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 like this post so well. Previously I was making a lot of juice with watermelon and carrot. Do you think it is good if i mix it with spinach?
or what green fruits you will recommend to mix together with watermelon?
Watermelon with cucumber, my all time favorite!
That’s basically just water and water.. Hardly any nutrients
Why are you juicing? Learn about each fruit, vegetable and herb and what benefits they have to offer. After you learn their benefits, it doesn’t matter what you mix together as long as you like it. My advise to you is to read a good book about juicing.
One of my kids favorite juice is Watermelon, Orange, Spinach, Kale & Mint. If is very good even for the fussiest palate.
Hi I have just started juicing and would like to know where i can find some good recipes? I have made the mistake of adding to much sweet fruits and vegetables! And i will be fixing that. Thx for you tips! Jaco
If you want to add some great flavour, just add lemon or lime! I use sweet fruits in my mid day juice as a bit of a pick me up, but not typically too much (2 apples, 2 pears, or 20 grapes, etc, switching it up of course!). A really good combo is lemon, celery, cucumber and dandelion! The citrus makes it taste great!
1 lemon
4 celery stalks
1 large cucumber
A handful of dandelion
What’s great about that juice is you can add 2 apples and get that bit of sweet fruit and extra flavour!
When you eat heathy you make numerous healthy lifestyle decisions. Surround yourself with healthy foods so you not only cant make a bad decision, you can make a healthy & delicious one 🙂
Check out the HJ Juicing Recipe Book – Loaded with delicious recipes online.
http://www.homejuicing.com/home/recipebook/
Excellent article, I discovered some mistakes I’ve been making on my juice fast.
Thanks for the good info.
Can you have these juices while being pregnant? I am 9 wks pregnant and I started drinking one juice ( kale, spinach, asparagus, broccoli) a day with all my balanced meals.. Any concerns?
If I were you I would be more concerned about all the processed foods that are out there and not foods that the human is suppose to eat from the beginning of man kind. “Organic” fruits, vegetables and herbs are the best things on EARTH that are excellent for the health of your baby. I can’t believe you don’t know this.
Being pregnant is the only time you can directly “grow” your childs brain. To do this, I read that eating a minimum of 100 grams of protein a day is the best approach. I did this with my son and he is absolutely brilliant. Don’t know if it was all that protein, but I can’t be sure it wasn’t. If you do this along with juicing, you will have a fantastically healthy child!
Roxanne,
First, congrats on your new edition, and I would think juicing would be nothing but a good thing. However. with all the changes your body will be going through I think you may want to run what you are juicing by you doctor. Better safe that sorry.
Second, to Rosemary….there is no need to be so judgmental, that comment was rude, and completely unnecessary, she is just trying to do what is best for her child. Most people new to juicing would have the same concerns, and bashing someone for trying to be healthy is just wrong.
WELL, THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY.
I can’t believe rosemary doesn’t know to not say ” I can’t believe you don’t know this” and might focus her efforts toward gaining empathy vs. her superior juicing/pregnancy knowledge?
To Ki: Judgemental?!!!! We should all be so judgemental. Do you have any idea how many mentally handicapped children are in this world today verses centuries ago. We all have to be judgemental!! We have to be judgemental of our doctors, vaccines, foods, air and everything else. Common, Ki, do you expect all mothers to be ROBOTS and just take the advice of their doctors WITHOUT QUESTION!!!! You may be a ROBOT, but I hope that anyone who is reading this POST will educate their self and learn before they subject their PURE INNOCENT CHILD to the world of PHARMACEUTICALS.
I just made this juice recipe above. Terrific. I have difficulty motivating myself to drink a cold or room temp beverage during the winter months, so my juicing almost stops and I find myself drinking hot water with lemon, organic teas and organic coffees. This green juice recipe you offer is good enough that it might be the motivation I need to juice year round.
At what age do you recommend children start juicing? Any recipe suggestions or veggies/fruits to avoid?? She isn’t very picky but I’m just afraid she may not like it. Thanks!!
Kayla,
My daughter is now 2 1/2 and started juicing around 1. She loves it. Every morning before breakfast she drinks her ‘mermaid juice’ (which has to be green because mermaids tails are green! Lol) if you have a boy, maybe hulk juice will work?
She looks forward to her special drink every morning. I don’t let her watch me make it because she is very picky. Her is a sample of what I use in her juice:
1 Cucumber (base)
Apple, pear, watermelon or pineapple (only one serving maximum to add sweetness)
Spinach (handful)
Kale (handful)
Very small sliver of ginger root
That’s a simple starting juice for kids.
