After watching "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" I'm juicing

Juicing is a lot of work and money. Yes, it is all easy to buy, but the cleaning of the food, the juicing and then the clean up after that is a lot of work and takes time. And things like beets and carrots can stain your counter tops if you splash. I love Green Machine by Odwalla or that other company that I can't think of, it's good enough and much cheaper than the amount of produce you would have to buy to make the same amount.

I agree with borrowing a juicer and see how you feel about it. I have juiced several times in my life and the important thing to remember is that it is not calorie free and it is nutrient and fairly calorie dense for what it is. It is a meal, it's not a snack.

Good luck though, I think everyone should try it once, if you like it, good on you, if not, at least you know. Celery will add a nice spiciness to anything you make.

I read that you want to really research the different juicers because those that use spinning blades to juice can heat up the juice which "supposedly" ruins some of the juicing properties.

Also, I like that you say it's just to add to your diet, not replacing. I think it's a great addition to a healthy, colorful diet, but obviously it should still be well-rounded.

We had a Jack Lalanne (I think that was it. We got it from Costco) and we weren't crazy about it. But then again, I didn't do too much research.

Also, there were other comments about that documentary, I watched it and I'm pretty sure there were no brands evident on the juicers. They showed drinking the juices a lot but not the actual machines or anything. It wasn't like a huge infomercial for juicers.

Juicing is something I wanna get into a little later down the road. Seems like a much quicker way to have a "salad" then spending 30 minutes to actually chop it all up with a knife. I see no problem with juicing as long as you use a device that doesn't separate the pulp/fiber.

I've spent >30 minutes cleaning a juicer before...

...but maybe they're not like this now as this was 15ish years ago...(or maybe I was just doing it wrong).

Bottlehouse Farms have a wonderful selection of juices you can choose from. I love the Vanilla Tea and Green Goodness. I would strongly recommend those - plus they're organic!

Green Goodness is sooo good! I go easy on it though because it is so high in sugar.

Juicing is something I wanna get into a little later down the road. Seems like a much quicker way to have a "salad" then spending 30 minutes to actually chop it all up with a knife. I see no problem with juicing as long as you use a device that doesn't separate the pulp/fiber.

I've spent >30 minutes cleaning a juicer before...

...but maybe they're not like this now as this was 15ish years ago...(or maybe I was just doing it wrong).

LOL! I once spent 30 minutes buttering a piece of toast when I was younger, but I had a "toxin" in my system at the time. My juicer takes about 3 minutes to clean. At least, sober it does.

Wow. I am surprised at how negative most are being about your choice to juice as well as eat healthy foods. I think it's a great idea. You might want to peruse Amazon and look for the highest rated juicer at your preferred price. Checking the user comments and photos usually give you a really good idea at how good a product is. Hope this helps! Best of luck.

Exactly. I didn't say I was not eating anything else, I just said I was added it to my lifestyle change. Were here for support, if you don't agree then don't comment. Everything is not for everybody. Find what works for you and be healthy.

I was just trying to save you some frustration and money; if you borrow one first and love it then you can go buy one and no harm done. If you buy one and it isn't for you that's alot of money and not a fun experience. A useful function of this forum can be to learn from others' mistakes, I sure have a few times.

What you're describing is pretty much what I do. Not every day, but most days. I'll run some combination of fruits and veggies through the juicer and drink it for breakfast or lunch, and yes it is actually pretty filling. Comes out usually to about 250 calories, and I'll have a handful of nuts or something like that alongside. I save the pulp - some of it goes into my vermicomposting bin because it's easy for the little guys to break down, and some of it goes into muffins or sweet bread, or I freeze it into cubes to throw into smoothies. Depends on what it is that I made that particular day - too much spinach or kale does not make for tasty muffins. LOL

There's nothing wrong with it - fresh juice is good for you and a nice way to get the vitamins from a mix of produce you might not normally eat. But I don't think it's a miracle-cure like he made it out to be. And given the nutritionally-drained, pesticide-coated state of supermarket produce these days, there's no "detoxing" benefit to be found in it unless you are organically growing heirloom produce in your own properly-enriched soil far away from air pollution, contaminated groundwater, etc etc etc. Also one thing he didn't mention on the video is that on a juice-only diet you would need to do regular enemas because of the complete lack of fiber. (That is taken straight from a juicing diet plan that I paid for last year and quit after two days.)

