Health
Habits
Food
Weight 
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10 Simple Ways To Eat Less Without Noticing
Juicing: Stupid and Pretentious or Nourishing and Enlightening?
10 Tasty Carbs That Won’t Make You Fat
How To Start Working Out When You Don’t Like To Exercise
Focus More on Your Brain and Less on Your Diet if You’re Serious About Losing Weight
Home Court Habits: The Secret to Effortless Weight Control
10 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight When You Think You’re Doing Everything Right
How To Burn More Calories Without Breaking A Sweat
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Foodists
6 Things To Consider Before Buying A Juicer (+ more tips for fruit & vegetable juicing)
Photo by Tawheed Manzoor
Juicing fruits and vegetables is widely considered a healthy habit, even though most nutrition experts caution against the excessive sugar and calories you get from juicing.
Although I’ve had tons of questions about it, I’ve avoided discussing juicing at Summer Tomato because I didn’t think there were enough positive things to say to warrant an entire blog post.
That is, until I got a juicer.
Two months ago a Breville juicer and blender magically appeared in my kitchen. I wasn’t particularly excited about it, but agreed to participate in the ensuing juicing experiment—for research purposes, of course. The idea was to start juicing a few mornings a week, just to see what happens.
(Update: it’s been a year now, and while I don’t juice regularly (see reason #6) I still enjoy it on occasion)
I was more than a little surprised how much I enjoyed it. Even though it was mostly vegetables, I expected the juice to be very sweet, which it wasn’t. Instead it was bright and refreshing, like a summer salad. It also tasted and made me feel good, and as long as I kept the serving size to 8oz or less it was easy to maintain my weight.
I also find that fresh juice is a great way to fend off a cold, when I feel one coming on.
But juicing is not for everyone. And before jumping in head first, there are a few things you should consider.
Update: Read this for more on the science and health of juicing.
6 Things To Consider Before Buying A Juicer
1. Fruit juice and vegetable juice are not created equal
It may sound counter-intuitive, but fruit juice may actually raise your risk of heart disease. Fructose, the primary sugar found in fruit, is transformed into triglycerides in the liver and promotes insulin resistance, both of which promote heart disease. Similarly, fruit juice increases type 2 diabetes risk while whole fruit lowers it.
Why do you think high-fructose corn syrup is so bad for you?
While whole fruit does not typically pose a problem because of its high fiber content, concentrating fruit by juicing it increases the fructose per serving dramatically. Think about how many oranges go into making one small cup of OJ, and you’ll start to see what I mean.
If you’re getting a juicer because you think apple-orange juice is going to make you healthier, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise. Plan to juice mostly vegetables or else getting a juicer is not a particularly healthy choice.
2. You still need to eat your vegetables
Don’t assume that drinking your vegetables is the same as eating them. Yes, as in the case with fructose you will be concentrating vitamins and minerals from your vegetables, but you will also be losing a lot of fiber that slows digestion and helps you feel full.
The rate you digest food and your satisfaction after eating are just as important to your overall health as the nutrients you consume. So while juicing can add to your overall nutrient intake, it cannot replace your daily vegetable consumption.
3. Juicing may stall weight loss
Though vegetables have less fructose than fruit, it is still an incredibly efficient way to take in calories, something most of us don’t need. If you choose to experiment with juicing while attempting to lose weight remember that you still need to watch your portion size, and consider reducing it if weight loss stalls.
I recommend no more than one 8oz juice serving per day if you are trying to lose weight. This is pretty small.
4. Prepare to do a lot of shopping
As noted in the above points, juicers take large quantities of vegetables and turn them into small amounts of juice. Additionally you need to continue buying and eating vegetables for your regular meals.
All this means you’d better plan to do a lot of shopping for produce if you want to keep your refrigerator stocked. If you aren’t prepared for this, you might find you don’t get the use you expected out of your new purchase.
5. Expect to drop some cash
Juicers aren’t cheap, nor are all those shopping trips. Consider juicing a luxury, not a necessity. So if money is an issue for you, you might want to look elsewhere to upgrade your healthstyle.
One thing we’ve experienced with the Breville juice and blend is that it feels like overkill for the kind of juicing we’re doing at home. While some of you may be juicing for large groups, juicing for two does not require an industrial strength machine.
Keep in mind that a larger, more powerful juicer will be harder to work, harder to clean and difficult to store. Consider a smaller size if possible. This smaller model from Breville looks like a fantastic option for a 2-person household.
Here’s a good midrange option: Breville Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor
6. Expect a time commitment
All the shopping, juicing and cleaning does take some time. Making juice for two and cleaning up takes about 10-15 minutes each morning. And as I mentioned above, extra shopping is required (we can no longer fit a week’s worth of vegetables in the fridge, so multiple store trips are necessary).
While the extra work is worth it if you enjoy the juicing experience, you should factor it in while making your purchasing decision.
A few other tips for juicing
If you do decide to take the plunge, here are a few suggestions we’ve found make the best juicing experience:
- Focus on vegetables, but include some fruit. We’ve found that one small apple makes a huge difference in flavor. This is all we recommend so far in the fruit department.
- Include 1-2 root vegetables–such as carrots or beets–to add additional flavor and antioxidants. We like to include either 2 small carrots (1 large) or 2 small beets (1 large). These tend to contribute a tad more sugar and a nice earthy flavor, adding complexity.
- Add at least one leafy green vegetable. We’ve been happy with kale, broccoli and chard (currently in season), but others likely work as well.
- Include one watery vegetable. Cucumber, celery and other watery vegetables help dilute the too-strong flavors of the previous 3 ingredients. This can make a big difference in drinkability, while adding some nice flavor and additional vitamins.
- Don’t forget a garnish. A small amount of a strong flavored item such as ginger, lemon, mint or other herb can make your juice a real pleasure to drink while adding highly concentrated antioxidants.
- Consider adding back a few scoops of the fiber that is filtered out by the juicer. This will make your juice more filling.
Originally published February 24, 2011.
