All you need is a blender and a juicer. There are many fantastic juicers on the market that go for exorbitant prices - and believe me, they are worth every penny. But if you're on a budget, you can get a juicer for around $50, such as the Hamilton Beach Health Smart juicer (featured in the picture).A juicer comes in handy when trying to juice "hard" vegetables, such as carrots and beets, as well as vegetables with a lot of cellulose (an indigestible fibre) such as celery. But even if you're not ready to take the step and purchase a juicer, you can still reap the benefits of raw fruits and veggies through your blender. It just means you'll need to focus on more leafy green ingredients and fruits.
Why should I juice or make smoothies?
We need a tonne of raw fruits and vegetables in our diet, and for most of us, it's very difficult to consume the optimal amount on a daily basis. By juicing or making smoothies, you're taking a large quantity of fruits and vegetables and compacting it into an easily digestible form. Also, it's important to remember that most of the nutrients within a plant are found within the plant's cells. We need to break open these cells to access the nutrients. This takes A LOT of chewing if we were to eat them! Juicing and blending speeds up the process for us by breaking open the cell walls of the plant - this is also why it's important to consume juices/smoothies within a few hours of making them.
There are many fantastic recipes for juicing and smoothies, but the great thing about juicing and smoothies is that it is really hard to go wrong! And even if the end product is not quite the way you'd like it to taste, there's always a way to fix it by adding in another ingredient. Case in point: this morning I opened my fridge to see what I had available to juice. The choices were slim but I threw in some carrots, cucumber, kale, a banana, and a peach. I also squeezed a lemon on top for good measure. Served in a wine glass no less.Every morning I drink a smoothie or I juice. It's part of my daily routine and it really is EASY! Even if I don't have the time or the ingredients to juice, I will throw a few fruits and some leafy greens into the blender with some almond milk or water. Within a few days you will start to feel a difference in your energy, sleeping habits, mood, and overall sense of well-being.
I highly recommend that you get out there - juice, blend, and feel amazing! Feel free to contact me if you are interested in some smoothie / juicing recipes to get you started.
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