Fresh, healthy fruit and vegetable juices are a great addition to any diet, and there’s really no reason not to drink them, since they are so easy to make right in your own home. If you are not sure how to get started, this article can give you some tips on getting the most from your juices.
Try to use locally-grown fruits and vegetables in your juicing. The best option is to use produce that you’ve grown yourself. Every mile that a piece of fruit needs to be transported to get to you increases the carbon footprint of your glass of juice. It also increases the chance of your produce becoming contaminated with bacteria or chemicals.
To eliminate the pulp from your home made juice, use a cheesecloth or coffee filter to strain the pulp out. If you choose to remove the pulp from your juice remember that you are also removing many vitamins and minerals. For the healthiest juice, drink it with pulp and all.
When making carrot juice, make absolutely sure to get fresh, healthy carrots. Signs of old carrots are rubberiness, limpness, wilted tops, and excessive cracking. Look for carrots that have a full color, are firm to the touch, and have green, leafy tops. These carrots will produce the freshest, sweetest juice.
If health benefits are your main reason for juicing, some of the most nutritious ingredients you can add to your juice blends are greens such as: kale, spinach, parsley, broccoli and chard, among others. Use these vegetables often when juicing, with over a 50% concentration. Use other juices for flavoring. Fruit juices may taste sweeter, but compared to green veggies, they come at a steep price in sugar and calories, meaning they’re not as healthy.
Don’t buy too many fruits and vegetables at a time if you’re juicing. You might end up buying much more than you will use, and the extra food will decay and go to waste. Experiment with different amounts to see how much juice you drink a day, so you know how much produce you have to buy in advance.
Find support in a friend, family member, or co-worker for the changes in your life pertaining to your health, including juicing. Having to tell them that you haven’t been juicing will embarrass you after all the great things you said about how it will change your life, leading you to get back on track.
Give yourself an area in the fridge just for your juicing ingredients. Maybe they’ll get their own produce drawer, or half a shelf, but making room is important. When you see that space become empty you will know that you’re running out of food, and you’ll also have a much easier time putting it away after shopping.
The biggest key in juicing is curiosity. Wanting to try new foods, things you’ve never even heard of before, will make your journey more tasty and exciting! Explore international produce markets to find vegetables and fruit that could change your life forever. Look online to research what vitamins and nutrients they contain.
One of the best ways to increase your nutrient intake is to make your own juice. Juicing fresh fruits and vegetables can not only be healthy, but quite tasty. Start with your favorite vegetables and then make the move to fruits. You will never want bottled juice again.
Always drink your juice right away after you have put it through the juicer! This is when the juice is most potent and has the most nutritional value. If you cannot get to it right away, get to the juice and drink it as soon as possible. Do not make a large amount of juice to store.
It’s important to juice wheatgrass as our bodies can’t actually process the plant fibers contained in it. I like to include wheatgrass in my apple/ginger/orange juice, but you can come up with a hundred more recipes that make great use of wheatgrass and it’s wonderful earthy flavor. Give it a try!
It’s just as important to consume a rainbow of different fruits and vegetables in your juicing endeavors as it is in your daily meals. Make sure to use a wide variety of produce so that you can be sure you’re getting all the vitamins and nutrients that you need every single day.
When making juices, you should always go organic. Organic fruits and vegetables are usually tastier and healthier. According to studies, organic foods have higher amounts of nutritional value. You also don’t want to put pesticides in your drink, which are used to treat conventional produce. So if you want to make healthier juices, stick to organic produce.
When it comes to juicing, one thing to remember is the only way for the body to process wheat grass is by juicing it. This is important, because you are creating a way to introduce important ingredients into your body that you could not have done otherwise.
If you are new to juicing, a steadfast rule to follow is – to go slow! Start with a vegetable that you know you like. After trying that vegetable juice for a few days, you can slowly start to add in vegetables that you are unfamiliar with or not sure if you will like. By taking small amounts at a time, your body will adjust slowly to the different foods and absorb the juice in naturally.
Juicing is a great way to get more nutrition into your diet, and since fresh juices are so delicious, drinking them isn’t a chore. If you use what you have learned from this article, you will be able to make your own tasty juices right at home before you know it.
