Juicing

Photo credit: It's Your Life

Juicing is a great way to make sure you are getting all the vitamins and nutrition you need from vegetables and fruits. While I do eat vegetables, I hardly eat any fruit, not because I don't like it, I just don't.To be honest I am a total carnivore, I have to have my meat which is either fish, chicken, or turkey. However, I must admit I do love a good steak now and then.

One day at the gym I saw Montel Williams on the TV talking about his Health Master, which creates both hot and cold foods. Anyway I had heard about juicing, but watching him throw all these vegetables and fruits into the machine, and come out with an awesome drink intrigued me. I also learned that Montel dealt with MS, and it was his motivation for juicing. I decided that while I am a totally meat eater I do need more vitamins that I can only get from vegetables and fruits.

So, I decided to create my first juice, I used two fruits, and two vegetables. I felt this was a good balance, so some spinach leaves, a cucumber, some honey dew melon, and a golden delicious apple were my choices. Now I don't have a heavy duty blender like Montel's just any every day blender. I knew I was going to have to use smaller pieces of apple, so I cut cored it, and cut it up, adding it little by little, so I would not overwhelm my blender.

I did it a beautiful green juice which tasted very much like cucumber, which I love, but my husband did not. I also created another juice using tomatoes, spinach leaves, and a mix of frozen berries I purchased at Sam's club. The tomato was very predominant in the taste, so I need to experiment some to find the right combination of vegetables.I want to add that I did add some ice to the first juice I made, and also that I need to work on serving size, so none of it goes to waste. 

Not only is juicing very healthy for you, but a great way to get those vitamins you might be missing out on all in one drink.  It is also a great way to help regulate your bowel movements if this is an issue. Plus kids love them too, great way to get those veggies and fruits into a picky eater.

Are you a juicer? What health benefits have you seen?

Share your favorite juicing recipe, I would love to try it, and blog on it.