Juicing-Calories... and Detox

eltontoborracho

For Christmas, I got a juicer. I've been using it pretty consistently, like this morning for breakfast. I find if I add every ingredient, my calories sore- 485 for this morning for a cup of 8 oz. I'm not ingesting all those calories since I'm not eating any of the fiber or skins. Does anybody have any suggestions how to calculate the actual calories I'm intaking or should I just over estimate to lose in the end? I hate drinking almost half of my daily calories in a drink that's yummy and good for me, but not fulfilling.


Also, I'm thinking about doing a detox, but when I research it online, there seems to be a lot of negativity about it. Has anybody ever done a detox and what would you suggest?

LeenaRuns

It's not filling because you're losing the fiber. Just eat whole fruits and veggies.

trogalicious

Also, I'm thinking about doing a detox, but when I research it online, there seems to be a lot of negativity about it. Has anybody ever done a detox and what would you suggest?

The reason that there is negativity for it is the same as people hocking these other things that just aren't needed. The body handles all of that naturally.

iAMsmiling

The bad news is you're getting the vast majority of those calories without the fiber or skin. That's what I see as a serious disadvantage to juicing.
No bulk, no full feeling, most all of the same calories.

MissFit0101

You are getting about the same number of calories even though you aren't getting the fiber. Juice a little to add extra nutrition to your diet, but don't juice to replace eating fruits and veggies.

trogalicious

also. if you're drinking 485 calories of juice, and that's "almost half" of your daily calories, I'm willing to bet you're not consuming nearly enough either.

Mokey41

The calories are in the sugars which all come out in the juice. The fiber that you need has very little caloric content and you're throwing that away. The skins have a lot of nutrients that you need. There's nothing healthy about having a big glass of sugar water for breakfast.

kylawelsh

Juicers are made different. Some can't grind up the skin and others can. I juice once a day and love it.

Metallux

If your juice calories are that high in one single 8 oz glass, you're probably juicing mostly fruit or root plants like carrots. which will send your blood sugar on a roller coaster and still leave you hungry.

green juices are much lower in calories and easier on the blood sugar. You could eat your veggies first then add in a daily juice supplement composed MAINLY of greens to pack in the nutrients. or if you are doing a straight fruit drink, add in some cucumber or celery to cut back on the sugar. and I disagree that juice is just a big glass of sugar water....raw juice is bursting with enzymes and vitamins. coke, pepsi, or even pasteurized grape juice is nothing but sugar water.

sweet raw juices are an awesome treat though, maybe once a week, and make your skin look great!

Metallux

"detox diets" also seems to be bogus. I always thought the body was pretty good at taking care of these things by itself, but I came across this documentary that clinched it for me--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMC-D7uu3L8

consistently eating well is the better practice--

PikaKnight

"detox diets" also seems to be bogus. I always thought the body was pretty good at taking care of these things by itself, but I came across this documentary that clinched it for me--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMC-D7uu3L8

consistently eating well is the better practice--

Exactly. The body detoxes itself.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/821828-detoxes-and-cleanses

WBB55

green juices are much lower in calories and easier on the blood sugar.

I agree with this. Making your morning juice "green" by using things like kale, cucumber, broccoli and spinach can be really tasty. You get all the vitamins, enzymes and protein (and carbs of course) without having to eat huge bowls of greens. I like to throw in half an apple, half a lemon, and a little ginger root for flavor.

now_or_never13

You would still be getting the majority of calories in the juice.. just without the fiber (which is a very important part of any diet). Why do you juice? It doesn't provide any real benefits besides being able to drink the food items. It is much better for you to actually eat the foods you are juicing as by juicing you are removing the majority of the fiber and nutrients from the skins of the foods.

As for the detox, there is no need to do one. You have functioning organs. The world is so hyped up on detoxing and cleansing when it really isn't required.

eltontoborracho

You guys are completely right about juicing green. I like to vary between juices and smoothies, in both fruit and vegetables. Like last night, I had a green smoothie with cucumbers, spinach, and bell peppers. I do have a big sweet tooth and the fruit juices help fullfill that, in which I think is one of the healthier ways to go. I have done some research, there are still a lot of nutrients in the juice, but, of course, the fiber has many more.

Those detox sites really helped. Thanks for sharing those.

I really appreciate all the help you guys have provided. I might just have to make half veggie and half fruit juices when I want them to get the sweetness and filling affect.

veganashley

Why not get a blender and make smoothies instead? They are far more filling than juice, and you will get the nutritional benefits of consuming the whole fruit/vegetable. If you start adding things like seeds, nut butters, protein powders, etc., your drink becomes a full meal.

lyrical_melody

http://www.livestrong.com/article/500851-how-to-keep-track-of-calories-with-juicing/

I was wondering the same thing and this is what I found on my search.....check it out.