It’s really very complicated in this full of activity life to listen news on Television,
so I simply use internet for that reason, and obtain the
latest information.
Try to mix and match different juice blends, try to learn about the variety of vegetables and fruits available, and what each one offers. Lots of differences exist in the nutrients you will receive from the large produce variety in the market. Mix up the products that you use in your juicing routine so that your daily nutritional requirements are met.
I will be starting my 6 month son on solids soon and I am considering incorporating some juices/smoothies into his diet. He currently does not have any teeth so I have to make sure whatever I make he can “chew”. Do you have any recommendations? I breastfeed him at home and pump while I am at work, so I wasn’t sure if I should add some of my milk to it so the consistency isn’t to thick. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks! I love reading your blog!
She’s not a doctor. Use your motherly instincts and your common sense. Stay away from all processed foods and feed him nothing but wholesome, fresh, Organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, etc. Again, stay clear of all processed foods. Make them yourself, or at least try. Good luck and God Bless.
oh, are YOU a doctor?? how about you quit being condescending and insulting to people looking for information?! oh, and God bless.
basil, your question was, “oh, are YOU a doctor??. ” No, basil, I’m not a doctor and if anyone relies on doctors for your health and well-being, well then you should not be on this health board. Where you should be is in your doctors office taking lots and lots of pills. Daaaaaa
I heard that it is a good idea to have a little fat with your juice. I have been adding a couple tablespoons of hemp hearts to a 16 oz glass of veggie juice. I would really like your opinion on this…wondering what you think about adding coconut oil also..Love everything that you are putting out there for us…Thank you!
Yes, fat is recommended with your smoothies/juice as it will help your body absorb those fat soluble vitamins from all of those fruits and vegetables. i add avocado to my smoothies for its healthy fats.
I am confused about the term “bunch or 1/2 bunch) how much is that exactly? Bunches come in so many different sizes!
I would like to know as well, what the recommended bunch size is. I could buy a bunch of kale one week and it’s humungous, the next week it’s half the size.
Use your common sense. A bunch to you may not be a bunch to me.
For God’s sake STOP littering this comment section with your ‘use common sense’ speech..you are abrasive and downright angry (please avoid the caps key, no need to scream) in your responses
Dear Susan, “For God’s sake STOP littering this comment section with your ‘use common sense’ speech..you are abrasive and downright angry (please avoid the caps key, no need to scream) in your responses.”
Your damn well right I am angry. Angry that Cancer is spreading like wild fire. Angry that parents are letting “DOCTORS” inject their children with vaccinations when parents they research, or EVEN KNOW WHAT’S IN THOSE VACCINATIONS!! Yes, Ms. Dear, Ignorant, Naive, Susan. I’m angry because I see on a daily basis what you could never handle in one minute of your life time. Shut up unless you know what you are talking about. My only advise to you is: LEARN YOUR HISTORY!!!!
Wish the food babe could be cloned and be in every country
Why? Start reading and learning like she does and you’ll be just as knowledgeable as she when it come to juicing. Don’t let anyone lead you, be a leader.
Rosemary, I think if you are going to offer advice to people you might want to be a little less harsh in your replies.
ROSEMARIE I think you should take your chip off your shoulder everyone on here is looking to make healthy choices to avoid health problems for them and their families. So talking about what we all know. Is getting a wee bit annoying if we were not concerned we would not be juicing. The way you talk about these very sick people and how you know so much comes across as you are better then everyone cause you see more. Which is sad. Please stop you are what I call a know it all.
To Jennifer and Tracy, is’t apparent you both are followers and not leaders. Don’t put anyone down because you are afraid to speak your true mind, or unable to speak your true mind because of a lack in education. Be a LEADER,
Suggestions on affordable juicers?? I am a single mommy and really want to get into juicing but I am on a budget!
I bought 3 different champion juicers on online classifieds and I paid between $65-$120. I like the champion because it’s heavy duty, I have used mine almost everyday for years and I like making nut butters and sorbets. I burned out the centrifuge kind and had to keep returning them besides they don’t extract enough juice for me.
I have a Black and Decker one that was about $30. It works okay. Eventually I want a better one but I can’t afford it right now. This one is working alright for me.
I bought one at Walmart for around $35 and it works fine. I am sure there are better ones, but for now it does the trick.
