We have established that I am rather enthusiastic about making juices and smoothies, which inevitably leads me to buying much produce that I don’t grow, in bulk.

Many of my juices are based with carrots, apples or oranges, to which I add berries, either frozen or fresh. And seeing as I consider myself (almost) an expert at buying produce for my smoothie and juice endeavors, I thought I would share!

Freshness

The produce used for smoothies and juices should be as fresh as possible, unless of course they are intended to be frozen. This ensures that you get the maximum amount of nutrients possible.

It’s worth mentioning that for those of us who reside in winter climates, frozen produce is an excellent option, as it is generally frozen at its peak so as to lock in the key nutrients. In the summer months, scour your local market and buy in bulk and freeze your own summer produce for use in the winter months!

Storage

All fruits and vegetables benefit from being stored in cool, dry conditions. However, if the fruit is slightly under ripe and too firm to be juiced, it will certainly benefit from a sunny windowsill for a few days, as this will expedite ripening.

Store similar produce together and separate from others, since various fruits and vegetables ripen differently. One can affect the other, leading to premature aging.

Organic Produce

It is no secret that organic produce is the more expensive option, but there are clear advantages to springing the extra cash. We limit our exposure to pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers when we opt for organic produce.

There are those that even argue that organic produce tastes better, as it hasn’t been bulked up with excess water – meaning that our blends and juices benefit by having a more robust flavor. This is for you to decide. However, I would suggest you refer to the dirty dozen list and choose organic for anything on that is named.

Success at juicing and blending is largely based on the quality of the produce that you use, so I hope this guide shines some light on how to buy your produce wisely.

Properly cutting your fruits and vegetables is a key and important step while juicing.

If you skip this process, then your beverage may end up with unwanted rind, pulp and skin. Plus, you can also seriously damage your juicer.

This doesn’t need to be a long and tedious process.

Most produce will only require a couple quick cuts.

Obviously the less powerful your juicer is, the more prep work you’ll need to do.

How to prepare your fruits and vegetables!

• A helpful tip to keep in mind is that if you wouldn’t put it in your mouth that way, then you probably wouldn’t want to put it into your juicer.

• Before juicing any produce, make sure you wash it well, removing any soil and pesticides. If your produce has a wax coating, be sure to wash it extra well.

• You only need to cut your produce up enough for it to feed through the mouth of your juicers chute. Some items may go in whole, others you might simply need to slice down the middle.

• A tip for juicing leaves: roll your leaves up into a bunch and follow it with a fruit or vegetable that has a high volume of juice.

Skin: It’s OK to juice fruits and veggies with their skin on. Often times the skin contains powerful nutrients, so it’s beneficial to juice them.

Seeds: The only seeds that MUST be removed are those of a Pomegranate (both inside and out). All other seeds can be used with your own discretion. Please note that there is some health risks associated with certain produce.

Stems & Tops: The only stem that does your body good, are grape stems. All stems should be removed. The green tops of your produce should also be removed.

Pits: Never put pits into your juicer because they can damage your blade and possibly seize the motor. Common fruits with pits are Cherries, Mangos, Apricots and Peaches.

Rinds: Most juicers can handle juicing your rind, but your beverage will probably taste much better without it. Often times citrus fruits will end up having a tart flavor, so unless your recipe calls for it, keep the rinds out. If you do decide to juice with your rind, then a little extra pressure might be required. Use a slow, gentle twisting pressure to process. Be careful not to use excessive force.

Not recommended for juicing: Some fruits and vegetables simply do not have enough water to be processed in your juicer. Produce like Bananas, Coconuts, and Avocados are better off sitting this one out.

This morning I had an epiphany. After slowly coming to consciousness from what appears to be a chocolate-induced full-body coma (I don’t remember much of what happened last night, but there’s evidence – a few dozen individually-wrapped candy bars wrappers littering the perimeter of my living-room couch like plastic Sloppy Joe’s rum cups line the gutters of Duval Street the morning following the last day of Fantasy Fest in Key West), I realize I need a shower. I also need some water. And some fresh juice.

And then it hit me! It was a shockingly joyous and exhilarating revelation, like the first time a four-year old discovers he can burp! One, Two, Three…they ran through my cranium so fast, I could barely keep up with the incredible wave of inspiration. I scrambled to jot down what was suddenly flooding my thoughts.

I grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote furiously. When I was finished, I sat back and took a deep breath. I raised the paper eye-level, and adjusted my focus, so that I could decipher the meaning of it all. And that’s when I realized I had become the humble recipient of a powerful, unexplain-able force - divine intervention, indeed – I’ve been called on to release the Ten Commandments of Juicing.

Having the blessing of the juice and fruit Gods reining through my chosen blood, I now bestow this incredible fountain of righteousness and wisdom on the meaning of juicing; to codify the path of the harvest believers to live a life of happiness, health, and of course, juice.

1. Thou Shall Put NO Task Before Juicing - get your juice in the morning. Not only will it give you the energy and nutrients to tackle your full day, but it will help you get into a consistent routine and give you something to look forward to each day.
2. Thou Shall Not Imitate Juice - many find supplement and vitamins to be a quick and easy alternative to juicing. The problem is that a growing body of researchers have found dietary and nutritional issues with vitamins and supplements, so I can’t suggest taking them. Besides, can anything really replace the taste of fresh juice?
3. Thou Shall Not Take The Name of Juice In Vain – when your juicer clogs, don’t curse it. It’s little motor can’t take that kind of harsh criticism. Unclog it, and try chopping your fruits and veggies into smaller chunks.
4. Remember To Juice on Holidays – I love holidays as much as the next guy, but it’s easy to get caught up in the whole “eat, drink and be merry” thing! Remember to juice on the holidays to keep up your regiment. Try some seasonal spices, fruits or veggies to keep it fun!
5. Honor Thy Juicer – keep it clean and use it properly. Your juicer should last quite a while, as long as you treat it with care!
6. You Shall Waste No Pulp – check out all the cool things you can do with juice and veggie pulp!
7. You Shall Not Commit Fruit-dultry – we know those Ring Dings look pretty awesome right there on the corner of the supermarket isle (damn those clever marketing reps!). We must avoid temptation to turn away from our juice to junk food!
8. You Shall Share Thy Juice – juice for your kids, neighbors, friends, and for get-togethers. This post was written last winter, but it’s still pretty cool. It’s my 4 favorite holiday drink recipes using fresh juice to entertain with!
9. Thou Shall Read Thy 877MyJuicer Blog – keep in touch with us! Post to our Facebook wall, join our mailing list, and Tweet at us!
10. Thou Shall Share Us – tell your friends about the blog, so they too can get a massive 15% off coupon on any product from the store!

Now go, and spread the mighty word of Juice!

We’ve all been there – you’re excited to get your juicing on and eagerly feed huge chunks of fruits and vegetables into the juicer, only to plug the thing up. Trust me, I have been there more than once in my life, because that’s what juicing does – it gets us so excited that we forget to chop our fruits and vegetables into sizes that our juicers can handle.

But I’m here to prevent this from happening to you or I ever again!

How to feed your juicer properly

Most juicers, unless commercial grade, appreciate it greatly when you cut fruits and vegetables into bite sized pieces. Think of feeding your juicer as you would think of yourself – do you want to eat food that forces you to chew with your mouth open? Didn’t think so! Juicers are the same.

Generally speaking, juicers fare rather well with leafy greens, so there isn’t too much cutting that is required. But for your own ease of use, I would give them a rough chop. When juicing things such as root vegetables that are tough and porous, feed them individually through the juicer. That will ensure there won’t be clogs. Fruits and vegetables that should be cut into juicer friendly pieces are:

• Apples
• Pears
• Carrots
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower

Citrus fruits require particular attention, not because of their rough outer skins, but because those skins must be removed. The white part, called the pith, is incredibly bitter, and it’s made even more bitter when pulverized by juicing. If you feed the whole citrus fruit into your juicer, your juice creation will be ruined and your efforts will be wasted.

Your juicer can take a beating!

Now with all this said, don’t be afraid to push the limits of your machine. You never truly know what your juicer can handle until you put it to the test. If you can minimize the amount of work that you have to put in prior to actually juicing, you increase your likelihood of sticking with your healthy habits. Besides, cleaning up after juicing is work enough, so the least amount of prep required, the better.

Currently I am obsessed with this green lemonade - it’s full of antioxidants that make our cells feel amazing. The only prep that is required is the peeling of the lemon and cutting of the apple. Other than that, this is full of user friendly greens!