I went through a period where I juiced every day. It was great fun and I felt an energy rush for a few hours right after juicing. But then my blood sugar would crash and I’d be tired and hungry. And you’re right about the time commitment — the juicer took FOREVER to clean. Now I do it about once a month.
I am extremely shocked and dismayed by this post. It is quite clear that you have done ZERO research on the benefits of juicing, and as for your own “experiment”…..well, WHAT EXPERIMENT?! I read one profoundly inaccurate statement after the next without citations or evidence. What you have posted here is nothing more than an opinionated ramble. I am an engineer and I am more informed about nutrition than you! (As are the majority of the “commenters” here, and my five year old son!) I can’t believe you actually compared fresh orange juice to high fructose corn syrup! It is one thing to be uneducated or illeducated, it is another to dole out advice while impersonating a qualified expert. If I had to guess, you don’t even have a degree. Do you enjoy working at Pfzier?
You seem to confuse the naturally occurring levels of sugar found in fruits and vegetables to be equivalent to the highly refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup found in sodas and candy. Fruit reduces the risk of heart disease, it does not increase it.
…I also checked the cited link you provide as support for your claim. It is just a reference to criticism made by you (?) of a study that also DOES NOT support your statement about fruit and heart disease.
I managed to find a source for your information: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-fructose-bad-for-you-201104262425 . Notice, the website at no time says fruit or juiced fruit is bad. Moreover, the USC doctor referenced in the article (Dr. Robert H. Lustig) argues that eating fruit is good! I’ve watched several of his talks at The University of California. He is not an advocate of juiced fruits and vegetables however because of the effects it has on the natural fiber.
In short: Fructose found naturally in fruits and vegetables is very good for you, while when extracted, refined and pumped into everything we eat in the form of high fructose corn syrup, fructose can be bad (for a number of different reason).
There are several studies that show fruit and fruit juice to reduce heart disease. Including ORANGE JUICE (a drink you pooh-poohed in the link you provided). Here is but one link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1196255.stm
Hi, I’m sorry to say that I find a lot of information on this post to be false. I hope people who stumble upon this don’t decide that fruits and vegetables are bad for you because you say that fruit is bad for your heart and that you have to count calories with vegetables. The only negative thing that fruit might do is spike your insulin if you have an empty stomach and nothing else to eat the fruit with. That being said, a piece of fruit is better than just about any other type of food you can have. This doesn’t mean you should reach for a hamburger and fries instead of an apple. Vegetables (and fruits) are just about the only exceptions if one is “counting calories”. There is never a need to count how many calories are in the carrots and lettuce you are eating especially since they are mostly water and most veggies deliver “negative calories”. and also, juicing is about packing in the nutrients. We get a lot more nutrients from juicing than eating a veggie or fruit one piece at a time. And lets be honest, how many of us are going to eat kale unless it is mixed with other fruits and vegetables. As far as the cost, yes, a juicer might be a couple hundred. However, I work at a health store and I have seen numerous customers spend more on supplements that they expect a miracle from since they do not change their lifestyles as well.
Some great advice here for a new juicer like me… Have to admit to enjoying fruit more than veggies but a gradual change of ratios will work I am sure.
Trying to drop some weight through a combo of calorie counting 4 days a week (with no carbs after lunchtime) and then 3 days (alternate) of just juices – 3 a day, 500ml…
Early days but feel great so far!
thank you for all your tips but can someone here would like to tell me how to choose an energy efficient Juicer? from its wattage to volts or horsepower and RPM. And which type of juicer can save your pocket from electric bills? thanks!
thank you for all your tips but can someone here would like to tell me how to choose an energy efficient Juicer? from its wattage to volts or horsepower and RPM. And which type of juicer can save your pocket from electric bills? thanks!
Well actually you could find some great ones that actually work and the are electricity free! I bought one for my mom and I and they are great I bought them at Target! (:
why are fruits and vegetables juicy?
P.S need answer ASP!
because like people….their mostly WATER
I have the Omega Vert and am new – juicing when I can for about 2 months. All my juices come our pretty thick, like the consistency of apple sauce or maybe a little thinner. I get lots of the stringiness (fiber?). I juice cucumbers, carrots, beets, Kale, ginger, fennel, leafy greens, small amount of fruits. Why is my juice so thick? And is it OK. I can strain it but I hate the extra step to an already involved process. But they taste better without. Advice?
How about checking out Juice Plus for a fraction of the cost but similar micronutrient benefits. It’s in a pill shape or gummie and contains over a dozen varieties of fruits and vegetables, just without the water, fiber, and sugar. Juice Plus is not a substitute to eating vegetables and fruit-it just helps bridge the gap!
[link removed]
My first thought was also that this article is not based on research, just a lot of loosely thought out assumptions. I have done several ‘juice fasts’ (4 to 5 days) over the last year and have sustained my loss of 15 pounds. Myth number one! I watched a health show that documented research on juicing where the subjects growth hormones were reduced by substantial amounts on juicing days. These are the culprits that contribute to cancerous growth of unhealthy cells and maybe heart disease too. I would cite the source, but did not write it down. That’s the trouble with blogs, anyone can say anything. If you would like to go to a reputable site about health and nutrition try Hungry for Change. It is there that I found one of the best juicers ever. It is a Hurom cold press juicer. Quiet, efficient, and super easy to clean (with the big toothbrush that came with it). 😉
where are you getting your facts from about juicing because seriously…. you need to submit research that you can prove. a lot of what you typed was utter crap. ur just another government-consumed individual.
You seem smart.
Really informative article. Juicing seems to be the new health fad with many of our friends now juicing. My wife and I are considering purchasing our juicer so I really appreciate the insights you provided, especially the tips on how to use it.
Amen, don’t believe everything you read on the Interweb!
Hi everyone,
I have decided to buy my juicer!
Philips HR1871/00 Avance Juicer – Stainless Steel
Any thoughts about this one?
Thanks!
J.
