Because of the way they taste, many people avoid eating vegetables. Juicing vegetables is an easy way to receive a good chunk of your daily vitamin intake. Read on to find out other handy tips for using a juicer.
If you want your juice to be a certain texture or thickness, know that the softer the fruit is, the thicker the juice will be. The meat of softer fruits breaks up easily to make a thick nectar. Make sure to add some harder fruits, such as apples and pears, for a thinner juice.
To get the most out of your new juicer be open to trying fruit and vegetable combinations that you would not normally consider. Start out with basic juices, such as carrot or cucumber, but then get creative. Experiment with different vegetables and fruits. You can even use fresh herbs.
Juicing is an excellent way to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner. Before meals, drink juices that include vegetables that require more calories to digest than they contain, like carrots, cabbage and broccoli. This will help curb your appetite and speed up the weight loss process. Adding spices like cayenne or cinnamon, will stimulate your metabolism.
A single cup of juice will be equivalent to a much larger amount of actual vegetables or fruit, meaning one cup of juice can also be equal to make more servings on the food pyramid. For example, a single cup of carrot juice is equivalent to four cups of diced carrot!
It’s always better to use organic fruit when making juices, but since they are pricy, you can’t always get organic fruit. When using non-organic produce, there might be harmful pesticides that you don’t want to put into your drinks. So, make sure you peel the fruits so you don’t ingest the pesticides.
Studies have shown that the optimal intake of fruit and vegetables in a day is 8 or 9 servings per day. Most people are lucky to even get 2 to 3, but by juicing you can meet your minimums easily and tastily! Make sure that the bulk of the servings, preferably 5 to 6, are vegetables.
Have you heard of almond milk? Anything that comes in liquid form can be juiced! Try adding chopped almonds to your juicer, and save the pulp for use in cookies, cakes, or breads. You might also add the almond pulp to a sugar-free banana bread to give it more flavor.
The pith on citrus fruit, the white part between the skin and the pulp, is full of nutrients that are fabulous for you, so make sure to pull it out of the fruit with the pulp when you’re juicing. It has bio-flavonoids and tons of vitamin C, so bulk up on it during flu season!
There is no harm in juicing more than once a day as long as you’re not just filling up on fruit juices. Fruit can be full of calories and sugar, so stick to vegetables as much as possible instead. If you want to add some sweetness to your veggie juice, try beets!
When storing the juice you’ve made, make sure the container is opaque. Sunlight and even indoor light, can cause the nutrients in the juice to convert or break down, so having it in an air-tight container that permits very little light to enter will ensure peak freshness when you drink it.
If you purchase dark and leafy green vegetables for juicing, they should be stored in an airtight container until it is time to use them. Wash the produce and dry it well prior to sealing them in the bags.
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.
Throw away your ideas on what a fruit or vegetable should look like when buying organic produce to juice. An apple doesn’t have to be perfectly round as you’re just going to be cutting it up and throwing it in a juicer anyway! Stick to the basics of knowing if a fruit or vegetable will be edible or not, like squeezing it or checking it’s color.
If you want to make the most out of your juice in the morning, it’s a good idea to eat something solid as well. Eating something solid will help you absorb the vitamins and nutrients from your juice. Something as simple as a few slices of toast can do the trick.
Do not drink your homemade juice too quickly. Since you are skipping the step of chewing the vegetables, the juice needs time to mix with your saliva to aid in digestion and to prevent too much sugar from entering your bloodstream at once.
If your blood pressure is high, it’s time to buy a juicer! Vegetables and fruit carry so many health benefits, and increasing your intake will not only help you battle blood pressure, but it’s likely to cause weight loss and replace sodium-rich foods you might not eat otherwise. Choose cucumber, garlic, lemon, parsley or pear for the biggest blood pressure regulation benefits.
Make sure you invest in the right juicer! Consider factors such as your budget, the features you are looking for, how often it will be used and how many people will use it to find the perfect juicer for your home. Choose a durable model that does not generate too much heat!
The above tips can help you with your juicing regimen. Now you need to decide whether you want to start juicing, or continue to avoid those healthy fruits and vegetables and the nutrition they can bring. If you want to receive an abundance of nutrients in an incredibly healthy way, try juicing!