I definitely agree with borrowing a juicer first before you drop $50-100. Or find one at a second-hand shop - I got mine for $4.00! ) Just like a breadmaker, a juicer is something a lot of people buy, get excited about, and put away after a couple of weeks. Cleaning isn't that bad if you get one with dishwasher-safe pieces. I probably spend about 10-15 minutes on prep and cleanup - the spinner part is the worst but I've found that if I rinse it under the sink sprayer and then put it in the dishwasher it usually comes out clean. The secret is to clean it before the pulp has a chance to dry on it.

I think and a little juicing is not bad. Get a little bit more vitamins out of it.
I especially like the ideas of using whole foods only, and how industry has
taken everything out of products that was ever good for us and put it into everything.
For example corn and wheat.

I just got a big boss juicer through a living social deal and it works just fine for me. With all the things being said good/bad about juicing you wont know how it will be for you personally unless you do it. Everyone's body is different all you can do is try and see how you feel.

I know there is probably no way I could ever do a juice fast, but Ill say I am def getting more veggies and fruits in me now than before I bought the juicer.

Juicing cuts out a significant amount of "fibre" from your diet since you aren't eating any of the cellulose that comes from fruits and veggies.

come again? :huh:

I am new to this, but I am helping a friend out with her "juicing" fast to help re-regulate her digestive system. I am replacing one real meal a day (at random) to show support. But the more I look into it, the more I can see the benefits of blending. Here are a couple articles from Mayo and Livestrong about Juicing and Blending. They are worth checking out if you are contemplating it (as I am):

http://www.livestrong.com/article/541437-vegetable-juicing-vs-blending/

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107

I wish everyone wouldn't just say NO WAY, right away. I personally did a juice fast for 10 days, and it was a GREAT experience for me. I did it while working, taking care of my son and family, still cooking dinner for them, still grocery shopping, still excercising....I still did everything. It was not just a challenge for me to try to lose weight but I wanted to challenge myself mentally too because that's what it really came down to. I did it and it was really rewarding for me. I lost 10lbs in 10 days and kept it off and have lost another 20lbs. since. Some people disagree with it but this was my experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

I didn't feel well for the first 2 days but I could function. By the 3rd day I was feeling myself with even a little more energy than usual.
It did suck cleaning the juicer every day but it was only 10 days so no big deal, and I spent a little more on groceries than usual because of all the fruits and veggies I went through, but again, it was only 10 days.

To those who say just eat what you would juice, physically you can't. You put so much into the juicer to maximize the nutrients you are getting.

Even if you don't plan to fast I still highly recommend juicing. Many people juice after workouts to get all those nutrients right away and it's a great way just to make sure you are getting all your servings of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.

I think it's a great idea. If you want to see how my fast went I wrote a blog during my 10 days: juicemom1.blogspot.com

Good luck!

By the way I use a Breville and I love it.

yeah - love the video - though I don't personally subscribe to the "juice fast" part of it, I have incorporated 1 mean green juice first thing in the morning - feel great

Does no-one like to CHEW any more?

actually. I don't like chewing in the morning. I prefer protein shakes for breakfast. I juice to ADD to my meal, usually at lunch.

I don't use my juicer a lot but sometimes we will have a big bag of oranges or pears or something (thanks Costco) that are all ripe at once and throwing them in the juicer is a lot better than throwing them away! The pulp gets composted usually- but I'm looking for some good recipes that can incorporate it.

I don't really understand juice fasts or juicing as a lifestyle. And I''m skeptical of any claims of "detoxing" or "cleansing". But as just another way to prepare healthy foods it's terrific. Everything we do to prepare our food changes it and often affects the nutritional properties so I also don't understand arguments against juicing that are based on the idea that you lose fiber so you should always just eat the whole fruit/vegetable. Sure you do! So what? It's not always possible or desirable for everyone to do what is optimal from a nutrition standpoint. And it can be quite boring.

I say have fun exploring new ways to prepare food that are exciting for you and appeal to your taste. Make the healthiest choices you can make, understand the trade-offs, and you'll be fine.