I know you’ve seen them. Mason jars of colorful liquid parading about Pinterest. Snapshots of green juice with a proud note that says, “My power green juice to kick off Saturday!” Are you one of them?
Personally, I don’t juice. Do you? However, I am warming up to the idea.
I love making smoothies in my VitaMix. There’s nothing that thing can’t pulverize. I want to point out that a VitaMix is not a juicer. It’s a high powered blender.
So, what’s the difference between a blender and a juicer? It’s simple. A blender includes the fiber and a juicer does not.
If I asked you to eat 6 carrots, 4 apples, 2 cucumbers, a handful of spinach, and 1 lemon, could you do it? Not likely. Your jaw would be tiiiireeed. The fiber would fill you before you even finished half of it.
So what is juicing? Juicing squeezes the liquid from fruits and veggies, while leaving the fiber out. If you have a hard time munching on 3 – 4 servings of veggies a day, juicing is the way to get it in your diet. (If you don’t have a juicer try with your Vitamix or high speed blender) So, what are the benefits of juicing? What is the CRAZE all about? Let me spill:
1) Juicing allows your body to take a vacation from digestion so it can renew and repair. Ahhh! Digesting food takes hours and requires lots of enzymes and energy, especially if you’re eating cooked foods or animal proteins. During digestion blood flows to the gut to break it down so “liquid nutrition” allows blood to flow more to the brain so you feel less foggy.
2) Juicing is a delicious dose of oxygen, chlorophyl (cleanses the blood), minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients (nutrients from plants that prevent disease) and enzymes for your cells. Ooh la!
3) Juicing is the best way to detoxify, support and strengthen your organs. Nice!
4) Juicing contributes to your daily water intake. Vegetables and fruits are kissed by the sun’s H20. Gala apples are a great choice to juice, because they have high water content. Sweet!
5) Get this! If you eat a raw carrot, your body would only be able to absorb 1-2% of its vitamin A content. If you drink carrot juice, your body would be able to absorb 90% of vitamin A and other nutrients.
6) Your skin will be flawless. Your eyes will glow. You hair will start to shimmer.
7) Most of the time, we eat the same veggies every week. This could lead to food allergies. Juicing allows you to eat a wide variety of vegetables.
Amazing, huh?
Keep in mind a 3:1 ratio of veggies to fruit is best. For example, you want 3 veggies (kale, carrot, celery) to 1 fruit like an apple. If the juice is too fruit heavy like all pineapple or beet, that’s a big slap of sugar to your system. Even though it’s natural sugar, it’s still sugar. Here’s a classic juice recipe for you to try:
Gorgeous Greens
2 Cucumbers (peeled if not organic)
Big fist full of Kale
Big fist full of Romaine
3 stalks of Celery
1 Gala Apple
1 Lemon with Rind
1/2 inch of Ginger
This makes about 32 oz. The minute juice hits the air, the nutrients begin to oxidize which decreases the nutritional value. It’s best to enjoy juice as soon as it’s pressed. Or you can 
batch juice on a Sunday and store in tightly sealed mason jars for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. This will slow the process.
Always try new fusions. Other brilliant greens to use are: endive, spinach, parsley, dandelion, or beet greens. Check what’s in season here.
So, Google “Juice Bars” in your area or if living here in Detroit Lakes and there isn’t a choice, when traveling try a “Juice Bar”. Take the family or a friend and sip on the menu. See which fusions you like best. Then go home and juice what’s left in the crisper. It’s an easy way to use up bruised produce.
You might start posting pics of your juice concoctions yourself. In fact do so and let us know what you like? Love to hear from you!
To liquid nutrition,
Amy
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