The juicing craze! After all of the hype and strict regimens of the raw and juiced diet fads, the whole idea may leave a bad taste in your mouth. But you do not have to learn how to cover up the taste of juiced beets or start watching infomercials with Jack LaLanne revving up his “Juice Tiger.” There is an easy, and yes, tasty way to drink your vitamins and boost your intake of the good stuff.

For starters, you may be wondering why juiced foods are so fantastic to begin with. Simply put, it’s because they are living, unprocessed foods that enter your body in their purest form, with their vitamins and nutrients intact. When you drink a glass of fruit juice from the bottle, you are most likely getting additives and additional sugar to enhance the flavor and appeal. The problem here is that you could have downed a soda if you wanted empty calories, and all for a fraction of the nutrients you could have received if you stuck to au-natural. So great. Now you know you can toss your fruits and veggies into a blender and delicious, nutritious nectar will appear, solving all of your ache and pains, as well as restoring your body to age 21 perfection. Not quite. The concoction you get might taste a bit more like a punishment than a treat. But comparing the thick, amateur juice of a novice to the real deal is like comparing apples to oranges. In order to get into your body, it’s got to taste good. So how do we get from bravery to savory?

First of all, start with what you know. What fruits do you like? Bananas make a fantastic “base” fruit, and your body will thank you for the potassium, not to mention the gram of protein and three grams of fiber. Bananas also tend to help neutralize the tartness of some fruits, so it can be a nice place to start. Not bananas over bananas? No problem! After a few tries at the old blender, you’ll figure out which fruit combination you like best. But what about veggies? How do we make that taste good? Well, right off the bat you will want a fairly decent juicer. Introducing veggies into your juice regimen is going to require a bit more “juice” than a typical blender can pack. But even when you’re armed with the right equipment, certain vegetables need some help from that spoonful of something to help the medicine go down. Your sweeter fruits and vegetables (pineapple, carrots, etc.) can also be used as a moderator to help tone down the all too unpleasant overpowering vegetable taste. Tomato and celery with a pinch of lemon juice makes a great foundation juice, as most people tend to like this health conscious knock off of a Bloody Mary. From here you can add cucumber, spices, carrots, or even a bit of apple juice.

Ok. So you have read this blog, dusted off your juicer (or purchased one), made a resolution, and now you are standing in the produce aisle at Grocer’s Gala and have not a clue what to buy, or why you even wanted to try this in the first place. Before you resign and head over to aisle five to pick up a jug of V8, hear me out. Grab a piece of paper and quickly jot down some health issues that you have that you want to resolve. Next, log on to the internet and do a quick Google search to learn which vitamins serve as an anecdote to your problem. As an example, if you suffer from fatigue than you may be lacking vitamins B12 and B6. Mangos and Kiwi’s have each of these B’s, so get them on your list. Is the common cold a little too common for your comfort level? Well than I am sure you are aware that vitamin C is key. Stock up on your friends in the citrus family. Have you noticed that you are squinting at the menu at your local fast food joint? Than stop eating burgers and fries and pick up some carrots! Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene, which morphs into vitamin A, which gets an A+ when it comes to your eyes. Have allergies? Try Mandarin Tangerines. Upset stomach? Pick up some pectin and grab some grapefruit. You may have to search a bit, but some Noni juice added to your blend can act quite like serotonin on your brain, and some believe it can relieve headaches. Aloe and cabbage have been rumored to do the same, and as you experiment you will find what works best for you.

So you have the idea. Now you have your fruits and veggies at home and you are ready to juice! As you are playing scientist and experimenting, remember to balance your sweets with your not-so-sweets and see what you can get. If you do not mind wandering off the beaten path every now and again, start trying fun additions like cinnamon, maple syrup, parsnip, or other spices. Juicers note: The natural sugar in fruit will raise insulin levels, so keep this in mind when you head into juicing mode. Too much of the sweet stuff can upset your blood sugar levels, causing you to feel hungry too soon. No worries, though. Soon you will have your “recipes” down, just keep experimenting and tasting.