What I like to do is to both juice as well as blend to get the pulp. I usually try to have at least 1 juice with pulp and one without per day so I get the best of both worlds. I do prefer juicing because of the taste and instant nutrient delivery though.
Thanks for the article! I’ve read other articles on juicing and some points contained negative material about one thing or another which led to some very upset (and comical) comments. Some juicers are very serious about their health and juicing! Hope they realize it’s detrimental to their health to get so darn angry 🙂
Hi Darya,
I don’t want to come off as being rude since this is your website but some of the information you presented is misleading.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with drinking fruit juices. Fructose is a natural sugar and is a kissing cousin of glucose which is the primary fuel of the body.
The problem arises from drinking too much fruit juice since juices are concentrated fruits. Because of the high fructose levels involved you have a lot of calories. That isn’t great for weight loss obviously but that is also fairly manageable if you follow some simple steps.
The nice thing about juicing is that you can combine low fructose veggies with those fruits and get a nice tasting but nutritious drink. Supplement it with either some of the fiber or some fiber supplement and you can have a filling meal.
I would like to understand your point regarding veggie juice being an incredibly effective way of taking in calories. That is a counter-factual comment. In fact veggies are a very low density caloric food. Juicing the veggies certainly ups the density levels but you still aren’t holding a candle to a cheeseburger and you are getting vastly more nutrients. Consider the following basic juice.
2 cups Kale – 66 calories
1 large apple – 104 calories
1 stalk celery – 10 calories
1 beet – 54 calories
If we assume 100% transfer of calories, which is highly unlikely, you are at roughly a 200 calorie drink that has 400% of your vitamin A, 300% of your vitamin C, 1000% of your Vitamin K plus countless other nutrients. 1 glass gets you that for 220 calories.
Juicing isn’t a panacea. On its own it won’t make you lose weight or be healthy and people should be very cautious with making it their exclusive source of food. But it is can be a wonderful way to get many much needed nutrients into your system.
I agree completely. Thanks for reiterating what I wrote in the post.
After reading all these comments, and doing other research, I’ve decided juicing will be a beneficial addition to my diet. I plan to juice greens to increase my veggie intake as well as use the juice as a base for smoothies. Looking forward to trying out my new juicer and kick starting my new year!
Can you please list your sources about raising triglycerides? I’ve been juicing for a month. I have high cholesterol and this fact is important to me! Thanks!
To clarify, again, this post is about buying a juicer, not about health. There is no reason to suspect that normal levels of fructose consumption (i.e. eating fruit or drinking small amounts of fruit juice) would increase trigylcerides.
My concern, and the concern of most nutritionists, is when people confuse green/vegetable juices (which I love, btw) with fruit juice, and inadvertently consume large quantities of fructose, the main sugar in fruit, thinking it is healthy. If you’re juicing mostly vegetables and include a small amount of fruit, maybe a half an apple or orange, you have nothing to worry about. If you’re drinking the equivalent of 10 oranges a day, you may want to reconsider. Here’s a few hundred articles on fructose and triglycerides for you to browse: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=fructose+triglycerides please note the difference between regular consumption and high-consumption levels.
Thank you for the input Darya. I was planning on purchasing myself a NutriBullit extractor. But since you mentioned that it will take a large quantity of produce to yield enough refreshment, I changed my mind. Although the sugar content in each fruit is healthier than the processed sugar, it isn’t any healthier if fruits are taken in large quantities. Everything has to be taken in moderation. Another good point you included in your blog is that we need fiber in our diet, and using an extractor completely disintegrates the fiber component which eliminates it’s major function in the digestive system. 10 oranges equivalent to an 8 oz of refreshment a day is a little bit too much. It is not practical if you are under a budget strain. And too much sugar no matter if it is from a natural source still too much. I will therefore continue eating my fruits and vegetables with a “crunch”….Lol…..Amanda ‘ s comment is a little harsh and very condascending. She must be having a hard day either at home or at work. Just forgive her….she will get over it. She made her point….and I am sure she gained some satisfaction out of insulting you the way she did. But no worry, you have our support.
Hi
From your article I did not fully understand what is the difference between fruit and whole fruit juice. Because the article says, fruit increases the risk of diabetes and whole fruit decreases. What is the difference.
Thanks
First, Darya, saw your interview as part of the future of nutrition conference and found your talk to be really, really interesting! I am really look forward to trying to apply what I learned.
My experiences with juicing … Jumped overboard about 18 months ago and bought a Breville. Reason being, I wanted to loose weight and I my health was not good. All sorts of ailments, from chronic sinus infections, weakness, mental fog, moodiness and worst of all seizures. Really scared me to discover that the best doctors in the region had no cures only management options. All this and I was only in my mid 40s.
So, for the past 18 months I have been juicing the following almost every morning for breakfast: 1 cucumber, 1 red beet, 3 – 4 carrots, 3 to 4 stalks of celery, 3 clumps of kale, a large handful of spinach, 1 green apple, 1 lemon and a piece of ginger. Enough for 24 to 32 ounces which does really fill me up.
Fast forward 18 months … No more chronic sinus condition, no more seizures, and my mind is once again firing on all cylinders. Before going on this adventure I was quite suspicious of the claims I had heard from other “juicers”. However, looking back on my jouney, I literally believe that juicing has saved my life. I still sometimes wake up in the morning and feel a bit foggy. However, after even half a glass of juice I feel fresh, optimistic and have clarity in my thoughts. This is what coffee wants to be when it grows up.
Now, as far as my weight is concerned, I have found that the juicing really has not had much of an impact on my weight one way or the other. As it is, my weight is still a work in progress. A far bigger impact to my weight seems to be the choices that I make for lunch and dinner.
Interesting enough, juicing has in essence, reset my sense of taste. I used to add sugar to sweetened breakfast cereal, I hated real greens such as kale. Now, I really enjoy those crunchy, succulent salads and find sweetness in the unsweetened granola. So, in this way, I would suggest that juicing can possibly serve as a bridge to an overall healthier food lifestyle.
