Juicing

pod1257

Hi Ladies

I just got a juicer for Christmas. It came with a recipe book but wondered what other's like for fruit and/veg combinations?

Also any advice on how to make the veg juice's more palatable? _ It is really like "drinking your vegetables" and sometimes hard to get it all down.

Thanks for any ideas.

Julie

EWB

I tend to throw what ever i have in the house into my juicer--really like the veggie taste.  Some people like to put in an apple or some grapes to soften the veggie taste.

Elaine 

roxy42

Hi I put brocolie coliflowers apple carrot celery and it taste good....godbless roxy

lexislove

I bought myself a juicer about 6 months ago. I try to use it evryday to get in the recommended daily fruit / vegtable intake. I have a recipe book also but have not really used it..lol. My usual combo is beet, celery, carrot, apple, lemon and ginger. It makes about 2 cups of juice.

vivre

Lexis, I have never eaten beets before but I just bought one. Do you juice it raw or cooked?

lexislove

I juice everything raw ( uncooked). Vivre, when you cook vegtables the immediatly start to loose their nutrient value. Thats why it is best to consume raw. When it comes to cooking veggies, I rarely boil. I prefer to bake. One of my favorites is cauliflower, chick peas, brussel sprouts sprinkled with olive oil and tumeric with sea salt. Delicious!

StaceyR

I found a great recipe for a decent green juice in a book I bought called "the raw food detox diet".  She uses this as a foundation and encourages it as a morning drink.  The addition of lemon and fresh ginger really make is easier to swallow.

Green Lemonade

1 head of celery or romaine lettuce (I sometimes use kale or cucumber)

1 whole lemon (unpeeled) (I only use half)

an inch or two of fresh ginger

2-3 apples

EWB

great book!

1Cathi

I like (love) to ad fresh ginger, I tend to do quite a lot of it, I like it, but you might want to start with a smaller piece, also try buying it at a fruit/veretable stand, much less expensive than the market. 

RE-Beets, I absolutely would /did never eat a beet in my life, I do juice them now (raw) they are quite good.

I have a book called "Juicing For Life" lots of good ideas, but it is just kinda trial and error, use what you like, its all good for you. One of my favorites is

5-6 Carrots

1 Apple

1/2 raw beet

Ginger to taste.

pod1257

Thanks ladies

Will try these recipes. Have been experimenting with tomato, cucumber and grapefruit as a juice base and then adding other things. I have tried gingeroot and a little apple to sweeten the veg juices. Never thought about beets! - Here I am at 51 and have never tried one.

Julie

1Cathi

Julie - I had never let a beet touch my lips until BC,  it is kind of funny when I go to the grocery to buy them if the cashier is quite young -they have no clue what they are, I told  a young girl one day they were beets -she said "yuck - you eat those" I said NO "I drink them" thought she would die. 

A good juicer is key - I had a quite inexpensive one to start,  extremely hard to clean and did not do a good job in any aspect,  I have a Breville now - it is fantastic -

lexislove

Here's a recipe I tried yesterday. Very refreshing

Juicer Ginger Ale

1 inch piece ginger

1/2 cantaloupe (peeled)

1/2 pint strawberries

1 orange peeled

Juice all ingredients, then add 1 cup sparkling water / mineral water.Mix well

EWB

Beets are wonderful!  Grapes are also good to lightening up "green" juices, only need a couple to notice.

Estepp

You know.. I have a smoothie every morning... this gives me 3 servings of fruit and about 200Cal.

I use banana... frozen strawberries.... 1 cup rice milk..... 1/2 water.. 5 ice cubes... blender.

YUMMY!!  2 Full glasses..

But I never have juiced my veggies... I eat 5-9 servings of veggies a day... is juicing them better \\\\\\\\\\\\for us. Usually I eat raw... or steamed... or baked...

I would be willing to try juicing if it were better for me.....

Laura

EWB

Juicing is different, you do lose the fiber so you don't want consume only juiced veggies. On the other hand, juicing makes it easier you body to absorb more quickly all the good stuff.

Anonymous

But you can but some of your veggies in the blender .. I have a Vita-Mix, the kind that they use at bars and Jamba Juice ... it is the same one, I checked behind the counter.  Your veggies will then keep all the fiber.  You may have to use more water but I even make soup in my Vita Mix, it will even heat it up!!

Estepp

so you are saying juicing is better than eating raw?

