First, let me say that there are occasions on which it is perfectly suitable to juice. On the other hand, I dearly hope that you are not in any of them. I’m generally opposed to juicing, on the principle of we’ve got teeth, and a few small nutritional concerns. I also have a fair amount of admiration for Mother Nature and the process of evolution, which created digestive systems designed to clean themselves and break down food without help from kitchen appliances.
Top 5 Reasons to Not Juice
you tend to create rather a lot of waste
you don’t need the amount of vitamin C in 6 oranges and half a pineapple (just sayin’ leave some for tomorrow)
FIBER
glucose spikes– vegetables juices often have a lower impact than fruit juices, but many do still contain lots of quickly digested carbohydrates
your body does not generally recognize the calories in juice
Top 5 Reasons to Juice
you can’t swallow solids
you’re on a medically prescribed liquid diet
you can’t chew
you’re suffering from serious malabsorption but juices are being absorbed
you’re on a low-residue (fiber) diet
What’s a juice lover to do? Limit the amount and consume it with foods, preferably with a nice shot of protein and a good source of healthy fats. Maybe use a small amount of juice in seltzer, if you don’t like water, or even mix with unsweetened tea. You could also jump on the smoothie bandwagon, as you would still be consuming the whole fruit or vegetable with all that lovely fiber and bulk. Smoothies are recognized as “food” and calories by the stomach and brain, so your body can automatically adjust your later intake to fewer calories. Unlike juices, they don’t raise your risk for diabetes or weight gain (as long as you don’t make them with juice!). Try using blends of milk, yogurt, nuts, and whole fruit/vegetables.
My husband and I juice celery, cucumber and apple or pear every morning. It has lowered blood pressure for both of us. I often add romaine, spinach and/or kale to the mix. We drink this after taking a shot of fiber, green powder, aloe and water or coconut water, a concoction that keeps our u testiness happy. True there is too much roughage left over I need to start composting.
I didn’t mention it, but you can eat salad for breakfast too. Imagine romaine leaves stuffed with chopped fruit, cucumber, and celery in a light olive oil vinagrette. Maybe topped with some toasted pistachios, or with a few raisins mixed in. The good fats help you absorb the fat-soluble nutrients, while the naturally-occuring fibers slows any glucose spikes. Great job on upping the produce intake!
Aloe, though, that’s a tough one for me to swallow. I’d rather smear it on distressed skin.
I’ve been having these same thoughts recently. Why not just make a smoothie and you keep the fiber?
I love the way you’ve laid this out. I’ve often wondered why people juice. I do own a big juicer though and I use it when I have produce out the ears.
So Tammy, do you can your juice or is that a way to make the produce smaller so you consume more immediately? What about sharing with those who don’t have your abundance instead?
I don’t remember if Stephanie has addressed energy use as a component of sustainability, but juicers strike me as a poor choice of how to use fossil fuels energy.