JUICING FOR VITALITY

Have you tried juicing? If yes - That’s great, because juicing has a lot to offer you that will benefit your health and wellbeing. Juicing can make you feel better in so many ways.

It’s important, however, to understand how juicing works, and this book will help you get started, discuss the best juicers for you, and how to avoid the common pitfalls of juicing. You will also find many juicing recipes, some specifically geared to help with certain health concerns.

Your mom probably told you repeatedly, “Eat your vegetables!” Maybe you hid the spinach beneath the mashed potatoes. Kids do that. Now, however, you know how important eating more fruits and vegetables is to your optimal health. They are known to reduce the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They are filled with the vitamins and minerals you need to remain healthy and full of energy.

It’s a simple fact that the more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more you enjoy the benefits. You should be eating more than five servings every day. That sounds close to impossible, doesn’t it?

This is where juicing comes in. We can’t always consume all the fruits and vegetables we need. Juicing concentrates the produce so that one glass can serve as the equivalent of several pieces of fruit and vegetables. Juicing makes it easier to enjoy the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Here’s how it works:

A juicer extracts all the liquid and discards everything else. So, what you are left with is highly concentrated fruit and vegetable juice. A blender mashes the whole fruits or vegetables, but leaves the fiber. We’ll talk more about the difference between juicing and blending, because they both have their benefits.

This book will show you how to incorporate juicing into your healthy lifestyle. Juices can serve as a vibrant meal replacement, but you need solid foods as well. We’ll discuss why and how to go about a complete juice cleanse.

Juicing vs. Blending

These days, people are becoming more aware of the effects that the foods they consume have on their body and entire life. This is definitely a step in the right direction. Every study over the past few decades indicates that many of us are overfeed and undernourished. We are eating all the wrong foods.

As the current juicing craze gains momentum, it’s important to discuss the difference between juicing and blending.

Juicing, as we’ve discussed, separates the juice from fiber, leaving you with a heavy concentration of plant-based nutrients. Your body gets a heavy shot of vitamins and minerals. Not surprisingly, you need a juicer to extract juice from fruits and vegetables.

Blending processes the entire fruit or vegetable, simply creating a different form of the same thing. You blend a carrot, you get a carrot, albeit in a liquid, smoothie form. It is not concentrated, like juicing. It does, however, retain all the needed fiber that juicing removes.

Juicing provides more concentrated nutrition. You use more produce to get that glass of juice, so it’s more expensive. Blending

gives you all the benefits of produce, along with the fiber. Both have their uses, depending on what you are trying to achieve.

As a general rule of thumb, the amount of fruits and vegetables needed for one glass of juice will provide you three glasses of blended smoothies. Since blending retains fiber, which slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, blending might be an excellent option if you are watching your sugar intake. When you blend, you can also add different types of foods to the blender, such as yogurt or nuts.

Both juicing and blending are an excellent way to consume more fruits and vegetables. If you’re feeling sneaky, it’s a great opportunity to get some vegetables and fruits into your finicky little eaters. Actually, if they help with the process of juicing, they are likely to become more interested in eating the whole thing.

Juicing and blending let you use up produce that is ready to wilt. However, one or the other may be better for certain types of fruits and vegetables. Let’s take a look what type of produce is best juiced or blended. Either method will give you some inherently superior goodness, but there are times one method is better, although all fruits and vegetables can be juiced.

For juicing fruits, try papaya, all citrus fruits, apples, pineapples, and grapes.

For blending, less juicy fruits work best, such as avocados, bananas, peaches, all berries, and mangos. Of course, you can pick more than one for a heavenly blend.

For juicing vegetables, try tomatoes, cucumber, celery, green leafy vegetables, and cabbage.

Use vegetables with lots of fiber for blending, such kale, spinach and any squash. Adding some citrus fruit to your kale or spinach can remove some of the bitterness. Whenever you blend, remember to add water, coconut milk or yogurt.

Juicing is one of the quickest growing and most popular health trends. We know that fresh vegetables and fruits are necessary to our health. They contain the vitamins and enzymes that our bodies need to thrive.

Why Our Diet Is Lacking

Fresh juice is an excellent way to counteract our nutrition-challenged Western diet. Processed sugars and flours, unhealthy fats and cholesterol-laden foods have turned our once-healthy bodies into weak shadows of their former selves. Instead of sustaining our health, our modern diet is increasing our vulnerability to diseases and is depleting us of needed energy.

When you add lack of exercise and environmental toxins to the equation, juicing certainly provides a much-needed weapon against today’s lifestyle.

Fresh vegetables and fruits can help get our health back on track. They should be the mainstay of our diet, enjoyed in different ways each day. We can all benefit from increasing our intake of fresh produce.

The good news is that juicing provides us with concentrated wholesomeness. We get more health benefits in a glass of juice than we could possibly get by eating an apple or orange. What is not

immediately evident is that juicing our produce robs them – and us – off the fibers we need to stay healthy.

Nature intended for us to bite into its rich bounty. Juicing removes fiber from produce. In effect, it separates all those glorious vitamins and antioxidants from the fiber. And fiber is an important part of a healthy diet.

The Importance of Fiber

Nature packages the energy and nutrients in fresh foods with fiber. Fiber plays many important roles in our health:

What role does fiber play in our health? Quite an important one, as it turns out.

1. Fiber removes toxic waste from our colon.

2. It keeps cholesterol from getting into our bloodstream

3. It makes us feel full after eating, thus helping us eat less and lose weight.

4. It slows down sugar absorption into our bloodstream, a serious problem for pre-diabetics or diabetics.

5. It improves overall digestive functions.

So, fruits, vegetables and fiber are all a good thing, but juicing separates them. As a juicer pulverizes the produce into a contracted juice, it strips away much of the fiber. In a way, a juicer can “process” produce in much the same way processed foods have their nutrients removed. Which means the juicer is processing the food instead of our own digestive system. However, our body absorbs nutrients a lot faster without the contained fiber.

Fruit juice, of course, contains fructose, a natural sugar. However, our body can’t distinguish between natural and unnatural sugars, so a constant craving for sweet juice can actually lead to weight gain instead of weight loss.

There is no denying that juices provide nutrient-dense calories that our body craves. That’s why juicing is so beneficial. It especially lets us enjoy the benefits of healthy vegetables we otherwise might not touch.

