Starting a new diet can be difficult. You may have to give up familiar foods, learn to deal with new ingredients, and find refreshment in something that is at first unfamiliar. One secret option for keeping your diet interesting and healthy is juicing vegetables. Juicing vegetables gives you easy access to essential nutrients as well as an opportunity to be creative with taste and texture combinations by adding complementary produce.
What's a Juicer?
Juicers have a wide range of names and can be very confusing. You may have heard of them as:
* Nutrient Extraction Machines (NEMs)* High Speed Blenders* Easy Juicers* Low Speed Blenders* Bullet-Style* Magic Bullets* Blue & White Powerhouse Juicers…and the list goes on.
The best way to determine what you need is to consider the critical things you need most and compare your options. There are a myriad of models and styles, but in general you want to pay attention to a few different factors.
A Quality Juicer
Juicers are made in two basic ways: most commonly by hand-crank or by cordless electric. The hand-crank variety is the most basic and generally goes by the name "Nutrient Extraction Machine." These should have a minimum of 3 settings: low, medium, high. It is best to find one that has both speed as well as options for different settings.
The cordless electric variety is well known for its convenience, but you should be careful with this one since many products in this category have complained of being very messy in the kitchen. The most popular are the low speed models that allow you to slowly and easily run through fruits and vegetables from the time you begin to press them down until the end of your process. These models are great for people who want to process soft, leafy vegetables and fruits that are not as difficult to juice.
The best juicer depends on your family's unique needs and wants.
What's So Good about Juicing?
Juicing is a means of extracting the most nutrients from fruits and vegetables using only a small amount of produce. You can use the resulting juice as part of a daily vitamin regimen or create delicious beverages with an amazing variety of flavors. Some of the most popular juicing recipes include:
* Melon-Ginger Fizz (for summer) * Beetroot, Carrot and Apple (for fall) * Spinach and Kale (great for breakfast)* Pineapple, Carrot and Grapefruit (good for your digestion)* Raspberry Lemonade (great for children)* Chia Seed Pomegranate Smoothie (nutrient dense)
You can also experiment with other combinations in order to find one that you love. See if you can find flavor combinations and textures that are pleasing to your palate. Make notes about each combination so you can remember what worked for you in the future. Keep in mind that there are a few basic guidelines specific to the way each juice should look and taste; for example, a juice made from melons should be bright, light and sweet with no traces of bitterness.
How do I get Started?
The first thing to consider when starting a new diet is that it's not going to be easy at first. This can be especially true when you're trying to make a big change, like adding juicing to your everyday life. That being said, there are some things you can do to make things easier for yourself.
1. Start small. Do not plan on giving up your favorite foods and drinks altogether in the beginning- just try a new technique for making them! For example, if you enjoy a glass of orange juice in the morning, start by making it with fresh-pressed organic juice instead of from concentrate at first. This can give you the opportunity to see if you like the new drink and how it compares to what you're used to.
2. Make a commitment to yourself and your family. You'll have a hard time making this change if nobody else is on board with it, so make sure that everybody in your household is on board with making this change! If that's not possible, please consider finding a friend or neighbor who will be happy to join your new program and become an integral part of this lifestyle change.
3. Find your favorite recipes and stick with them for a week or two at least. It takes about a week for your taste buds to adjust, so try not to be too much of a perfectionist in the beginning. Make notes about each recipe so that you can make small adjustments as necessary the next time you try out a new combination of flavors.
4. Create your own recipes and share them with your family and friends! This way you can start getting their feedback on what they like and don't like about your new healthy lifestyle. You can even create "cheat" recipes for quick and easy curries, soups, dips and sauces.
5. Try new combinations of fruits and vegetables each week. You may find that you like some combinations better than others, and by trying different varieties of produce you can keep your drinks as healthy as possible.
The Best Way to Start Juicing!
When you're just getting started with juicing, it's best to focus on a few key types of vegetables. These include leafy greens, like spinach; dark leafy greens, like kale; and fruits, like apples and carrots. These three staples are generally considered to be some of the most powerful types of vegetables in terms of their ability to deliver nutrients and minerals. For best results it's best to juice these first because they take longer to break down when juiced compared to other types of produce such as carrots or celery.
Some of the most commonly recommended juicing recipes for beginners include:
* Spinach, kale, romaine and wheatgrass juice * Carrot, apple, cucumber and celery juice * Carrots with a slice of lemon * Apple and ginger juice * Carrots with a dash of cinnamon * Lemon and parsley in glass of water
You can also try fruit-only juices. These juices are great because they have very few calories and little or no fiber. Examples of fruit juices include:
* Pineapple, pear and lemon juice * Mango and spinach juice * Orange, grapefruit and pineapple juice * Grapefruit, mango, pineapple and kiwi juice
If you can commit to a juicing plan for at least one month, you'll notice that your body will respond well to the changes by going into a state of fat burning. This means that it will burn stored fats for energy, which is the ultimate goal and end result of any weight loss program.
By the end of a month, you should definitely see some positive changes. You'll feel lighter and you should have more energy than before. You may also discover that your skin is clearer and that you have more energy during the day and throughout your workouts. Your digestion may become less sluggish as well!
Juicing at Home
Try adding fresh juices to your diet each morning as soon as possible. These are some of the most popular fruits and vegetables to include in your juices:
* Beets * Carrots * Celery * Broccoli * Spinach * Apples * Oranges * Grapefruits * Lemons
Try experimenting with new combinations of these fruits and vegetables to find some new favorites. Make sure that you don't add too much of any one type because this can cause juice to become unpalatable very quickly.
Read more: Juicing fruits and vegetables together