Get Juiced!

I just bought a juicer yesterday and already I am hooked!

The step-kids are here for half term - they won't eat anything that isn't fried or contains *pizza*!

So yesterday - after I bought the juicer - I got them to drink - apple juice - orange juice - pear juice - even some CARROT juice!

This morning they wanted pineapple juice instead of diet coke!

I know it's a novelty and they might not be too interested next time they come up - but I am hooked!  I feel great today - skin is smooth - the juice from yesterday had me craving water instead of coffee.

Any other juicers out there?  Wanna swap recipes?

I plan to juice and use my food processor for smoothies.

OH and my juicer came with a book that is packed with useful information and nutrient info for fruits and veg....great stuff....

Now I need to find a market to buy my fruit and veg - Tesco has *loan shark* prices on this stuff! 

Any other juicers out there?  Wanna swap recipes?

No, but I've always been tempted! My only concern is about whether or not it's worth it to make just enough juice for a singleton? Or is it even possible??

I have a friend with a husband and two kids. She does apple, carrot and orange juice EVERY morning. A big pitcher for all of them. Oh, and here's something you might like -- she adds in a bit of fresh ginger!

I use my blender to do a smoothie nearly day and I love it. I buy fresh strawberries, then wash and hull them, and freeze them immediately. When I need a smoothie, I pop in a banana, a few frozen strawbs, and some OJ. It's incredible! There's nothing like fresh juice!

My main concern was clean up....the one I bought is brilliant to clean!  Easy and takes no time.  Although I do need to get a small brush for the filter thingy.  The scouring sponge just doesn't cut it.  Some websites recommend getting a toothbrush for that.

Ginger seems to be in nearly all the recipes in the book I got that came with my juicer. *mental note to get some ginger*

I am going to start freezing as well. Especially if I come across some fruit bargains.  (Waitrose puts loads of stuff on mark down about an hour before closing).

Apparently freezing bananas is good for smoothie/ice cream-like concoctions.  You have to peel them first.

There is even a section of the book that tells you how to make a *juice kitchen* so that you can get into the juice habit.

I am so hooked! 

i'm huge on juicing!!  i love it...tho i haven't done much of it since i have been in UK.  i don't have recipes per se...but there are tons of things you can juice that you wouldn't even thing taste good.

last year i did a 5-day juice....nothing but juice.  no food, caffeine, cigarettes...nothing...for 5 days.  and it wasn't as hard as you would think.  anyway.....cucumbers are really good in juice...i'm not recommending an entire glass of cucumber juice...but if you mix it in with other stuff, it's great. 

i remember making a few different batches of juice...but i think my favorite was pineapple, apples, strawberries and grapes (all combined in one glass).  really yummy!!  and i don't know about your juicer, but with mine, i didn't have to peel or deseed anything (well..most things).  i could just cut up the pineapple in about 6 pieces and shove it in the juicer...rind and all.  i think the only things you need to peel before putting in the juicer are oranges and grapefruits (tho i'm not 100% sure because i'm allergic to both so i don't eat/drink them).  and ofcourse you can't juice bananas because there is no juice in them....probably the same goes for avocadoes....but i'm not sure on that one. 

if you are going to use juicing as a mechanism to help you loose weight, but i would suggest adding cinnamon, garlic (tho if you add garlic, be prepared to burp it up hours later), kale, spinach and lots of other leafy greens.  i also juiced bell peppers and lots of carrots. 

the cool thing about juicing is that you can try all different kinds of stuff.  you don't have to juice just one type of fruit to make an entire glass of juice....you can mix and match and see what flavors you like.  and if you get something just for its nutritional content that doesn't taste so great (like brussels sprouts, aubergine, cabbage or something funky like that) you can always mix it with something overpowering like orange or pinepple (tho i remember reading somewhere that you are supposed to keep veg with veg and fruit with fruit...but i mix and match anyway...it doesn't kill you if you do).

oh...and i'm not sure if there is a costco near you or not...but i would recommend buying your fruit and veg there...especially if you are going to be juicing a lot. 

there are all sorts of things that juicing can do for you...healthwise that is.  you can use your juicer to do all sorts of detoxification programs (liver, bowel, blood, etc.)...assuming that you are dedicated to it.  i'm willing to bet that if you continue to juice (for yourself) and you cut out everything else you drink (besides water) and you eat a sensible diet....you will have so much more energy and be able to think more clearly and all kinds of other stuff that you probably didn't even notice was effecting you.  well...i say all of this because i felt 1000 times better when i was on my 5 day juice fast.....i highly recommend it!!