I often read segments from juicing critics that say something to the effect that juicing is not a replacement for eating real real fruits and vegetables. I do not argue with this. However, I don’t believe it to be a secret that most people are not consuming even recommended quantities of raw veggies on a regular basis. Likely not fruit either. Therefore, when comparing juicing to something else, I think that it is far more fair to compare it to what one may have likely been eating instead of juicing. For example, fried eggs with bacon, white toast and a glass of denutrizied orange juice for breakfast.
This is such a heated argument! I just want to know what juicer is good for greens and DOES include pulp?
Meanwhile, I would love to recommend that everyone here investigate Gmo’s, pesticides, weather control ,Morgellons disease( which is not imaginary). Then if you don’t see any good arguments there, research AMA, FDA and big Pharmasutical. I would be grateful if any or all of you intelligent writers could assist with the above mentioned reality of vegetables, fruits and our medical care providers?!
Darya. lol where do I start.
Your information about fruits, and limiting them in your diet is just so… Well, off the mark its not funny. I don’t get it why people who so obviously don’t really know anything about chemistry or the human digestive system for that matter, can just make a blog and get people who don’t know any better to follow their advice. You cannot eat too much fruit. In fact I complete an 8 month fruit diet, eating 10kg (20 pounds) or oranges, and jucing them a week for 3 months of the entire time. During that period I was the healthiest i’ve been in my life, had the most energy, and my skin and hair was amazing. Its a fact we cannot store or make our own vit C and every fruit has it, since our digestive system matches that of primates (wow…fruit eaters go figure) we don’t need to do much to digest it. It has all the amino acids your body needs, you can live on fruit alone. However, unless you are like myself who had a chronic illness that was dubbed incurable by the allopathic community, a full fruit diet cannot be sustained forever. Fruit alkalises the body, cleanses the lymphatic system and provides minerals, vitamins and all the good stuff we need to thrive. Telling people to limit their fruit intake is very irresponsible.
Darya, By the way, high Fructose Corn Syrup is made from GMO Corn. Not fruit, and it is a completely different thing than naturally occurring fructose in fruits. SMH.
Liz, lol, where did you start? It certainly wasn’t by listing your credentials, then your #1 argument as a rebuttal was an n=1 study that was 100% anecdotal.
Also HFCS is made in many countries that don’t allow transgenic crops, so your statement “HFCS is made from GMO corn” is untrue. 100% of HFCS made in the UK is made from conventional corn so they don’t have to put “(from genetically engineered corn)” on the label as ingredients from transngenic crops have to be labeled in the UK.
I just wanted to thank you for this excellent article. I don’t need juicer – just need more veggies:) you not only saved me money I can’t really afford to spend right now, you also helped me make a better choice for my overall health. So really, thank you
C
I’m trying to gain weight and am having a very hard time going at it. Not exactly a problem people hate having. So it seems like juicing might be incredibly beneficial assuming I use a lot of vegetables and not fruit?
I’ve never read such a bunch of nonsene. I am juicing for past 5 years. Juicing everything. Fruits and vegetables. On top of that I am eating tons of them. Saying that going abive 8oz of juice a day will cause health trouble and weight gains is simply ridiculous. Thanks to juicing i was able to drop 18 kg in 8 months. I was struglling before being on numerous diets. It’s not the juice that makes you gaining weight or makes your heart trouble but it’s what you eat apart from juices. Eat less but healthly. I am drinking at least 3 glasses of juice a day plus one shot of wheat grass or barley grass juice. It is the same nonsense as demonizing animal fat. In winter and autum times my diet in nearly pure fat diet. Same thing is the story this days for cholesterol. I am recommending a book “Cholesterol Myth”. There is no such a thing like bad and good cholesterol. There us only one cholesterol and by knowing the function of chilesterol in our body people wouldn’t listen to idiots taking money for lowering it’s recommended levels. Sa for everyone who is thinking about buying a juicer and start juicing. Do this. Don’t hesitate and you’ll not regret it. Make juices and make smoothies.
Do you really thing we can compare High Fructose Corn Syrup to juiced sugars? Whole lot of processing going on in one product and not in another. Perhaps you are correct, but I have a feeling there is about as much relationship to HFCS or any corn syrup and juicing as a rubber tree has with Good Year tires… 😉
Peace and Blessings
All the data I’ve seen suggests our bodies interpret fructose as fructose, regardless. It’s not like it’s all bound up in fiber or something, as it is in whole fruit. Not that there aren’t additional benefits from concentrated vitamins, etc. in juice. But high concentrations of rapidly digestible fructose in large quantities still isn’t a good idea if weight loss is your goal. It takes 7 oranges to make a glass of juice. Would you ever eat that much?
Simple solution would be to blend fruits and juice vegetables. Blending keeps fiber in the liquid while juicing separates it.
Hi,
Juicing oranges in a centrifugal doesn’t work anyway… most of your orange gets dropped in the waste container as it is too soft for a high speed juicer – they are made for hard fruits/veg like apples, fresh celery, cucumber, cabbage and other, NOT citrus, banana, berries etc…
7 oranges for a glass is therefore a bit overkill. I cold press (old fashion style, no machines involved) 3 juice oranges a day which yields 2 8oz glasses, one for me and one for the missus…
Sugar: The Bitter Truth
Dr. Lustig talks about exclusively about fructose (and its difference from other sugars) in this YouTube video, currently with over 5M hits! He’s been featured in “Fed Up”, the obesity movie that came out this year. I think he knows his stuff. Take a look.
(Apologies if this link has been previously posted.)
🙂
Respectfully, they’re actually not so much the same. That’s like saying all products from the coca leaf are the same because they all start in the same place. Our bodies were designed to consume fruit and vegetables. Juicing does not process or concentrate the fructose in the fruit (science, guys. It’s important). Guarantee you all the “research” and “studies” you found were funded by large food corporations, who need their “unbiased results” to point to making them more money. Same goes for the weight issue. If you’re juicing right, and eliminating the junk, you’ll see weight changes. Weight management amd heslth have nothing to do with calories in vs. calories out, because not all calories are equal. Maybe check out real studies, like the work Joe Cross has done, or better yet, studies like The China Study, conducted over several years in over 65 counties.
