juicing my way through the rainbow

I have been juicing up a storm here to get me through the elimination diet. The cool thing about juicing is that it actually fills you up. I have worked at several juice bars in the past and I still juice a lot at home. My favorite juicing book is called Juicing For Life by Cherie Calbom and Maureen Keane. This book breaks down juice recipes based on health issues (acne, insomnia, etc) and also has different weight loss and fasting juice plans. I use this book primarily for recipe ideas, but I have fun making up my own. Here are some helpful juicing tips:

* Buy organic fruits and veggies as much as you can for juicing.
* No matter if your produce is organic or not, WASH everything really, really well. Cut off severely bruised parts of the produce since they can make the juice taste funky.
* If citrus is going to be juiced, Oranges and Grapefruit should be peeled (white part left on) since they contain toxic substances that should not be consumed in large quantities. Kiwi and Papaya skins should also be removed.
* ANY and ALL produce grown in other countries should be washed and peeled since there is no way of knowing what has been sprayed on them.
* Waxed produce should also be peeled.
* Unless otherwise noted above, organic, un-sprayed and un-waxed produce should never be peeled since most nutrients in fruits and veggies are in the skins.
* Pits should be removed (peach, plum, cherry, etc.) but seeds can be juiced (lemon, limes, grapes, melon, etc.) with the EXCEPTION being apple seeds, which contain small amounts of cyanide.
* It is okay to leave stems or leaves of fruits and veggies (I like beet greens) on when juicing EXCEPT carrot and rhubarb tops/greens. They are very toxic!!!
* Of course the fruits and veggies must have high water content to work. You won't be able to juice bananas or avocados but these can be combined in a blender with your fresh juice to make awesome smoothies! I like to freeze bananas for this very purpose!
* If you are watching your weight, be sure to cut high sugar juices (fruit juices and/or carrot, beet juices) with filtered water. They will still taste good but cut the calories.
* DRINK YOUR JUICE ASAP. DO NOT STORE IT FOR LATER USE. The enzymes start to die when it is juiced, so drink up!
* SWISH THE JUICE IN YOUR MOUTH SO THE BODY ABSORBS IT BETTER.
* NEVER STRAIN the juices, since that would remove a ton of much needed fiber!!!

My favorite fruits to juice are apples, pears, peaches, lemons, grapes, pineapple, watermelon and cantaloupe (with the rinds on). Vegetable juices are really great on their own or mixed with fruit juices. My favorite veggies to juice are carrots, celery, beets, beet greens, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli, tomatoes and greens like spinach and lettuces. Other unlikely things to juice are herbs including parsley (SO GOOD and GREAT FOR YOU) basil and mint. I also love garlic, green onions and ginger in my juices. Really, you can juice anything, with the exceptions I made above. It is best to change things up and not drink the same things everyday. Limit the amount of high sugar juices such as carrot, beets and high sugar fruits. To make juicing easy, prep things such as carrots, celery and beets by washing and cutting them to fit in your juicer. I keep produce that will turn brown whole until I am ready for juicing (such as apples, pears, etc.) Lastly, don't forget that you should still EAT plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, in addition to the juices.

1 large granny smith apple, 2 celery stalks and 1/4 of a large English cucumber:


5 medium carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1/4 of a large English cucumber, 1 large granny smith apple and a handful of parsley:


2 beet green tops, 1 medium beet, 5 medium carrots: