Thursday, October 18, 2007

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:
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5 medium carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1/4 of a large English cucumber, 1 large granny smith apple and a handful of parsley:
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2 beet green tops, 1 medium beet, 5 medium carrots:
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25 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

ooh, thanks for the juicing tips!! wow, each of those glasses of juice are so vibrant and colorful!!

Theresa said...

The pink beet juice is my favourite, it looks so pretty! I want a juicer.

Maxcactus said...

Your juices looks so delicious.

Vegan_Noodle said...

A rainbow of juices! Thanks for all of those great tips. What kind of a juicer do you have? I only have a blender and I'm thinking I would need a juicer.

Okay...juice doesn't look like a word anymore. Isn't it strange when that happens?

Lori- the Pleasantly Plump Vegan said...

hey vegan noodle- i have an Olympic Model 1000 Omega Fruit & Vegetable Juicer. it belonged to my dad and he gave it to me several yrs ago and he had it many yrs before he gave it to me. it still works awesomely! i LOVE having a juicer! the hardest part is having to clean it out, but it isnt such a pain that it stops me from juicing. if you like fresh juice, totally invest in one.

Veggie Cookster said...

I'm intrigued! The juices are beautiful!! :)

Anna said...

Wow, those look fantastic! What great colours...and so healthy.

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Wow, I never make juice, but this is very tempting!

Pink Theory said...

wow, me wants a juicer now!

Anonymous said...

wow, beautiful juices! i should try those...

Sam said...

Okay, now I have to dig my juicer out of storage... One of my favorites that I used to make was half a blood orange, grapefruit, and lemon, with some cucumber, ginger, and mint... odd combination, but so yummy! I give you all the credit in the world, that elimination diet would kll me!

The Little Mama said...

Wow! How inspiring. I've wanted a juicer for a while, and you've just reminded me about it. I'll have to add one to my xmas list. :)

KellytheCulinarian said...

I've never had a juicer but this has inspired me, for sure.

urban vegan said...

I so want to buy a juicer. (Any recos?). This post was helpful and inspiring--and the juice looks so gorgeous and colorful.

I had a shot of wheatgrass juice this weekend--whoa, momma!

Lori- the Pleasantly Plump Vegan said...

hi urban vegan- we have an Olympic Model 1000 Omega Fruit & Vegetable Juicer, which is not as kick ass as the ones at juice bars but does an awesome job for home use. i'm sure you could find one used online and save some bucks.

Kumudha said...

Thanks for the tips!
Colorful post!

Olivia H. said...

Good ideas about juicing. My Mom makes it for us sometimes for breakfast. I only like the ones with apple juice, not the green ones so much, but yours all look good.

Emilie said...

thanks for all the juicing tips--i had never considered some of those things like the swishing...

very pretty juices too!

bazu said...

What a beautiful post! I love juicing, but don't do it nearly often enough. I love your list of tips too, by the way. The only thing is... I never peel kiwis- it's just a habit, I guess! I love eating the fuzzy skin. =) Good to know about swishing it around your mouth- makes sense.

jd said...

What a FANTASTIC post! I've been doing the smoothie thing for a while, and want to get into juicing. This is a great resource for me to start with!

Thanks!!

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