Is there anything to juicing?

I have always been anti-juicing because of the caloric load -- a lot of people drink fruit smoothies/juice with a little veg, rather than veg juices, and I found that eating raw veg as-is (or even steamed veg) is filling and satisfying and I can consume a fair bit.

BUT.

My husband's naturopath said that we must start juicing. She gave specific recipes for us to use. We are allowed to put a green apple in for some sweet (or carrot or beet), but we asked if we can use manuka honey (medicinal), and she said 'even better.'

It is essentially all greens (veg and herbs) plus lemon plus honey. The veg and herbs are picked for their nutrient profiles, to help with certain things with DH's gut, but also "anti-aging" stuff. If i had the print-out with me, I'd quote it, but I don't have it.

We just got the juicer yesterday (got a $200 juicer for $50 -- it's never been used!). Prior to this, we'd been going to our friend's place in the morning to juice (funny, i know, but they only live two blocks down! LOL). So, now we'll be able to juice at home. :)

DS loves juice, so he's really excited to have his favorite: green juice! (green is his favorite color).

I've actually been thinking about this to re-start me on eating right. My eating has been a mess. I totally get needing to basically overdose on nutrients to get your body to a healthy place, but once you are topped up, if you eat right, is it still necessary?

I've juiced in the past. Its a real pain in the back side. I feel better by eating raw egg yolks and liver than I ever did from juicing.

Hmmm, lots of mixed opinions. I think maybe I'll pick up a cheapo juicer and try it for a couple weeks, and if it doesn't stick, I can just sell it again.

Also factoring into this is the fact that my medium juice this morning cost $8.15, not including tip. Insanity. If I used the juicer three times, it would pay for itself.

I have a Jack LaLanne juicer and love it. I only use it in the summer when I have tons of fresh veggies in the garden. One time, I juiced a whole bunch of beets, I was high as a kite for hours! I would have loved to give a urinalysis sample at work the next day, too...

Beets are pretty wild: "Beet juice contains a high level of nitrates, which are believed to have a variety of cardiovascular benefits such as inhibiting platelet aggregation, preventing ischemia-induced endothelial dysfunction, and decreasing blood pressure. A study published last year conducted by researchers at Barts and the London School of Medicine found that drinking 500 ml (a little over 2 cups) of beet juice a day can significantly decrease blood pressure. The research found that the benefit came from the ingestion of dietary nitrates that are contained in the beet. Now new British study has found that beet juice can help individuals exercise sixteen percent longer by increasing stamina. This can be a potentially wonderful benefit if your exercise of choice is endurance in nature."

[url=http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=nutrition_101_is_beetroot_juice_the_next_super_food]Nutrition 101: Is Beet Juice the Next Super Food?[/url]

[QUOTE=otzi;1057085]
Beets are pretty wild: "Beet juice contains a high level of [B][U]nitrates[/U][/B], which are believed to have a variety of cardiovascular benefits such as inhibiting platelet aggregation, preventing ischemia-induced endothelial dysfunction, and decreasing blood pressure. A study published last year conducted by researchers at Barts and the London School of Medicine found that drinking 500 ml (a little over 2 cups) of beet juice a day can significantly decrease blood pressure. The research found that the benefit came from the ingestion of dietary nitrates that are contained in the beet. Now new British study has found that beet juice can help individuals exercise sixteen percent longer by increasing stamina. This can be a potentially wonderful benefit if your exercise of choice is endurance in nature."

[url=http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=nutrition_101_is_beetroot_juice_the_next_super_food]Nutrition 101: Is Beet Juice the Next Super Food?[/url][/QUOTE]

What I just read was ... "nitrates are super healthy" Mmmmmmmm, BACON!

Although I do like a nice roasted beet on occasion.

My MiL green juices...
Says it gives her the shits something fierce so she has to be really careful.
No thanks.

Been juicing for a couple of weeks now - and love it. I find a lot of fibre plays havoc with my digestion - IBS D symptoms. Juicing allows me to get lots of raw nutrients with much less fibre. No way could I eat pounds and pounds of raw veg without being unable to leave the house! And I do feel more alert - more energetic.

I'm going to start making a starter of veg juice set with gelatine, in a ring mould, so I can turn it out and fill it with things like prawns (shrimp) and crab in a home made yogurt or mayonnaise type sauce. Should be delicious...

It's ok if you want to get your vegetable intake in that way. Juicing seems joyless to me, I like to chew my vegetables.

[QUOTE=HopelessDreamer;1056706]Grok would not have juiced things, but if you like it, go for it.[/QUOTE]

Your body is kind of a juicer isn't it?

I prefer food-processor blending and ending up with a great pudding-slop that KEEPS all the good fiber in the mix. Juicing, well...eh. It's better than nothing but it seems to picky and dainty to me. Plus it seems like an excuse to use too much fruit because you're less likely to use things like greek yogurt and kefir and tea.