People are trying some crazy things out there to lose weight, a lot of which are very dangerous and very expensive. If you need to shed pounds, feel better, sleep better or just tweak your health, juicing is a great way to go. But we’re not giving it all away here. Read these tips to find out the endless benefits of juicing.
When you’re making a juice from dark, leafy greens, try adding in a little cucumber. Dark greens can be bitter if used alone in your juice. Cucumber will assist in masking the leafy green flavor and adds a refreshing element to your juice. Cucumber contains nutrients that the body needs, especially if you chose to leave the peel on it.
Peel citrus fruits before you put them in your juicer. The thick peels of citrus fruits will make your juice taste unpleasant, provide no real health benefit, and can even be harmful. The greatest benefit from citrus fruits comes from the white pith just below the peel, so be sure to retain that when juicing.
Try to use locally-grown fruits and vegetables in your juicing. The best option is to use produce that you’ve grown yourself. Every mile that a piece of fruit needs to be transported to get to you increases the carbon footprint of your glass of juice. It also increases the chance of your produce becoming contaminated with bacteria or chemicals.
Mix leafy green vegetables with something sweet. Leafy vegetables have a strong taste and may be too much for you to start with, on their own. Luckily, juicing is a great chance to mix your foods; so temper that strong vegetable taste with something sweeter like apples or carrots. Plain water might work as well.
Sometimes we all get sick, even the healthiest of us! Maybe it’s not an illness that is holding you back, but instead you’ve injured yourself, and you just can’t get out of the house. Juicing does not have to be forgotten! Use whatever you happen to have in the house, or ask a neighbor if they have some items you could use.
Juicing is a lifestyle you dedicate yourself to, and you will notice if you miss a day. If something comes up and you’re not able to buy some fresh produce for your juice, you should have something on hand that you can use instead. You can keep some items in the freezer just in case, or even freeze some juice to tide you over.
Making healthy juice from vegetables is wonderful, however, do not go overboard with variety. Stick to using 2-3 vegetables in your juice blends and incorporate apple into the mix. You will minimize the amount of flavors you are trying to combine and the apple will add the right amount of sweet to the mix for extra enjoyment.
Do not assault your taste buds with crazy blends right away. Take it slow with your flavor blends and stick to what you know you will like at first. Then begin to incorporate items that you do not normally consume as juice, such as spinach or other leafy vegetables. This will prevent you from ruining the pleasure of juicing because you got a bad taste in your mouth.
Try adding chopped ice to your juice to make it a cool treat in the summer! It’s like drinking a smoothie while actually knowing what ingredients are in it and where they came from (and how clean they were when they went into the juicer!) What a tasty way to chill out.
To improve your general health quickly and easily, drink green juices. These are fresh juices made from leafy green vegetables. To improve the flavor and add a variety of nutrients, include such fruits and oranges and bananas. These juices are quick to make, taste great, and will give you energy that lasts for hours.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is to make sure that you have space set aside in your kitchen for your juicing machine and for the preparation of your ingredients. This is important so that you are efficient and so that you are motivated to make juice as often as possible. Having to clean clutter out of the way would just be a deterrent.
Cranberries are best combined with vegetables and fruits that have more sweetness because of their slightly bitter taste. My favorite way to drink cranberries is blended with strawberries, blueberries, and cherries. Mix them to your own liking.
After using nuts in your juicer, save the pulp to add to nut butter. Raw foods are so good for you, and making your own nut butters is as good for you as making your own juices! Almond, cashew, or even peanut butter is better when it’s not laden with sodium and preservatives!
When juicing for weight loss, it is important to eat the pulp, too. You can mix it with non-fat yogurt, or actually pour it into your glass of juice. Some people like to grab a spoon and eat it out of a bowl, sometimes sprinkling on a little cinnamon to add a diabetes-beating punch!
When you get really serious about juicing you may wish to purchase a smaller second fridge just for your produce. This will leave you room in your main fridge for solid foods and condiments. If you get really serious, you may be able to move your solid foods to the smaller fridge! That’s probably a healthier way to live.
It’s a great idea to plan out your meals for the week, including your juices. You can figure out which vegetables you’ll eat when, whether it be solid or juiced, so you know exactly how much of everything you’ll need to buy. This will also save you money as you can buy in bulk for multiple meals.
It’s only natural that our bodies appreciate a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure that you’re working to give your body what it wants by taking the time to juice. You can get healthy in a hurry by becoming a juicer, so use these tips to make sure that you’re doing things correctly.