But is it practical to make juice for just one person?

oh...definitely.  and i think that if you do stick to it and juice everyday (not necessarily for a meal replacement), you'll probably end up noticing that you are less hungry for actual "food" and you'll actually crave some fresh juice!! 

what i failed to mention in my first post is the following....

i bought all of my fruit and veg and wouldn't put it in the juicer until i was ready to have a glass (i was drinking 20oz per serving on the weekend and about 10oz per serving during the week).  you aren't supposed to (or at least that's what i read everywhere) juice more than you can drink at one time.  once you juice a fruit or veg, the vitamins start breaking down and looses its effect...or maybe i should say potency (sorta like canned veg....they are still veg...but the vitamin and nutritional content is considerable lower than if they were to be in their natural state).

if you find yourself in a situation where you need to juice more than one glass at a time (which is what i needed to do for my 5-day juice fast) all you need to do is limit the amount of time that the juice is exposed to air.  i bought those jars for canning your own preserves, jams, etc. with the little metal lids that suction to the glass.  anyway...i would just fill each glass all the way to the top, put the metal lid on, push down so it formed a suction then screw the metal piece on that holds the lid in place, then throw it in the fridge right away.  i would take 4-5 glasses with me to work and just open them as i wanted them.

granted....you don't have to be so rigorous with it as i was.  because i wasn't eating anything at all, i wanted to make sure i was getting all of the vitamins i possibly could.  but, if you do intead to juice a small pitcher of o.j. or something, i would be careful how long you keep it in your fridge...only because there isn't any preservatives, sugar or any of those other ingredients that make store bought juice last longer. 

if anyone is actually going to do a juice fast (3 or 5 days) let me know...i've got all kinds of tips and things to do...but it's too much to type out right now...especially if no one is interested.

But is it practical to make juice for just one person?

Of course! The juicer I got is easy to clean - so it's a piece of cake.

I am not near a Costco - so will have to find a market.

I got the Moulinex Juice Master Plus.  It says you don't have to peel anything - but I did take off most of the rind on the pineapple this morning...still being tender with my new toy.

In the book I got with mine it claims that bananas are 80% water - but do not try to juice them - it'll be all gunge. Which is why I plan to juice/smoothie when using bananas.

I can't wait to try beets (recommended to mix with other stuff) and celery and cucumber!  (hmmm that could be a good combo!)

So what kind of fast did you do - I am interested in doing a "spring clean".  There is a section in the book on this - but I am interested in what you did.  

if you find yourself in a situation where you need to juice more than one glass at a time (which is what i needed to do for my 5-day juice fast) all you need to do is limit the amount of time that the juice is exposed to air.  i bought those jars for canning your own preserves, jams, etc. with the little metal lids that suction to the glass.  anyway...i would just fill each glass all the way to the top, put the metal lid on, push down so it formed a suction then screw the metal piece on that holds the lid in place, then throw it in the fridge right away.  i would take 4-5 glasses with me to work and just open them as i wanted them.

The book I have also says that - only juice what you are going to drink right away.  The longer it's exposed to air the good enzhymes break down.  He recommends getting one of those *bullet* like flasks (thermos) for when you want to take juice with you - but drink it within a few hours.  Also put a bit of lemon juice in it as the juice will turn brown over time.  (like when you cut an apple in half and leave it, etc).

I am not really doing this juice thing for losing weight - but I am still interested in your fast program.

I am doing it as I notice that I tend to buy veggies - but don't tend to eat them before they go off.

From the juicing I did yesterday and today - it's easy and quick and I feel great!