For instance, you may not enjoy the taste of kale or spinach, and, thus avoid eating these important vegetables. However, when they are juiced along with other ingredients, you derive the benefit of these power-foods in a very pleasant way. Blending different fruits and vegetables is very much a part of juicing.

However, unless you are doing a short-term cleanse (we will be discussing cleanses in another chapter), be aware that juicing should become a part of a healthier, more robust, lifestyle. It should not replace every meal for any length of time. It’s one of the best ways of getting all the nutrition we need for maximum health and energy.

For example, 2 cups of carrot juice (very doable) has the nutritional equivalence of eight pounds of carrots. You surely don’t want to eat those eight pounds of carrots in one sitting, whereas you can enjoy two cups easily.

However, you still need fiber when you’re juicing. That means that, along with juicing, you should be eating foods high in fiber, such as whole, fresh fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, and legumes such as lentils, and beans. These foods are the perfect complement to your juicing diet.

Juicing is wonderful when used as a “fast food,” a quick, very potent and nutritious meal. With all the juicers on the market (we will discuss them in a later chapter), you’ll be juicing it in no time and loving it.

Why Juicing?

Juicing extracts juices from vegetables and fruits. Instead of eating your produce, you’re left with only liquid to drink. Remember that little citrus reamer your grandmother used to squeeze you a glass of fresh orange juice? Grandma was juicing. Of course, juicers have come a long way since then, although Grandma’s little gadget can still come in handy.

Why is juicing more important today than ever? Because, unfortunately, a typical Western diet consists of up to 60 percent processed foods. That’s more than half! Thirty percent of our diet is meats and dairy, which provides needed protein, but we need more than protein to thrive.

You may notice that leaves exactly 10 percent for fruits and vegetables. Not nearly enough. Our bodies lack the proper food balance. That may be fine when you’re 12 years old and are made up pure energy. But by the time you reach the northern part of your twenties, your body starts paying a heavy price.

How Juicing Helps Your Body

Plant-based foods consist of micronutrients, the vitamins and minerals you need to act and feel your best. These micronutrients help protect against disease and warding off infections. Even if you inherited divine genes, you need to maintain them. Your parents might have handed you sheer gold, but it’ll turn to rust if you don’t give your body the fuel it requires.

Juicing lets you “reboot” to better health. No matter what condition you are in, the time to start is now. Juicing is the best way to detox your body, improve your immune system, start losing weight, ease any gut problems and enjoy more energy than you’d thought possible.

Juicing and Detoxing

Our body tries to detox every day when we use the bathroom or sweat. It knows what to do, but when we don’t give it the fuel it needs, it can’t do a proper job. Our skin, liver and kidney are all tools for eliminating toxins. But an unhealthy lifestyle can make it difficult.

Pollution, drugs, alcohol and a poor diet can create an overload of toxins inside of us. And when our body can’t eliminate toxins naturally, it starts to store them, where they nibble away at our immune system, tissues, and organs, causing serious health problems.

We are natural plant eaters. Our forefathers gathered whatever plants and berries they could every day. Hunting down some meat happened a lot less often. And nothing was processed. Today, we have turned from a mostly plant-based diet to consuming more and more processed foods, meats and fats.

Over 30 percent of American men and women suffer from obesity while still lacking vital nutrients. As we’ve pointed out, they are overfed and undernourished. We crave sugars and fats, and that’s okay. We celebrate with cake and commiserate with a pint ice cream. An occasional slice of cheesecake does no harm. However, junk food can become such a habit, we don’t even realize it. We order a pizza because everyone else does. This leaves our health at serious risk.

Juicing will not only give our bodies a fighting chance, as we get used to the taste of various fruits and vegetable juices, we will start craving them. We get the similar feeling of satisfaction from drinking delicious juices that we used to get from chomping down on a potato chip. That’s when we start to feel and look better.

You can start slow. As the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Start your journey by juicing a glass in the morning to go with your breakfast, and eat well for the rest of the day. When you feel ready, you can have a glass of juice replace an entire meal. You still need fiber and protein, so don’t rely on juice for all your nutrients, unless you are doing a short-term juice cleanse. We will discuss that separately.

What If You’re Not Ready To Start Juicing?

Perhaps you don’t feel ready for juicing. You may like the concept, but you aren’t quite willing to forego the fast-food burger at lunch, the pizza delivery when you get home, and those nachos while watching the game.

That’s okay. It’s your decision. However, this is when you might need a glass of juice the most. While you’re consuming all those

toxins, your energy is lagging. You aren’t feeling as well as you could. Why not give your body the ammunition it needs, and a fighting chance? With at least one glass of concentrated juice a day,

preferably more, the additional nutrition can help counteract some of the toxins. So, if you must, have that pizza. Consider having a glass of concentrated juice, as well.

A juice cleanse is a way to detoxify the body by solely consuming juices for up to 10 days. Solid food is not a part of most juice cleanses. If you embark on a cleanse for more than three days, check with your doctor first.

A 2009 study published in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society found that people consuming five servings of fruit or vegetable in the form of juice concentrate over eight hours did increase their body’s antioxidants and other micronutrients. However, consuming nothing but juice concentrate can lead to sugar spikes.

Also, such a cleanse lacks fiber and can leave the person feeling perpetually hungry. A cleanse, of course, lacks any form of animal protein. Several days of a pure juice cleanse can cause severe fatigue, so limit the total days you consume nothing but pure juice.

Juicing and Gut Health

The advantage of a three-day juice cleanse is improved gut health. Two thousand years ago, the father of medicine, Hippocrates, said, “All disease begins in the gut.” Modern research shows that he could not have been more correct. An impaired gut can lead to obesity, chronic fatigue, and other diseases. The fact is, the connection between body and brain is strong. When our gut is not functioning properly, it can affect our brain or mood. Juicing sweeps through a messy gut and tidies it up.

A 2014 study at UCLA found that a mere three-day cleanse increases good bacteria and decreases bad bacteria in our gut. People who go through a juice cleanse report simply, “feeling better.” A cleanse returns the body to its natural state without all those dangerous toxins.