One final note. “Smoothies,” although not as healthful as the juices we discussed above, can be an excellent alternative to typical desserts laden with fat and excess sugar. Dessert smoothies can end up containing a lot of calories, but watching your portion size can be the perfect way to treat your sweet tooth without trying to trick your diet. One of my special blends uses chocolate soymilk as a base. I then add a banana and a few tablespoons of organic, vanilla yogurt. Divide in two glasses and you and the person lucky enough to be dining with you are in for a “milkshake” that won’t leave you with a twist of guilt.

So go forth and juice! Your mind and body will thank you.

I certainly believe if you start a habit early on in childhood, it will stick with you and make it even harder to stop.  As a child, we only drank soda on special occasions.  Today, I drink no carbonated beverage.  I never gave my own daughter soda and to this day, she does not drink it.  She does drink a lot of water and in her second year of college, probably drinks too much ice tea.  When she began drinking from a sippy cup I had to start watering down her juice when her teeth started to stain from her consumption of apple juice.  Organic or not, it stained her teeth.  When given the option of ice tea or soda, I guess I’d prefer the ice tea.  It’s all about moderation.  You hear that all the time. 

The website, publichealthadvocacy.org, states this….”Scientific evidence consistently supports the conclusion that drinking soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages increases a person’s risk of being overweight or obese. As a result, reducing the amount of sugar-sweetened beverages people drink is an important strategy to reverse the obesity epidemic in California and across the country.”   The United States is the largest soda consumer, drinking 13.15 billion gallons of carbonated drinks every year.  Drinking carbonated beverages, adolescents not only face obesity, but also are at risk for bone fractures higher than those who don’t, reduced bone mass and decreased calcium levels in the blood.  The sugar and the acid in these drinks will also dissolve tooth enamel. 

Soda, especially colas, contain caffeine and phosphoric acid.  This has a direct effect on bone mineral density.  Bone mineral density is reduced in osteoporosis.  What causes osteoporosis?  A reduction in the protein and mineral matrix of the bone.  This will cause an increase in the risk of fracture and can be easily prevented with diet and lifestyle changes.  There have been many studies of school age children (girls especially), that have concluded soda drinking was associated with decreased levels of blood calcium and increased urinary calcium, which could cause osteoporosis later in life.  These studies have also found high bone fractures in cola consuming high school girls.

Soda consumption by children and adults is one of the most harmful habits we have.  Soda is filled with empty calories.  Diet soda is not any better.  It is filled with artificial sweeteners which are more dangerous and can also lead to weight gain.  As a parent, you are role models for your kids, for their eating habits and their social skills.  According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), out of over 100 soft drinks  and beverages analyzed by the government, five contained levels of benzene.  Benzene is a cancer-causing chemical linked to leukemia. 

Researchers from UCLA Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy “discovered a strong correlation between soda consumption and weight.  Based upon data from more than 40,000 interviews conducted……researchers found that adults who drink a soda or more per day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight than those who do not drink sodas…”  As our physical activity remained the same, our intake of calories increased.  More than 43 percent of the new calories were from soda consumption.  Children are at a more alarming risk of obesity and diabetes with their soda consumption.  Soda is inexpensive, easy to obtain and children and teens are targeted in advertising.  One soda a day is too much for your child.  This drink is filling our kid’s bodies with empty calories and “filling” them up so there is no room for healthy food. 

Type 2 diabetes has also increased during the last 20 years.  Besides increasing obesity in children, the increase in obesity in adults, may also increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  This risk is greater in women.  Sugar-sweetened beverages provide excessive calories and large amounts of absorbable sugars.  Soda is empty calories.  

Water will quench your thirst much better than soda.  Water will remove toxins from the body and will aid in digestion and curb your appetite.  Eat fruits and high water content veggies and dilute your fruit drinks.  Begin a juicing routine. 

