Juicing Pointers by Michelle Reyes

With so many ways to start off your juicing career, whether you are hand squeezing your oranges for a little wrist strength or dumping half your refrigerator into a bullet for mass production, one thing we can’t deny is that juicing has been adopted by millions of Americans. If you are considering whether or not juicing is a good idea for your lifestyle, then we are going to shed some light on the basics of juicing and some important pointers you need to know before committing to your acre wide garden.

It is no secret that most people don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in their daily diet, and juicing is a convenient and easy way for us to supplement our healthy foods with variety and an easy way to ingest. So what are the benefits of juicing?

Benefits of Juicing

Ease of Consumption – while the easiest way to enjoy your fruits and vegetables, drinking a liquid form of your daily dose allows your body to easily digest and process your food intake.
Variety of Combinations – by choosing which vegetables and vitamins you need on a daily basis you have direct control on your dietary intake.
Endless Flavors – you can never get bored with juicing and whether you have a signature drink or love the idea of testing out new flavors, there is no rival to the amount of flavor one can create while juicing.
Fast Preparation – A meal within minutes is nothing to sneeze about, and combine the fact that you are getting a healthy supplement out of the deal, juicing is the best healthy fast food on the market.

One of the biggest challenges of committing to a juicing program is to decide if you are going to prepare your own juices (which in the long run can be more economical) or if you are going to purchase pre-made juices. Obviously by preparing your own juices, you can regulate the types of fruits and vegetables being used in your elixir by buying only hand grown vegetables, organic greens and other safe food products. While this does require a juicer, there are countless choices on the market from fairly priced equipment to extremely high and fancy juice ware. If you are looking for an easier way to support your juicing habit, then finding a juicing provider that offers high quality ingredients is key to your success. With so many new juicing baristas popping up all over the U.S. you can easily find a juice shop near you.

As with any diet, juicing can also pose a risk to your health and it is important to understand the impact and proper way to ensure your body is getting the right amount of vitamins, minerals, and fiber when opting in for a juicing diet.

Risks of Juicing

Too Much of a Good Thing – while most think that you can never get too much vegetables in your diet, it is recommended that you carefully monitor your intake of certain vitamins and minerals to avoid potential health risks and toxic levels.
Lack of Fiber – the main purpose of juicing is to remove the juice from the plant or vegetable, and with that a lot of people who are on a juicing diet fail to get the necessary amount of fiber they need in their diet. One way to combat this deficiency is to simply add back a bit of pulp into your drink to compensate.
Interaction Risks – it is well known that if you are taking medications, they can have harmful interactions with certain foods, this is no different if you are just drinking the “juice” of a fruit or vegetable. With any diet, speak with your doctor about potential interaction risks for your medication and juicing preferences.
Calorie Intake – With the ease of a simple drink, one can find that if they are not monitoring their caloric intake, they can quickly begin to consume more calories than recommended on a daily basis, ultimately backfiring the purpose of juicing.

Whether you are looking to do a total juicing cleanse or just incorporate juicing into your daily routine, adding fruits and vegetables to your diet is key to staying healthy, energized and help you to maintain your desired weight or even shed some unwanted pounds.