Full 8oz glass of orange/fruit juice isn’t meant for one serving/person. 2-4oz of fruit juice is more than enough per serving. Some, like myself juice because of IBD, which is a chronic digestive disease, most of us can’t handle too much fibre or raw veggies, or fruits. We just don’t digest them and causes a lot of discomfort. I juice mostly veggies and may add an apple or two to sweeten 16oz of veg juice that lastes 2 days.
I’d love to eat a salad or whole fruit, or a plate full of steamed veggies, but since my body can’t digest it, this is my way to get some of its nutrients.
Hi, I’ve read that juicing raw cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale and bok choy (basically cruciferous veggies) should be avoided as they are goitrogenic, meaning they contain substances that suppress thyroid function when consumed raw. And spinach, chard & beet greens contain oxalic acid which can irritate mouth and intestinal tract. Would you agree on that?
I have read that too, but I have also read (via Dr. Russell Blaylock) that even the slightest amount of steaming completely reduces this effect. When I add kale or broccoli I usually give it about 20 seconds in the steamer beforehand.
Hi, have you evaluated different juicing methods like centrifugal, single gear or twin gear, or using something like magic bullet or Vitamix to blend? I am currently looking into buying a juicer but am not sure what the best / most efficient / healthiest way for juicing vegetables really is. Also are there juicers that don’t remove all the fibers, and is that important? Thanks!
Yes. It’s always a trade off. The slowest, supposedly “healthiest” method of slow pressed juicing is really slow and inefficient, and a pain to clean. I’ve seriously gone through 3-4 really expensive juicers, including the Omega, and personally I just don’t have the patience for the shopping, storage, juicing and clean up required for each use. I’d rather go to a juice bar and pay the extra money. My personal opinion is that the minute differences in juicing quality have a negligible impact on health, especially if you drink the juice immediately. And generally yes, more fiber (from vegetables and fruit) is better.
I have to disagree here. Ive gone from a centrifugal juicer (breville juice fountain) which with the most common recipe i use would yield me a glass (250ml)of juice, ive since gone to a twin gear cold press juicer and now get 700ml from that same recipe….. and the taste difference is amazing!
I used to get annoyed at having to clean up the old juicer, but now find the cold press one much easier, not to mention very easy to set up. The juicing itself only takes an extra couple of minutes and for the taste difference and so much extra yield, its worth it. Now instead of using the juicer once every few months im now making fresh juice everyday and feeling absolutely fantastic and excess weight is coming off.
I would never recommend a centrifugal juicer to anyone now, totally converted to a cold press juicer and with the right one, there really are no negatives.
My experience with the Omega has been different, I find it pretty easy to clean. I use the included brush only on the screen sections of the one piece and everything else (other than the body) gets a quick washing like normal dishes. I can usually prepare, assemble, juice and clean my Omega within 15 minutes.
highly recommend the VitaMix, if you’re in the US you can get incredible deals on it online, I got the 2-speed TurboBlend for $350 shipped! I prefer using the VitaMix during the week and treat myself to some juice on the week-ends as I feel the smoothie overall is healthier thanks to including the entire fruit. Amazing how silky smooth you can get in just 30 seconds with the VitaMix. I like juicing on the week-ends because if you’ve ever tried carrots in the blender in a smoothie…they just don’t work well!
That’s kind of true, but you need to really be drinking a lot for this to be a problem. A little is fine.
Oh my god you are so wrong about juiced fruit and triglycerides, please people don’t be misled by this girl. Juicing is great for you, it even cures cancer. Refined sugar is bad for you, but any sugar from fruit is fine, being carbed up on raw fruit is the best and most natural way to live, and veggies of course. You could live off of only raw fruit and veggie juice and live forever in perfect physical and metal health. And talk about a flat tummy 🙂 sorry but the medical industry is full of bullshit I wouldn’t believe anything they say. My mom and dad stopped eating carbs including fruit to loose weight and while it worked, cutting fruit out of their diet was not necessary only complex carbs like breads and pasta. Like I said, they lost weight but they did not do it in a healthy balanced way. Not eating carbs puts your body into ketosis (look it up). You NEED carbs to function. Eat fruit everyday!! I can’t believe the way dumb ass people think fruit is fucking bad for you grrrrrr. As a matter of fact you can’t ever eat too much fruit! It’s impossible. A raw food diet is based on abundance as opposed to all other diets being based on limitations and portion control. Rant over. I hope this helps someone!
^^^False.
I can say from first-hand experience that it takes very small amounts of freshly pressed fruit juice to throw your blood sugar out of whack. While pregnant I maintained a strict whole grains/whole foods diet because of severe hypoglycemia. I juiced my own fruit daily and couldn’t figure out why I was still having occasional crashes (as in sudden fainting/blackouts) and gaining weight so quickly on my “healthy” meal plan. After a few trips to the doctor we finally realized it was all the fruit juice! haha I was sad because now I had cravings but as soon as I cut down on fruit juice things stabilized! Pretty common sense.
Amanda, take another look at your post…do you really think people are going to be responsive when right out of the gate you’re swearing and insulting people? I’m surprised your comment hasn’t been deleted yet for being so rude.
Yes there is lots of BS in the medical industry, one of their fiercest opponents and prominent alternative health spokesmen is Dr. Joe Mercola, perhaps if you don’t believe what modern medicine has to say you’ll listen to someone who is often the target of the FDA for providing information contrary to mainstream medical practices?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/11/sugar-heart-disease.aspx
QUOTE
I would suggest to not juice your fruits and to eat them whole, and also realize we have bred many of these fruits to a very high level of fructose. Fruits today are many times sweeter than they were historically, and should be consumed in moderation.
END QUOTE
When juicing it’s a great idea to choose fruits low in fructose, it’s easy to find a list of fruits by fructose amounts. Not a bad idea to choose veggies in the same way.
