What I learnt from one month of juicing

Our family took to juicing to see if we could pack extra vegetables into our diet whilst saving time. Since becoming a mum it has been much harder to prepare (and more importantly eat) the whopping 10 vegetable & fruit portions that we need for optimum health.

We spent one month trialing different juice boxes, eventually ordering a bespoke assortment of fresh organic produce and incorporating it into our daily routine.

So here are my golden rules for juicing:

Number 1) When it comes to juicing it has to be organic, here’s why:

• Organic veg is usually straight from source, preserving vital nutrients that would be lost in the days of picking, processing and distributing, not to mention the time spent sitting on a supermarket shelf!
• Your veg is not going to be laced with toxic pesticides, which sort of defeats the point of a health tonic!
• When plants fight off pests they produce protective properties called phytonutrients that work in the body to protect our cells. Organic vegetables have higher levels of those nutrients!

Top tip: Leave on the skins (if they are edible of course!) as those protective phytonutrients are working hardest at the surface so don’t throw them away in peel! Simply wash your veggies in a vinegar and water solution!

Number 2) It’s all about the veg!

Don’t kid yourself, a juice that is made from lots of fruit is a massive sugar hit. If you’re going to juice then make it worthwhile by adding lots of colourful vegetables and spice it up with herbs! Here are the facts:

• A whole piece of fruit contains fiber that helps you regulate your blood sugar but without it, it is just another source of pure sugar to the body.
• Fruit sugar (fructose) just like ordinary sugar will elevate your insulin levels and if there is excess then it will be stored as fat!
• Fruit juice V Coca Cola: A 350 ml portion of Coca Cola contains 10 teaspoons of sugar and by comparison the same amount of apple juice contains 9.8 teaspoons!

Top tip: Root vegetables are surprisingly sweet so add them to the juice mix first, taste as you go and you may be able to add less fruit than you think!

Number 3) Think of it as a supplement and not a cure

There are plenty of juicing diets out there that are designed for rapid weight loss – be careful. Juicing can be very high in sugar, low in fiber and completely lacking in other vital nutrients like protein and fat. If you don’t consume these nutrients then your body will begin to break down your own stores but not necessarily in the places you would like them too.

I believe juicing has its place as a supplement and not a cure – if you are reaching for a vegetable juice instead of a chocolate bar for your afternoon snack then that is probably a good place to start! Try out the recipe below!

Cleansing ginger zinger juice (Serves 2)

Ingredients (pictured above)

8 carrots

1-2 average beetroot

2 thumb size piece of ginger

1 lemon

Directions

Peel the beetroot, lemon & ginger and push through juicer. Wash the carrots in a vinegar and water solution and chop off the ends, juice these too. Mix together in the jug before serving, best enjoyed over ice 🙂