1Cathi

Hi Estepp, I am not certian that juicing is "better" than raw,  for me juicing was the only way I was going to get enough veggies in my diet, I am not a big veggie eater (green salad and corn - before BC), I really like the juice combos now and I get my daily requirements and more this was, like said you do loose some fiber with juicing so in that aspect raw is better.  Of coarse everything goes into the juicer raw - cooking anything just defeats the purpose, and nothing canned/processed - fresh all the way.

cp418

Does anyone supplement with the Green supplemental powders?

http://www.amazinggrass.com/green-superfood.html

EWB

Rock- just got a Vitamix- is it easy to use?  I am excited about making soups in it- reading the book to figure it all out.

findacure

OMG!  I just got my Vitamix two weeks ago and I love it!  I've been making green smoothies regularly.  I used to use my Breville Elite Juicer but found that I wanted more fiber in my diet, hence, the Vitamix was the answer and is the best investment in the kitchen that I've made.  Seriously, I even got my husband to drink some of that green stuff as he doesn't eat anything green......give him a green smoothie, and it's gone before my eyes!

I also have the Raw Detox Diet book and have been enjoyed the recipes. 

Have fun with your Vitamix!

EWB

Do you use recipes in book that came with it? I too have been using juicer but really want more fiber--I just bought the Raw Food Detox Diet book, thought that might give me ideas too. 

1Cathi

You can add Benefiber to your juices, it does not alter the taste, it does not thicken up or get lumpy, and can be purchased anywhere.

Estepp

So ladies... you are ALL so smart on this subject.... I applaud you!

If I were to buy a juicer and try this.. ( I would add the Benefiber type stuff Cathi speaks of).. could I get my 9 servings of veggies in one large glass a day?

This might be a GREAT way to MAKE dh get the 9 I shoot for.. he gets 1-2... grrrrrrrrrr

1Cathi

Hi Estepp,

Yes I ad the Benefiber to the juice just before drinking, stir it up good, it desolves very well and as I mentioned no taste or clumping. You could get your 9 servings in one juice if you put in enough stuff, I drink at least twice a day (AM and around lunch time) I find for myself that the lunch one, gives me a great pick up for the afternoon. 

Idealy you should drink the juice as soon as it is made, however when I was working out in the real world I did make 2 servings in the AM and cold pack one for lunch later in the day.

I have come to learn juicing is all a matter of taste, trial and error,  but the book that I have "Juicing for Life" is pretty intresting,  and by the way, some of the veggie juices make a great soup stock. 

If you throw an apple or a slice of ginger into almost any juice it makes it just that much more tasty. Beets, carrots and cabbage are key veggies.  Cabbage (believe it or not) is awesome with digestive issues as well.

HAPPY JUICING.

kar41287

My mom and I combine our fruit and vegatables together. Oh, don't use more than one celery stalk.  It is too strong.  You can always add 1 table spoon of natural honey.  It also helps to have about 1/5 of your juice be water, to help with texture and hydration.  Since, juice requires more digestion, you need to drink water to help with hydration.

Oranges, peaches, and grapes are great ways to sweeten vegetable juices.

For added protien and fiber, you can add organic flaxseed.

Keep it up!  Juicing will really make you feel better and help with any health issues.

Estepp

Thanks  Cathi and Krista...

~off subject warning~       

Cathi... how are you feeling sweety???

1Cathi

Laura,

Thank you for asking, I am feeling tons better, my GP said I don't need the 02 anymore, I see the specialist next week for follow-up, I am really hoping/praying that I won't have to do any meds/steroids for the lung issues.   Darned old rad's

Estepp

Cathi.... that is why I decided just TODAY NOT to do rads. My mother ( 65) did rads two year ago.. she is now on full time oxygen. ( this will NOT be you).. she had been a smoker too in her youth... Rads would have given me a 3-5% better chance at not getting a recurrence.. NOT worth the rads issue to me.

Gods Speed Lady.... Pray for 100% recovery!

EWB

Cathi- so glad to hear you are feeling better!

marshakb

My friend recently loaned me her juicer.  So far I haven't ventured past carrot/apple/pineapple combo.  I do love the taste.  I wasn't aware though juice is harder to digest??    Also I am very limited in my movement (broken  femur with a rod I am still healing from) so hubby has juiced for me making a pitcher full at a time.  Does it lose some nutrients or something making it ahead of time and keeping it in the fridge?

Thanks for listing different combos.  I don't get the servings of fruit/veggies by what I eat.  So any "recipes" are helpful.  I'm a little put off by food right now so it absolutely has to taste good for me to be able to get it down.  Marsha