Before starting a juice cleanse, check with your doctor. If he or she gives the go-ahead, here’s what you can do to maximize the benefits:

1. Don’t just jump into a cleanse. You wouldn’t start a running plan with a marathon schedule, would you? Prepare your body a few days prior to the cleanse:

a. Start drinking more water.

b. Reduce the amount of caffeine you usually consume. Use this time to start incorporating green tea into your diet.

c. For a week or so prior to your cleanse, include more raw fruits and vegetables in your diet every day. An excellent way to do this is by preparing at least one green smoothie per day.

d. One or two days prior to your cleanse, eliminate meats and dairy from your diet entirely. If you are used to consuming meat and dairy with every meal, start a few days earlier. This will help your digestive system accept the plant-based cleanse quicker.

e. If you’re still consuming processed foods, just stop. Processed food provides you with no benefits and can be responsible for many health problems. Start to examine labels. If you aren’t familiar with an ingredient, the chances are good you shouldn’t be consuming it. Beware of hidden sugars, even in foods labelled natural.

2. After preparing for your cleanse, decide which cleanse is most suited to your goals. The best and healthiest cleanse will be five days or less.

Kidney Cleanse

All cleanses are beneficial. But the role of the kidneys is to detoxify our entire body. If they do not function properly, your health suffers the consequences. Clean health begins with clean kidneys. A kidney cleanse removes toxic waste that can accumulate and make you feel sluggish. If you are on a special diet, consult your doctor about incorporating kidney cleanse into your lifestyle.

Start your kidney cleanse slowly. Substitute just one meal with a glass of healing juice. This will help you determine which ingredients work best for you.

Benefits of a Kidney Cleanse

1. When toxins remain stored in your kidneys, you can become uncomfortably bloated as they aren’t being flushed out.

2. Toxins in your kidneys can lead to excessive fatigue. If foods aren’t being processed properly, your body won’t absorb the nutrients. As a result, you’ll have less energy and are more likely to tire quickly.

3. If the kidneys aren’t flushed properly, you may be susceptible to kidney infections. A good kidney cleanse can help.

4. Bladder problems are the results of toxins or bacteria in the urinary tract. The urinary tract is located partially in the kidneys. Symptoms of a urinary tract infection is the need to urinate frequently. This can occur especially during times of stress or a weakened immune system. The best way to rid your kidneys of toxins is by consuming a large amount of liquids. Cranberry and orange juice is especially helpful in cleaning out the kidneys, as they are naturally unfriendly toward bacteria. We’ll have several juice recipes that are especially effective in flushing out kidney impurities.

5. By regularly cleansing your kidneys of impurities, you lower the risk of developing kidney stones considerably.

Recipes for a Kidney Cleanse

Watermelon Juice

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped watermelon

1 cucumber

Parsley and basil leaves

1 lemon

1 cup chopped kale

1-inch nob of ginger

Directions:

Cut the watermelon and cucumber into pieces and feed all

Cabbage Cleanse

Ingredients:

½ cabbage

1 cup broccoli florets

1 lemon

1 cucumber

Directions:

Chop the cabbage and add all ingredients to the juicer.

Cranberry Juice

Ingredients:

1 cup cranberries

1 cup sparkling water

2 tbsp. Matcha green tea powder

2 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Place ingredients in juicer and process.

Watermelon Cleanse

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed watermelon

1 cup blueberries

1 lemon

Directions:

Feed the ingredients into your juicer.

Carrot Juice

Ingredients:

2 carrots

2 cucumbers

½ cup of sparkling water

Directions:

Cut the vegetables in chunks and place in the juicer, along with the sparkling water.

Beets and Cabbage Juice

Ingredients:

2 beets

1 cucumber

½ cabbage

Bunch of parsley

Directions:

Roughly chop the vegetables.

Place ingredients in a juicer with enough water to help blend.

Cucumber and Celery

Ingredients:

3 celery stalks

1 small cucumber

¼ cup cilantro

1-inch nob of ginger

Directions:

Chop the ingredients as needed and feed into the juicer.

Aging is a natural part of life. When we’re 13, we can’t wait to grow older. When we hit 53, aging starts to look a bit different. Our skin has begun to sag, we’re fighting wrinkles instead of acne, and our body doesn’t always obey us.

Most of us want to stem the aging process in order to look and feel better. That’s perfectly normal and desirable, especially at a time when we are gaining so much knowledge about the harm we do to ourselves by consuming toxins and generally indulging in an unhealthy lifestyle. Aging is inevitable. The negative side effects of aging are not.

Here’s the truth: Our lifestyle contributes much more to our own aging process than Father Time.

While a certain Hollywood contingency has clung to youth with the use of surgery and Botox, many have ended up looking like young trout. Facelifts and injections aren’t the answer to graceful aging.

Reduce the Onset of Aging

Aging has little to do with wrinkles, which are the result of aging, not the cause. Aging, and the related damages, are the logical consequence of cellular damage and the body’s inability to fight these changes with enough antioxidants. We simply use up what we have during our lifetime. (See Denham Harman.)

This is where a diet filled with antioxidants comes in. Optimal diet regime and juicing help combat the onset of sagging skin, hair loss, osteoporosis and other signs. It doesn’t stop the aging process, but it can slow down the worse effects and let us enjoy excellent health well into our older years. Juicing, along with a healthy diet, keeps us more vital for a longer period of time.

Anti-Aging Recipes

Below are some recipes that are very useful in providing anti-aging antioxidants.

Glowing Skin Juice

Ingredients:

3 carrots

2 apples

1 cup blueberries

1 cup green tea

Directions:

Roughly chop the carrots and apples.

Place the carrots, apples and blueberries in the juicer and process.

In a glass, combine the juice and the green tea and serve over ice.

Glowing Greens Juice

Ingredients:

Bunch of baby spinach

1 small avocado

3 celery stalks

1 cup strawberries

Directions:

Place ingredients in a juicer and process.

Beauty Elixir

Ingredients:

1 cup cranberries

1 cup blueberries

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1 cup of black tea

Directions:

Add all ingredients except the sesame seeds to the juicer and process.

Stir the seeds into the juice.

Green Sunshine Juice

Ingredients:

Kale leaves

Collard greens

Parsley

1 cucumber

1 lemon

1-inch grated ginger nob

Directions:

Process the ingredients in a juicer.