Again, I'm hooked! 

what i did is the following:

my 5-day juice fast was actually 9 days in total.  the first two days i ate only fruits and veg as they are.  nothing add...except maybe a bit of pepper and oil for flavor on the veg.  i ate apples, bananas, mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans, spinach, etc.  just to prepare myself (and my body) so it didn't go into "shock" so to speak.  tho it's not necessarily "required" to do that, i read in multiple places that it was best to do it this way...so i gave it a go.  and actually...those first two days were probably the hardest seeing how i'm a meat and potatoes type of girl.

after those two days of just eating fruit and veg, i started the 5-days of just juice.  i didn't really have a set schedule as far as drinking fruits in the morning and veg in the afternoon or vice versa.  i just drank whichever type of juice i felt like for the moment.  like i said, i would juice enough the night before to get me thru the next day at work (even tho i wasn't necessarily "supposed" to..but i couldn't lug my juicer with me to work).  in the beginning i didn't know how much i would be drinking during the day...so to start off with, i brought five 10oz. jars with me to work.  but as the week progressed, i drank less...just because i didn't "feel" hungry.  i will say that the 3rd day of the juice fast was the hardest....but after that i was fine.

during the entire 5 days of just juice, the only other thing i put in my mouth bottled water.  i didn't chew gum, eat mints or put anything in my mouth that wasn't "natural" (with the exclusion of toothpaste).  it's also recommended that if you are doing a fast, that you limit your exercise/workouts to the minimum.  

once my 5-days of juicing were done, i went back to two days of just fruit and veg.  but this is where things started getting interesting for me.  i didn't "want" to eat.  some fruits and veg grossed me out and i couldn't bring myself to eat them.  but those that i was able to eat tasted sssooo much better...and different.  i could taste more of the flavor and they were just more refreshing to me.  

after the last two days of fruit and veg are over, you are not supposed to go back to your "old ways"....and quite honestly, i didn't want to.  my first sip of soda after my fast tasted horrible.  it gave me a "burning" sensation in my mouth from the carbonation.  it took me a while to get back to actually eating meat.  i only wanted to really eat salads, but with dressing on them, and fruit.  i eventually got back to eating "normal" but i kept all fast food out of my diet for months.....on my own choosing...just because the thought of mcdonald's was just disgusting to me.  i did eventually start going to fast food every now and then....but i would have to say that that was one of the things that has pretty much stuck with me ever since i did my fast.

as for specifically what i juiced and what recipes i used....i probably didn't stick to them as much as i should have.  most of the recipes that i came across had something in them that i either didn't like (ginger!!) or was allergic to (tomatoes, oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits)....so it limited the recipes that i could actually follow.  what i did do was read up on what fruits and veg contained what vitamins and what each did for the body.  

I am not really doing this juice thing for losing weight - but I am still interested in your fast program.

But what if someone were trying to lose weight? Would this be a good way of doing it? I always feel that my weight-loss attempts are actually thwarted by the amount of juice I drink! I just love it! And, although healthy, it's not always low in calories. Of course, I've never juiced my own. Any advice?

But what if someone were trying to lose weight? Would this be a good way of doing it? I always feel that my weight-loss attempts are actually thwarted by the amount of juice I drink! I just love it! And, although healthy, it's not always low in calories. Of course, I've never juiced my own. Any advice?

yes....juicing would be an excellent way to lose weight!!  and you are right, your fruit juice intake (store bought) is definitely thwarting your weight loss.  if you look at the ingredients in the juice that you are drinking...or just look at the box/container....9 times out of 10 it will say "made from concentrate" and will contain all sorts of things that you don't even know how to pronounce.  drinking juice from concentrate basically means the the majority of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. are gone (unless it's been fortified with other things like calcium, vitamin A, B, D, etc.).  don't get me wrong....you probably are getting more vitamins and mineals from your store bought juice than you would from water...but you are also getting added sugar, fructose glucose syrup and a variety of ther things you don't really need. 

