Juicing: I'm not quite sure...

exstromn
exstromn Posts: 176 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
Hello, I have heard many benefits of juicing and am mildly interested in starting. My reservations are about texture and taste. Worried lots of greens will tast like my yard and I don't want to get turned off. Suggestions?

Replies

  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
    Don't do it. Steroids will mess up your life. Stay safe. ;)
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    There are no real benefits to juicing other than it being a nice drink.

    That said, nothing wrong with a nice juice - just make sure you include the calories.

  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    Just eat the fruits and vegetables whole instead.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    There are no special benefits to juicing. You take a whole food, separate the calories/nutrients and fiber and then throw the fiber away. Seems silly to me, fiber is good for digestion and helps you feel full.
  • CandiceMcD
    CandiceMcD Posts: 115 Member
    I really enjoy my nutribullet morning smoothies. Cup of greens, cup (or little less) of frozen fruit, coconut water/unsweetened vanilla almond milk to the line.
  • StephanieReynolds1971
    StephanieReynolds1971 Posts: 2 Member
    I love juicing!
    My 3 year old daughter loves it too
    I hear what everyone says about it not being any healthier for you, but it feels like a treat for me to drink anything but water and I KNOW it is good for me. I eat all the pulp for lunch that day in a salad with olive oil and salt. I always include a one inch piece of ginger in my juice to spice it up and it is a great anti inflammatory
    I have s Breville juicer and love it
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    I use my Nutribullet for smoothies too. Spinach is really mild and isn't offensive with fruit (I like strawberries and oranges with it). I tried beets once and the smoothie tasted like dirt. I have also found that apples and carrots make it thick and chewy, which isn't a nice texture for a drink.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Search previous threads much?

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10130820/all-fruit-or-vegtable-juice-diet

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10127509/juicing

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10125467/juicing-for-weight-loss
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Oh and this, lulz

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10120483/okay-this-is-how-to-really-juice
  • CandiceMcD
    CandiceMcD Posts: 115 Member
    I agree about the carrots - that was a try and fail. Baby kale is okay, but regular kale tasted like my lawn. I like spinach or a spinach spring mix. I add 2 tsp of chia seeds too since they are little nutritional bad as*es
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    Smoothies are not juices, people!
  • fobalious82
    fobalious82 Posts: 26 Member
    I have a nutribullet and I LOVE it , best thing I ever bought !! Xx
  • SconnieCat
    SconnieCat Posts: 770 Member
    slideaway1 wrote: »
    Don't do it. Steroids will mess up your life. Stay safe. ;)

    Ba dum tsssssssss.
    ASKyle wrote: »
    Smoothies are not juices, people!

    Annnnnd this.


    OP - you're essentially stripping away fiber and other micro-nutrients you need when you juice. Smoothies are a way to retain that fiber and some of the micro-nutrients; however, why not chew your food?

    There's nothing wrong with juice. I LOVE grapefruit juice when I'm hungover (or mixed in with tequila)... just make sure you log it.
  • carebears1973
    carebears1973 Posts: 63 Member
    Hiya, I love juicing and there are LOTS of health benefits to juicing. I eat healthy and have juices as and when in between. My favourite juice is one whole large, fresh beetroot (with the skin), 4 carrots (with the skin) and a golden delicious apple (with the skin)...it tastes gorgeous!! Also, I have read people talking about loosing nutrients....if you buy a centrifuge juicer it juices at high speed and yes, the juices do loose some of the nutrients. But slow, masticating juicers keep the nutrients, some even keep 100% of the nutrients. It tastes fab, makes you feel fab and adds extra vitamins and nutrients to your healthy diet. If you want any advice or recipes, add me as a friend on here and inbox me.
  • bigislandgrrl
    bigislandgrrl Posts: 196 Member
    You don't think there is nutritional value to juicing? Ever think about the fact that because we juice we are getting the nutrients of far more vegetables than a person could possibly sit down and eat whole? You're right about the loss of some fiber - however, can you sit down and eat a dozen carrots and a head of kale? I can - when I drink them. Fortunately you are NOT my nutritionist.
    Juice away - many extremely healthy and great tasting combinations out there, you just need to experiment and see what you like. I started by always using an apple to sweeten it up, but you will learn to love it without as well. Have fun!
  • Bghere1
    Bghere1 Posts: 78 Member
    I enjoyed juicing too in my 20's. ooohhhhh wait that juicing. sorry
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited August 2015
    Sorry for the necropost, but in case someone does a search looking for info, I want them to find
    solid scientific reasons to dissuade them from 'juicing'.