Pour in a glass and sprinkle with cayenne pepper and turmeric.

Energy Boosters

One of the most amazing aspects of juicing is how it can boost your energy to new heights. This is especially important as we grow older. All those fruits and veggies know how to do their job.

These days, we live in a high-energy world, with many of us trying to fit 26 hours into a 24-hour day. It’s exhausting. Many people have developed the habit of consuming toxic so-called energy drinks to get an added energy boost. We all want to feel more energetic, but at what cost? The dangerous side effects of these energy drinks are well-known and listed below.

Energy Drinks

Drinking too many caffeinated energy drinks can prove lethal. These drinks force the heart to work harder, which can lead to serious health problems. People with chronic heart conditions are especially at risk. A study revealed that over 4,500 calls were made to poison control centers by people who’d consumed too many of these toxic drinks. Even at their most benign, studies show that drinking energy drinks affected cardiac rhythm in a significant way.

Drinking energy drinks every day cause migraine headaches due to caffeine withdrawal when the drinker tries to stop this daily habit. The body becomes addicted to the caffeine. Large quantities of energy drinks can cause panic attacks and anxiety. This can lead directly to bad performance and emotional issues.

The purpose of energy drinks is to rev up the brain, which leads to insomnia and other sleep problems. Sleep deprivation can cause additional problems, such as difficulty in concentrating. Energy drinks have a high sugar content, which can exacerbate or cause type 2 Diabetes conditions.

An abundance of energy drinks can cause serious dehydration. Energy drinks deplete the body of needed liquid instead of replenishing it. Energy drinks can elevate blood pressure to an abnormally high level. Those who're experiencing high blood pressure are placed at risk for possible strokes due to the high caffeine content.

More energy is a worthwhile goal, but why rely on toxic energy drinks and suffer the consequences? Fruit juices provide an abundance of energy by providing the body with the healthy nutrients it needs. If you are serious about boosting your energy, toss the energy drink and reach for the juice.

Juices for Energy

Homemade V8 Juice

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes

1 onion

2 celery stalks

2 carrots

½ green bell pepper

1 garlic clove

2 cups water

Lemon juice and horseradish to taste

Directions:

Roughly chop the vegetables and garlic and process all ingredients through the juicer.

Pineapple Juice Boost

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped pineapple

1 orange

1-inch nub of grated ginger

Directions:

Peel the orange and place all ingredients in the juicer. Serve over ice.

Kale Boost

Ingredients:

Bunch of kale

1 cup coconut milk or coconut water

1 chopped apple

1 tbsp. melted coconut oil

½ cup ground nuts.

Directions:

Process the kale, coconut oil, chopped apple and coconut milk through the juicer.

If your juicer is powerful enough, add the ground nuts. If not, simply stir them into the juice.

Beet and Apple Juice

Ingredients:

1 beet

1 apple

3 celery stalks

1-inch grated ginger nub

Directions:

Chunk the vegetables and add all ingredients to the juicer.

Apple Plus Juice

Ingredients:

2 apples

4 carrots

1 cup spinach

1 cup broccoli florets

Directions:

Chunk the apples and vegetables.

Add all ingredients to a juicer and serve over ice.

Power Vegetable Juice

Ingredients:

3 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 green pepper

1 apple

Directions:

Cut up and process the ingredients through a juicer.

Okay, perhaps you are convinced that consuming more juice can have a tremendously positive affect on your health. You’re determined to make juices a daily habit. That’s great. But … what about all those beautifully bottled juices lining the shelves at the supermarket? Why not simply stock up and avoid all the juicing hassle?

Juices Are Not Created Equal

Yes, those processed juices are certainly convenient. But they are pasteurized and depleted of nutrients. Consider this: if you found out carrots were good for you, would you opt for fresh carrots or a chicken pot pie filled with processed carrots? Bottled juices are processed much like all other processed foods. This is exactly what fresh juicing is designed to avoid.

Possible Problems with Bottled Juices

1. The process of bottling these juices can decrease the amount of important juice nutrition.

2. You have no control of the fruits and vegetables being processed. These bottled juices may contain pesticides or other chemicals. For juicing, organic, fresh-off-the-farm is best.

3. You can’t even be certain that the produce has been cleaned properly.

4. If you are purchasing fruit concentrates, you may be buying little more than sugar water.

5. For juices sold in cans, these cans contain acid and other chemicals that can blend into the juices.

6. Bottled juice loses potency as it sits on the shelf. Exactly how many nutrients are left in that juice that may have been shelved for a month? You simply don’t know.

7. Since some juice bottlers add artificial flavorings, bottled juice will forever remain “mystery” juice.

8. Bottled juices are expensive. You’re paying around $3.00 for one helping of juice.

Juices Made In Your Juicer

Compare the above bottled juices with juices prepared fresh in your kitchen:

1. Homemade juices contain all the natural vitamins and enzymes of the original fruit. Nothing is lost.

2. You can mix and match fruits and vegetables according to your taste.

If you want to add juice to your life, make sure the juice is as fresh and uncontaminated as possible. Buy fresh.

Types of Juicers

Once you’ve decided to incorporate juicing into your life, you’ll need to determine what type of juicer is best for you.

A juicer is a machine that extracts juice from fruits and vegetables. You’ll want to pick the right one for your needs. Size and ease-of-cleaning should be a consideration.

Juicers can vary in cost, and the initial outlay may be a financial burden. While, usually, you get what you pay for, we recommend getting started on your juice regimen as soon as possible and buying an inexpensive juicer to start. Save up for a better, costlier juicer, and you’ll be ready by the time your inexpensive machine falls apart.

As an alternative to a full-sized juicer, there are many less expensive travel-size juicers available, such as the Magic Bullet. This is an excellent machine that makes 1 cup of juice at a time. We’ll discuss it in detail later.

First, understand that a juicer and a blender are two different machines. As we’ve discuss, a juicer extracts juice while removing fiber, while a blender creates a pulp-like smoothie with all the original ingredients intact. Both machines have their uses.

Centrifugal Juicers:

These are one of the less expensive type juicers and perhaps do less than an optimal job. They process the produce by disposing of the pulp and straining the juice. They are relatively fast, but they don’t always get all the juice, thus making for moister pulp. It may not be the best juicer-type for low-liquid fruits like bananas and avocadoes.

