18

Jul
2011

First Time Juicing

After a long night out at the Britney Spears concert, my friend and I were in need of some antioxidants to perk us up.
She wanted to get some fresh juice at Whole Foods. I have never tried juicer juice because I am just not a fan of regular bottled juices, so I was a little hesitant.

My friend ordered kale, beet, carrot, and lime juice. I tried hers, thought it was OK, and ordered my own.
The Benefits
I do think juicing is a great way to get in vegetable servings in the day, and help detoxify your body. When using a heavy duty juicer, you still get some of the pulp and therefore, most of the phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals. You do miss out on some of the fiber that you would get in the whole fresh fruit or vegetable.

The Taste
Since I was not used to juicing, my beverage tasted OK for the first few minutes, and then it made me want to puke. It quickly became unappealing to me. It tasted like I was drinking a forest with a hint of lime. Gross.
This is as much as I could stomach before I threw it away. I did drink a little more than what is shown because I kept adding ice to it to try to make it taste better.

What I Have Learned About Juicing

1. If you are new to juicing start with mild vegetables like cucumbers, celery, romaine, and spinach. I started with kale which is only for the experienced juicer because it is so bitter.
2. It is important to add ingredients like lemons, limes, and a small amount of fresh cranberries. These ingredients help improve the flavor. My experienced juicing friend always asks for double the amount of lime.
3. Do not include too many fruits as it can become a high calorie beverage that way.
4. You have to drink the juice as soon as it is made because it spoils quickly (has no preservatives), and will begin to lose its nutrients.
5. Most people recommend only to drink 4 to 8 ounces when first juicing. I did not know this, and was trying to down a 12 or 16 ounce beverage. No wonder my stomach felt nauseated. You have to let the body adjust.

I will probably give juicing another try (at Whole Foods). I will not be spending money on a juicer anytime soon unless I know I enjoy juicing.

More mild recipes to try:

• spinach (maybe), cucumber, celery, carrot, apple, lemon
• grapes, pineapple, wheatgrass

If anyone else has any other suggestions, let me know