For years, dieticians and nutritionists have diligently extolled the virtues of juicing fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. Drinking the juice of fruits and vegetables gives you the nutrients and vitamins you need, improves your health and gives you more energy. Use the following tips to get the most out of your juicer.
Crumple up leafy greens, such as spinach, into tight balls before putting them in your juicer. Your juicer is primarily designed to deal with solid fruits and vegetables, not thin leaves. You will get better results from your juicer if you simulate this effect by squashing your leafy greens before juicing.
When you start making your own juices, try adding a vegetable in the mix that you tend to avoid. Vegetables that you do not like alone might end up tasting great to you when mixed in a juice with other flavors. This is a great way to get nutrients you otherwise wouldn’t.
Juice your softer fruits first and then send down your harder items. The hard textured fruit will do the job of cleaning the fruit that was left behind by the softer items. This means more juice for you and less clean up as well. Follow that trick and you’ll usually get the maximum amount of juice in your glass, not left in the juicer.
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.
While all fresh juices will sometimes contain pulp, you can decrease the amount of pulp in your fresh juice by using a coffee filter. Some juices produce a large amount of pulp that you may not enjoy. In addition to a coffee filter, cheesecloth will serve as a useful filter in this application.
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.
Let color be your guide for variety. You will want to keep your juicing varied so as to not get bored with it. Incorporate a variety of colors in your fruits and vegetables as a sort of juicing palette from which to create. Just remember to know the nutrient content from each source and enjoy the rainbow.
Reading the instruction manual that came with your juicer will help you make the best juice possible. The manual will advise you of which fruits or vegetables that may require the skin to be removed. It will also tell you which produce does not juice well, such as bananas and avocados.
Vegetable juice contains very few calories, no fat (unless you add dairy), little sugar (unless you add a sweetener, including fruit), and lots of fiber. It will taste wonderful and provide you with all the nutrients and vitamins needed to fulfill your daily required intake. It’s also a ton of fun to make!
The best way to prepare your fruits and vegetables for juicing is to follow the instructions in your manual. After cleaning, you then need to cut the produce into pieces small enough to fit into the machine. You will also need to remove larger, hard pieces, such as peach pits.
Why not try using some seeds in your juices? Shelled unsalted sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds are excellent options to try. You can even used cooked grains, but just remember to clean your juicer out well afterward as they may leave behind a lot of gunk.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is the fact that you actually get more benefit from drinking carrot juice than from eating carrots. This is beneficial to your health and results from the fact that your body can more efficiently process its nutrients in juice form.
In regards to juicing, it is important to consider the fact that it is best to drink your home made juice at room temperature. This is important to consider because this temperature provides the best environment for adequate consumption of nutrients into your body. Always store your juice in a cool environment, however.
There are many spices available that help boost your metabolism and get your body burning fat, so include powders like chili and cumin in your juice if you’re looking for weight loss or maintenance. You can also juice garlic and onions as they help your body battle the fat too!
If you want to embark on a juice fast, keep the following tips in mind to ensure you do it safely. Drink at least 32 to 64 ounces of juice a day to keep your energy levels up so you won’t feel sluggish. Drink water in between juices, and dilute the juice by two-thirds at “meal” times. ONLY use organic produce while fasting so you can include the skin.
Certain stages in life bring with it different sets of rules, expectations, limits and also different joys. When you are in your twenties you will be busy with college, career and young families, by the time you reach your fifties or sixties, you are looking at retirement and an empty nest at home. Embrace your stage in life and enjoy it’s complexities.
It’s likely that you’re well aware of the ways that juicing can improve your health. By referring back to the tips you have just read, you can begin to explore the concept of juicing and discovering for yourself exactly what all the fuss is about. Now is the perfect time to begin making healthy changes, and start using your juicer.