Hurom H-AE Slow Juicer

Definitely one of the most expensive juicers at just under $700.00. What makes the Hurom H-AE unique is its slowness. The juicer rotates slowly, much like Grandma’s orange squeezer, thus getting all the pure flavor. It gets every drop of juice from the produce and leaves nothing but the extra-dry pulp.

It has an internal brush for self-cleaning.

Breville BJE430SIL The Juice Fountain Cold

This is a top of the line centrifugal juicer at under $200.00. It does have some great features other centrifugal juicers do not, and its legion of fans swear by it. The Breville BJE420SIL has a low and a high speed. Its super-wide 3-inch chute lets you insert large chunks of produce without chopping. Best of all, it makes up to 70 ounces of juice. Its handy juice jug can store juice in the refrigerator for up to three days. This means you get more juice in less time, since you do not need to juice as often.

Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juice Extractor

This little powerhouse costs under $150.00. It has a wide feeding chute, stainless steel cutting blades and will get you eight ounces of juice in five seconds. It provides more than 30 percent juice than most other centrifugal juicers. It comes with a cup and cleaning brush.

Gourmia GJ750 Wide Mouth Fruit Centrifugal Juicer 850 Watts Juice Extractor

The Gourmia GJ750 has an extra-wide opening for larger pieces of fruits and vegetables, saving you cutting and chopping time. It can make 2 cups of juice at once and is very easy to clean. It comes with a free juicing recipe book. At under $50.00, it’s an excellent buy.

Masticating Juicers

Masticating juicers, or cold press juicers, press the juices through a strainer. They have a lower speed than centrifugal juicers, and as a result, extract more juice and retain more nutrients. They tend to work better for leafy vegetables. They are more expensive, but they end up providing more juice, they can save you money in the long run.

Omega J8006 Nutrition Center Masticating Dual-stage Juicer Juice Extractor

This is a slow juicer that yields a high volume of juice. It’s worth the just under $300 price tag. The slow speed preserves most of the nutrients and allows you to store the juice for up to three days. It can also chop nuts into peanut butter, prepare baby food, grind coffee, and make fresh pasta with an attachment. It’s a hard worker at any price.

Aicok 3 Slow Juicer Extractor

The $159.99 Aicok is compact and can be stored easily. It can also be cleaned in the dishwasher. Its large feeder lets you insert whole fruit, saving you from chopping and cutting. Really extracts the juice from the fruit and is an excellent buy for the money.

Omega VRT350 Heavy Duty Dual-Stage Vertical Single Auger Low Speed Juicer

Not cheap at over $400.00, the Omega works at a very low speed to retain maximum nutrition. The pulp is ejected automatically, making the cleanup easier. Its small size doesn’t take up much counterspace. As a bonus, it juices nuts without a problem.

Personal Juicers

An excellent way to save money on a juicer is to buy a small, personal juicer. They are much less expensive than larger juicers, easier to clean, and you can take them on your commute.

Magic Bullet NJB-0801 Juice Bullet

At under $50.00, this little beauty uses a 700-watt motor to create the perfect 8-ounze glass of juice. With only three parts, it disassembles quickly and cleans easily.

NutriBullet

The NutriBullet is a bit more powerful than the Magic Bullet and costs about $20.00 more.

Juicer or Blender – Decisions, decisions …

Both a juicer and a blender can provide healthy drinks. But the following two blenders have juicing options, providing you with the best of both worlds. They are costly, but made of top-of-the-line quality material that will last for years.

Blendtec Total Blender

The Blendtec is available for just under $500.00. This powerful machine has a juicer option to extract more juice from the produce.

VitaMix A3500

The VitaMix A3500 is a slightly stronger blender and chopped produce very fine. You can strain the small bits through a cheesecloth and end up with perfect juice.

As we’ve already mentioned, it’s difficult to consume the amount of fruits and vegetables we should to stay healthy. Juicing provides us with a concentrated burst of power that eating the produce cannot. It’s a struggle most of us face. Does anyone really eat three pounds of produce every day? Let’s see how juicing can fill that gap.

The Many Advantages of Juicing

1. Since juice contains low fiber, it becomes absorbed into the broad stream more quickly. You feel the effects immediately.

2. Juicing lets you enjoy greens you’d never eat in a lifetime, like kale perhaps. By mixing the kale with other vegetables and fruits, such as an apple or an orange (or both!), you can create a palatable juice that suits your taste. Keep in mind that fruit contains a lot of sugar (one of the pitfalls of juicing) and could lead to weight gain. Therefore, try and keep the vegetable to fruit ratio around 80 percent to 20 percent. Juicing gives you the opportunity to try out a lot of healthy, exotic vegetables that you’ve probably walked passed in the produce aisle of your local market without giving them a glance. Imagine the variety of vegetables you can try. If you juice before every meal using two vegetables, that gives you six different vegetables on any given day.

3. Our digestive system needs good bacteria called probiotics. Vegetables and fruits rich in probiotics are leeks, leafy greens, carrots, and bananas. Be sure to include those in your juicing regimen. Ginger isn’t a produce, but it’s definitely gut-friendly, so be sure to add some to your juicer.

4. Can juicing cure cancer? Studies are still being done, but we know one thing for certain. Juicing can arm the body with enough ammunition to help with the side-effects of chemotherapy. It can deliver that tsunami of nutrients when the body needs it most, since it lets you absorb more nutrition (ammunition for your body) quicker. Keep in mind this is an adjunct to regular cancer treatment and should be discussed with your doctor.

We can be reasonably sure that juicing can do much to prevent cancer. The increased nutrients you consume with juicing are

your best defense against this terrible disease. The best cancer-fighting foods are leafy greens, asparagus, carrots, beets, and broccoli. One reason juicing is a better way to defend yourself against cancer is that cooking those same vegetables will kill a lot of the needed enzymes. Think raw.

5. To lower your cholesterol, you need to consume less meats and fats and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Juicing, with its high-density juice content, can provide you with the most fruits and vegetables in the shortest time. Meats and saturated fats should be reduced as a matter of course. At the very least, eat more chicken and nutritious seafood.