What is the difference between juicing and smoothie’s? I have a vitamix it makes smoothies i guess because it uses whatever we put in.
Juicing extracts just the juice from the fruit or vegetable, isolating practically all the nutrients and vitamins that food has to offer…smoothies blend up fruit and don’t isolate those things that are good for you to the same extent. You can literally put a lemon in a juicer with its skin on and it’ll take the last bit of juice from the skin and inside (and separate it so you’re just drinking the stuff that’s good for you). In a juice, you can get 5x the fruit or veggie nutrition than a smoothie..that being said, you can add protein and other healthy supplements to smoothies…they both have their benefits for sure! Don’t feel that you have to pick between one or the other, try both!
I have the same question as Lori. What is the difference in juicer vs vitamix? I use vita mixer daily. Also, you say you don’t normally put fruit in your juice. Do you eat fruit at all? Thanks, love your articles!
I wanted to start juicing years ago but I had a really bad reaction after drinking a green juice my mom made me. It’s been so long so I can’t remember what was in it, but just your standard greens. I remember it tasting spicy.
I drank it on an empty stomach, then I started salivating a lot, got a really really sick feeling, nausea, & shakes. Could this be a reaction because my body is so toxic? Or perhaps because some of the veggies were not organic? Oh & I also chugged it because it tasted so bad. I thought maybe it was because I drank it on an empty stomach. But I see you recommend that. It makes me really nervous to try again.
What are your thoughts?
I read in one of Dr. Norman Walker’s books entitled ‘fresh fruit and vegetable juice’ that ‘it sometimes happens that after drinking large quantities of carrot juice that a reaction is experienced or perhaps some distress…this is perfectly a natural sequence as it is an indication that nature has started house cleaning in the body…’
I know your post is not about carrot juice but i assume what Dr. Walker was saying can refer to anything that is good and healthy for the body especially if you are a first-time or rare consumer.
That is good to know, thank you Bernadette!
Start slowly! Look up recipes for first time juicers (there are some that aren’t as “potent” as others, if you will). Don’t be discouraged to get back into it! Our stomachs are just so used to not getting as much vegetable nutrition as were supposed to, so when you fill yourself up with such a high dose so fast, you’re body may start flushing itself out extremely quickly. The salivating may have been from whatever was spicy in it? Which is odd for a juice to be spicy but perhaps you’re just a bit sensitive to a certain ingredient. I’d recommend starting with something along the lines of
2 apples
1 large cucumber
3 kale leaves
1 lime
You’ll get the feel for what your body is okay with as you get into the groove of juicing don’t worry! Baby steps! And yessss the best time to have a juice is on an empty stomach as you absorb the nutrients from it a LOT more efficiently!
Thank you for the info & encouragement Kristin! I asked my mom what the “spicy” ingredient was, mustard greens from her garden. Anyhow I think I’ll try your recipe 🙂
Actually that sounds like a hypoglycemic episode. If you consume too much sugar in one episode your body produces a ton of insulin to try to counteract that and it can be too much for you, making your blood sugar drop. Symptoms include nausea, shaking, faintness/dizziness, and a headache.
Hmm Angela, I wonder if that is the case. I suspected Hypoglycemia years ago but I had a blood test done & they said it was negative. Although I’ve had friends tested for it & their testing was much more comprehensive than a 1 time blood test (w/out consuming anything sugary before). I wonder if I should be retested…
This article is great and I see areas where i can definitely improve on, so thanks so much for sharing.
I have a question on the difference between consuming Juices Versus Smoothies (ie. Juicing vs Blending). I actually do not own a Juicer, but I have a high powered blender that I use daily. I am still unclear on what the added benefits are of Juicing, as opposed to smoothies. Can anyone help clear this up for me? I am totally open to switching to juicing, but would like to know if anyone has further information on the difference in benefits.
Thank You!!
Jucing process faster than smoothies..at my job we use Norwalk cold press juicer. Basically doesn’t cook the juice. 2step process goes through a grinder, then place they pulp in the 2ton hydraulic. Press and squeezes all the juice:) raw organic produce too! You got out all the pesticides etc.. Juicing is easier to get all the goodstuff compared to eating it definaltey! drink your veggies faster than eating it.. And as the article said not the same value compared to the good old days! You can fight off things from cancer etc! To other diff things
Nice one Lori, I always advise friends to clean the juicer straight away, it does save time.;-)
I found a great article on juicing vs. blending!
