Does anybody juice?

_EndGame_
_EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I watched a couple of documentaries on juicing, which I thought looked quite good. So, I bought a juicer and a book on good recipes, and have been juicing in the mornings and evenings. I really do enjoy the juices, but there is people on here and outside of MFP that have completely replaced ALL FOOD with juicing! They say that the first 3 day's are quite bad, then the headaches disappear, skin brightens up, you stop feeling sluggish - sounds like a miracle, right?

Anyway, I just want to know if anybody else out there juices? Do you juice full time, or do you just replace the odd meal with it, or do you just incorporate it to your normal diet? I have found that I have ALOT of energy about an hour after having a juice, which is great for when I go swimming, but I do seem to run out of steam pretty quickly. So yeah, at the minute, I've replaced breakfast with juicing. I just want to get some feedback from other people who do it on a regular basis!
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Replies

  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    The fruit and veg I mainly use is carrots, apples, pears, lemons, celery, oranges, blueberries, raspberries and cucumber. I've still got to try out the sweet potatoes and kale. It's interesting mixing stuff up just to see what it tastes like. The celery ones are quite overpowering though - I'm not a huge fan of celery!
  • bubbles1212
    bubbles1212 Posts: 206 Member
    I just started juicing again. I do it with my normal diet. If I feel like I won't get enough fruits/veggies from food, I juice them. If you plan to replace your food with juice, I would talk to a Dr. first.
  • prism1968
    prism1968 Posts: 121 Member
    I just gave my juicer to my daughter yesterday because I didn't have good results with it... but, some people swear by it. I was just doing the breakfast replacement, although I did try a 3-day juice only fast (and ended up on antibiotics). Each time I was consistent with the juicing, I got cold sores or otherwise some kind of infection :( Ughhhh, I really wanted to like it after watching the documentaries and hearing other folks' results!

    Good luck with it! If your body handles it well, then it is a great way to get a pile of nutrients in a small dose :)
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I just started juicing again. I do it with my normal diet. If I feel like I won't get enough fruits/veggies from food, I juice them. If you plan to replace your food with juice, I would talk to a Dr. first.

    Well, at first I was going to replace all meals, it's called a "reboot" but I soon discovered that there was no way I could replace all food with all juice. I just enjoy eating too much. So, in the end, I just decided to replace breakfast with a juice, then sometimes I have one in the evenings.
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    I do juice just once a day. I like to chew food:laugh: I do try to go easy on juicing too many fruits though. Sometimes in the afternoon I juice an apple, ginger and then top with soda water....very yummy.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I just gave my juicer to my daughter yesterday because I didn't have good results with it... but, some people swear by it. I was just doing the breakfast replacement, although I did try a 3-day juice only fast (and ended up on antibiotics). Each time I was consistent with the juicing, I got cold sores or otherwise some kind of infection :( Ughhhh, I really wanted to like it after watching the documentaries and hearing other folks' results!

    Good luck with it! If your body handles it well, then it is a great way to get a pile of nutrients in a small dose :)

    Aye, I concur, the whole 3 day juice replacement is too much. Breakfast, however, is something I can deal with, given that I'm not really a breakfast person. Drinking a juice is easier than eating in the mornings!

    Sorry it didn't work for you. I knew it was one of them things that people either swear by, or down right condemn!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I do juice just once a day. I like to chew food:laugh: I do try to go easy on juicing too many fruits though. Sometimes in the afternoon I juice an apple, ginger and then top with soda water....very yummy.

    Ginger! That's not something I've tried yet. It's meant to be quite tricky to juice I've heard? Has the potential to destroy your juicer? Cinnamon is something I have in and haven't tried yet.

    Apparently cinnamon, pears and apples are meat to be a really nice mixture?!
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    I do juice just once a day. I like to chew food:laugh: I do try to go easy on juicing too many fruits though. Sometimes in the afternoon I juice an apple, ginger and then top with soda water....very yummy.

    Ginger! That's not something I've tried yet. It's meant to be quite tricky to juice I've heard? Has the potential to destroy your juicer? Cinnamon is something I have in and haven't tried yet.

    Apparently cinnamon, pears and apples are meat to be a really nice mixture?!

    No the ginger is pretty easy to juice....just go easy on the amount. It does have a great kick to it. Haven't tried cinnamon yet, but sounds good.
  • Cerakoala
    Cerakoala Posts: 2,547 Member
    I have not tried juicing yet but now I am very interested thanks for posting this thread and the responses :)
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Yeah, ginger is something I can imagine being quite overpowering.

    Typo above, btw, I don't put "meat" in my juices!

    Onions are something I thought about juicing, I love onions, but not sure how they would taste in a juice, given that they're quite overpowering!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I have not tried juicing yet but now I am very interested thanks for posting this thread and the responses :)

    203lbs lost, that's amazing, btw!