Green Lemonade

Makes 1

• 1 lemon
• 1 bunch kale
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 cucumber

Peel the lemon and chop the apple, kale and cucumber into juicer friendly pieces. Feed it all through a juicer and drink immediately.

The thought of cleaning a juicer is enough to turn one off from juicing all together sometimes, what with all the moving parts…it can be a daunting task. I know this story oh so well.

When I first started juicing, my endeavor got off to a puttering start, because every time I juiced, it seemed like a chore having to clean my juicer. At one point I was juicing twice a day, and thus cleaning my juicer twice a day. I have learned a great many lessons about juicing.

Get the right juicer, and you might spend less time cleaning!

The first step in picking the perfect juicer is to take inventory of your juicing needs. If you are juicing for a large family, then a heftier electric juicer is likely the right choice for you. If you are a solo juicer, something smaller and perhaps manual may be all you need – and that will make cleaning easier for you.

Some people have a serious aversion to cleaning ANYTHING, so if this is you, consider buying a juicer that is 100% dishwasher safe. The LEXEN Healthy Juicer is a manual juicer that can be disassembled and placed in the dishwasher – I know, because I have one!

Handwashing may be unavoidable…

If an electric juicer is more your speed, hand washing is in your future. Step one, as is step one with anything that has the power to chop all your fingers off, is to unplug the juicer.

Then remove and rinse all the pieces that are dishwasher safe. Rinsing is essential because with all the gunk associated with juicing, it is a tall order for a dishwasher to eliminate it all. Wash the remaining parts and wipe down the juicer – spills and splashes are inevitable.

One last tip about handwashing

And lastly, always wash your juicer blades by hand, even if the manufacturer says it’s okay to place them in the dishwasher. In my experience, whenever I have placed a blade of anything – my food processor, blender or juicer – in the dishwasher, the blade has become dull.

When juicing, a dull blade can quickly cause frustrations, and we all know that juicing and cleaning is already a relatively involved task. Doing whatever it takes to make the process easier is a plus.

Getting bored while washing your juicer by hand?

Here’s some handy tips for keeping busy while you work.

• Play some music on your iPod (Oprah puts out a great podcast called “Health and Wellness Channel – it’s worth checking out!)
• Juice for a friend. They’ll likely hang around the kitchen while you clean.
• Assemble an intelligent, personal robot capable of human emotions to clean your juicer for you.
• Do squats between part rinsing.
• Turn on the radio and jam
• Pretend your not cleaning. Imagine yourself on a secluded Jamaican beach with an unlimited supple of freshly-blended Pina Coladas.
• Have the kids clean the juicer in exchange for fresh juice!
• Stage a mental breakdown related to juicer cleaning in front of your significant other, and then storm off into another room in a panicked and sudden madness. He/she will likely feel terrible and clean your juicer for you.
• Use your Jedi-Mind Tricks.

It might seem odd that I’m writing about juicing for sleep after having waxed poetic about the amazing benefits of juicing for energy. But insomnia is something that affects more people every day. With cell phones, computers, television and the frenetic nature of the world in which we live, it can be hard to shut off the brain and get some zzz’s.

Recently I’ve experienced some insomnia myself, characterized by the incessant tossing, turning and the lightest sleep that if a pin should drop, I would wake. After enduring a week in a sleep deprived haze, I decided to take action.

Now, I realize that I could have popped a number of over the counter remedies, but I like to take the natural approach before turning to pharmaceuticals. Not to mention that taking these over the counter remedies can result in dependency.

Studies have shown that the Montmorency type of tart cherry is one of the richest natural sources of melatonin.

Melatonin is the hormone that the pineal gland in the brain produces. The main function of melatonin is to regulate the sleep cycle by helping you fall asleep at night and stay awake during the day. When night falls, the body starts producing more melatonin, but levels drop gradually as your sleep environment gets lighter (sunrise).

However, the artificial light from laptops, cell phones and televisions can interfere with the natural process of light that melatonin relies so heavily on, which explains why more people suffer from insomnia today than ever before.

To help alleviate my own symptoms of insomnia, I incorporated tart cherry juice into my diet for one week by having one glass three times a day. The first two days I didn’t notice much of a difference because I was still waking up every hour. However, on day three I woke up rested, although I didn’t necessarily feel as though I slept any better than the first three nights.

But with that said, night three was the breakthrough, because from that day forward I began sleeping exceptionally well and waking up in the morning feeling rested.