Drink healthy.

I know…it’s hard to talk about, but it’s actually one of my favorite subjects.  Poop and the inability to poop.  Let’s face it guys, EVERYONE POOPS!  Whether it’s infrequent or difficult to pass, in order for your body to eliminate waste materials (that which it does not need), you must have a regular bowel movement.  One to three bowel movements a day is normal.  If that is just not happening for you….then let’s talk about getting things moving and why they don’t move.

Food sitting too long in the stomach and moving too slowly through the large bowel are the common causes of constipation.  I was never regular until I started the raw lifestyle.  This diet will flush a lot through.  Though I have heard of many people who are on the raw food diet and still do not have daily bowel movement.  We’ll talk about that later on.  “It is important that the bowels move on a daily basis.  The body normally excretes waste in eighteen to twenty-four hours.  Harmful toxins can form after this period.”  Prescription For Nutritional Healing .  Are you chewing your food thoroughly?  Is it liquid when you swallow?  Are you taking your time eating?  If you are sending large hunks of food into your stomach, it will sit there too long.  Undigested food hanging around the stomach will collect and give off bacteria.  This bacteria poops too!  And it will feed the bad cells in your body.  I’m pretty sure I don’t want that.  How about you?  It is my intention as I eat, for the food to be digested, assimilated and eliminated.  No hanging around in there.  Are you lacking foods rich in fiber?  Are there not enough liquids in your diet?  I’m not talking about soda and coffee.  I’m talking about fresh juices, fresh veggies, and GREENS!  Liquefying these greens, fruits and veggies allows the body to absorb more quickly the much needed nutrients and vitamins.  That will send what’s not needed by your body into your colon for immediate release.  Now departing…..yesterday’s breakfast, lunch and dinner….track four. 

What can you do if you are doing all these things and you still don’t have regular bowel movements?  Regularity also means time of day.  Once I went high raw, my bathroom time turned into a routine.  Same time of the day every day.  Set a time aside every day to make regular undisturbed visits to the bathroom.  Delaying nature’s signal will produce hard, dry stools and will train the bowel to malfunction.  So get moving.  Literally.   A Yoga twist before eating, brisk walking or bicycle riding will massage the bowels allowing for a smooth movement.   Emotional stress can also cause constipation.  Stress?   Who has that?  Are you kidding me?  Increasing your daily fiber and liquids can prevent or correct constipation.  But it’s a daily thing guys. Not just once a week.  Try prunes, apples, carrots or bran.  Better yet….juice your veggies and fruits.   Fresh apple juice, cucumber, or a green smoothie.   Herbal tea can also send your waste packing.  Stay away from dairy, white flour and sugar.  Fasting is also something you could try.  Allowing the body a rest in the digestion process for one day, then breaking your fast with fresh juice.

Here are some supplements for you to try if all else fails.  Start a daily shot of wheatgrass juice.  Aloe vera juice….1/2 cup twice a day will aid in forming soft stools.  Vitamin B, vitamin A, Acidophilus, Vitamin C and Psyllium, all great for relieving constipation.   Figs, cooked in milk.  Drink the liquid and eat the figs.  Add a little honey and lemon juice for a smoother effect.  Massaging the center of the palm on each hand or the bottom of each foot from the base of the middle toe to the heel.

Let’s see what Louis Hay, author of Heal Your Body, says about constipation for those of you still not able to find release:  Refusing to release old ideas. Stuck in the past. Sometimes stinginess.  Mantras: As I release the past, the new and fresh and vital enter.  I allow life to flow through me.

What do you say?  Get out and get moving.  It’s all about the poop. 

If your bowel movements are once a week or less, please visit your physician to rule out any other dis-ease in your body.  The information written here should not take the place of your primary care doctor.

