Consuming fresh juice extracted from fruits and vegetables is one of the quickest, most efficient, & delicious ways to consume a large dose of nutrients at once. When looking for what to juice, think nutrient dense.
The fruits and vegetables most robust with nutrients include dark leafy greens (like kale, spinach or chard), beets, carrots, apples, oranges, pineapple, berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries). To keep your sugar intake down, you can aim to use 60% vegetables to 40% fruit, at most. Vegetables are often just as nutritious as fruits, just with less sugar.
You can maximize your juice output by also incorporating vegetables that contain a lot of juice. Some examples are celery, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, pineapple. Most greens, including kale & spinach, will not produce much juice. However, this juice is power packed and a great addition to any juicing recipe.
There are an abundance of benefits that you will receive from juicing. Some of them include:
- Improved digestion
- Higher energy levels
- Enhance mental clarity
- Reduced inflammation
- Fights cancer cell formation
- Combats hangovers
Recipes are a great reference to get you started with juicing. That said, let yourself be creative when you juice. Feel free to expand upon and alter these suggestions. Try different combinations, integrate fruits and vegetables that you like, and try new foods.
A great way to keep juicing economical is to shop for the fruits and vegetables that are on sale and in season. Farmers markets are a great option for reasonably priced produce. To get optimum health benefits from juicing, invest in organic produce when it’s available.
Want to integrate juicing into your daily routine? Check out these 7 recipes to make the best detox drink:
1. Green Machine
Loaded with natural disease-fighters called phytochemicals and antioxidants, this smoothie is a nutrient powerhouse.
Ingredients:
- 1 bundle of kale
- 1 bundle of spinach
- 1 handful of berries (whichever variety you have on hand)
Preparation:
1. Tear the greens into pieces and run them through the juicer.
2. Berries, more often than not, do not need slicing before juicing.
3. Feed the berries through the juicer.
4. Stir the final juice with a spoon to combine the flavors.
2. Dance to the Beet
The beet flavor is one of the most robust, earthy, unique flavors you will encounter when drinking vegetable juices. Since many find that it is not palatable, it’s great to pair with a sweet fruit that will balance it out. You might also want to wear a shirt that you are prepared to mess up! Beet juice is very rich and can stain clothes.
Ingredients:
- 1 beet root (greens optional)
- 1 handful of strawberries
- 1 handful of raspberries
Preparation:
- Tear the greens off of the beet root and feed them through the juicer.
- Slice up the beet into chunks & run through juicer.
- Berries, more often than not, do not need slicing before juicing. Feed the berries through the juicer.
- Stir the final beet & berry juice with a spoon to combine the flavors.
3. Get Back to Your Roots
Roots are hearty veggies that pack a punch. Most of us do not eat as many root vegetables as we should. These veggies make up one of the best detox juice recipes because they are incredibly nutrient dense. Look to juicing to change this for yourself.
Ingredients:
- 1 large beet root
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large turnip
Preparation:
- Tear the greens off of each root (if you bought them with greens on).
- Using your knife carefully, slice through each root. They can be tough to get through, so exercise caution while doing this.
- Feed the pieces through the juicer.
- Stir the final product with a spoon to combine each flavor.
4. Carrot Colada
Your typical pina colada is loaded with sugar, not real fruits and vegetables. This drink is a great, healthy alternative to that classic drink, with a zippy carrot taste.
Ingredients:
- Half of a small pineapple
- Half the meat of one coconut
- 2 large carrot roots
Preparation:
- Slice up your pineapple, coring it, cutting off the rough outside and cutting it into large chunks.
- Crack open your coconut safely and easily using a towel-wrapped coconut and a hammer (outdoors, if you prefer).
- Cut the greens off of your carrot (if needed).
- Feed each ingredient through the juicer.
- Mix the final juice with a spoon to evenly distribute the flavors.
- Add ice to make this a cool, summery drink.
5. Cool as a Cucumber
Cucumbers and celery are both very hydrating vegetables because they contain a large amount of water. Combined with an apple, this drink is light and tasty. This refreshing drink is a great way to get an apple a day.
Ingredients:
- 3 stalks of celery
- Half of a cucumber
- 1 Apple
Preparation:
- Break off 3 stalks of celery from the head. Feed them through the juicer, intact.
- Slice a cucumber in half and run it through the juicer.
- Core the apple and cut into large chunks.
- Stir the juices together to combine.
- This drink is great on ice!
6. Just Peachy
A great source of vitamins A & E, peaches are juicy, delicious and sweet. Pairing them with greens makes for a sweet treat that you don’t have to feel guilty about.
Ingredients:
- 3 peaches
- 1 large bunch of kale or spinach
Preparation:
- Slice up your peaches, taking out the pits. Feed the peach halves into the juicer.
- Tear your greens into handfuls and run them through the juicer.
- Best served chilled or with ice.
7. Liquid Sunshine
Nothing says summer like a big basket of citrus fruit. Loaded with vitamin C, these fruits are tart and healthy. Though citrus contains citric acid, this does not mean they are harmful to you. On the contrary, citrus fruits are alkaline-forming in the body. This means that it helps get your internal pH balanced and able to ward off illness and disease.
Ingredients:
- 1 orange
- Half of a grapefruit
- Half of a lemon or lime
- 2 stalks of celery
Preparation:
- Slice off the entire peel and pith from the orange, grapefruit, lemon and lime.
- Cut the citrus into chunks and run through the juicer.
- Break off 2 stalks of celery from the head. Feed them through the juicer, intact.
- Stir the final juice with a spoon.
- Serve chilled or with ice.
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