Diabetes is caused by sugar metabolism problems. On a normal healthy person fruit does not increase blood sugar, in fact being a mono sugar means there is no insulin response at all. the body is made to eat fruits, just like primates. see how muscular an healthy they are, well we have the same digestive systems. veges can increase blood sugar purely because it has cellulose and we are not herbivores and do not digest it well. Both fruit and vege juices are extremely good for you, it fights acidosis (disease and cancer causing environment in your body).
But don’t take my word for it, go look at Dr Robert Morse. a doctor who has been curing diseases for 45 + years, not suppressing them like the allopathic community.
Thanks Amanda for your input. I found it very amusing and ignorant that the author suggested only 8oz of juice per day as a healthy way of drinking juices. I personally observed a few people who were inspired by well known documentary and lived on juices only for quite some time and as a result, they got rid of a few quite serious health issues. And it is not a movie, they are real people.
Plus I wanted to include in my comment one of numerous Amazon juicer reviews: “Get it now! Really I watched Fat Sick & Nearly Dead & decided to do the 60 Day Juice Fast & I literally saved my life. I had a 2 mini strokes at the age of 23 with Hypertension Stage 2 and Diabetes…After 10 days I lost 15lbs in a month 30lbs & after 60 days I am no longer a diabetic I don’t take any HBP meds & I have lost 63lbs total”.
This person would never achieve this result following misleading 8oz per day advise.
Traditionally it should be said: contact your doctor first, before you start any juicing trial… But we know that 90% of doctors will rather prescribe pill after pill than loose their client if he/she somehow self-cures 🙂
He follows a plant-based diet, not even remotely the same as juicing nothing but fruit daily.
Love the Passion!
I totally agree with Amanda, I became vegan and mainly fruits only since June of this year. My triglycerides are extremely low and my cholesterol profile is in the healthy range. I eat fruit for breakfast, green leafy salads or cooked vegetables for lunch and dinner. I also include legumes in small amounts. I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition 3 years ago and do not take any pharmaceuticals!! since I changed my diet I feel great, i no longer have joint pain and feel more energetic than ever. Yes, I feel like I woke up from the bad dream of the Standard American Diet that is killing us slowly.
Darya, I appreciate your advice on the juicers. It will help me make a better informed decision about buying the Breville juicer.
How are you consuming “mainly fruits” when you’ve just noted your lunch and dinner are mainly vegetables?
Hello i’m William i’m trying to get healthy. i bought a juicer. i’m not going to stop eating chicken or fish. some pork. my question is how clean caan we get the veggies
I almost was on your bangwagon until I realized your talking about eating fruits this forum is about JUICING fruits ! I think because of the concentration of the process it’s doing to the fruit have a a stronger affect that’s why she said to be careful with fruits!!
Well said Amanda! This person has absolutely no idea what they are talking about! I also have seen for myself the amazing things that can be achieved through a juicing diet, I even personally know someone who reversed type 2 diabetes!
In addition, juicing is amazing if you are passionate about it. Not wanting to make juice because you’ll have to clean your juicer is laziest thing I’ve ever heard. Might as well not eat food because you’ll have to wash your dishes. Might as well go naked so you don’t have to wash your clothes. It sounds to me that you just don’t get juicing, you’d rather have hamburgers, and you’re lazy so you’re reflecting your negativity onto juicing, trying to undermine it. Just because you have a blog doesn’t mean you know what you’re talking about and I really hope people don’t listen to your brainwashed bullshit
Hahaha is there a like button for this?
Darya, thanks for the excellent, well-balanced information.
Bless Amanda’s heart.
LOL 😉
According to Wikipedia this is correct – see here. If you consume sufficient amounts of iodine this is likely not a big issue though, if those veggies are consumed in moderate amounts.
Wow, people are so opinionated here! holy cow, yes, vita-mixes are nice, but what if I just want some not-so-thick juice? Then yes a juicer is nice. Man people need to start having kids and realizing that everyone does life in their own way, either its workin for them or not, but typically they will figure it out, they don’t need the whole world telling them they are juicing wrong! Just beacuse you saw a documentary does not mean you have the right to make vocal damnation upon ones juicing (or blending) practices. There no wrong way to juice veggies or fruits (only if it tastes like crap).
“you just don’t get juicing”
lol, sorry the heavens did not open with ablaze the moment you tasted your first handmade juice, you just did’t get it. I’m relieved im not from California-
I’m relieved you’re not from California too and I hope you plan on never coming here so we don’t have to experience your ridiculous sanctimonious snobbery and assumptions that everyone from California is an airhead.
But Amanda , how do you really feel ?
Good question. I get the sense that she might be a fan of juicing, but I can’t tell for sure.
Great post Darya! People can definitely get a little worked up about this stuff and it’s always awesome to read a more moderate view 🙂
Peter – I love that! Gave me my laugh for the day!
Hi! Great article!! I was just wondering what is the smaller model from Breville that is good for a two person household? I clicked the link you provided and it didn’t work! I’ve been looking at Breville juicers and I know I don’t need something too extravagent and pricey. Thanks!
Why do so many always try to over complicate things. Eat more fruits and veggies, whole fruits and veggies. I’m sure juicing in moderation is fine for you and probably very healthy but why? Why lose so much more benefit of the plant by butchering it. If you must mutilate the fruit and veggies but still want to get the same benefits as if whole then make a natural smoothie. Natural means no artificial sweeteners,no sugars added. If you must add something add water, ice, unsweetened almond milk or nonfat greek yogurt…assuming you can have dairy.
Remember – KISS – Keep it simple sexy ;)and the health part of it will come easy.
Darya, nice article, thanks for the info. As always, if I’m not totally sure of what a person is sharing I will further investigate/research. It’s as easy as the Google button and much nicer than attacking a person’s point of view.
I have to agree with Amanda – you can’t dabble in juicing and then claim to know it. A few weeks testing out juicers does not give anyone an understanding of how juicing impacts your body, mind & spirit.