In the nature of full disclosure, I would advise anyone who has experience prolonged insomnia to see a doctor, as insomnia can sometimes be an indicator of something more serious. But for mild insomnia, tart cherry juice is a fantastic option. As cherries are ever so small, a substantial amount of them is needed to make enough juice to drink, but lucky for us cherries are in season!

Do you a great cherry juice recipe you want to share? Post it below in our comments!

Something horrible happened to me yesterday- there was a great loss. I woke up, ready to juice a magical morning concoction to start my day- a ritual in my home; I set up my Jack Lalanne Power Juicer, prepped my oranges, blueberries and carrots- the perfect morning drink or hangover cure. I placed them in the juicer, powered the machine on- and nothing. My panic level at this point was at a manageable level two- I hurriedly deduced that it was electrical outlet. I plugged it into another outlet- sure that I would hear the lovely hum I had become accustomed to; and, again, nothing. Panic level 4. I took the juicer apart, convinced that I could remedy this problem- I had to; I wouldn’t allow the thought that my juicer was dead creep into my mind. Sadly after thirty minutes, a barrage of expletives and even some tears, I called it- I pronounced my Jack Lalanne Power Juicer dead at 8:45 am. I was late for work having spent my precious morning minutes trying to revive my dead juicer. Epic fail.

I mourned for a full afternoon; and I then decided that I could sit wallow, or find a suitable replacement. Although I am very familiar with the Jack Lalanne family of products, as my deceased juicer was a Power Juicer; I wanted to see what else was out there- a lot has changed since I received my juicer three years ago. And, in my short and relatively brief research into the land of juicers, I have found that there are ever so many options.

Let’s start with Breville; what I like about Breville was they had a variety price ranges  and the designs looked rather sleek- sleek is very important, as counter space is at a premium in my home. However, I could only find models that came in silver and/or chrome colors; and my kitchen isn’t accessorized to match- and yes that matters. And even at the lower end, Breville was still almost $100 more than a Jack Lalanne Power Juicer.

The Lalanne line on the other hand comes in a number of colors and styles- the most sleek being the Power Juicer Express to the mack daddy Power Juicer Pro, which is definitely beastly in size. Instantly the red Power Juicer Express stood out to me- the price ($100) was in line with what I could afford; and due to aforementioned premium for counter space, I liked the sleeker design.

I could also change directions and try another style of juicer. There are another style of juicers known as masticators- which use the process of mastication to chew the fibers of the food and extract juice from them. Currently being featured on 877myjuicer.com is the  Healthy Juicer electric which is a multipurpose unit. Unlike many of the other units I’d had in mind, this unit can be used for juicing wheatgrass as well as fruits and vegetables. And although it is bigger in size, it eliminates the need for a stand alone wheat grass juicers- and in this competitive game of juicers that is huge plus.

There was so much to choose from and so many decisions to make- so many factors that I needed to consider; size over unit features, or whether to go with something familiar or try something new. I was over the hunt, I hadn’t had fresh juice in days; and by this point I really wanted a juicer. I loved my Power Juicer and had it not kicked the bucket I would still be using it, but the competition was starting to make a great case for itself; I ended using the Healing Juicer Electric and boy, does it feel good!

Image credit

We all know how important it is to make sure that we are getting the proper nutrition from our diets. Unfortunately, there are many times when we are not getting what we need from our diets. Sometimes this is because we don’t have time to eat and end up skipping meals. Other times it is because many of us have a junk food diet, which provides little to no nutrition. For those of you who are not getting the proper nutrition from your diets, there is still hope. You can get many of the nutrients you need from fruits and vegetables, and you can turn your fruits and vegetables into delicious juices when you use home juicers.

Using Juicers to Make Quick and Easy Meal Replacements

If you are one of these people who tends to skip a lot of meals, especially breakfast, you can benefit from healthy juices that you make at home using juicers for both fruits and vegetables. You can combine fruits and vegetables to get the best of both worlds. Don’t worry—you won’t taste the vegetables at all.

The taste of fruit is much stronger than that of vegetables, so the fruits you use are going to overpower the flavor from the vegetables. And you can even turn your juices into meal replacements. All you need to do is add a bit of protein powder to your juices, and you will have a drink that provides all of the nutrients you need, without having to take the time to cook and eat a meal. Or you can add yogurt or soy milk to get the same protein you would from supplements.

