Should I buy a juicer?

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Shayne
Shayne Member Posts: 1,500

Been reading a lot about diets to prevent cancer coming back - Raw diets mainly.  

But have heard different opinions on the good and bad of juicing.  

 Would love to hear opinions and also book recommendations.  Id like to do a combo of raw and healthy - baby steps - its all a little overwhelming for me at this stage - but looking ahead.......

thx 

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Comments

  • sweetbean
    sweetbean Member Posts: 1,931
    edited May 2012

    I love juicing, but I wouldn't juice to cure my cancer.  However, I like to have a big green juice (with some apple and lemon to cut the green taste) daily - it's a great way to get a lot of nutrients.

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    Not using to cure my cancer......just to help with avoiding recurrence.....

  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited May 2012

    LOVE my VitaMix blender. That thing could pulverize a cinder block.

    The benefit of that, over a juicer, is that you get the whole fruit or vegetable included in the juice, retaining all the fiber that gets tossed out when using a juicer.

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    funny - i posted this question on facebook - and all my friends said get the Vitamix!!  hilarious!

    I saw a Champion juicer on craigslist for super cheap and almost new condish - so i was a little tempted.... 

  • ej01
    ej01 Member Posts: 155
    edited May 2012

    I have had a juicer for many years (mr Juiceman Jr.).   I rarely use it.  I was always amazed by how little juice I got out of the juicer and how much of the food is 'waste'.  I know that you can do something with the waste, i just never really found a good use for it.   A lot of that waste is fiber and nutrients that your body needs.   If i was going to get something new I would get a super powerful blender so I would have more fiber and less waste. 

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    a friend of mine who eats mainly raw and juices......makes veggie crackers out of the pulp!  incredible! and eatable!

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2012
    I agree with Blessings Shayne, VitaMix is the best.  Juicing goes right to your blood.  The sugar spike is not slowed down by fiber, unless you juice only veges, in which case it's not as tasteful. Juiced carrots will give you a major sugar spike, as well as beets, etc.  VitaMix gives us the best of both worlds, precious fiber is what absorbs discarded estrogen in the colon, otherwise it's reabsorbed.  More expansive, but then you can make your own nut butters, ready warm soup, mix batter for homemade pastries, etc. etc. yum Wink
  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    yep - think im sold - getting lots of great comments on facebook as well - and reading other raw cookbooks that use it instead of juicer.......

    my  15yo Kitchen Aid blender will be sad......

    what model do you guys recommend?  It will probably be just me using it..... 

  • Jomama2
    Jomama2 Member Posts: 96
    edited May 2012

    Gotta join the VitaMix fan club!  I bought it when it was a Today's Special Value on QVC.  I blame this monetary extravagance on post-surgery pain meds!  I have made peanut butter, almond butter, pesto, marinara sauce, hummus, salad dressing, and some pretty disguisting green slop ! I bought some hemp protein and have made one smoothie...will try it again if I can get a recipe that looks like it might actually be drinkable.  The advantage of this blender is it's amazing horsepower which will allow you to get all the fiber in fruits & veggies.

  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited May 2012

    If you're like me and eating healthy all the time is difficult, I highly recommend one. I can drink it easier than I can eat it. I just have a 100 dollar Hamilton Beach, everything is dishwasher safe, easy to clean. You only get the juice, which is how I like it. The stringy, fibrous stuff stays behind, which I always sneak into the rest of my cooking so nobody knows it's there. I'm a texture person, so when I tried drinking the macerated juice, I got grossed out by all the fiberous, pulpy material in my drink.

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    thats what Im afraid of too Gracie1!  

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2012

    Shayne, I got mine through Costco at a lower price.  I know the co. sells recycled ones for a much lower price and you can attend a demo - that will sell you  Lol

    http://vitamix.com/household/shows/ 

    No worry, the Vitamix liquifies everything including skin, i.e. watermelon, and pulp. You do need to add a little bit of water to obtain the consistancy you want.  Check out the recipes on the site, yum Wink

  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited May 2012

    I first heard about the VitaMix here on BCO, and was waiting til there was a demo at Costco.

    One day, there it was.

    I dragged DH over and said "We need to listen to this."

    Several delicious juice drinks, sorbets made from tomato, cabbage, veggies, and frozen condensed unsweetened apple cider concentrate, and  taco soups later, we were convinced. I mean, the guy just took all this raw stuff and threw it in the blender. The speed of the motor is SO fast everything is absolutely liquified. All the skin, seeds, pulp, etc, are liquified. It was amazing. If you want it chunkier, slow the speed down.

    DH uses it to make his fruit smoothies, I've made some amazing "cream" veggie soups without a drop of cream, and now I use it for my Optifast shakes. Instead of an 8 oz lumpy, semi blended drink, I use extra water and ice and get a 32 oz. creamy, icy milkshake.

    They're not cheap. So I highly recommend finding a Costco demo near you, so you can see for yourself what the possibilities are.

  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited May 2012

    I need some convincing that the skin is clean, even from organic farms. 'Course I tend to get a little nuts about what's in my food. I'm the kind of person who washes everything in baking soda and then, even after washing, peels it just to make sure. I know the organic food around here does use a "natural" pesticide...can't remember exactly what, but crysanthemum spray seems to ring a bell. Anybody know if the skin is indeed "safe"? If so, I might have to re-think getting a VitaMix, if it's that good at pulverizing. Thanks for starting this thread Shayne. I hope to learn a lot.

