Extracting juice from fruits and vegetables is an easy and affordable way to get vitamins, minerals and nutrients into a consumable form. Both adults and children can benefit from this simple process, making a healthy lifestyle even more accessible. Whether juicing with a hand-operated grinder, a home kitchen appliance, or a commercial device, the benefits will be obvious and immediate.
The best kind of juicer is a masticating juicer. These types of juicers utilize a gentler juicing method, which helps the juice retain more nutrients. The juice that is rendered is also better at keeping when in storage.
If you must store your juice in the fridge, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. This small amount of lemon juice shouldn’t have a major effect on the flavor, but it will keep this juice from becoming discolored as it sits, creating a more appetizing effect. Always try to make your juice just before you drink it, for maximum health benefits.
If you’re going to start a juicing diet, it may be helpful to start with a few days of eating primarily fruits and vegetables before going over to all-juice. This helps reduce dependence on sugar, flour, and other common diet staples that can make a juice diet difficult to swallow.
If you are juicing apples, find the sweetest, ripest apples possible. If your apples become bruised, cut off the bruised area prior to juicing with them. Choose apples like Gala, Fuji, Rome, and Red Delicious ones that have a yummy, sweet taste so you can get a nice and rich tasting flavor.
The best kind of juicer to buy is one that will masticate the juice. This will allow you receive more of the natural vitamins, as well as let you store the juice for longer periods of time with out ruining anything. These types of juicers will basically “chew” the food till it is in juice form.
Use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your juices. Not only will this keep the tastes exciting, but you will be able to get a wider range of vitamins and minerals from your juices. Try one new ingredient a week and if you have an allergic reaction, you’ll know which ingredient caused it.
Keep a fresh stock of cut and washed fruits and vegetables on hand at all times. If you have to run to the store every time you want to make juice, you’ll never use that juicer. By having the fruits and vegetables on hand and ready to use, you will make juicing quick and convenient.
When juicing leafy vegetables like spinach, ball the leaves together. If you form your vegetable leafs into a ball, like crumpled paper for instance, you will give a more solid mass for the juicer to work with. This will prevent small pieces of leaves from showing up in your juice and affecting the consistency.
Leaving some seeds in your juicer is perfectly fine! Larger seeds such as cherry pits or sometimes citrus seeds might actually damage your juicer, though, so it’s best to consider the size and firmness of the seeds in the items you’re juicing before throwing them in whole with reckless abandon!
Know where your vegetables grow to decrease sugar content. Vegetables that grow underground such as carrots or beets, will contain a higher level of natural sugars than above ground veggies. While natural sugars are good for you, they must be taken in moderation like anything else. Keep a proper blend of upper and lower-ground vegetables to prevent overdoing the sugars.
Keep a toothbrush handy to clean the strainer after juicing. Scrubbing the strainer with a toothbrush will displace any lodged particles which can grow rapidly into mold. Regular cleaning in this fashion will increase the life of your juicer as well as make your life healthier.
To get the most out of your new juicer be open to trying fruit and vegetable combinations that you would not normally consider. Start out with basic juices, such as carrot or cucumber, but then get creative. Experiment with different vegetables and fruits. You can even use fresh herbs.
Keep your juicing regime simple. If you make it too complicated you’ll be less likely to stick with it. Instead of using elaborate juicing recipes with several different types of produce, just stick with 2 or 3 vegetables. Apples blend nicely with many different vegetables and lend a bit of sweetness too.
To get the most nutrition from your juices, be sure to drink them when they are fresh. After juicing, fruits and vegetables are vulnerable to oxidation which will destroy their nutrients. If you have to store your juices for some reason, use air tight containers to reduce the amount of oxidation that will happen.
One tip in order to keep the nutrients in the juice preserved even when storing it is to use air tight containers. Another tip with regards to preservation is to add a few drops of lemon to it and keeping the juice refrigerated. The longer the juice is stored, the less nutritious it becomes.
The pith on citrus fruit, the white part between the skin and the pulp, is full of nutrients that are fabulous for you, so make sure to pull it out of the fruit with the pulp when you’re juicing. It has bio-flavonoids and tons of vitamin C, so bulk up on it during flu season!
Many studies have shown that spices help to boost your metabolism along with tasting great, so include them in your juices! Hot spices used in Indian cooking are an excellent choice, so include cayenne, garam masala, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, and allspice as often as possible to get a great boost to your fat burning system!
Using these tips will ensure a smooth transition from taking fruits and vegetables at “face value” and turning them into an easily consumable liquid form. Your family, friends and co-workers will thank you for introducing such a healthy habit to an ordinary day. Juicing is an easy, fun and beneficial addition to any lifestyle.