Drinking fresh juice from organic fruits and vegetables can help with weight management, migraines, and fatigue. Juice detoxifies your body and delivers essential vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Not every glass of juice is healthy. If you’re new to juicing, you should learn about nutritious fruits and vegetables, using a juicer, and when to juice. Here are four tips for beginners:
1. Choose a Quality Juicer
Juice is different from smoothies. When juicing, all the pulp, mostly comprised of fiber, is removed from the final drink. Smoothies include fiber and pulp and require special blenders. A premium-quality juicer is the first thing you should invest in. You can choose from different juicing machines, including centrifugal, masticating, and juice press models. In addition to finding the best quality juicer, you should read the manual fully before using it.
a) Centrifugal Juicing Machine
The centrifugal machine works by forcing the produce through a set of sharp blades spinning at high speed. Most household juicing machines are centrifugal and work with different fruits and vegetables. Centrifugal juicing machines are cheaper than other options but result in juice with fiber and indigestible pulp, so you’ll need to purchase a sieve.
b) Masticating Juicing Machine
The masticating juicing machine is also known as a slow gear or auger. While slow, the machine produces more juice than centrifugal machines and results in better quality with less pulp. Masticating juicing machines work well with greens, wheatgrass, nuts, and frozen fruits. The machine uses a slow auger to chop the produce and force it through a sharp screen.
c) The Juice Press Machine
A juice press or cold press machine is one of the most expensive and efficient options for homeowners. The appliance works by grinding the produce into pulp, which is then pressed under high pressure to release the juice. You’ll get the most nutrition from your produce, and the juice has a longer shelf life than extracts from centrifugal and masticating machines.
2. Know What to Juice
Juicing machines work with a wide range of fruits and vegetables. You can juice your favorite fruits, including apples, pineapples, watermelon, cherries, oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, kiwi, and mango. Juicing machines can extract nutritious juice from spinach, beets, kales, carrots, celery, cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, wheatgrass, and more. You can juice herbs like mint, parsley, basil, and ginger. Most fruits and leafy greens can go into a juicer.
Some fruits, such as raw bananas, kiwis, and avocadoes, have a bitter taste and are unsuitable for juicing. You should use ripe fruits to create your juice. Nutritionists also recommend watching the sugar levels. Some fruits contain high sugar and can derail your fitness goals if you take too much. Choose fruits with less sugar, such as berries (blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries). Carrots and oranges are perfect for low-sugar juice.
3. Prepare Ingredients Properly
Before throwing them into the juicing machine, you should prepare all the ingredients properly. Each appliance has special instructions, so make sure you go through the manual to learn what can be juiced using the model. Before you start juicing, wash all ingredients with an antimicrobial vegetable wash to remove bacteria carried from the soil and grocery store. The ingredients should be as clean as possible before adding them to the juicer. Rinse away all dirt and particles.
You can chop down the produce into smaller pieces to reduce the work of the juicing machine. You may need to remove the skin, stem, and seeds to improve the juice quality for some produce. If you’re juicing multiple items, cut them into near equal sizes, just like you’d do when blending. Fruits need different preparations, but some can go into the machine without chopping or peeling. Juice the dryer produces first, then finish off with watery produce.
4. Drink Juice on an Empty Stomach
Juicing can help you lose weight, boost energy, absorb essential nutrients and boost immunity against common diseases. When juicing, you should drink fresh juice on an empty stomach. Taking the juice before meals increase the nutrient absorption rate, allowing you to maximize the benefits. Juice suppresses the appetite for heavy meals and loads your digestive system with healthy fiber.
Drinking juice after a heavy meal only increases the number of calories, which can be counterproductive to your fitness goals. The best time to refresh with juice is in the morning, before a heavy meal, or after a workout. Choose natural/organic produce from diverse food groups to get an assortment of nutrients. You should drink fresh juice, although refrigerating may help you stock enough for later use.
Key Takeaways for Juicing
Beginners in juicing have many things to learn to get the best from their machine. Each fruit or vegetable has a unique nutrition profile. Some fruits like oranges, kiwis, and limes are rich in vitamin C. Others have B vitamins, vitamin A, E, K, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and more.
Research the benefits of your juicing ingredients to create the perfect mixture. You can find many other ways to use the produce, including in other recipes or blending them into a smoothie. The fiber is healthy for your gut and bowel movements and helps you hunger. Make sure you choose a top-quality juicer from reputable brands.
