Juicing Series Part 2: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Juicing

Get started on your journey with these beginner tips for juicing.

One of the easiest ways to boost nutrients in your diet and have more energy is to make and drink a fresh juice as often as you can. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. From choosing the right equipment to selecting healthy yet tempting recipes, here’s what you need to know to get started and go from novice to juice connoisseur quickly.

Why Juice

The biggest reason to juice? It’s an easy, effective way to consume more fruits and vegetables. It’s simple but not always easy as most people struggle to eat enough fresh produce. The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults should consume 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, but 90 percent of us miss the mark.

Here are some of the benefits of taking in plenty of fruits and vegetables, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health:

• Lower blood pressure
• Reduced risk of several serious diseases, including stroke, heart disease, cancer and potentially type 2 diabetes
• Helps with digestion
• Can assist in controlling hunger and may lead to weight loss
• Supports eye health

If you’re not up for steaming cups of veggies or making big salads each day, making juice is another way to reach your daily goals.

Juicing makes it easy to take in that volume of produce, all in one sip. By removing the insoluble fiber from the produce, we’re left with a juice that’s dense with nutrition and easier for the body to digest. Compared to eating 5 servings of whole produce, drinking a fresh pressed juice is like putting your nutrients on a fast-track. You still receive the benefits of soluble fiber in a juice.

Choosing A Juicer

When it comes to buying a juicer, you’ll find two main types—centrifugal and cold press (also known as masticating or slow juicers).

A centrifugal juicer uses a high-speed blade (6,000–16,000 RPMs) to shred fruits and vegetables. While it’s typically faster and less expensive, this juicing method generates heat, which degrades the nutritional value and causes more oxidation and foam in the juice. It also tends to have lower yields, which means more produce is needed to make the same amount of juice.

A cold press juicer uses a slow-spinning auger (43 RPMs with Nama) to press and squeeze the juice from the produce. This method preserves more nutrients, produces less foam, and generates higher juice yields. Cold press juice can be stored for up to 72 hours. Learn more about the differences in our article: Juicing Series Part 3: Which Type of Juicer is Right For You?

What To Juice

Aside from avocado and bananas, which are best saved for smoothies, you can juice almost every fruit and vegetable. Select your favorites! Each one will offer different health benefits, which is why it’s important to mix it up.

Here are some good options to start with:

• Greens: Kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, romaine, Swiss chard
• Fruits: Apples, pears, oranges, lemons, limes, watermelon, pineapple
• Roots: Carrots, beets, ginger, turmeric
• Herbs: Parsley, cilantro, mint, basil

We recommend following the 80/20 rule—about 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent fruit—to keep your juice low in sugar while still tasting great.

Artwork by thescribblist.com

Four Steps to Making Juice

1. Prep: Wash your produce thoroughly. Cut larger items to fit your juicer’s feed chute. Remove pits and hard seeds. Peel citrus if desired (leaving the pith is fine).
2. Juice: Feed produce through the juicer, alternating between hard and soft items. Leafy greens juice best when sandwiched between harder produce like apples or carrots.
3. Store: If you’re not drinking your juice right away, store it in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. Fill the container to the top to minimize oxygen exposure. Cold pressed juice stays fresh for up to 72 hours.
4. Clean: Clean your juicer right after use to prevent pulp from drying. Most Nama juicer parts are dishwasher safe.

How To Pick Fresh Produce

Selecting the right produce is key to making a great juice. Here are a few tips:

• Choose produce that is bright and vibrant in color
• Look for what’s in season at your local farmers’ market
• Frozen fruits and vegetables retain their nutrients and can be a great option
• When possible, choose organic to avoid pesticides

Check out the Dirty Dozen list from EWG for the fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticides.

Recommended Recipes

Not sure where to begin? Try one of these delicious options:

1. ABC Juice
2. Calming Refresher
3. Green Juice With a Kick!
4. Immunity Juice
5. Pineapple Ginger Juice