    ETA: Are the parts of the VitaMix dishwasher safe? I refuse to do dishes.

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    QVC website has it for $100 cheaper.......

  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited May 2012
    Nothing to do with the conversation, but, the more I hear about this VitaMix blender, the more I can't help but think about those "Will It Blend" videos.Surprised  Have you seen them? Blending cell phones, tools etc. They're fascinating. Wonder if they use this one.
  • Del11
    Del11 Member Posts: 944
    edited May 2012

    The Vitamix sort of washes itself. I don't think they recommend dishwashers but you don't have to anyway. Just put a drop of soap and warm water in and turn it on high. Most of the time, though, I just rinse with warm water and it comes clean.  Air dry.

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    ill have to look for the videos - have never seen them.....

     im getting excited about new diet plan!  Just feel like its something I have control over in this whole cancer thing.  I was vegetarian for a lotta years.....so not a huge change, but it will be different in that im going to limit or eliminate dairy and sugar and processed foods.  Thatll be new and an adjustment for sure......baby steps 

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2012
    Shayne, baby steps, those are very wise words Wink You're going in for your lumpectomy on Friday, good luck sister, my thoughts will be with you and I know you'll come out just fine. 
  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    Thx Maud!  Ill be thinking of you ladies...... say a little prayer for me - clean margins!

  • fredntan
    fredntan Member Posts: 1,821
    edited May 2012

    I love my vitamixer. Use it many times day. Got it during chemo.



    I got mine at costco. Came with like three of the blending things(one for making grain into flour, and large and smaller container. Also came with a awesome knife.



    My sister has blendtec and that one s great too. Think it may be cheaper

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited May 2012
    Shayne, prayers for clean margins sent presto to person in charge Wink
  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012
  • leggo
    leggo Member Posts: 3,293
    edited May 2012

    Good luck with the lumpectomy, Shayne....and good for you for taking these baby steps.

    Was checking out the VitaMix yesterday and was turned off by the cost. Too rich for my blood. Looks like I'll be sticking with my cheap juicer. Better than nothing, I suppose. For the most part I'm just using it to juice vegetables I hate to eat and wheat grass anyway.

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited May 2012

    it was a super easy procedure.... took a xanax and floated thru the whole thing with a big smile.  No pain.

    Saturday felt super good......today feel like a truck hit me......  so just lying on the couch watching movies.....

    scar is very small.....feel lucky......want to get on with it......

  • Shayne
    Shayne Member Posts: 1,500
    edited June 2012

    Got my Vitamix at Costco demo!!  YAY!  In the midst of rads treatment, which ends tomorrow!  Cant wait to go the the farmers market and load up on greens!

    Anyone have some good green smoothie recipe books/sites????? 

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited June 2012

    Shayne !!  so glad to see you back little sister !! (((((Hugs)))))   So glad to hear that your lumpec went well and that you got your Vitamix, youououo

    Here's a few to get you started, chin chin Wink

    http://livelighter.org/detox-drink-recipes/

    http://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/type/green_smoothies/

    Mean Green Juice (original) this is the official recipe used by Joe Cross and Phil Staples according to the Reboot Program

    6 Kale Leaves
    1 Cucumber
    4 Celery Stalks
    2 Green Apples
    1/2 Lemon
    1 piece of ginger

    Mean Green Juice #2
    handful spinach
    3 stalks of kale
    2 golden delicious apples
    small handful parsley
    1 lemon
    1 cucumber

    Mean Green Juice #3
    2 stalks celery
    1/2 cucumber
    1/2 apple
    1/2 lemon
    small piece ginger
    1/2 green chard leaf
    bunch cilantro
    5 kale leaves
    handful spinach

    Mean Green Juice #4
    1/2 pear
    1/2 green apple
    handful spinach
    handful parsley
    2 celery stalks
    1/2 cucumber
    small piece ginger
    slice of papaya

    http://www.smoothie-handbook.com/green-smoothie.html

  • Blessings2011
    Blessings2011 Member Posts: 4,276
    edited June 2012

    After a particularly odiferous incident.... 

     If it makes you feel any better, Thursday is no longer cruciferous vegetable night.

    ~ Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

  • Husband11
    Husband11 Member Posts: 2,264
    edited June 2012

    I have to vote in favor of the professional type blender (vitamix or bendtec).  We have a Juiceman and rarely use it.  Too much work to clean.  Bought my wife a Blendtec for Christmas this year and it gets used several times a day.  Breakfast smoothies with fruit and veggies, soups made from cauliflower, squash, carrots and tomato.  Easy to clean, and you get the whole fruit or veggie, so nothing goes to waste and it fills you up.  Makes stuff hot or cold, and dips and sauces to make eating veggies more enjoyable without a lot of added calories from commercial dips.

  • Heidihill
    Heidihill Member Posts: 5,476
    edited June 2012

    Less work is more for me too. I no longer use the juicer nor the blender. I use a heavy-duty hand-held mixer from Bamix. If you don't like the bits and pieces, you can strain the mush. I love tasting the rough fiber though.

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