Juicing 101 plus 5 Recipes to Get You Started

Whether you’re trying to make a healthy start, reach the next level of fitness, or just want to replace unhealthy snacks with something different, juicing is the way to go. And we’re here to get you started.

Why Juice?

Think of juicing as a natural vitamin – it concentrates all those vital nutrients into one delicious glass. Combined with antioxidants, fiber, and minerals, one glass of juice is like taking a full day of multivitamins.

Additionally, juicing is a quick, easy way to get started in the morning. Rather than grabbing a muffin, cereal, or bacon and eggs, you can throw some fruit and vegetables into your juicer and enjoy the results, rather than feeling guilty about the calories.

What to Juice

Juicing is easy – all you need is fruit and vegetables! You can stick with the standards like carrots, apples, celery, oranges, etc., but there are many other things you can juice as well. The key is to find a good balance between the flavors you like and those that you don’t, but also offer a good blend of nutrients. For example, asparagus is a great vegetable for juicing, but you can cover the flavor with something stronger and sweeter, like beets or carrots.

Also don’t forget about roots, herbs, and spices. Think about adding things like ginger, cilantro, parsley, mint, even dandelion greens to your juice. Not only can it enhance the flavor, but it will also give you more nutrients.

Juicing Blends

Feel free to experiment, but here are some beginner juicing blends to try:

Morning Tropical	Citrus & Mint	Deep Purple	Super Green
6 leaves kale	1 apple, halved	2 medium beets	½ bunch kale
½ large cucumber	1 lemon	3 carrots	1 cucumber
½ bunch parsley	4 pieces celery	1 apple	½ pineapple
½ pineapple	2-3 carrots		1 piece ginger
1 apple, halved	2-3 sprigs fresh mint

 

For a challenge, try one new recipe per week, or a few new ingredients. You’ll quickly discover what works for you (and doesn’t) when it comes to juicing. Here’s one of our favorite juices from The 22-Day Revolution Cookbook:
 

Reboot Juice

Papaya is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer as well as lower cholesterol, boost immunity, improve digestion, protect against arthritis and help lower blood pressure. Pretty powerful stuff! 

Makes 2 servings

1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced

1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and sliced

1 ruby grapefruit, peeled

½-inch piece ginger, peeled

Juice all ingredients and enjoy!

Juicers

You can find a juicer anywhere from $50 and up – the trick is finding one that is convenient, easy to use and clean, as well as within your budget. Check out reviews and look for juicers that have consistently good reviews and a product with a good warranty, just in case.

One of favorite options for juicing is the Juicero. Not only is the countertop juicer gorgeous to look at, it also takes the work out of juicing. The Juicero presses fresh juice from Juicero juice packs. You choose your favorite blends from options like Sweet Greens or Green Zing and they are delivered to you in a refrigerated box. All of the work has been done for you – the juice packs contain freshly harvested, organic produce that has been cleaned and chopped. All you do is place in your Juicero press and push a button for fresh juice. Pretty amazing, we know J Find out more about the Juicero here. 

Have fun juicing – you’ll feel great when you do!