Once you’ve flushed toxins your cravings change. In 3 months of juicing and eating a plant based diet I lost 60 lbs, dropped cholesterol from 220 to 160, cured thyroid & acid reflux disease, just to name a few things. Make the commitment – don’t just stick a toe in.
ps Brocolli is not a leafy green.
There is no such thing as Brocolli, however Broccoli is a great GREEN to add to your juicing or smoothie regime thanks to its sulforaphane content, which is a powerful cancer fighting compound that helps flush out toxins too.
LOL Pardon my spell-check failure! Make that “Broccoli”.
Under the heading “A few other tips for juicing:” The author writes, “Add at least one leafy green vegetable. We’ve been happy with kale, broccoli and chard (currently in season), but others likely work as well.”
Spelling error aside, my point is that broccoli, while certainly a great addition to a juice regime, is not a leafy green.
While you may not find broccoli traditionally referred to as “leafy” it is indeed a leaf vegetable. All encyclopaedic sources will confirm this. WebMD lists broccoli as its #7 “Top 10 Leafy Green Vegetables”:
#7 Broccoli: With 25 calories a serving, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, and folate. Americans eat about 6 pounds of it a year. Its stalks and florets add both crunch and color to stir-fries. While some kids may call this veggie “trees,” they often like it best raw or steamed with a yogurt-based dip. Nussinow mixes fresh broccoli into her pasta during the last three minutes of cooking so both are ready at the same time.
List of leaf vegetables – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_leaf_vegetables
The reason you lost weight is not the benefit of the juice; its because you cut out everything else, namely fat and calories!!
No. Its the combination of the nutrients and antioxidants from the juice detoxifying the body, and the removal of junk food from the diet that heals the body and helps someone lose weight.
“The reason you lost weight is not the benefit of the juice; its because you cut out everything else, namely fat and calories!!”
What’s the difference?
The whole ‘toxin’ stuff is absolute nonsense. Try to find one piece of genuine science on it. You can’t flush toxins out of your body by eating or drinking something – your body already removes all of the toxins from itself. It’s a complete pseudoscience designed to sell health products.
Incorrect, ask any ER doctor what the procudure is to remove the toxin mercury from the body, do they say “just go home, your body will remove all of it by itself” or do they administed N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC)?
After reading this page about vegetable and fruit juicing, I have to say this woman is one of the most ill informed people I have ever come across. Not only is vege and fruit juicing the best thing you can do for your body, it alkalizes your body and can actually reverse illnesses such as RA, MS, Diabetes. If you all have any doubt, just ask an expert. 45 year detox expert and chemist. Dr. Robert Morse.
Feel free to state exactly which parts you disagree with, for there is lots of good information in this article. Choose the wrong kinds of fruits and veg, conventional kinds, don’t wash them, go ahead and increase your intake of carcinogens. Maybe you might not have meant this, but do you see how easy it is to be UNCLEAR when you don’t state precisely what you mean. The statement “vege and fruit juicing is the best thing you can do” is entirely unhelpful.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/09/16/fruit-consumption-diabetes.aspx
Just to be the voice of moderation here: Obviously, as Amanda claims, juicing will not cure cancer or other diseases per se. Juicing can be beneficial because it is providing you with the nutrients in fruit and vegetables, long know to be the healthier choice, that you might not otherwise eat. However, keep in mind that the healthiest part is the skin, which contains the fibre and nutrients, so you are better off making smoothies which incorportates the skin. Recent research actually shows that too much glucose can be a risk for cancer, natural or not. Remember, carbohydrates get converted into sugars in your body. A low carbohydrate, high protein diet seems to be healthier. And please, please, stop quoting Dr. Mercola. If you really want to research the benefits of something, use reputable peer reviewed scientific journal articles, many of which are available on line. Cut red meat out of your diet, eat more fish, and eat LESS, which has also shown to have health benefits.
PS: by the way, if you look at Darya’s education and experience, I think her opinions are more reliable and based on scientific fact, than some others.
So readers, beware!
Science is only as good as the testing environment. That’s why Energy Psychology is only in it’s infancy. Don’t believe everything Professor Frink tells ya.
So what Linda is saying is methyl mercury good, conjugated linoic acid and vitamin K2 bad? One would have to be pretty ill informed to make a blanket statement about red meat given the many different options we have. Someone could be eating packaged ground beef in the supermarket containing meat from any number of different cows that were raised in a CAFO being constantly shot up with antibiotics (mostly responsible for the current wave of antibiotic resistance we’re seeing and new “superbugs” and injected with Monsanto’s rBGH as well as living on a diet of GMO corn, while someone else might only buy small portions of locally-sourced, 100% pastured (grass fed) beef. One of these persons should cut out red meat, the other doesn’t need to.
As for peer reviewed scientific journals should we go through the hundreds that are linked from Mercola’s website and rubbish said journal because he’s pointing out some results from it?
How to spot the allopathic apologist, they knock anyone who the FDA and AMA have on their hit list.
The irony in Linda’s post is the first half of it is said almost verbatim in an article of Mercola’s posted above.
Steve,
I ordered an Omega before I saw your suggestion on Vitamix. I wanted to thank Darya Rose, creator of this site for approving everyone’s opinion to be posted. That speaks volumes to me as to the integrity of this site.
That said,
I feel you are well informed on the subject of the resistant super bugs.
Unfortunately, most Americans truly do know what is in our approved GMO foods and pesticides. Antibiotics, fungus, bacteriums, pheremones, hormones, and so forth. Bottom line is that this is causing illiness. When a ban on gmo bill was offered to Californians, I paused my television during a tv commercial against banning Gmo’s to read the small print. There it was” Monsanto ” and other deep pockets. The spokesperson went to Stanford and was very convincing as to the pros of Gmo’s . It won. Americans lost. The illness called Morgellons is discounted as a mental illness by our Heath care providers and gov agency’s. It is a actually a one cell mycoplasma attacking humans. We were told the bees were dieing from mites? I think the bees are dieing from pheremones in pesticides attracting mites. Gmo’s are being banned all over the world except the US and China! What else needs to be said.