    Drinking a lot of juice is not a healthy way to lose weight, and if you go over your necessary calories you _won't_
    lose weight. Eating calories tells your body it's full. Drinking calories does not.

    Here's a good place to start searching for reliable peer-reviewed research about health topics:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19110020
    The effect of fruit in different forms on energy intake and satiety at a meal
    "whole apple increased satiety more than applesauce or apple juice... results suggest that solid fruit affects satiety
    more than pureed fruit or juice, and that eating fruit at the start of a meal can reduce energy intake."
    The abstract has a link to the full article, for free.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6259919
    The role of dietary fiber in satiety, glucose, and insulin: studies with fruit and fruit juice
    "Satiety, assessed by two subjective scoring systems, was greater after whole fruit than after juice and the return of
    appetite was delayed. With oranges, as previously reported with apples, there was a significantly smaller insulin
    response to fruit than to juice and less postabsorptive fall in plasma glucose."

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17579632
    Effects of food form on appetite and energy intake in lean and obese young adults
    "total daily energy intake was significantly higher ... on days the beverage forms of the high-carbohydrate, -fat and
    -protein foods were ingested... This was due more to a weak effect on satiety"
    (IOW, solid foods are more satisfying, even if the liquid form has the same # of calories.)
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    bigislandgrrl wrote:
    Ever think about the fact that because we juice we are getting the nutrients of far more vegetables
    than a person could possibly sit down and eat whole? ... can you sit down and eat a dozen carrots and a head of
    kale? I can - when I drink them.
    Um, yes, that's a reason NOT to juice (in addition to the scientific findings in my previous post).
    You won't feel as full, you won't get the fiber (and some nutrients, depending on how you 'juice'), and you'll take
    in more calories.
    Is getting more micronutrients (by eating more veggies) worth spending the extra calories, which you would not
    otherwise have eaten?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    juicing is a nice way of supplementing your veg/fruit intake while enjoying a tasty beverage...that's about it benefit wise...it's not magic or anything...it's just juice.
  • Mezzie1024
    Mezzie1024 Posts: 380 Member
    edited August 2015
    I'm not going to get into the it's-healthy/no-it's-not debate. I honestly don't know. Fiber is important, but so are vitamins. High sugar can be problematic, especially for some individuals; for others it might provide a needed energy boost.

    I pull out my juicer when I want a treat. It's kind of a pain to clean, so I don't use it often. As far as kitchen gadgets go, I use it less than my tortilla press, rice cooker, and crock pot. I use it more than my waffle maker and popsicle molds.

    Here's my absolute favorite juice:
    carrots (enough to fill 3/4 the glass)
    orange (one large will almost fill the glass)
    beet (about 1/4-1/2 depending on the size)
    ginger (about 2-3 inches)

    It's best when all the ingredients have been chilled first. Delicious!

    My second favorite:
    carrots (enough to fill 7/8 of the glass)
    spinach (enough to fill the rest of the glass; you can substitute pretty much any other green)
    ginger (optional; about 1 inch. I love ginger, but occasionally I just want the sweet carrot flavor).

    Good juicers are pricey and take up a fair bit of space, so I wouldn't recommend buying one unless you know you like juices. Maybe take a few trips to a juice bar before jumping in. When I pull mine out, I'm glad I have one, but I'm not sure I use it often enough to justify the money I spent or the space it takes up.




  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I don't juice but my son tried it...it was a disaster! There was not only the expense of the juicer but he found that he was spending a lot of money on fruits and vegetables. Then there was the mess to be cleaned up afterwards.

    He got rid of his juicer and just ate the vegetables and fruit.
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