    Yeah, give it a try! You must be in the same boat as me, now I've lost 135lbs just by keeping a deficit and starting swimming, I'm looking at new methods to shake some extra lbs!
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    Yeah, ginger is something I can imagine being quite overpowering.

    Typo above, btw, I don't put "meat" in my juices!

    Onions are something I thought about juicing, I love onions, but not sure how they would taste in a juice, given that they're quite overpowering!

    Yipes onions:noway: Kale is good try that, and parsley is supposed to be good.
  • baba_helly
    baba_helly Posts: 810 Member
    I juice as often as I can. I incorporate it into my daily activity and I also feel much more energized after I do it. My favorite flavor is pineapple but I hear any type of citrus will work. Good luck OP!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Yeah, ginger is something I can imagine being quite overpowering.

    Typo above, btw, I don't put "meat" in my juices!

    Onions are something I thought about juicing, I love onions, but not sure how they would taste in a juice, given that they're quite overpowering!

    Yipes onions:noway: Kale is good try that, and parsley is supposed to be good.

    I actually bought some parsley - have it sitting on the kitchen window, not plucked up the courage to use it yet. I don't want to ruin my juice with something I might not like!
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I juice as often as I can. I incorporate it into my daily activity and I also feel much more energized after I do it. My favorite flavor is pineapple but I hear any type of citrus will work. Good luck OP!

    Yeah, pineapple is something I use, too, I just forgot to mention it! Can I ask what fruits/veggies you use the most? I've found myself using carrots, apples and pears with nearly all my mixes!
  • Luv2eatSweets
    Luv2eatSweets Posts: 221 Member
    Yeah, ginger is something I can imagine being quite overpowering.

    Typo above, btw, I don't put "meat" in my juices!

    Onions are something I thought about juicing, I love onions, but not sure how they would taste in a juice, given that they're quite overpowering!


    Well it will only get wilted ....so just jump in there. Close your eyes, and chug it down
    Yipes onions:noway: Kale is good try that, and parsley is supposed to be good.

    I actually bought some parsley - have it sitting on the kitchen window, not plucked up the courage to use it yet. I don't want to ruin my juice with something I might not like!


    Duhh!!! forgot how to use quote button
  • Cerakoala
    Cerakoala Posts: 2,547 Member
    :) Thank you and congrats on your weight loss too! Just awesome :) I am always looking for new things to try. I grow bored of foods easily lol so always like to try new things :)
  • nicklippa
    nicklippa Posts: 31 Member
    Let me state first that I am not a rep for any company just so you don't get the wrong idea. I used to juice all the time but my wife and I just spent so much time peeling veggies and then much time scrubbing the juicer when we were done it took the fun out of juicing.

    So we discovered a company that has carrot, beet, barley, pea protein in powder format and we put in with water in our magic bullet and viola we have juice. 1 minute to clean and rinse and we are done. While I prefer to drink real juice from a juicer, I haven't seen one that is easy to clean and we've had 3 of them.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    :) Thank you and congrats on your weight loss too! Just awesome :) I am always looking for new things to try. I grow bored of foods easily lol so always like to try new things :)

    I'm the opposite! I love to eat the same foods, but now I've lost this much weight, I'm having difficulty keeping up the progress!

    @Luv2eatsweets - I do that all the time, I once quoted myself 4 times, in the same post, if that makes sense? Lol.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    Let me state first that I am not a rep for any company just so you don't get the wrong idea. I used to juice all the time but my wife and I just spent so much time peeling veggies and then much time scrubbing the juicer when we were done it took the fun out of juicing.

    So we discovered a company that has carrot, beet, barley, pea protein in powder format and we put in with water in our magic bullet and viola we have juice. 1 minute to clean and rinse and we are done. While I prefer to drink real juice from a juicer, I haven't seen one that is easy to clean and we've had 3 of them.

    You know, I tried the juicing thing for about a day 3 or 4 years back, I used the machine once, liked it, then never used it again! that was mainly due to the complex machine, that had about 1000 different parts, the juicer I have now is really easy and quick to use and clean!
  • shane_tac1
    shane_tac1 Posts: 35 Member
    My gf juiced for awhile. She tried to get me to do it. I tried some of the juices and they didnt taste that bad.
    Costs a fortune though!

    I honestly do not see the appeal though of ditching whole food for juice. I think its another gimmick personally.
    In things like Apples the good stuff is in the skin. I watched a documentary on BBC awhile back and this guy actually peels his apples, eats the skin and throws the rest away. He munches that down daily with mixed berries which have a very low carb count.
    Your also missing out on all the fibre if you ditch whole food.
    Is there anything wrong with juicing in a balanced diet? No not at all but i think there are too many folks who just jump on the band wagon thinking this will be this magic weight loss technique etc.
    I watched Fat Sick and Nearly dead and it seemed to me that both of those guys lived pretty unhealthy lives. They probably could have just fixed their diets and ate healthy and still got good results! Normally when you are in the situation they are in though you resort to extreme measures and any measures if followed consistently will usually work.

