REV UP YOUR JUICING WITH OUR TOP TEN TIPS
If you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle, juicing could be an important element of your wellness routine. If you’re not there yet, let us help you take those crucial first steps and introduce you to the amazing world of juicing.
We won’t go into too much detail, but there are many real health benefits to making your own fruit and vegetable juices and drinking them fresh. As you should typically consume two whole fruits and four vegetables a day, juicing is a good way to get all these must-have nutrients without having to slog your way through plates of salad.
To help you get started on the road to healthy juicing, we’ve compiled a list of our ten top pro tips for everyday juicing. By taking our advice you will avoid some of the common pitfalls that people may make when they start out juicing. Let’s get started…
1] Vegetables make for some of the tastiest and healthiest juices possible, don’t just focus on fruit. Not only do you get the freshest vitamin intake possible, you’ll be consuming less sugar. Carrot, celery and cucumber in particular are great.
2] If you need to lose a few extra kilos, juicing can help you do so in a safe and healthy manner. Before meals, drink vegetable juices that require more calories to digest than they contain, like carrots, cabbage and broccoli.
3] Make sure to leave your vegetables and fruits out at room temperature before juicing as drinking cold juice can shut slow down the digestive system. In fact, that’s a good tip for water too, be like the Chinese and drink it lukewarm.
4] To get a good mix of vitamins and minerals, choose your vegetables in different colours. Basically, you want to ‘eat the rainbow’. To achieve this, take advantage of seasonal varieties and geographical opportunities when you’re away from home.
5] Likewise, if receiving proper nutrition via juicing is your aim, make sure you take the time to learn which vitamins and minerals are in the fruit and vegetables that you want to use; so you can pick the right ones for balanced wellbeing.
6] If you can’t get organic produce, make sure you at least peel your fruits and vegetables before juicing them. Most of the pesticides on commercially grown produce is on the skin, and washing isn’t enough to remove all of the residue.
7] Apple, cucumber and celery are juicing heavyweights, whereas ginger and mint are not. Be aware of how ingredients behave in your juicer; try to maintain a reasonable balance between the mild and intense flavours you’re working with.
8] Don’t reach for the sugar! Add sweeter produce like citrus and berries for added sweetness and to cover the taste of less palatable produce like kale. If you have to add something, go natural and add a teaspoon of raw honey or a pitted date.
9] When you are first starting, remember the maxim KISS (keep it simple, stupid). It’s important to figure out the basics and what tastes good so you can build upon your recipes from there. Don’t just jump in and juice everything in your fridge.
10] Only ever make as much juice as you can drink in one sitting because freshly extracted juice keeps beneficial enzymes for just a few hours. Unless you freeze it, the longest amount of time you should keep it is one day.
Oh, and one final thing. If you accidentally make too much juice don’t worry, it doesn’t have to go to waste. Simply put the remainder back in the blender with a cup of ice and mix well. Place the mixture in the freezer for a few hours and voila! You’ve got yourself a tasty, healthy dessert treat.