i say try juicing.  if you already have a juicer....try making your own version of your favorite store bought flavor.  if you like some of the passion fruit type juices, juice an orange, kiwi, mango, etc. and see what it "should" taste like.  or even if you like just plain store bought o.j....try doing your own.  store bought juices generally can't be used as a meal replacement like juice from a juicer can.  juicer juice give your body the vitamins that it needs, where as store bought does give you some of those vitamins, but add the sugar on top of that and it not only basically counteracts the good that it does, but it ends up messing with your metabolism and insulin levels in your body and ends up making you feel unfulfilled and hungry. 

i'd also like to add that during my juice fast, along with being more energetic, having a "clear" mind, and feel better all around, i noticed my cellulite looked less like cottage cheese...which was great.  but as soon as i went back to my old ways....it came back.  cellulite is basically just toxin builtup in your fat....so if you are juicing and not adding any toxins to your body, then your body is slowly getting rid of those toxins.  anyway...that was just one of the pluses to juicing for me.

i'm sure i could give you all kinds of advice...but what are you looking for?  just general weight loss stuff?  what worked for me?  weight loss specifically to juicing? 

i'm sure i could give you all kinds of advice...but what are you looking for?  just general weight loss stuff?  what worked for me?  weight loss specifically to juicing? 

I'm not sure what I'm looking for, to be honest! I just know that I like juice and have thought for a long time about buying a juicer. I guess the reasons I haven't yet bought one are (1) that I wasn't sure if it would work for one person (but you guys have set me straight there), and (2) that I'd gain weight by drinking far too much juice. I'm not interesting in doing any kind of a fast, but really just incorporating homemade juice into a healthy normal diet. However ... I know myself and have a feeling I'd go overboard!

Edited to add that while I do buy store-bought juices currently, I never buy anything with glucose syrup or anything like that in it. I do sometimes buy concentrates ... but often lash out and splurge on fresh-squeezed OJ. I know it is way more than 24 hours old, but it sure tastes better than the Tropicana stuff!

This is great information. I've been thinking about getting a juicer but I've heard the clean-up is difficult and is a hindrance to use.  Hopefully that is something that has been rectified with recent machines. 

Thanks.

I'm not sure what I'm looking for, to be honest! I just know that I like juice and have thought for a long time about buying a juicer. I guess the reasons I haven't yet bought one are (1) that I wasn't sure if it would work for one person (but you guys have set me straight there), and (2) that I'd gain weight by drinking far too much juice. I'm not interesting in doing any kind of a fast, but really just incorporating homemade juice into a healthy normal diet. However ... I know myself and have a feeling I'd go overboard!

as for #2....i don't think you really can go "overboard".  well...i take that back...if you do things like eat/drink too much carrot juice (like 20+ whole carrots a day) you can get too much beta carotene (vitamin A) and it could make your hair fall out and cause your skin to turn orange (amoung other things)...but that's an extreme case.

if you are concerned with going overboard as far as calorie intake...then i would suggest looking at whatever you normally eat for breakfast (cereal with milk, porridge with flavoring, etc.) and compare the calories you would get from that versus how much you would get if you chose to juice two oranges instead of eating your normal breakfast.  

if you are a "snacker" and love to enjoy your chocolate, ice creams, biscuits, etc. more than you "should", then i would say replace those with a nice glass of your favorite homemade juice and you'll be better off by far.  not only on calories, but fat, artificial sugars, perservatives, oils, etc. as well.  

if you are considering buying a juicer, i would suggest that you definitely shop around!!!  there are tons of different juicers out there....some are a good price for what you get and some aren't.  don't let price determine which juicer you choose.  i think the most important thing about juicing is the amount of "waste" that is produced.  a "good" juicer will only discard waste that can not go thru the juicer...leaving little to no juice in the waste basket.  if there is a lot of liquid in the waste basket, then more than likely you have a crappy juicer.  i would recommend reading people reviews of all different types of juicers to see what they have to say (ease of cleaning and assembly, power, bulkiness, storage, etc.)

This is great information. I've been thinking about getting a juicer but I've heard the clean-up is difficult and is a hindrance to use.  Hopefully that is something that has been rectified with recent machines. 

Thanks.

my juicer only has four parts that need to be washed.  nothing really "sticks" to it...so there's not much need for serious scrubbing.  running water gets the majority of everything off and assembly is really easy.