When it comes to juicing and weight loss it can be both easy and difficult at the same time for someone who is new to the whole juicing concept. One thing that can make it difficult for people thinking about it, is when the word “diet” is used at the same time as juicing. So, in this article we’ll try to stay away from that dreaded word and just talk about things that will help make it easier for you to understand juicing and making your own juices.
Pick a Juicer
When it comes to juicing and making your own juices you really need to make sure that you have good juicer to use for making juices. A good juice and juicer can be key for your weight loss goals so it’s important to have a good reliable juicer.
There all types of juicer models out there and it can be difficult to find just the right one for your personal needs. So we hope to help you with that by giving you the pros and cons of the two main types of juicers.
Centrifugal Juicers
This type of juicer is the least expensive and if you’re on a budget this might be the way you’ll need to go. This type of juicer starts at about $75. This type of juicer is one that feeds the fruits and veggies through a spinning blade.
Pros
• Best value for the money
• Extremely fast, juices in just 60 seconds
• Works great with most veggies and fruits
• Very lightweight
• Some of its parts can be washed in dishwasher
Cons
• Doesn’t work as well with leafy greens
• Operation is loud
Masticating Juicers
These are the more expensive types of juicers and can start at $300 in price. This type of juicer chews up the fruits and veggies with one or two augers.
Pros
• The best at dealing with leafy greens
• Produces a drier pulp
• Very quiet operation
• Can also make nut milk and ice cream
Cons
• Very slow, can take up to five minutes to juice
• Need to cut up fruits and veggies in smaller pieces so they don’t clog the machine
• Pretty expensive
If you want speed, and great tasting juices at a lower price then our recommendation would be the centrifugal juicer.
Make a Grocery List
Once you have a juicer, you’re going to want items that you can make into juice. It’s always a good idea that you make a list of all the items you need for any recipe before you go to the store. You really should already know what you need and how much so that you get the right things and don’t waste any time that you could be using for something else.
Save Yourself Time
A good idea for making juices is to prep all your fruits and veggies the night before if you want to wake up to a morning juice. This means wash all the items you are going to use and then store them in an airtight container overnight in your fridge. This way all you need is ready to go first thing in the morning.
Tips on Making Your Juice
Here are a few common tips to consider when you make your own fresh juice:
• Make sure the fruits and veggies are washed good to get rid of any chemical residue or bacteria there might be on them. This may not seem all that vital but it really is probably one of the most important steps to take when making fresh juice.
• If your juicer happens to have a pulp basket, it’s a good idea to line that basket with a plastic bag because this will make clean-up much easier.
• Before you juice, make sure to cut or tear your produce before fitting it through the juicer. Make sure to cut any produce that is too large to fit through the juicer whole. However, once you begin to cut your vegetables they do start to lose some of their nutrients so it’s important that you wait to cut them just prior to putting them into your juicer.
• If the juicer you have has more than a single speed, remember to down shift from the high to the low when using softer fruits. Most of the juicers on the market will come with a chart that will guide you on the speeds and how to use them. On average, the harder produce like apples or beets will be put on high and softer ones like spinach and bananas would be set on low.
• After the produce has gone through the juicer, see if the pulp is still wet. If it is, take the pulp and put it back through the juicer, this will help you to get as much juice as you can from your produce.
• The best thing you can do once the juice is finished is to drink it right then and there because it’s best when it’s extremely fresh. Once all of the produce is juiced it starts losing its nutritional value immediately. However, if you have made more than you can drink at one time, you can store the juice up to two days if you store it properly. Remember, there are no preservatives in homemade juice, so it will spoil quickly.
Storing Juice
Since fresh juice can go bad quickly here are a few tips on storing extra juice:
• Make sure to store your juice in the fridge. You should not leave it there for more than 72 hours because after that it more than likely will be spoiled. If you are traveling with your juice make sure it’s kept on ice.
• Put the juice in an airtight container when you store it. For best results the container should be glass.
• Make sure to fill the container to the top with your juice. This will help to prevent oxygen from getting in and depleting the nutrients in the juice.
• Another option for extra juice is to freeze it. If you do decide to freeze it, you need to thaw it in the refrigerator when you are ready to drink it. You should drink the frozen juice within a 7 to 10 day time period.
We hope this will help you with your juicing experience.