6. Our lives are more stressed and faster-paced than ever. Gone are the days when you went home to a healthy homemade dinner. Most of us simply don’t have the time or the inclination. This means we rely more on fast foods, take-outs and delivery. That pizza may taste good, but what is it doing to your health? Drinking more juice and regular juice cleanses can eliminate the daily and accumulated toxins we feed our bodies and revitalize our digestive system.

7. Our skin needs nutrients, too, to look its best. A diet of junk food can, and probably will, result in acne and dull, lifeless

skin. By eating less chips and fried foods and eating more fruits and vegetables, we give our skin what it needs to glow. Incorporating one or two glasses of juice into your day will give you a smoother, healthier complexion.

8. A glass of juice before your meal will help suppress your appetite. You’ll be consuming less “bad” foods, which is very good for you.

Best Fruits and Vegetables for Juicing

While all fruits and vegetables are good for you, let’s say that some are more equal than others. There are certain power vegetables you don’t want to miss. Let’s take a look at the best vegetables and fruits to use in juicing. You want a good mixture of taste and nutrition. As a rule of thumb, vegetables add more nutrition, while fruits add the flavor. Don’t forget the 80 percent/20 percent ratio of vegetables to fruit. It’s okay to have pure fruit juice, but be careful not to overload on sugar.

Also, you should add water-based vegetables, such as cucumbers, as often as you can. The produce section at your local market is your oyster.

Best Vegetables for Juicing

1. Cucumber - has a high-water content, contains potassium and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Don’t peel the cucumber before juicing because the skin contains a lot of nutrients.

2. Carrots – In addition to adding color, carrots are filled with vitamins, such as A, C, D, minerals such as manganese, potassium and iron. Great for lowering blood pressure and improving your immune system. A true powerhouse, carrots also improve eyesight and help you get glowing skin.

3. Broccoli – is another powerhouse, known to reduce cholesterol and help in the prevention of some cancers. It’s bursting with antioxidants and Vitamins D, B, C and E. It also contains iron and calcium.

4. Yams – a high vitamin content, iron and magnesium and lots of sweet taste make yams the perfect juicing vegetable.

5. Cabbage – another high-water content vegetable that blends beautifully with apples. Cabbage is great for weight loss, purifying the digestive system, and boosting a weak immune system.

6. Celery – high water content and lots of vitamin, folate and potassium make celery a great base for juicing. It’s wonderfully refreshing and blends well with just about all

other produce. Celery is a source for vitamin C, B1 and B6. It can help fight cancer and lower blood pressure.

7. Kale – is high in vitamin K and is loaded with crucial minerals. Kale is being studied as a possible aid in cancer prevention. Another powerhouse.

8. Spinach – has lots of vitamins A, C and E, as well as protein, potassium, choline, and iron. Even if you hate the taste of spinach, you’ll love it blended with sweet carrots and apples.

Best Fruits for Juicing

1. Apples – “an apple a day keeps ….” – you know the rest. Apple is the fruit powerhouse, and you should be eating or drinking some every day. Besides removing toxins from your body, apples can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, cancer, and diabetes, as well as lower your cholesterol. Most of the nutrients in apples is right beneath the skin, so don’t peel them before juicing.

2. Pineapples – these have a high sugar content, but just a little goes a long way in brightening up vegetables you might not otherwise use.

3. Blueberries – these are great for detoxing the digestive system. It is also thought that blueberries may protect the brain against the onset of Alzheimer’s.

4. Strawberries – they are high in vitamin C. Just wash them and juice with the stems.

5. Citrus fruit – grapefruit, oranges, and lemons are high in vitamin C and help with the absorption of iron. They are also filled with disease-fighting antioxidants.

6. Cherries – contain anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting properties. They also sweeten any vegetable juice. You do need to pit them before juicing. They have a high sugar content, so only use a few.

Making Substitutions

Sometimes, you just don’t have the needed ingredients handy. And you really don’t want to take another trip to the market. That’s perfectly fine. Most fruits and vegetables have logical substitutes, so don’t hesitate to use one instead of another. Juicing is not rigid; instead its purpose is to help you consume as great a variety of fresh, healthy juices as possible.

Best Substitutions For Juicing

Apples and pears can be substituted for each other.

Coconut or bananas are an excellent substitute for avocado.

Vegetables such a carrots, yams, beets or radish can provide the same nutrients.

Celery, zucchini, and cucumbers all add water and flavor.

Greens such as kale, spinach, Swiss chard and arugula are very nutrient-dense.

Watermelon has a high-water content but can be exchanged for any other melon. Add half a cup of sparkling water, if you like.

You can substitute berries for one other.

Tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple can be exchanged.

Citrus fruits can be used in place of mangos.

Go ahead and experiment for the best flavor combinations.

Always scrub your produce thoroughly. Investing in a brush is a good idea. As for peeling, most of the nutrients in fruits and vegetable is just beneath the skin. If possible, avoid peeling and simply toss everything into the juicer as-is. You need to peel oranges, but use other peels and rinds as much as possible.

And there is no need to throw out the pulp. Save it for the next time you make a vegetable broth. This book has a few recipes that provide a perfect use for that healthy pulp.

Carrot and Orange Juice

Ingredients:

1 lb. peeled and sliced carrots

3 peeled oranges

1 cup pineapple

½-inch piece of ginger

Bunch of parsley

Directions:

Process the carrots, pineapple and oranges in the juicer first, then add the ginger and parsley

Watermelon Smoothie

Ingredients:

3 cups chunked watermelon

3 cups ice

1 banana

1 cup chunked cantaloupe

½ cup apple juice

2 tbsp. agave nectar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender.

Green Juice

This is a great juice anytime, but it’s an especially good detox when you’ve overdone the fun, such as on vacations or during the holidays.

Ingredients:

2 apples

1 peach

1 cucumber

1 bunch collard greens

Directions:

Cut up the fruit, peach, cucumber, and greens and process in the juicer.

Rise and Shine Juice

Ingredients:

2 apples

2 carrots

2 oranges

Directions:

Slice but don’t’ peel the apples. Peel the oranges.

Process all ingredients through the juicer.

Beet Cleanse

Ingredients:

2 beets

2 oranges

1 lemon

1 bunch of spinach

½-inch piece of ginger

Directions:

Cut up the fruits and vegetables and process through the juicer. Add the ginger last.