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/juicing-vs-blending-which-one-is-better
How can you mention in “Are You Making These Common Juicing Mistakes” that you do a carrot juice to help your eyelashes and then not have the recipe for it. That’s just wrong.
Thanks intended for offering these sort of amazing post.
Hi!! I have a question, I am in Argentina and to get an imported juicer is out of the questions these days -due to budget constrains. So far I have been doing smoothies and would like to buy a juicer, but since it will be a centrifugal is it still worthy?
Should I go for more or less watts? I am confused whether it will break more nutrients or not…
Thanks a lot for clarifying this!
Do you recomend cleansing enemas while juicing?
Thanks for the recipes.
Just to save you looking silly though:
There is no reason to ‘chew your juice.’ Firstly, the enzymes released by chewing are also released in the small intestine (so they’ll work on food even if it isn’t chewed). Secondly, the enzyme in saliva (called amylase) breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars (things like fructose). Juices don’t really contain complex carbs – they are mainly sugars to start with. So the amylase isn’t really even necessary.
I juice Kale, beet, cucumber, cantaloupe, carrot, celery, and almond/coconut milk. pinch of nut meg It is very good. Kind of jamacain flair with the coconut almond mik.
Do you think this has to much sugar/fruit?
just got a breville fountain juicer. so will you still help me ? juicer novice and found your site. Looking into before get into it especially now till new year ,,,lol
That mix sounds good. I would like to know the answer to that as well.
Also, i deal with vertigo and would like to use Ginger in juicing and need beats for iron….please give me some recipes with these.
so, Carrots count as a fruit?
not seeing Blueberries (antioxidants) in any of your recipes, why?
what about Green beans, broccoli…. Need cancer fighting recipes, & cleansing etc.
i want to do a total juice fast. I am a new juicer.
lastly, can you define the difference in types of juicers & whats best. (center, champion, press, etc)
I have been juicing in the mornings right after drinking my warm lemon water w/ cayenne. Is this a problem? Should i wait in between? If so how long? I down the water while making the juice. My morning time is limited. I’m already getting up earlier to juice. Just checking. Don’t want to sabatoge either routine!
I’ve been wondering about this too and trying to find an answer here in the comments… Can anyone help??
Dealing with a new psychologist or hypnotherapist could help alleviate signs and symptoms of which are not aided by means of medicinal drugs. The professional or even counselor can certainly educate you leisure strategies to help you out manage your own signs or symptoms. You can even find out strategies to minimize strain that you experienced as a way to avoid nonulcer stomach ache via continual.
I only have a acess to the organic greens that come in the boxes for salad (spinach, kale and arugula) Would I be better off to use these boxes or the bunches of unorganic greens. I have been Hesitant to use my juicer everyday because of this concern. Please help. Thanks
The recommendation to wait 20 minutes after drinking the juice before eating is not realistic for a very busy morning. ;(
And I still do not understand why juicing is better than making a smoothy in a Vitamix.
Has anyone added protein powder in the veggies/fruit that they have juiced? I need more protein in my diet and was wondering if by doing this it takes away the positive effects of juicing. Thoughts?
I enjoyed this article very much. I am starting to juice and I am not sure what types of meals can I eat while jucing. Please let me know what are some food items I can have as a meal. I really dont want to juice and then have a meal that defeats the purpose. Please Help!
http://tasktojob.com/?task=8716
I am trying to “clean” my arteries and have started with beetroot and pomegranate juice first thing in the morning. About 4 oz of the beetroot and 8 of the Pom. What else can I use to aid in that process?
I would add lemon and lime, ginger to your juices as well as apples and purple grapes specific to arteries..lots of info online to read about that..grapes also may be easier to blend in a blender rather than a juicer..when their seeds are pulverized it releases antioxidants..another great recommendation for anyone interested in juicing and health is following Jay Kordich on facebook or his website..90 years old, has overcome cancer and is an amazing source of knowledge about juicing
My husband and I are about to begin a 3-day juice cleanse (first one!). Since he is 6’5, 240lbs and I am 5’4, 115lbs, should we have different amounts of juice? It seems counter-intuitive for me to eat or juice the same amount as he does.
Thanks for any insight you could offer!
I love Suja!
Hi Foodbabe- I have just started juicing more than just smoothies for my kids and I. However, I also am trying to incorporate the daily habit of drinking lemon juice and cayenne pepper as suggested. In the common juicing mistakes it talks about drinking juice on an empty stomach… So does the lemon water count or do you typically do lemon water, then juice, then breakfast? All waiting at least 20 minutes in between? 🙂
Thanks for all your help don’t want to make everything too complicated just trying to do our best!
