MOST CERTAINLY CAN USE IT FOR JUICING! All you have to do is pour your “smoothie” thru a nut bag to remove the pulp.
OK. I re-read the article and am totally missing any references. Where are you finding the kale thyroid link you mention? Here’s what I see: “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.” No reference in the section and none at the bottom of the article. Perhaps I’m missing it. Would you kindly copy link? Cheers : )
Oops! I guess I only saw one page of comments. Oil question was answered. ttfn
Fantastic article and great tips! Will will be sharing a link in my blog post tomorrow at http://www.eatdrinkandbeskinny.com for the September 30 Day Juicing Challenge. Thank you and Cheers to Green Juice!!
Cheers Teresa! And thanks….
I started juicing about a month ago. I have been following the above guidelines, but ever since I started I am SO extremely fatigued. I don’t know if they’re related, but I started getting extremely fatigued around the same time I started juicing (1 juice first thing in the morning) and I’m often exhausted within a few hours of waking up. I never use to be like this.
Anybody think this could be related, I thought juicing was supposed to energize you?
Also, is there a pro/con to your juice being cold or room temp? I prefer mine room temp, but the few times I’ve gone to a juice bar they load it with ice and I don’t like it really cold. Wondering if there is any benefit or not.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. Juicing should not make you tired – you are right, you should feel more energized. Have you changed anything else? Might be something else going on. And, juice is better room temp or cool – easier on your digestive system. Should not be over ice.
If anything, that is about the same time I started eating MUCH more healthy, which is why it’s so frustrating 🙂 I also started taking new vitamins at that time – I’m wondering if a new vitamin (it’s all natural, plant based) could cause fatigue. Anybody ever had similar experience?
You may be having cleansing crisis symptoms. When you switch to a diet that helps your body to detoxify you can start feeling worn down, sometimes you even get sick. It is due to the toxins being pulled out of wherever your body has stored them and then it has to work hard to eliminate the toxins.
I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice (I just play one on the internet lol!) it is just an informed guess to help you in your search for health. Research cleansing crisis and see if that answers any of your questions.
Oops I ment: When you switch to a diet that helps your body to detoxify TO QUICKLY you can start feeling worn down,…
Because you never want to stop detoxifying. But you also do not want to stress your bodies filtering organs to much either they can only process so much at a time. If your body is working overtime trying to filter out all those toxins it can exhaust you and make you sick.
I use/sell essential oils and sometimes people think they are not working at all if they end up over using them, because they worked and they feel better so they use more and more and then get a migraine or a cold or something. Your body only has so much energy reserves and ‘soldiers’ to fight off the bad guys. If they are all energies are dealing with toxins you may become more prone for a cold or something.
JMHO 😉
I am a bit late on this, but just a thought you might be getting too much of a certain vitamin/mineral? It is certainly possible to overdose on vitamins and minerals, however I’m not sure what the side affects would be. Healthy eating, juicing, and vitamins…
I don’t have a juicer, but make healthy smoothies all the time. I’m using them as a meal replacement by adding protien powder. Cant you use a good blender for similiar results. Is the biggest difference between the two really just the consistency? Guess you never add protien powder to a juice?
Hi! Thanks for this great article. I noticed in your juice recipe that you list the greens to be juiced in a particular order. I was wondering why they need to be juiced in a certain order? And what happens if you don’t juice in that order? Thanks so much!
Hi Jessica – Vani has just found that juicing in that order seems to get the most juice out of the produce but it is ok if you don’t do it in that order.
Great to know, thanks so much!
Doesn’t removing the pulp by juicing result in less minerals and vitamins due to pulp removal? Per Web Md : “A juicing machine extracts the juice from whole fruits or vegetables. The processing results in fewer vitamins and minerals, because the nutrient-rich skin is left behind. Juicing also removes the pulp, which contains fiber.” Thoughts?
Jayde, I thought the same thing. Looking forward to a response 🙂
Juicing does remove the fiber but all the nutrients are still being absorbed.