Raspberry Surprise

Ingredients:

1 cup raspberries

1 cup spinach

½ cup pineapple

3 carrots

Directions:

Feed all ingredients into your juicer.

Merry Peach Berry

Asparagus in a very mild vegetable, so it’ll blend easily with the fruit and berries. You don’t have to, but it’s probably better to remove the tough stems from the asparagus before juicing.

Ingredients:

4 asparagus

1 pitted peach

1 cup blueberries

1 cup spinach

Directions:

Trim the asparagus and process the fruits and vegetable through the juicer.

Pineapple Delight

The fruit helps sweeten the Swiss chard

Ingredients:

1 apple

1 cup strawberries

8 chard leaves

1 cup pineapple

Handful of parsley

Directions:

Process all ingredients in the juicer.

Sweet Spinach

This is perfect if you don’t like spinach, because you’ll barely taste it. You’ll just enjoy the benefits.

Ingredients:

1 apple

1 cup spinach

1 orange

Bunch of parsley

Directions:

Process the ingredients in the juicer.

Turnip and Carrots

The turnip is a much-underrated vegetable. With these two vegetables, you’re getting plenty of vitamin A and C.

Ingredients:

3 carrots

½ turnip

1 cup strawberries.

Directions:

Peel the turnip before processing the ingredients in the juicer.

Digestive Rescue Juice

The prunes are a gentle way to clear the digestive system.

Ingredients:

4 prunes

½ cup grapes

1 diced apple

Directions:

Place the ingredients in a juicer and process.

Don’t Toss the Pulp!

Let’s talk pulp. That’s the stuff that the juicer extracts from the juice and is meant to be thrown out.

What a waste of good money and excellent nutrients. Fresh produce, especially organic, are quite expensive. Then, think of all the fiber, enzymes and flavor in that pulp. Instead of tossing the pulp, there are quite a few ways you can put it to good, healthy and flavorful use.

How to Use Pulp

1. Use pulp to make extraordinary homemade vegetable broth. Toss the pulp into the pot for extra flavor and nutrition.

2. Use the pulp in vegetable soups, along with your other chopped vegetables.

3. Most pasta sauces have onions, tomatoes and green peppers. Blend your homemade or store-bought sauce with some pulp to give it an additional taste boost.

4. Let the pulp dry and use it to top your salad, as you would croutons or bacon bits. More fiber in your greens.

5. Simply add the pulp to the greens already in your smoothie.

6. If you are preparing a veggie burger, you’re likely using mushrooms or a legume as the main ingredient. Add the pulp to bind the burger and add extra flavor.

7. If your diet is paleo or vegan, you already know about using veggies for healthy, sugar-free baking. Pulp can be used in breads (zucchini bread!) and muffins (carrot muffins!).

Recipes Using Pulp

Vegetable Quiche

Ingredients

1 frozen pie shell

2 cups milk

4 eggs

2 cups shredded cheese of choice

½ cup veggie pulp.

½ cup spinach

½ tsp. cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes to prevent sogginess.

While the pie shell is baking, whisk together the milk and eggs. Add salt, pepper and cinnamon.

Fold in the spinach and pulp.

Remove the pie shell from oven and add the shredded cheese.

Pour the egg mixture over the cheese.

Return the pie shell to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup pulp – mostly carrots

½ cup apple sauce

1 ¾ cup white flour

2 eggs

2 tbsp. brown sugar

½ tsp. baking powder

¾ cup chopped nuts.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Combine the eggs, sugar, pulp and apple sauce in a bowl.

Mix together the remaining dry ingredients except the nuts in a second bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir well

Stir in the chopped nuts.

Transfer the batter to the muffin pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Veggie Burger

Ingredients:

1 cup pulp

1 cup black beans

1 chopped onion

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 cup chopped Portobello mushrooms

¼ cup ground almonds

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tsp. coriander

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the pulp, beans, onion, mushrooms, almonds, soy sauce and breadcrumbs in a blender and process.

Add the coriander, salt and pepper.

If needed, add water to the ingredients.

Create veggie patties.

Place the patties on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Serve on buns with sliced tomatoes and sliced avocadoes.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 chopped onion

2 chopped celery stalks

1 cup tomato and carrot-based pulp

2 chopped tomatoes

1 cup each sliced string beans and zucchini

8 cups chicken broth

3 cups canned cannellini beans

½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. thyme

½ tsp. basil

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups small cooked elbow macaroni

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot

Saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.

Add the pulp and stir. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients except the beans and pasta.

Simmer for 35-40 minutes.

Add the beans and pasta and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Juice Add-Ins – Maximum Juicing

Juicing has so many benefits, it’s difficult to believe it can be made even better. So, get ready for the best news since juicing. You can add some “superfoods” to your juices that will elevate the taste and add some powerful health benefits. So-called superfoods are dense in nutrients to fight diseases in a bold way. This is truly taking juicing to another level.

Take care, because just a little of these foods go a long way. Let’s take a look at some of these superfoods. Some of them may surprise you. You can use these add-ins in both a juicer and a blender. When juicing nuts, soak them overnight prior to juicing.

1. Acai Berries contain a powerhouse of antioxidants for your immune system. They are difficult to find fresh, so check the freezer section at your local market.

2. Aloe Vera is known for its skin-soothing properties. It also has antioxidants for your immune system. You can purchase aloe vera in juice form.

3. Apple cider vinegar is known for its ability to detox the gut. Add a tablespoon to any juice to reap the benefits, especially a sweet juice. Your best bet is to buy raw apple cider vinegar.

4. Avocados are high in fatty omega-3 acids.

5. Bee pollen is loaded with valuable nutrients, such as amino acids and vitamins. It will sweeten any juice by simply adding a spoonful.

6. Cacao nibs are the unrefined seed from the cacao tree and can help against heart diseases. (Those chocolate bars with 80 percent or higher cocoa content are good for you!) Cacao nibs come in either nut or powder form. Mix some with your favorite berries.

7. Cayenne pepper is a known anti-inflammatory spice. It’s very hot, so use just a little. It can give your juices a kick. Experiment for the best taste combination.

