Juicing!

For months now, I have coveted my neighbor's juicer. I watch in envy as she gulps her green glass of delicious vitamins and minerals. Some folks would say, "Gross, I'm not doing that!" But I find it to be a perfect way to get in all those servings of veggies that we need every day. Plus, it's a great afternoon snack when the munchies start around 3:00pm.
So, I ordered one, from Amazon, like everything else I get these days. The shiny Omega 8005 is not a cheap kitchen appliance, coming in around $250, but there are less expensive models out there that can do the job for you.
Why juice, you ask? (Because my husband sure did!) A typical American diet consists of numerous, if not all, processed foods - foods that are denatured, packaged with chemicals to make them shelf stable for months, if not years and the commercial farming industry grows its plants in toxic soils laced with petroleum and other chemicals.  Then there's conventional meats and poultry derived from animals growing on top of each other, being fed poisons like arsenic and given regular antibiotic shots, not to mention their feed of genetically-modified (read: pesticide-laden) corn and soy.
When fresh, natural whole foods are harvested and processed, the nutrients they contained are mostly destroyed, only to be replaced with an array of chemical preservatives, food dyes, additives, and sugar before they are packaged in boxes, cans and plastics and shipped thousands of miles away. By the time you eat said packaged "food," every last drop of vital nutrients, minerals and vitamins are depleted.

So, why juice? When you drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices, you get a product rich in vitamins, enzymes, minerals and other nutrients. The nutrients are quickly absorbed by the body and act as detoxifiers, antioxidants, anti-carcinogens, digestive aids, blood purifiers, immune stimulants and more! So, why wouldn't you juice should be the question! The whole is greater than the sum of its parts applies very well here.

At first I was unsure of what to combine. Would I like it? What ratio should I use? But, after a bit of trial and error, I discovered you could really just put in any veggie you like and combine it with some greens and get a real tasty treat. I also noticed that if you don't like the veggie in its true form, like celery for me, then you probably won't like it juiced - as I did not. After a trip to the Farmer's Market, I came home with a bag of cucumbers, organic baby spinach, celery, apples, purple cabbage, carrots and garlic. With the exception of the celery day, I've liked all my concoctions thus far. I started adding a clove of garlic for a little zing, plus it has myriad healthy properties.
Here's a couple of shots of my creations.

This one has a lot of spinach, half a cucumber and 1 carrot. It was my first. Notice I didn't make a large glass. I was a bit hesitant.



This one was made with the purple cabbage! It gave it a hint of sweetness.

 I'm by no means a juicing expert now. I just know that the healthy benefits I'm receiving from drinking fresh vegetables will help my immune system and give me lots of energy! In case you were wondering why I'm not adding any fruit, it's because of the added sugar. I'm still in weight-loss mode and need to keep my sugar grams under 20 per day. I still eat fruit, but maybe just a handful as a late day snack or after dinner as a treat. If losing weight is a goal of yours, you need to cut out the extra sweets. I'm not going to say where I am yet, but I'm still losing weight every week and that is what's fueling my fire to keep this thing going!
Till next time,
Cindy