Juicing really has changed a lot of people’s lives for the better.
Regards,
Talisha Roos
Health and Nutrition Expert at Kitchen Chatters
http://www.books.kitchenchatters.com/ultimate-juicing-guide/
Ok my husband and I just started juicing and this article helped! Would love to know more green juices without too much fruit! We are struggling with infertility and have heard it can help! Would love to hear more from y’all! Thanks!
It is really good for you to juice more vegetables than fruits. Most people do not realize how much sugar they consume and juicing mostly fruits adds to the problem.
Regards,
Talisha Roos
http://www.books.kitchenchatters.com/ultimate-juicing-guide/
I usually eat half an avocado after drinking juice on an empty stomach. I read that the avocado oils help dissolve the fat soluble vitamins and make it easier for the body to absorb.
I’m not a fad dieter, so I was a skeptic regarding Advocare for a long period of time.
I like the valuable info you provide on your articles. If you are making some of these mistakes, you are juicing and therefore are on the path to better health and that’s better than not juicing at all!
I love all of your juice recipes and your Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie has quickly became a staple in my morning routine on a weekly basis.
Whenever I have a busy morning and need to race out my go-to green drink cheat is to blend some of my favorite green mix with some coconut milk. I mix two scoops of green powder with about 8 ounces of coconut milk, sipping happy on the road in under a minute.
Of course, I feel better with a smoothie made with fresh fruits and veggies but the instant fix from the green mix is a great alternative without having to sacrifice anything or be at the mercy of the usual line-up of sugar-laden pastries often offered at some the meetings I attend.
The green mix is called Nature’s Harvest and it is from NSP. I’m looking at the bag to type this so please bear with me… it is a Green, Whole-Food and Super-Food Instant Beverage Mix. It contains Whole Foods, Green Foods, Vegetable Protein, Antioxidant Blend, Essential Fatty Acids, Herbs, Enzymes, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Lactose-Free, Free from common Allergens.
I feel great and at 40+ years old this is an amazing feeling which I attribute to green smoothies. I never have less than two bags of Nature’s Harvest in my house and I’ve been drinking this smoothie for several years. You can get it on the NSP website at http://goo.gl/8piAd8
This is a silly question, but I thought it was better to blend your greens and other veggies / herbs / fruits rather than juice them? I thought you lost more nutrients during the juicing, because it takes the pulp and nutrients in the leaves. So confused! HAHA!
Stacy- I don’t think one is better than the other. They are both equally awesome! Just make sure that if you are blending your greens you are chewing your smoothie- “As long as you chew your green drinks your body will be able to digest and receive the benefits. Don’t just slam down a smoothie or juice – you need that chewing action for digestive enzymes to do their magic.” Basically you are losing the fiber with juices but your body must digest the fiber. So when you juice, your body doesn’t have to go through that extra digesting step and allows you to absorb the nutrients faster! Here is a link to good smoothie habits:
https://foodbabe.com/2011/12/31/habits-for-the-new-year-and-beyond-4-drink-a-green-drink-every-single-day/
Thanks for the juicing tips! I have a vitamix and a breville juicer. Luv both! But nothing beat the concentrated vitamins you get from fresh juice! There’s been a couple morning I felt a cold coming on and I drank a big juice! I think i will go make pomegranate right now! Lol. Can I
run purple grapple brought a breville juicer!
беременность витамины
What type of juicer do you recommend?