8. Cinnamon is another spice with wonderful health-boosting properties. It can help control blood sugar levels, protect against health diseases and can fight the onset of cognitive decline. Any fruit can be sweetened with cinnamon.

9. Coconut oil, filled with antioxidants, is a must-have ingredient to regular blood sugar. Coconut oil is solid, and it’s best to melt it before adding it to a juicer. Coconut oil adds subtle sweetness to your drinks.

10. Flax seeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds are not only nutritious, they are filled with fiber, which is important when you are drinking fiber-less juices. Grind the seeds in a grinder and stir a tablespoon into your juice. It’ll add a nice, nutty taste.

11. Goji berries are high in vitamins A and C. Soak them before adding to the juicer. They taste tangy, so are a great addition to sweet juices.

12. Turmeric powder has lots of antioxidants. Add it to your carrot juice for an exotic flavor.

13. Nuts in general, and especially almonds and walnuts, provide lots of nutrients. Soak the shelled nuts overnight and add them to the juicer.

The above are some of the major powerhouse add-ins for your juices. They add both great flavor and nutrition, so use them as often as you can.

If you are interested in juicing and having more energy, this book can put you on the right track. For optimal energy, however, you can go even further. The healthy juicing lifestyle goes beyond what you put into your body and includes what you do with your body.

Live More Energetically

Lifestyle is all about the habits we’ve developed – or have failed to develop. Habits are those little things we do each day that add up to the sum of who we are.

Juicing is a great start and an excellent habit to get into. Good nutrition is the key to living well. But, why stop there? Sit back for a minute and consider how many other habits affect how you look and feel.

When we want to change for the better, sometimes, we need to change our mindset. You won’t get out of the starting gate if your thoughts revolve around, “Everyone’s going to die at some point, so why go crazy with all that good stuff?” “I’m too old to change.” “I’ll just have a glass of juice. I’m too busy for other things.” I’m sure you can come up with creative excuses of your own.

Everyone has an Uncle Herbie who smoked like a chimney, ate pizza every other day, never moved from the couch, and lived to see his 99th birthday. Good for Uncle Herbie. What about the hundreds of thousands of others who suffered years of chronic ill health before leaving a spouse and children years before their time?

A healthy lifestyle does more than just adding years to your life. It elevates the quality of your life every, single day. It makes you feel better, happier, and more competent. You function on an optimal level not only physically, but emotionally and mentally, as well.

Developing Good Habits

It can take willpower to break some bad habits, because these habits have become an integral part of who we are. So, if you want

to upgrade to a better version of yourself, take it slowly, but get started. Every step you take counts.

1. Manage your weight to improve your heart health and immune system and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Substituting a glass of concentrated juice for one meal each day will help you reach your weight goal.

2. Start moving your body. You don’t have to turn into an athlete or join a gym, although those will certainly help you develop healthier habits. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk instead of driving. Park a few blocks from your destination if you do drive. Get off your chair and do jumping jacks or toe touches every hour or so.

Staying active isn’t quite the same as exercise. Exercise is a deliberate routine to strengthen the body. Staying active means you keep moving. If you sit behind a desk every day, commute to work and relax in front of the television in the evening, you’re living a sedentary lifestyle even while spending an hour or so at the gym. Our bodies were designed for movement, so get into the habit of creating movements throughout the day.

Walk to the copier and make your own copies instead of having your assistant do it. Take hourly breaks for 5 minutes of jumping jacks, knee bends or toe-touches. If your office

doesn’t allow for privacy, use the restroom. If your office is multi-storied, take the stairs instead of the elevator.

3. Enjoy a well-balanced diet. In addition to juices, eat plenty of fresh produce, lean meats, beans, nuts, whole grains and legumes. Avoid unhealthy fats and anything that has been processed, including white sugar and flour. Add a piece of fruit to your diet each day. Learn to broil or braise instead of frying.

4. A healthy lifestyle includes a healthy disposition. Everyone faces challenges in life, but positive people dealt with them and move on. Negative thoughts do affect how we feel, so strive for positivity that will stimulate your endorphins. Exercising is an excellent way to improve your mood. In addition, find an interest that you enjoy pursuing, be more approachable to meeting new people, join a club and meet others with a mutual interest. Living in isolation is bad for your physical and mental health.

5. Poor sleeping habits can cause fatigue and irritability. Even worse, it can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and other chronic problems. For a better night’s sleep, reduce your caffeine intake and develop a bedtime routine the same time every night. Don’t nap during the day.

6. Keep hydrated. Sure, you’re juicing, but don’t forget to drink eight to ten glasses of water each day. Lack of fluids can lead to serious fatigue.

7. Did you know that 80 percent of doctors’ visits are stress-related? Stress impacts every aspect of our health. Develop a habit to help you destress. Tai chi, yoga and/or meditation are proven stress-reducers in hundreds of studies. Start for a few minutes each day and increase your time until it becomes a habit. The results will surprise you.

8. You know smoking threatens your health. In addition to everything, it saps your energy. We know it’s a difficult habit to break. However, if you want more health and energy in your life, you need to try. Talk to your doctor about various smoking cessation techniques. Most experts recommend replacing cigarettes with something healthier. Consider taking a walk, meditating or grabbing for a piece of fruit instead of a cigarette. You have nothing to gain but your life.

Change is not always easy, and it rarely happens quickly. You need to start by developing a healthier mindset each day. The helpful thing about juicing is that when you juice three times a day before a meal, the act of juicing will keep you more focused on creating a better lifestyle. It will give you the reminders you need to keep you on track. So, juice yourself to a healthier you each and every day.

Our body is a miracle of design in its precision and efficiency. It’s the perfect machine. Like any other machine, it needs proper lubrication to work. Imagine pouring sand into your car’s oil tank and expecting it to work. It just won’t happen. But we pour the equivalent of sand into our bodies every day. Then we wonder why we have difficulty functioning at any level, let alone optimally.

We were meant to consume natural foods, and fresh fruits and vegetables are on top of that list. Juicing provides us with high-quality, concentrated nutrition in a simple liquid form. Instead of eating pounds of produce every day, we can drink several glasses of juice and get the same benefits.

When we fuel our bodies properly, it will serve us well. For better physical, emotional and mental health, juicing is a powerful antidote to the toxins that inhabit our environment. Try juicing for a month and see how much better you feel and look.