Juicing Your Way Better Health

The dietary guidelines for Americans recommends consuming between 5 and 13 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. There's no denying the fact that fruit and vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet, offering beneficial vitamins and nutrients to promote better health. Unfortunately, most people short of the dietary guidelines, placing themselves at a greater risk of disease and illness. If this sounds familiar, perhaps you should invest in a juicer.

What is Juicing?

Juicing involves the use of a special machine (known as a juicer) to extract the liquid juice from fruits, vegetables and/or other foods. It differs from blending in the sense that the fibrous material is removed with juicing, leaving only the drinkable juice behind.

The 80-20 Rule

When preparing your juices, it's recommended that you follow the 80-20 rule. This means your juiced beverages should consist of 80% greens and 20% fruit. There's nothing wrong with adding fruit. On the contrary, it's a great way to sweeten your juiced beverages without relying on table sugar. However, you should keep the fruit to a minimum, while focusing primarily on green vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, romaine lettuce and celery.

Other vegetables to consider juicing include beets, sweet potatoes, carrots and swiss chard.

Make in Bulk

Juicing requires a fair amount of work, which is one of the reasons why some people rarely (if ever) juice. You can ease this process, however, by juicing fruits and vegetables in bulk. Instead of juicing a single serving, perhaps you can juice half a dozen servings. Decide exactly what types of fruits and vegetables you want to juice, and then measure out the appropriate amount for six servings. After preparing it, pour you a glass and store the remaining juice in the refrigerator.

Wash Produce

Even if a piece of fruit or vegetable “looks” clean, it may harbor pesticides, growth hormones or other potentially harmful chemicals. Before juicing, wash your fruits and vegetables in the sink to thoroughly clean them,

Don't Forget the Fiber