    I drink lots of fruit and veg smoothies though! Like you (OP) i dont care much for breakfast so i usually have a shake!
    Egg whites, protein powder, fruit, oats and nuts are my fav for breakfast shake.
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    My gf juiced for awhile. She tried to get me to do it. I tried some of the juices and they didnt taste that bad.
    Costs a fortune though!

    I honestly do not see the appeal though of ditching whole food for juice. I think its another gimmick personally.
    In things like Apples the good stuff is in the skin. I watched a documentary on BBC awhile back and this guy actually peels his apples, eats the skin and throws the rest away. He munches that down daily with mixed berries which have a very low carb count.
    Your also missing out on all the fibre if you ditch whole food.
    Is there anything wrong with juicing in a balanced diet? No not at all but i think there are too many folks who just jump on the band wagon thinking this will be this magic weight loss technique etc.
    I watched Fat Sick and Nearly dead and it seemed to me that both of those guys lived pretty unhealthy lives. They probably could have just fixed their diets and ate healthy and still got good results! Normally when you are in the situation they are in though you resort to extreme measures and any measures if followed consistently will usually work.

    I drink lots of fruit and veg smoothies though! Like you (OP) i dont care much for breakfast so i usually have a shake!
    Egg whites, protein powder, fruit, oats and nuts are my fav for breakfast shake.

    Aye, I know I miss out on the fibre, but I doubt I could bring myself to eat that much whole fruit and veg in one sitting!

    I have for now only replaced breakfast with a juice, I sometimes have one in the evening, but it's not a meal replacement, I just have one to quell the sweet tooth I get sometimes.

    I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead myself - was interesting and one of the key videos I watched on deciding to give it another, proper go. I admire those guys and what they achieved is amazing, but I doubt I could cut out food for juice completely, I would be constantly hungry, which would mean I am constantly miserable!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,242 Member
    I know people who juice the whole fruit - ie things like apples and pears and peaches with skin on.

    Not oranges, pineapples,bananas etc of course - but you don't eat the peel of those when you eat the fruit whole either.

    I guess it makes the juice a bit thicker but you could try it OP if you wanted to have a higher fibre intake.
  • carolineire
    carolineire Posts: 65 Member
    I wouldnt be a big fan of juicing, I considered it as I like blending veg for a smoothie, but it seems juicing just removes the fibre and a lot of the good stuff. I think the whole crazy weight loss with juicing is down to the fact that its a liquid starvation diet, if youre replacing all your meals with juice. No wonder people pile back on weight when they inevitably fail to keep it up, because its just not realistic. Theres also other things you miss out on, like hot food (even though I mostly eat raw), chewing, and how do you enjoy the simple things like sharing food with friends at a restaurant?

    Its good for an addition to your diet, but not really realistic for people who want to do juice fasts instead of actually eating.
  • mygnsac
    mygnsac Posts: 13,413 Member
    I bought this expensive juicer a few months ago, used it once, and am ready to sell it. If I want juice, I find it simpler (less chopping and easier clean up) to just blend it up in the Vitamix and strain it through a nut milk bag. I don't juice for meal replacement. Just for a beverage. One of my favorites is cucumber, carrot, Granny Smith apple and cantaloupe.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    You're running out of energy because you have no protein in your breakfast.
    If you want to juice that's fine, but there is really no point to it. You can get all the nutrients from the veggies by eating them. And juicing full time is an aweful idea.
  • corpus_validum
    corpus_validum Posts: 292 Member
    I enjoy juices on a regular basis to supplement my nutritional needs. At home I go through a wide variety of veggies and still get most of the fiber benefit from using a NutriBullet. I'll also buy green juices from Whole Foods, Nekter that's gone through a centrifugal juicer.

    One advice column on juicing that I found very helpful is the following:
    http://foodbabe.com/2013/08/05/juicing-mistakes/
  • tanyamartha
    tanyamartha Posts: 10
    I just merely fond of juicing..My favorite one is beet root with ginger...I just love it's taste..I also add some oranges,pomegranate and pineapple too.... :):)
  • _EndGame_
    _EndGame_ Posts: 770 Member
    I just merely fond of juicing..My favorite one is beet root with ginger...I just love it's taste..I also add some oranges,pomegranate and pineapple too.... :):)

    Beets - I need to try one with beets!
  • prism1968
    prism1968 Posts: 121 Member
    Beets are a great addition!
    They really sweeten the mix (I used to use kale, so needed something to get the 'bitter' out).
    Just be forewarned that your fluid output (lol) may be red/pink... my brother was really alarmed when he first juiced beets and thought he had a deadly disease when he went to the bathroom ;)

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