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Juicing 101 | Recipes and Tips For Beginners

I know many of us are committing to eating better. I get tons of questions about different cleanses and fasts, but my approach to nutrition is simple: I try to eat from a plant, tree, or animal at every meal. I avoid highly processed or pre-prepared foods as much as possible. I avoid quick fix detoxesradical cleanses or empty promises from companies trying to cash in because I believe that if you eat well, your body will take care of itself. One nutrition trend I am a big fan of is juicing! Juicing has become quite popular in the last 10 years popping up in local strip malls, cafes, and gyms because, simply, it makes people feel good. And while I don’t recommend a juicing meal plan necessarily, drinking fresh juice alongside healthy eating habits is an easy way to ensure you are getting your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Oh, and it tastes great! I know many of us are committing to eating better. I get tons of questions about different cleanses and fasts, but my approach to nutrition is simple: I try to eat from a plant, tree, or animal at every meal. I avoid highly processed or pre-prepared foods as much as possible. I avoid quick fix detoxes, radical cleanses or empty promises from companies trying to cash in because I believe that if you eat well, your body will take care of itself. One nutrition trend I am a big fan of is juicing! Juicing has become quite popular in the last 10 years popping up in local strip malls, cafes, and gyms because, simply, it makes people feel good. And while I don’t recommend a juicing meal plan necessarily, drinking fresh juice alongside healthy eating habits is an easy way to ensure you are getting your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. Oh, and it tastes great!

Read your manual. Typically, I’m not a huge fan of “reading directions” and most often just figure appliances out on my own... Trust me, you should really read the manual in this case. My juicer comes with a low and high setting that I can adjust for different vegetables. My manual has a list of those veggies and what speed they should be juiced at for optimal results. Also, if you get a big daddy juicer like I have, you really need to make sure all the pieces are together correctly so you don’t accidentally juice a finger.

Be prepared. Find two to three recipes to try and shop for those ingredients all at once. Try to use the 80/20 rule for juicing. Try to think 80% veggies and 20% fruit for most of your juices to keep sugar content low. You will want to remove any skins that are inedible (such as mango skin and citrus peels), large seeds or pits and wash all of your produce well. The point of juicing is to enjoy the fresh juice right away. Fresh juice will lose nutrients as it oxidizes, so plan to drink your juice immediately. If you make extra or can’t drink it all at once, store your juice in an airtight container like a thermos or mason jar, filling to the top and making sure it’s sealed. Make sure to refrigerate it ASAP. Fresh juice will keep for up to 24 hours, but I try to drink mine in under 12. I typically drink my juice for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up. Drinking juice on an empty stomach is best as those nutrients are absorbed right away and don’t have to fight with other foods your body is trying to digest at the same time.

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