With the fall weather rolling in and the days getting a bit dreary, I felt like now would be the perfect time to start juicing. What better way to brighten my day? I have been juicing in the evenings, usually as a replacement for dinner (I eat mostly vegan meals during the day).
When I first started juicing a few weeks ago, I did not think that I would love it as much as I do. I can pretty much put any fruit or vegetable combination in my juicer and the juice comes out pretty tasty. It has been a no brainer. This is a perfect fit for me, ultra low effort in the kitchen.
With my stomach not being as full as it would be from a meal at dinner (I tend to eat late), I have slept better and felt more rested in the morning. I also stepped on the scale at the gym and noticed that I weighed 3.5 lbs lighter, a surprising benefit from my juicing.
There has been so much written about juicing lately, I thought I would ask one of the leaders in juicing today, Joe Cross about some of the top tips for juicing.
Joe shares with me, "There are lots of way to make juicing easy and fun, and insuring that you can successfully accomplish your goals!"
Joe's Top Five Tips for Juicing are:
1. Decide how much juicing you are going to do - are you adding in 1-2 juices a day, or committing to doing a juice-only diet for a period of time? If you're going to be doing juice-only for a longer period of time (more than 3 days) or if you have health conditions that you manage, speak to your doctor first.
2. Once you set that intention, pull out your calendar and choose dates that don't conflict with social, professional or family obligations. It will set you up for success. Tell your family and friends, since their support can be meaningful, and try to find an online community so you can talk to people who will keep you motivated.
3. Assemble your plan and recipes. Read them through and make a grocery list. If you're like most people, you are not accustomed to buying this many fruits and vegetables! Then set up a schedule of when you are going to do your shopping.
4. Prepare the fridge! Empty out the space you will need to store the rainbow of produce you'll be consuming.
5. Make sure you have access to a juicer, and some air-tight containers (bottled, mason jars or travel cups) that you can use to tote your juice around. If you are going to be bringing it to work, an insulated bag can also be helpful. Lay in your supply of fruits and vegetables.
These are great ideas to keep your motivation up while you juice. I will continue to try different vegetables (right now Romaine Lettuce is my favourite) in my daily juices.
Starting in October, I will be experimenting by adding a few raw meals to my daily diet. I will share with you the results as I prepare some recipes I will make from popular raw food books.
If you have questions about juicing, please ask in the comments below and I will do my best to get an expert reply.