I’m new to juicing but logic makes me think that because juice is mostly water, and our bodies are mostly water, I doubt drinking lemon water prior to juice would change the effects of the absorption of nutrients since it isn’t digested and doesn’t block or delay nutrient absorption from the juice as fiber from the whole food or other solid foods do. Fiber slows down absorption of nutrients which is also a big difference between juicing and blending. Sugars in particular, that are juiced and thus not slowed down by the digestion of fiber, can cause high blood sugar levels which can interfere with insulin levels and damage the pancreas, and cause the sugar high then crash associated with high sugar/carb intake.
To Food Babe
I used carrots, red beets, cucumber, apple and celeriac in my daily juice. the mixture makes about 2 and 1/2 glasses of juice. My question is, is this a good juice mixture ?
awaiting your comments
I don’t want to get into telling you the benefits of every fruit and vegetable you are juicing, you should already know that. What I can tell you, is what you are juicing is very good for your skin, eyes, hair and a detox for your digestive system. I say to you, take the time out and look up each fruit and vegetable you are juice and learn the benefits of each. Don’t just juice blindly, juice for a purpose. For example, I want beautiful skin, so I juice with carrots every day. I also want to get rid of my rosacea, so I juice with cucumber. Cucumber is great for healing Rosacea. Do you understand what I’m talking about. Look up every fruit and vegetable you want to juice and learn what they are good for and what vitamins and minerals, etc. they contain.
Dear Rosemary,
Your comments is well taken. What I was expecting you to comment is when these raw materials are juiced together, does it have chemical reactions that is not good for human health ?
This is an old comment/question that I am still waiting for your answer…How does this work…at the end of the article you say that you will help with questions that people may have, but then you rarely answer any ones questions. So I will try again…….I heard that it is a good idea to have a little fat/protein with your juice. I have been adding a couple tablespoons of hemp hearts to a 16 oz glass of veggie juice. I would really like your opinion on this…wondering what you think about adding coconut oil also..Love everything that you are putting out there for us…Thank you!
Reply
Am I getting the same nutritional benefit if I juice with wilted greens?
Do you have any suggestions for those of us with OAS (oral allergy syndrome)?? I just bought a juicer and can’t wait to dig in but am worried about some of the reactions I may get :(.
Thanks for your time!!
Your information is incorrect. You don’t need to “chew’ your juice. Yes, chewing releases saliva to break down enzymes in food, just like teeth provide a mechanical digestion…..but this is for WHOLE FOOD…juice does not apple because your first step of digestion is not needed to break down and chomp up whole foods
Not Drinking Green Juice On An Empty Stomach
You are ABSOLUTELY WRONG!! THE REASON WHY PEOPLE GET “HEARTBURN, OR “INDIGESTION” AFTER EATING, OR BEFORE EATING IS BECAUSE OF “DEHYDRATION”. THE PERSON IS DEHYDRATED. TO CURE “HEART-BURN/INDIGESTION, PLEASE DRINK PLENTY OF WATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY, EVERYDAY.
Rosemary,
When did you earn your medical degree, and when was your license to practice medicine revoked?
Heart burn AKA GERD and indigestion (a nonspecific descriptor that can indicate nausea or gastritis or GERD or gas/bloating) are different entities and have different etiologies, neither are caused by dehydration!
GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disorder is caused by decreased strength of the lower esophageal sphincter which results in the acidic gastric contents contacting the mucosa of the esophagus causing irritation. Drinking more water may dampen symptoms, but by all means does not cure GERD!
Hey SCAB, YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IS PUTTING SOMEONE DOWN AND CLAIMING TO KNOW SOMETHING WHEN YOU HAVE NO CLUE, OR ITOA OF WHAT YOUR ARE TALKING ABOUT. So shut your big fat pie hole and listen up. Dyspeptic pain also referred to as indigestion and heartburn are all related to GERD. SCABone, dyspeptic pain is the most important signal for the human body, it denotes DEHYDRATION!! It is a thirst signal of the body. It can occur in the very young as well as the very old. Chronic and persistently increasing dehydration is the root cause of almost all currently encountered major diseases of the human body.
And YES, DRINKING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF WATER EACH AND EVERY DAY WILL CURE GERD, ALSO EATING LIVING FOODS AND NOT ABUSING YOUR BODY WITH ALCOHOL, SPICY FOODS AND OTHER SUCH THINGS THE BODY WAS NOT MEANT TO HAVE IN ITS SYSTEM.