dppyi qmhwg ralph lauren store yihkg hogokb DSC03431 lbcrjqq http://www. ukimulberriesbagsonline. eu/ rjaxpnk wcosc doudoune moncler xpvuqnax ron lauren great britain wall socket negbmltl
A really great at home juicer is the magnetic twin-gear by Green Star/Green Power. http://www.greenstar.com/special.asp
They’re a little more pricey but what’s really awesome is the magnetic technology in these juicers helps pull more of the nutrients-minerals into your juice. I don’t know about all the magnetic receptiveness of nutrients, minerals, vitamins but I do know some of them do react to magnetic fields. For some of the raw food community and people who understand that a certain amount of heat to certain types of food alters it’s structure and kills off a lot of the life force and benefits so be cautious about what type of juicer you’re using. Some of them in their juicing process heat the food up possibly diminishing some of the benefits and potential of your drink. Lol, I can get real ridiculous and talk about the electrical charge and metal zapping your food as well, not too sure about this haha.. just remember some old hippies in Hawaii talking about it. Eh, I’m not too religious about these things anyway, just fun to contemplate and have some awareness to what you’re putting in your bodies. 😉
I must say that you are making a mistake by thoroughly washing the produce, especially if it is organic; as you are washing of all of the potential b12.
Hi, looking into starting to juice. I’ve read that juicing may not be good for someone who has high sugar levels in their blood. Is that correct? During an annual check up a blood test showed that my levels are within the range but near the high end.
Thanks for your reply.
Maryse
I have a cheap Hamilton blender. Can I use it for making your green juice recipe and others, or should I look into buying an actual juicer?
Thanks.
Also, I live in rural South Dakota. GMO’S are the norm here and organic and Non-GMO foods are hard to come by……I purchase organic foods under the brand Nash Brothers Trading Co. I have emailed them asking if their products were Non-GMO. They responded telling me all their products were, but I have my reservations about them. Any opinion on that company?
Do you have a certain plan with recipes that you follow?
I work on the road and can’t haul a juicer around with me so I juice for 3 days ahead. It’s my only option so how bad is this really? I have many health issues and thinking of doing a fast and after reading this I don’t think it’s ever possible without taking a month off work!
Hi, I appreciate the information about juicing. What do you think of a Norwalk Juicer? I am thinking of buying one and wondered if you thought it was worth the money. Thanks for your comment! Jan
I bought a NutriBullet and when I made my drinks they always turned out to be very clumpy or string like (do to the celery). I even did researched and found the best advise 80% veggies 20% fruit.And I now find myself not using what I’m making payments on.Does ANYONE know what I’m doing wrong or is that how it is suppose to be like? Please if someone could give me tip’s & if you would be oh so kind & perhaps give me some wonderful recipes ,I’d be so VERY thankful. Much Luv & thanx ~MeChell~
The key (I found) with the NurtiBullet is to go past the “Maxi” line on the container and fill it with liquid to about 1/2 inch from the top. The smoothie is then a little looser and therefore not soooo thick to drink, it made all the difference to me as I was ready to continue with my Vitamix instead. I now love my NurtiBullet!
Hi there, a few of my friends have told me that once I juice the beetroot I have to leave it for 30 to 50 minutes before consuming it. Can you add anything to that? Thanks. …And thank you for the informative article.
I’m worried about the presence of bacteria in fresh spinach that I use for juicing (I live in the tropics, not exactly known for having an efficient and safe agriculture industry). Can i steam my spinach before juicing? Or can I boil my juice, leave it to cool before drinking?
Appreciate your thoughts and tips!
I believe that has become the so much crucial details in my situation. With this particular contented learning your document. Having said that should declaration on couple of basic things, The web page flavour is good, the actual content articles is basically superb : Debbie. Exceptional action, many thanks
I am new to juicing and recently bought a fabulous Kuvings juicer.
I have to say I am a little confused. Some bloggers suggest recipes that have fruit in them, others like yours suggests to limit the fruit intake as it contains too much sugar.
I am nearing my 1/2 century and I am finding that I am gaining weight around the mid section. I had hoped that juicing would help me detox and lose some weight.
Since I started juicing I have actually gained weight!
I am a fan of juicing using combinations of the following….pineapple, ginger, carrots, apples, parsley, celery, tomatoes, cucumber, orange and grapefruit. As you can see … not a lot of greens 🙁
I usually drink my juice mid morning on an empty stomach.
What juice recipe would you recommend is the best recipe for me to drop some kilos and detox? I am now 20kg over weight 🙁