you are very active, you may also need to modify your juice diet to include low fat dairy or some meats. Just make sure you introduce these foods slowly and carefully, since they can interfere with the cleansing action of juice. If you're not sure how to modify your juice fast, talk to your doctor or nutritionist for professional advice. The best juice diet is the one you can sustain, after all.
Adding Juice to a Normal Diet
If you're not ready to try a juice-only fast, you can still get a lot of benefits by including juice in your normal diet. This is an especially good idea if you're tempted to skip meals or you know you have trouble consuming the amount of fresh vegetation your body needs to be healthy. Just make a glass of juice in the morning or evening and consume it instead of a meal or along with a light snack. The juice will help you avoid feeling hungry and will provide the nutrients you normally lack. It even works as a pick-me-up instead of chips or other unhealthy food in the afternoon.
Choosing a Juicer
If you're planning to make juice a major or the only component of your diet for any significant length of time, you won't be able to do your juicing by hand. A dedicated juicer provides you with better quality juice that contains more fiber and essential nutrients. It also makes it easier to produce green juices and beverages made from foods that are more difficult to juice by hand.
Because you need to be able to rely on your juicer, however, you can't just buy the first one with an appealing price tag. Dedicated juice fasters need high quality equipment to help them get the most out of nature's produce. The juicer you buy doesn't have to be extremely expensive, but it does need to be able to provide you with high quality, great-tasting juice, quickly and reliably.
Types – There are many different kinds of juicers available on the market, but some are too specialty for use during a juice diet. For instance, devices made primarily to extract citrus juices like orange or grapefruit may be handy for breakfast use, but they often fail to produce good results with vegetables and other fruits. Look for an all-purpose juicer that works with every kind of ingredient you might want to juice.
Power – Many inexpensive juicers don't have the power you need to deal with whole fruits and vegetables. If your budget is limited and you're willing to pre-chop your food before juicing, you can go with a lower-powered model. If you want more convenience and more consistent juice, choose a more powerful device.
Size – A big juicer can handle more different kinds of fruits and vegetables without pre-chopping, but it might take up a lot of cabinet or counter space in your kitchen. If you live in a small apartment or another narrow space, choose compact models.
Ease of Use – Some juicers do a good job producing drinkable juice, but have to be fully disassembled for cleaning. If you'd like to make your juice quickly and easily, pick a model that's simple to clean. If you want a feature-filled device, you may have to sacrifice some simplicity.
Budget – Decide how much you can spend before you go shopping. It's possible to get a very basic but functional juicer for as little as $30 to $50. Top of the line juicers for people who want to include fresh fruit and veggie juices in their everyday lives cost more, up to several hundred dollars. In general, it's a good idea to choose a simple model from a well-regarded brand over a complex model from an unknown manufacturer when your budget is limited.
Feature Set – If you have limited space for appliances or want to perform more functions than just juicing, models with extra features could provide more bang for your buck. You can choose juicers that will also provide coconut milk, nut butter or other healthy homemade foods, but you may have to pay more.
Traveling with Juice
It's always best to consume your juices almost as soon as you make them, but that isn't always possible. After all, it can be very difficult to operate a juicer at the office. If you know you want to engage in a juice diet but you can't juice on the spot, store your finished drinks in durable, BPA-free containers such as glass or steel bottles. Most juices will keep for a few hours at room temperature or in the fridge, but don't do well after exposure to higher heat.
Fruit-Only Juices
When you hear about juice, you probably think about fruit. That's because these sweet, liquid-filled foods are a natural choice for juicing. Some fruits can be juiced using just a knife or reamer, but others require a little more care. Your electric juicer should be able to handle all kinds of delicious fruit, however.
Choose a variety of fresh specimens in their prime, avoiding fruit that seems dry and hard or which shows brown spots or has an over-ripe scent. Because fruit juices are so high in healthy natural sugars, they can be a great energy boost, but must be used in moderation by people with diabetes or glycemic problems.
Watermelon Cooler
This chilled watermelon beverage is the perfect healthy choice for a hot day. It's based on traditional agua frescas from Mexico and South America, but omits the unhealthy sugars often associated with these drinks.
Ingredients
4 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed
10 to 12 ice cubes
3 limes
Place watermelon and ice into a powerful blender or food processor. Blend on high power until well combined. Juice the limes and add lime juice plus pulp to the watermelon mixture. Blend until slushy in texture. Pour into a tall glass and consume with a spoon or straw.
Apple Lemon Zinger
This recipe combines the sweet, crispness of fresh apples with the bright flavors of ginger and citrus. For best results, juice the apples with their skins. The result will be cloudier, but it also contains more fiber and important flavonoid compounds. Drink this beverage chilled, or warm it up for an excellent cold remedy. Avoid non-organic apples, which may have wax or pesticide residues on their skins.
Ingredients
2 fresh, sweet apples (Gala, Golden Russet, Jonagold and McIntosh work well)
1 medium lemon or lime
½ thumb-length of fresh ginger, or a piece about 1 inch square
Remove the seeds from the apples and chop if necessary. Peel the citrus fruit, setting aside the peelings for zest. Add all ingredients to your juicer or blender and process until the mixture is smooth and drinkable. If necessary, strain out the larger pieces, but this juice is best with all the fiber-rich pulp still in the mix.
Fresh Berry Medley
Berries are simple to juice and provide an extremely appealing color and flavor. They're also rich in antioxidants that have been associated with disease-fighting and anti-aging properties. Rinse your fruit carefully and choose only berries that are bright, plump and fragrant. Whenever possible, stick to locally-grown varieties that carry a lighter pesticide load and which have traveled shorter distances. They tend to be the freshest and healthiest option. You can substitute blackberries for the raspberries to produce a darker, tarter flavor.
Ingredients
2 cups blueberries
2 cups whole strawberries
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