The Benefits of Wheat Grass Juice

We are hearing more and more about the benefits of wheat grass these days, and for good reason. Wheat grass is pretty much a complete food, as it has 98 out of 102 of the earth’s elements. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll. Wheat grass is also full of antioxidants, which can help to treat and prevent a number of health problems.

Wheat grass is safe for everyone to eat, including those who are allergic to wheat, because it is still in the grass stages and not full grown wheat. This is a food that activates the white blood cells, which is great for the immune system and is even good for people who are trying to lose weight. Unfortunately, wheat grass doesn’t taste all that great, but you can overcome this. All you need to do is make sure that you get a wheat grass juicer that juices fruits and other vegetables as well. Then, you can create a cocktail that contains fruit juice and wheat grass juice. Just like with vegetables, fruit flavors will overpower the flavor of the wheat grass.

It can often be extremely difficult to make sure that your family is getting the proper nutrition, especially when you have kids who are fussy eaters and absolutely refuse to eat their vegetables. You can try to hide the vegetables in with other food, but many times kids notice this and refuse to eat their meals. This can be extremely frustrating, but there are ways that you can get around it. Most kids do love a lot of different fruits, and you can combine fruits and vegetables to make delicious juices that your kids will love.

Masking the Vegetable Flavor

When you mix fruit juice with vegetable juice, the strong flavors of the fruits will overpower the vegetables, so all you will taste is the fruit juice. This is great when you have kids who hate vegetables. You can make them delicious, healthy fruit and vegetable juices, and they will never have any idea that they are getting their vegetables with every drink they take. Some great combinations you can try are orange/carrot, apple broccoli, or pineapple/turnip.

You can always get creative and try all kinds of new combinations, so you can always have something different to keep your kids from getting bored with the same old juice every day. You can also use wheat grass, which is extremely nutritious and loaded with antioxidants. There are many different juicers available that can juice not only fruit and vegetables, but leafy greens such as wheat grass, too.

Letting Them Pitch In

If you are brave, you can let your kids know what you are doing, and let them in on the process. Kids love to help out in the kitchen, and they feel very proud to eat or drink the things they have created. There are many juicers available that are extremely easy to use, and even younger children can use them, as long as they are supervised. Let them choose which fruits and vegetables they want to use, and help them use the machine until you are sure that they can do it without any help from you at all. This in itself is a great accomplishment, and one that will make your kids want to make and drink their own juices. While they are making their juices, it is a great time to teach them about nutrition, and why they need to have fruits and vegetables in their diets.

It is a well known fact that fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients that we all need, and it is essential that we have them in our diets. When it comes to fruits, there are all kinds that we love to eat. But, this is not exactly the same with vegetables. In fact, it is not just children who don’t like eating their vegetables. There are thousands and thousands of people who just don’t like them, and therefore are not getting everything they need from their diets. One way to overcome this is to drink juices that are a combination of fruits and vegetables. Believe it or not, the fruits will mask the taste of the vegetables, so all you will taste is delicious fruit juice. Now, you can find all kinds of fruit and vegetable cocktails at your local supermarket for a pretty hefty price. Or you can get yourself a juicer and make all kinds of delicious fruit and vegetable combinations that even your kids will love.

What Type of Juicer Is Best for Your Juicing Needs?

As far as the types of juicers that are available, you have plenty of options. You can get juicers that only make wheatgrass juice and juice from other leafy greens, or you can get juicers that make juices from all sorts of fruits and vegetables. In fact, there are even juicers available that can be used to make pasta and sauces, so you can even have a complete meal ready in no time at all, and made from all healthy, fresh ingredients.

Another thing to think about when you are choosing a juicer is whether you want an electric or a manual model. If you want to do as little work as possible, an electric model may be the one for you. But remember that one of these can often be bulky and heavy, so you will want to have a permanent place for it, rather than storing it and having to bring it out every time you need to make juice. Check the specifications of the models you look at to see how large they are and how much they weigh. Or you may be looking for a manual juicer, one that is portable and light weight, and can even be taken with you on vacation or on camping trips where there is no access to electricity. With a manual juicer, you will always be able to have homemade juice made with the freshest of ingredients.

There are many health benefits to drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice, and when you make your own from fresh ingredients, you know you are getting all of the nutrients you need to get healthy, one glass of juice at a time