Nothing can replace the health benefits of freshly pressed unpasteurized vegetable and fruit juice. And no… I am not talking about your freshly squeezed OJ, or a smoothie. (The Vitamix Juicer is NOT a Juicer. It is a blender.)
Vegetables and fruit juice can be highly alkalizing. Because juicing removes the indigestible fibers from these plants, the resulting beverage is energizing and packed with nutrients that literally infuse your blood and body with raw vitamins, minerals, natural sugars, raw food enzymes and H2O!
Talk about summer hydration!
“Juice”, juice you find in paper cartons, jars, juice boxes, plastic containers and cans, is pasteurized 99.98% of the time. A beverage does not need to specify “Pasteurized” to be pasteurized (but the juice will specifically say “Raw,” “Freshly pressed,” or “Not Pasteurized” if it has been freshly squeezed).
“Flash Pasteurized” is just a fancier way of saying “Pasteurized.”
Pasteurization is a heating process that kills off potential pathogens and in the process… the aforementioned benefits of the juice in the first place. Resulting beverage? Generally a sugary fruit flavored liquid (a diabetics worst nightmare). Check out this article: How Healthy is that Juice? Juice and Pasteurization.
A juicer is one of the best investments you can make for a lifetime of health. Juicing does not need to be expensive– or all organic, nor does the juicer you purchase.
What Juicer to Purchase?
One of the most common questions I am asked is: “What juicer do you suggest for someone that is unsure about juicing, or a novice… and does not want to invest a lot of money upfront.”
Do not be bashful! Those questions are legitimate concerns.
I understand what a big investment juicing can mean to someone. Although I am to the point where I cannot imagine my life without a glass (or a few) of such an invigorating beverage, in the beginning, I asked myself these same questions. (Actually… I think my mom was more concerned than me… “Ummm… you are really going to use that?” “Where are you going to keep it?” “You are going to bring this thing to college?”)
Forget the multi-vitamin. That was a few years ago, and yes… I have most certainly stuck with it.
Answer:
That being said, my suggestions are quite simple. From my point of view, there is one perfectly nice juicer that should work for the beginner, as well as someone that plans to be an avid juicer—The Breville JE98XL Fountain Plus.
- The Breville brand of juicers tend to be readily available in a multitude of stores and amazon.com (so you will not necessarily have to go hunting online for it).
While there may be a multitude of juicers available, ranging in price, size, speed, color, and all having a claim to fame (i.e. “Juice a whole apple!” “A ‘bazillion’ watt speed!” “Best extraction!”), The Breville JE98XL Fountain Plus is a smart buy.
Priced at $149.99, this baby will give you a smooth, pulp-free beverage every time. I have also found this to be easy and quick to clean—a very important factor to take into account. A juicer may seem “fancy smancy” but you really want to invest in something that will not only give you a quality beverage, but also a simplified cleanup routine to encourage daily usage. (I purchased my Breville from Bed Bath and Beyond and used a 20% off coupon).
Now… If $150.00 is too steep, I would recommend starting off with Jack Lalanne’s Ultimate Power Juicer. You can generally find this juicer for a discounted price of around $100 at Wholesalers like Costco and Sam’s Club. While I will not try to argue that one of these juicers are so superior to the other,when looking at juicers in general, I am not a big fan of juicers priced too much below $130 (unless purchased at wholesale). I also will say that the Breville is easier to clean.
Quality of juice is important. You want to purchase something you are going to want to keep and use often.
Beginners Juice
Not keen on the idea of slurping down a pure green juice (I don’t blame ya)? Or looking for something your kids will enjoy and request?
The most common “mistakes” I watch people make while juicing is either drinking way too much fruit juice, or trying to go all green (yeek!). Sure it is better than the boxed stuff… but… too much sugar is, can still be too much sugar.
Not to worry. Here is an easy one (and another easy recipe).
- 1-2 Fuji, or Gala Apple
- 1 head of romaine, stalk removed
- 1 cucumber
Sweet (but not too sweet), this juice is hydrating and a wonderful source of vitamins and minerals. Particularly, romaine is extremely ANTI-inflammatory (reduces inflammation) and contains K, A, and some of the Bs. The apples create a nice sweetness, and can be naturally cleansing, while the cucumber is also mildly sweet and thirst quenching.
- Try to go organic if you can. Local is often even better!
