Juicing Helps & Tips
Hurrah! I lost a pound.
It’s not much but I’ll take it.
It came as a bit of a surprise since I ate everything that wasn’t nailed to the counter last night for dinner. Mmm – Pork chops.
Losing a pound is just the encouragement a girl needs to stay the course!
I woke up ready to do some juicing.
If you are just tuning in, I am on a fast-track to lose 5 pounds as quickly as possible.
I am turning to juicing and clean eating to make the dream happen.
To read more:
- If Anyone’s Interested – The 5 Pound Problem & the Plan
- Day 1: 6 Reasons to Juice
- Day 2: Why Juice Instead of Smoothies
How to get the most from your juice:
#1: Start with the freshest, cleanest fruits and veggies you can find.
Organic is best, but sometimes it doesn’t matter. I know growers who are not organic, but use excellent growing methods & I am happy to eat from their farmstand. There are also several foods that just grow easily and don’t need much help. These foods typically won’t be doused in pesticides or other chemicals.
If the organic price tag is busting your budget – read this article about organically grown foods. The information I share in it completely FLOORED me. I believe the health benefits of organic foods is worth paying extra for.
Below are the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15.” When buying items on the “dirty” list it is good to head to the organic section.
The “Dirty Dozen” are the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue: (source)
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Nectarines
- Apples
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Pears
- Cherries
- Tomatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
- Potatoes
The “Clean 15” are the ones with the least amount of pesticide residue:
- Sweet corn
- Avocados
- Pineapples
- Cabbage
- Onions
- Frozen sweet peas
- Papayas
- Asparagus
- Mangoes
- Eggplant
- Honeydew
- Kiwifruit
- Cantaloupe
- Cauliflower
- Grapefruit
If I am juicing one of the foods in the Dirty Dozen I usually buy organic.
Whether buying organic or not be sure to wash your fruits and veggies well.
#2: Juice Mostly Vegetables
When juicing it is best to add just enough fruit to make the juice palatable. Usually 1 green apple does it for our taste. Juices made with loads of fruits are very high in sugar. This can spike blood sugar and even cause weight gain. Fresh apple or orange juice is much different than the kind from the grocer. Most commercial juices are watered down significantly. Freshly made fruit juices will be remarkably high in sugar.
All the juices I make are mostly veggies. When I first started juicing I was making every juice recipe I could find (many of them were loaded with fruit). The results were terrible. I could feel the sugar hit my blood and my heart race. I even gained weight because all of the sugar in the juices I was drinking.
I then became intentional about making my juices 80% veggies, 20% fruit. The longer I juice, the less I need the sweetness. I now use mostly roots, leafy greens and vegetables in my juices. I only add a green apple if needed (green apples are lower in sugar).
#3: Drink on an Empty Stomach
One of the fantastic benefits of fresh juice is that it can be readily used by our bodies without the need to be digested. In order to capitalize on this juice should be enjoyed on an empty stomach.
#4: Don’t eat for 20 minutes
Additionally, it is best to wait 20 minutes after juicing before eating. If the fresh juice runs into a bunch of food when it is consumed – that food will slow everything down.
#5: Peel oranges, tangerines, kiwifruits, pineapples and grapefruit
These contain bitter oils that my cause digestive problems.
#6: Drink ASAP for maximum benefits
Just like fresh fruit, fresh juice will turn brown and begins to degrade when it is exposed to air. For maximum nutrition juice should be consumed right after juicing.
#7: Airtight Containers in Refrigerator
If you would like to store juice and drink it later, use airtight containers and leave as little airspace as possible. Store in the refrigerator. The juice will keep up to 24 hours, but the longer it is store, the less nutritious it will be.
In order to drop some pounds fast I am juicing for breakfast & lunch & snacks and eating clean, sensible dinners. When I say I am juicing – I mean I am juicing like crazy. I will easily drink between 6-8 fresh juices each day. Oh, I am also munching on raw fruits & veggies during the day…. because I like to chew.
DAY 3
Sunrise:
3 cups of coffee
Breakfast:
For Breakfast, lunch and snacks I filled my body with juice all day. I drank a total of 6 (10 ounce) juices.
4 of them were green juices (celery/ cucumber based), 2 were orange (carrot/ apple based).
Dinner:
I had a giant spinach salad covered with seared chicken and fresh veggies. It was tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette.
XO,
Cj