GET A DEEPER EDUCATION, SCAB, ONE THAT DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH “PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES”!!!!!!!
We juice at my preschool. I take pics of all of the little ones so that parents can see how much fun we have! It’s a wonderful way to start the day and gets children to understand how important (and delicious!) vegetables are.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=578039102269429&set=pb.285402404866435.-2207520000.1389556924.&type=3&theater
I must have water and then coffee before my juice. Is this wrong?
I think that’s perfectly fine. She’s just saying you should probably stay away from consuming any solids before juicing.
After reading your article I am very concerned that you are dispensing what can be easily construed as well researched medical advise without giving either appropriate credentials on your expertise, or citations as to where you pulled your information from.
Some of you advise is flat out contradictory. I would like to read the studies (published in peer reviewed journals). I don’t want to dismiss what you are saying, but I will say that as a researcher in monogastric nutrition, I find it highly suspicious as being non science.
Please remember; gross misuse of anecdotal evidence can be very dangerous. Please provide proper references and citations. Then people may judge for themselves, weather to follow some, all or any of your advise.
Joe, not to discount what you are saying, I have personal experience not to always trust “peer reviewed papers” as they often are right until proven wrong or just plain wrong based on one misguided researcher and those who follow him blindly like sheep. Also, let’s remember that all of those over 3000 toxic chemicals added to the foods we consume and feed to our children, were created by scientists! I would trust someone who’s only goal is to eat healthy and teach others to eat healthy, and pushes whole foods, over scientists whose goal is usually to create chemicals to sell foods thus make more money, without regard to the cost to human health and life!
Hi Kendall, I am a member of the scientific community and by reading your comment I see that you do not know what peer-reviewed actually means. Fortunately, not all scientists, doctors are out there to get you and we are not all brain-washed by thr big ol’ scary pharma. Some actually care a lot about health enough to pursue long studies to better comprehend the human body, metabolism and more. You do realize that mankind has greatly benefited from research and all the great scientist that have contributed to our advancement.
Abel, you know nothing of me or my background or knowledge from simply reading my comment. I am quite aware of what peer reviewed means and of the many journals that publish peer reviewed articles. Making assumptions about people only shows your ignorance. Here’s a homework assignment for you; read “Osler’s Web”. It’s a true accounting of scientific ignorance and an example of what I wrote in my comment above. Of course, I’m sure you will either discount it or ignore it, that is if you are actually brave enough to read something that probably goes against everything you’ve been trained to think. Like I said, Sheep!
Great article!! Really informative and helping!
I have a question though. You wrote “This is especially important if you make your juice without a juicer using a blender and strainer.” . Why does the it make a difference wether you’ve used a blender or juice when it comes to storage?
So far I am using a blender for smoothies and always kept a glass (covered with cling wrap) in the fridge for the next day. So I shouldnt do this at all?
There are a lot of claims in this article. I would take all of it much more seriously if there were citations (fyi for future articles). Also, since this is one of the first articles to come up when you google “juicing”, I think it’s the responsible thing to do.
I’d also appreciate the fiber issue being addressed- juicing vegetables/fruits will never be better than eating vegetables/fruits if you cut out the fiber & nutrients from the pulp. Maybe I’m misunderstanding – does the juicing discussed here include or exclude pulp? That seems to be the greatest criticism I’ve seen about juicing, so I think that’d be helpful to include.
To All,
Thanks for your valuable information. I just got an Oscar Neo 1000 for Christmas and am new to juicing so any advice is helpful.
As to Rosemary, I’m finding her quite entertaining. Maybe she’s just having a laugh on us all by shouting about everything (all capital Rosemary), ranting (there must be a blog somewhere dedicated to all the disease and mayhem she could write to) and being just plain rude and annoying. Or maybe she’s simply a real wackjob.
Why are all the comments so negative here?
My goodness! No one is perfect – just drink some juice and do your best to be healthy! Treat others the way you want to be treated!
Food Babe,
I am new to juicing, and am wanting to try my first juice fast soon. I just have some questions on the proper way to store my juice for later use, with in a couple of days. Or is freezing a good option?
I enjoyed reading your article it really helped me as I am a beginner juicer. I am amazed however to see McDonalds ads on your page, kind of makes me wonder now why you would be a good source of information and then direct us to eat at McDonalds.