Last night I made my first ice cream of the season.  The temps here in Vermont are in the 30’s and that means one thing to me…Spring is coming!  Ok, I’m stretching that a bit, but you have to when you’ve lived through over 20 Vermont winters.  Here’s what I made and then we’ll talk more about the Champion Juicer.

Raw Maple Walnut Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas, 1/2 cup soaked walnuts(about an hour), 1/4 cup maple syrup.  Put all through the Champion using the blank screen.  It will come out like a cremee.  If you want harder ice cream, put in the freezer.

Other options for the above…….soaked raisins, vanilla or a dash of peppermint.  What is so interesting about this is the amount of ice cream that comes out of just 2 bananas!  You can also put frozen strawberries, frozen raspberries or blueberries into your Champion to make sorbets or add banana to make more of a creamy ice cream.  What can be healthier than making your own dessert from healthy fruits?

Well….you can make healthy juices too!  I started my raw lifestyle with lots of fresh juices.  If I can’t get organic fruit or veggies, I peel or clean them very well.  Carrot, cranberry and grape, apple, mango and ginger, celery, cucumber, orange.  I was intimidated at first.  It had all these parts!  But once I got the hang of it, it was actually very quick and easy to put together, juice, and clean.  I use a dish brush to clean the teeth of the juicer.  And I make enough juice and store it for later in the day. 

I like to leave my Champion Juicer on the counter top.  It reminds me to juice more.  I always have frozen fruit in the freezer.  So when I have nothing in the fridge or in the fresh fruit basket, I can always make ice cream!

I do believe those children, not to mention others in your house, will love the idea of ice cream tonight.  And you’ll love the fact that it’s healthy ice cream.  Tonight I wish you something cold and fresh for your taste buds.  Summer is almost here. 

Donna Bergonzi-Boyle

Well, it won’t fix your car, bring you love, or raise your kids but it might make all those things easier.  Two glasses of fresh fruit and vegetable juice a day to maintain your health and at least four a day to speed the body’s healing and recovery from illness, making a regular habit of juicing and blending can literally change your life.  Yes, I realize I’m going into infomercial sounding copy (always a peril when you write for a retailer) and for the bulk of this community might be common knowledge but this is important for anyone interested in healthy living.  Not to mention it’s high time I write an article on the benefits of juicing overall.

Raw fruits and vegetables are probably the best source of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cancer fighting phytochemicals and other nutrients and because more beneficial substances continue to be found in fruits and vegetables all the time, it’s increasingly clear that you cannot substitute supplements for the real thing.  When you juice or blend from raw produce you get the whole plant including all its health promoting components in tact so it’s important to drink it when you make it.  For the newcomer to this world, essentially there are three juicing categories to become familiar with: Green Juices; Vegetable Juices and Fruit Juices.

Green juices are cleansers. They rid the body of pollutants and have and incredible rejuvenating effect because they are rich in chlorophyll which purifies the blood and builds red blood cells.  It detoxifies and heals and produces big boost of energy.  8 to 10 ounces a day is recommended using everything from alfalfa sprouts to wheatgrass (checkout our wheatgrass juicer section!)

Vegetable juice restores and builds. It removes excess body fat, boosts the immune system, removes acid wastes and balances the metabolism.  Carrot juice is the most popular not just for its taste but because it is packed with cancer fighting beta-carotene but you can benefit from just about any vegetable you can fit down the juicer spout. (Checkout a great vegetable juicer – the Omega Big Mouth Juicer)

Fruit juices are also cleansers and nourishers of the body. Filled with important nutrients including invaluable cancer fighting antioxidants you can enjoy fruit juices any time of the day.  Berries in particular have a high amount of antioxidants and so with fruits (but I’d suggest it with veggies also) blending up everything, peel, rind  and all will make for great smoothie experimentation and give you the much needed phytochemicals found only in the fiber of produce.

So now you’ve got the overall scoop.  Happy juicing!

Be well,

Juicy Josh

877MyJuicer.com