The “Juice” on Juicing!

Nothing says good morning quite like a homemade juice. When it hits your tongue it buzzes with energy and puts a definite kick in your step. I think it’s the best way to start your day. With so many different types, combinations, processes out there, the thought of making your own juice from scratch can, at times, be daunting. But fear not! Below you will find all the information you need to get started on a path to creating healthy, and refreshing juices to keep you going all day long. All you need is some ingredients, a juicer and a few minutes to juice it all together and enjoy!

The first thing to point out about juicing has to do directly with the ingredients you’re adding in. It can be tempting to rely on fruit juice when making your drink as your sweet tooth calls for the added sugar. However, it is important to resist the sweet tooth and opt for vegetables rich in nutrients and low in sugar. Limiting sugar is an important part of a healthy diet. The high concentration of sugar in a juice filled with fruits such as apples, and sweet vegetables such as carrots and beets, is particularly bad because of the absence of fiber. Fiber helps to control the insulin levels in the body so drinking more than a few grams of sugar in a juice will put an unnecessary strain on your pancreas. Despite what you may have heard, juices that contain spinach and kale should be consumed sparingly. Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes are an exception here, as they are excellent additions to your juice. Now, let’s move on to what ingredients you can use. Celery, cucumber, romaine lettuce, fennel, cabbage, parsley, water cress, ginger root, parsley, turmeric root, dandelion greens, asparagus and cilantro are all superb for juicing. This poses many, many delicious combinations to try out!

Now, what precisely is a juice, and how does it differ from a smoothie? A juice is exactly what it sounds like-pure liquid extract from the ingredients added into it. There should be no fibers from the vegetables, citrus, ginger, or other ingredients left in the juice, rendering the consistency a thin liquid. A smoothie on the other hand, is comprised of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods blended together to result in a thicker texture. Smoothies have a lot of fiber and are digested very differently than juice.

It’s important to drink your fresh juice on an empty stomach, so that your body absorbs it directly into your system, rather than digesting it like a smoothie. Drinking juice is an excellent remedy for absorption issues in the body. Juicing can also promote weight loss, jump start the body’s natural detoxification cycle, and help give skin a clear complexion. Juicing is also known to reduce brain fog as well as heighten and restore energy levels.

Another good tip for prime juice-drinking effectiveness is to hold the juice in your mouth and swoosh it around a minute before swallowing to release saliva. This is important as saliva contains essential digestive enzymes. Plus, this enhances the juices wonderful natural flavors! To ensure your juice is the best it can be, drink it within fifteen minutes of making, as once it is exposed to air, the live enzymes begin to degrade, impacting the drink’s nutritional content.

You may have noticed I have only discussed making juice fresh and from scratch. Why take the time to do this if there are so many vegetable juices on the shelves? Next time you’re at the grocery store, you might want to pick up a bottle and read one of the labels. Often times, store-bought juice contains as much as 32 grams of sugar in a single bottle! That is more sugar than an adult is supposed to consume in a full day, as we should not surpass a 24 gram sugar intake within twenty-four hours. Let’s not blow our sugar allowance on a single serving of juice when there are more beneficial options available to us.

While juicing does not take the place of eating vegetables, it does provide many rich nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for the body to absorb and benefit from, as well as doubling as a gratifying thirst quencher. Remember to try and eat a full rainbow of vegetables regularly in order to get all the vitamins, minerals, and phyto-nutrients your body needs along with juicing frequently!

Now, let’s begin with some tried and true recipes to jump start your juice making.

My personal favorite is celery, fennel, lime, and ginger. Juice two fennel bulbs, two celery stalks, one lime, and a 2 inch piece of ginger. This juice is healing for the stomach and a favorite of our team here at Stand Wellness.

Another great recipe is a Heavy Metal Detox Juice, which contains one bunch of romaine lettuce, four stalks of celery, one cup of parsley, and one cup of cilantro. This light and refreshing combination is perfect for maximizing detoxification.

My favorite spring time juice, when asparagus is fresh, is five spears of asparagus, three stalks of celery, one 5 inch piece of cucumber, one lime, and a 2 inch piece of ginger. This is a great detoxer for the kidneys and a wonderful diuretic, which can be helpful with swimsuit season right around the corner.

Tried these, or thinking of another combination? Have a recipe you love? We would love to hear it! Let your imagination run wild and experiment. There are countless recipes out there that are nourishing, wholesome, revitalizing, and hydrating. Happy juicing!