Everybody Talks About Juicing: Here's How To Do It Right

Incorporating fresh juice into your daily routine can help you to adopt healthier eating patterns. For those of us lacking in our daily fruit and vegetable count, opting for fresh juice can be a fun and different approach to a healthier lifestyle. It can aid you in making sure you consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, that's for sure, but it can also help help you meet your weight-loss goals. Juicing offers many life-enhancing health benefits, including a faster, more efficient way to absorb immune system-boosting nutrients naturally found in Mother Nature. If you have decided to hop on the juicing bandwagon, here are a few tips for a successful start.

Before you begin, it may seem obvious, but you will need a proper juicer to get the job done neatly and in a flash. To save time, frustration, and most importantly, money, here are a few recommendations to help choose which is best for you and your budget. Once you have the juicer you need, follow the steps below.

1.    Wash produce thoroughly. Unwashed produce can be contaminated with bacteria so don't skip this step!

2.     Line your juicer's pulp basket. If you have a juicer that has a pulp basket, line it with a plastic bag for easy cleanup.

3.    Break down your ingredients. Just before juicing, cut large produce pieces into smaller chunks to better fit into the juicer. Once you start cutting vegetables, they begin to lose nutrients, so it's best to cut just before juicing, but if you really need to save on time, you may want to add this step to your preparation.

4.    Feed produce through the juicer. If your juicer has multiple speeds remember to adjust to a low speed for softer fruits. Usually hard produce like apples and beets should be on a higher setting while tender ones like spinach or cabbage should be juiced on a lower setting.

5.    Re-juice your pulp. After the first round of juicing, the pulp may be damp. If so, juice it once more as you will be able to get more juice from the leftovers.

6.    Drink up and get your juice on. Voilá! Your fresh, nutrient-filled juice is ready! Drink it as soon as possible because it starts to lose nutritional value over time. Pour over ice, if desired. Fresh juice can be stored up to two days when stored in the refrigerator, but can go bad quickly.

7.    Clean up! Carefully scrub your machine with warm water and soap and place on a drying mat. Check the owner's manual to see if your juicer is dishwasher friendly for an even faster cleanup.

Need some recipe ideas? Click here for our favorite picks!