5 Juicy Facts to Get Your Juice On

Up until a few years ago I didn't know what juicing was. I first heard about juicing from my mother. She is always up on the latest health news and was excited when she purchased her first juicer. When she told me that she was extracting the juice from a kale leaf I couldn't think of anything more unappealing to eat. It wasn't until a year later I would have my first experience with green juice. The thought never occurred to me to buy a juicer because I like to eat my food and I only eat what tastes good!

Wanting a reset from all of the toxins and GMO food I had been consuming at many catered unhealthy meals in my office and going out to happy hours I decided to do a juice cleanse vacation. At this point I didn't care how it tasted because I felt so unhealthy I was willing to do anything to feel better. The first time I tried juice it was made for me on a cleanse. To my surprise vegetables juiced and mixed with the right friends can taste delicious! After discovering the many different creations you can make with juice I was instantly in love with the idea. There is nothing more nutritional that you can put in your body than organic juiced produce. Fact.

What is juicing? Juicing is extracting the liquid part from the solid part of the vegetable leaving the insoluble fiber or pulp behind. This is beneficial because there isn't a ton of fiber getting in the way of digestion so all of the live minerals, vitamins, enzymes and other plant nutrients in the juice hit your bloodstream and almost instantly give you a jolt of energy and vitality.

Why do people juice? Most people juice to either reset their immune system by doing a cleanse (3,5 or 7 day) or they supplement to add more nutrients to their diet. Remember fruits and vegetables are full of antioxidants, minerals and fiber. Juicing is the best way to get the most out of your organic fruits and vegetables. Research shows as a nation we are falling short on the recommended intake of 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. Juicing can help fill in nutritional gaps.

What about fiber? There are 2 types of fiber Insoluable (in food) and Soluable (in juice). The soluable fiber in juice has the ability to form a gel and acts as a probiotic which feeds good gut bacteria improving the digestion and overall health of your intestinal tract. A recent study published by the Department of Agriculture analyzing 12 different fruits and vegetables discovered that 90% of the antioxidant nutrients were actually in the juice rather than the fiber.

Isn't it better to eat my vegetables whole and cook them? The facts are pretty clear the more fruits and vegetables you eat the better. It's important to know that when you cook most vegetables it diminishes their nutrient content. This is why steamed vegetables are better for you because the nutrients are not cooked out of them. Heating is especially harmful to the enzymes which almost all are destroyed in the cooking process.

Can I blend my vegetables instead? Yes, you absolutely can and I think it's wonderful because you are still eating more healthier then if you would turn to processed foods. One thing to be aware of is when you are blending you are not separating the fiber. Blending increases the oxidation which involves some loss of nutrients. Also, be mindful of how much fruit you are using because it can cause a sugar spike in your bloodstream. I personally recommend not using more than one cup of fruit per smoothie to avoid a spike.

Since I started speaking and talking about my experience with juicing I often get questions on what is the best juicer to buy. It depends on how much money you want to spend getting started. There are 4 different types of juicers that exist but the most common juicers people use in their home is the Centrifugal Juicer or the Masticating Juicer.

Centrifugal Juicers are good for people new to juicing. They start out under $100 and are easy to assemble and clean. It has a large shoot on it and so you spend less time chopping and prepping. This works well with leafy greens and most fruits. It's important to know that the high speed of the motor creates a foamy juice and since it's heated up the nutrients are oxidized at a much faster rate so it's best if you consume the juice immediately.

Masticating Juicers are known as the slow juicer. You can purchase one for under $300. This is the juicer I have in my kitchen. It's cold pressed and a single gear which crushes and squeezes the juice from the produce. The process is slow which means there isn't as much oxidation and nutrient loss as compared to the centrifugal. It's easy to assemble and is great for leafy greens, herbs and even sprouts. You can store this juice for up to 48 hours with minimal nutrient loss.

I do want to note the other two types of juicers. The Twin Gear Juicer which can get expensive and the Hydraulic Press Juicer, more commonly used in commercial settings.

The reason why fresh raw juice is so much better for you is because you are getting the live nutrients. When you see juice on the grocery store shelf or in the cooler this juice has been pasteurized and heated to very high temperatures which removes all of the healthy nutrients leaving you with a dead juice. If you are going to spend money on juice you want to be sure it has the nutritional value your body needs.

If you have any questions about juicing or you decide to take the leap and try it for yourself I would love to hear from you. There many cook books available on juicing and recipes you can find online to get started. Good Luck!

Love and Peace

-Amber

Pic above: The first Juice Bar I visited on a recent trip to NYC.

Pic below: Watermelon Juice I made mixed with mint leaf.