Question here. Is juicing with a Omega 8006 as healthy for you as a Vitamix Juicer?
You can’t juice with a VitaMix, I don’t believe they make any juicers. The VitaMix is a blender so you’d be making whole food smoothies. You have to consider for that money will you be okay with the smoothie-like consistency as it’s notably different to a juice. I’d say they’re both very close in value for health, certainly they are both infinitely more beneficial than not juicing/blending raw veggies/berries/roots at all.
The VitaMix is more flexible, it can do soups, nut butters, etc. The Omega really does just one thing, juice. It is fantastic though and it’s possibly the easier of the two to get used to the idea of juicing. Perhaps after some time you could add in a VitaMix and start alternating juices and smoothies, that would seem to me to be the ideal solution.
The Omega 8006 does make nut butters, also noodles, nut milks, and fruit sorbets. It is better at greens than soft fruits but will handle hard apples just fine.
Ok ok I might have been rude before, but maybe i just needed some juice to bliss me out. I’m speaking from experience here. I feel very passionate about my diet and now live by example of how amazing juicing is. I look and feel incredible. Not only do I drink massive amounts of fresh organic juice but I am a raw vegan and I have never felt better or happier 🙂
Get your smoothie on as well as juicing! Great way to get healthy fats/herbs/roots…avocados, maca, nut milks, chia seeds, hemp seeds, raw honey, nut butters, cacoa, among a ton other great nuggets you don’t get in juice. Plus smoothies are filling. mix of both terrific.
Ordered my juicer, cant wait to use it, had a friend that used it for a month and dropped a shit load of weight
Darya I have to call you on the HFCS being the same as natural fructose from whole fruit or juice made from whole fruit. I know there are many who are trying to “sell” us uneducated folks that sugar is sugar but even though I don’t have a PhD I can Google “chemical composition of high fructose corn syrup” and “chemical composition of fructose” and tell that the chemical compositions are different. That would tell me or any other person with common sense that sugar isn’t sugar and they vary in composition. So …
To say that a highly processed cheap sugar used by manufacturers of processed concoctions to cut expenses and increase profits is the same as a natural fruit sugar from an orange, apple or banana seems to be somewhat misleading.
In regards to juicing being expensive, simply eating these days is expensive. I personally juice vegetables for two reasons. The absorption of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients) from fresh organic juice is much higher, the leftover pulp and fiber can be used in soups to maximize cost effectiveness.
Have a nice day. I’m out.
Hi debaters :). I gained a lot of weight, like 70 lbs since losing my mom. Now I need to lose it. Juice to lose or nutribullet? Once I reach goal I think the whole combining will work. I watched fat sick and nearly dead. It has a strong argument for a 60 day juice fast. It does seem counter intuitive to be drinking juice – I’ve thought that fruit juice is something you shouldn’t have too often because of sugar. Idk. I want a solution.
Have you considered working to adjust your most common habits so you set up your life to lose weight naturally and build habits that will keep you healthy for life?
Yes, that is what I’m trying to do. I’m making a plan. I’d like feedback on my question 🙂
Elise,
I’m very sorry for the loss of your mom.
If you visit Joe Cross’ website, jointhereboot.com, you’ll find various plans for rebooting. I used the plan combining juicing and meals to lose 60 lbs over a period of about 4 months. He also has a great book out on the subject. Feel free to contact me if you’d like more info.
I think you’ll find this healing not only for your body but your spirit as well. Best to you!
Well I disagree with some of the comments made in the article. Juicing is an excellent way to get an adequate amount of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals in your daily diet. The Juiceman, Jay Kordich is living proof of this. He is btw, 91 years. Married is wife who is 35 years younger then him 31 years ago. They have two kids. Juicing saved him from terminal bladder cancer. There are countless others out there with just as strong testimonies. You can also check out Bernando LaPolla who is 113 years and see what he says about juicing and living a vegan lifestyle. He stills travels around the world giving speeches about healthy living. Then there is 74 year Annette Larkins. She’s been on a raw food diet and juicing for over 45 years. This woman doesn’t look a day over 40. Not a wrinkle in her face. Look her up on youtube. Just my .02 cents.
Anecdotal evidence of 1 (or even a dozen) does not prove a thing.
He could be 91 because of exercise, being married (which gives a bump of years to men), genetics.. A whole host of other reasons.
I find it very confusing to hear that vegetables are not good for you. I thought it was literally the only thing about modern diet that was. Whether the vegetable is peeled shouldn’t effect whether you get cancer. This is so confusing.
Nevermind!
Watch fat sick and nearly dead its on netflix or amazon have the dvd then you can all decide, I went for a juicer and screw the is or isnt veg and fruit healthy debate, that documentary changed my life!!!!!
I understand your point about juicing only fruit because of the high sugar content. However, does the same hold true for smoothies. I often make smoothies in which I just throw anything in a blender with some ice, maybe some herbs or cinnamon or honey for flavor. Most of the time it is fruit. I figured that fruit is pretty healthy and I am getting the whole fruit. Should I be concerned even though I am really getting the whole fruit?
I Do not agree at all about not juicing fruits because the sugar is bad for you. Sugar found naturally is NOT bad for you, should you go and juice 20 apples a day, probably not, but I will say this, I spoke with a WHOLE foods nutritionist about my cholesterol levels, and I went juicing for 8 weeks, once for breakfast and one glass with a healthy lunch, I dropped so many double digit points on my cholesterol, heres the best part, most of my juices based on what I like, were 2 large apples and 1 large carrot. I also did a few weeks of 1 whole orange, 1 whole ruby red grapefruit and 1 carrot, so my fruit to veggy ratio is quite opposite of what you speak of here, so based on my own study on myself, I would not shy away from fruits at all with juicing.
For all of you not happy about juicing good ol been on this planet for god knows how long fruit and vegetables…stick a couple of snickers and ice cream in a juicer then problem solved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!