it's been almost two months since i started juicing, so i thought this would be a good time to check in and see if the benefits outweigh the cost and time spent.
my main intent was to supplement mini-she's teen diet. although she has a well balanced dinner, she rarely eats (a good) breakfast, and who knows what she has for lunch at school. for myself, i wanted an overall healthy diet to go along with my training and increased physical activity.
i, personally, have no problem eating my fruits and veggies. in fact, i prefer to eat them. a huge bowl of salad is always on the dinner table, and fruits are always on hand at home. but truth is, with my typical weekday, generally eating only three meals a day, it can be difficult to get those 3-5 servings of veggies and 2-4 servings of fruit in. maybe not the veggies, but definitely the fruits.
that's where juicing works for me.
what i bought in february:
2x carrots 10lb, $7.49
3x gala apples, $8.79/$8.49/$9.99
3x organic power greens (baby kale, chard, spinach), $4.99
cucumbers, $4.49
strawberries $7.79
3x oranges, $9.79
lemons, $5.99
celery, $3.79
pears, $6.29
ginger $2.00
cost:
month total: $124.45
daily: $4.44
per person: $2.22
time:
juicing (prepping/juicing/cleaning) in the mornings added 20-30 minutes to my daily routine, depending on whether i prepped the night before.
tip: juice more veggies than fruits. juicing can be high in sugar, so use veggies as your base, then add a little fruit to sweeten. as a beginner, we added lots of fruits to mask the taste of the veggies. i slowly decreased the amount of fruit and actually began to appreciate the "taste" of the veggies.
tip: buy organic whenever possible, otherwise scrub/wash well.
tip: regular kale can taste bitter and smells horrible in my opinion. this green mix is a lot easier to drink...
great for beginners!
tip: drink your juice with a straw.
goes down easier without the smell.
tip: continue to eat your fruits and veggies for fiber.
in fact, have a piece of fruit with your morning juice!
favorite 'green' juice:
4-5 handfuls green mix
2 celery stalks
2-inch cucumber
1 apple (or pear or orange)
1/2 lemon
favorite 'orange' juice:
4-5 carrots
1 apple
1/2 orange (or 3-4 strawberries)
1/4 lemon
small piece ginger
*makes about 15 oz
below are some of the popular juicers:
top centrifugal juicers:
top masticating juicers:
(better if you juice more leafy greens)
my thoughts?
although i don't see any physical differences after a month of juicing, i feel better knowing that i'm getting my daily servings of fruits and vegetables. i have my juice in the morning on an empty stomach and do feel "clean" and energized...it certainly makes me think twice about what i put in my body the rest of the day. i believe the cost per drink is reasonable considering you'd pay $5-$7 at a juice bar. eventually, i'd like to incorporate other veggies, but i stuck to what was conveniently available (in bulk) at my local costco.
overall, i would not survive on a liquid diet. i love food too much. however, daily juicing as a complement to my meals (as opposed to a replacement) works for me. i can't afford the extra 30 minutes in the morning, so i'll have to make an effort to do more prep work the night before. i will continue to juice at this point and will make another assessment in a few more months.
if you juice, what's your favorite recipe?
if you don't juice, would you consider it?
