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I bought a juicer, what now?

afidz

Super Moderator
Well, Andrew bought a juicer. But I don't know where to start. How many juices do I make a day? what meal is best for juicing? What should I juice?
We are absolutely clueless on where to start, any advice would be great!
 

CrohnsChicago

Super Moderator
here's a good place to start on the forum:

http://www.crohnsforum.com/showthread.php?t=43130

how many juices you make per day is up to you. Some people enjoy one juice per day, others prefer one large glass every other day, some juice 1 full day/week and some go for longer than that. It really depends on your tolerance for the juice as well as how much time you have to make them and how much you can afford to spend as juicing can be a bit pricey.

So maybe as a beginner try juicing a 12-16oz glass every day or every other day and see how you like it.

Some basic juicing ingredients are:

carrots
spinach
kale
green apple (used as a sweetener for the juice)
celery
lemon
ginger
cucumber (adds most of the water content/volume to the juice)

Look through the threads in this sub-forum and you will find some interesting recipes from folks. But when you get comfortable with it also feel free to experiment a bit.

These veggies above tend to serve as primary ingredients for most juices. If you can afford it, go for organic veggies to reduce pesticide consumption. If not, then I recommend investing in a veggie cleaning solution to clean your typical produce.
 
Location
Uk
I would start of slowly as too much too soon could upset your guts ! carrot ,apple and ginger is one of my favourites.
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I agree with the carrot, apple, ginger - that was how I started out juicing, and it's a nice easy and good-tasting juice. A few carrots, an apple for sweetness, and a SMALL amount of ginger (if you use too much, it is overpowering and will feel like it's burning your throat - my hubby found this out the hard way!). Experiment, have fun! Juice as often as you want - I try to juice a couple times a week at minimum, but I am not ambitious enough to juice every day. Lately I've been making this green juice - spinach, kale, and a couple oranges for sweetness. The juice looks green but tastes like orange - the oranges mask the bitterness of the kale nicely. And this morning for breakfast I had a "whatever is in the house" juice. My hubby made it but I think there were oranges, green pepper, maybe cucumber? Pears? I am not even sure what all went into it, but it was good. It's not easy to make a bad-tasting juice, so play around with it and have fun. And if you do make a bad-tasting juice, just add some oranges or apples and that should sweeten it right up. Good luck & have fun!
 

CrohnsChicago

Super Moderator
Ha! I've done the "whatever is in the house juices before"....sometimes they are a success, sometimes they aren't :p

And Cat is right about the ginger...use it SPARINGLY. A 1/2in or 1in cubed piece goes a LONG way to give your drink a kick but its refreshing :)

My typical, budget-friendly go-to drink is spinach, carrot, cucumber and a granny smith apple.

But playing around with juice ingredients can be fun. For example I hate eating beets but I realized they don't taste bad at all when you juice them...of course i am speaking for myself and not anyone else on the forum when I say this :p...some foods are simply an acquired taste.

I agree with the carrot, apple, ginger - that was how I started out juicing, and it's a nice easy and good-tasting juice. A few carrots, an apple for sweetness, and a SMALL amount of ginger (if you use too much, it is overpowering and will feel like it's burning your throat - my hubby found this out the hard way!). Experiment, have fun! Juice as often as you want - I try to juice a couple times a week at minimum, but I am not ambitious enough to juice every day. Lately I've been making this green juice - spinach, kale, and a couple oranges for sweetness. The juice looks green but tastes like orange - the oranges mask the bitterness of the kale nicely. And this morning for breakfast I had a "whatever is in the house" juice. My hubby made it but I think there were oranges, green pepper, maybe cucumber? Pears? I am not even sure what all went into it, but it was good. It's not easy to make a bad-tasting juice, so play around with it and have fun. And if you do make a bad-tasting juice, just add some oranges or apples and that should sweeten it right up. Good luck & have fun!
 
Never had a juicer.

But I loved my mixer. Just mixed everything I bought and drank it. Perfect and was also good for the Crohn.
 

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
That's interesting Chicago, I haven't tried beets in the juicer yet! I'm going to give that a try, thanks for the idea. :)

And yes, with regards to ginger - when we juice ginger, we will juice it into a separate container, then add a little bit at a time to the rest of our juice until we have a good amount without it being overpowering. Otherwise it seems way too easy to overdo it on the ginger!

And absolutely yes, some foods are totally an acquired taste, and some will taste different/better when juiced. Personally, my whole life I have hated apples. I cannot stand apple pie, apple juice, applesauce, etc. It is so nasty! Stuff like that tastes rotten to me. But juicing a fresh apple tastes fresh, not rotten, and I actually really like it. It's so unlike any other apple products. My parents were shocked when I told them I actually like fresh juiced apples. :p Honestly though I usually do pears instead of apples in my juices though as pears are usually cheaper at the grocery store and I like the taste of pears better.
 
Ordered a juicer myself today! Been thinking about if for awhile, and finally got around to it this afternoon. Along with others thoughts written here, and just finishing the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome where juicing was recommended, thought to join in and give it a try.
 
:strawberry: I would recommend a slow-press juicer. Faster juicers generate heat which kills off the good enzymes in the fruit and vegetables and you don't get the healthy benefits of the fresh produce - which is great for feeding the good gut bacteria.

:poop: Warning: drinking juice for the first few days will probably give you the runs.. if you don't already have them due to your IBD. Listen to your body. If the juice is giving you abdominal cramps - stop or chose less-acidic fruits.
Buying organic is always better so you aren't ingesting toxins (pesticides and fertilizer).

Rock on Rockstars :headbang:
 
I don't use a juicer, I'm a vitamix guy, but I make at least one "juice" a day and its typically my breakfast.

1/2 cup Plain full fat yogurt
handfull of mixed unsweetened berries
1 banana
1 pear or apple
half an avocado
handfull of kale/spinach
tablespoon chia seeds or flax seed
handful of raw nut/seed mixture (pumpkin, Brazil nuts, almonds)
water

Amounts might not be exact and sometimes I get it right and it tastes awesome, other times not so much. I however always drink it all and its packed with everything you need for good nutrition and to fuel/start your day.
 
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