Juicers Vs Blenders

Besides the extraordinary health benefits one can get from juicing regularly, the best part of juicing is all the delicious juice recipes you can create by mixing and matching fresh fruits and vegetables. By having a variety of great juice recipes for juicing in your repertoire and continuing to experiment, you will come to enjoy juicing and make it easier for yourself to adopt the habit on a regular basis. The guidelines that follow will set you on the right path toward creating healthy and flavorful juice recipes while getting the most out of your juicer.

Before discussing recipe creation, however, it's important address the differences between juicers and blenders. Many people make the mistake of using a blender when they begin juicing and may not realize that juicers and blenders are different appliances with different functions. Juicers squeeze the liquid out of fruits and vegetables while extracting the solid pulp, including the skin and any rind, stem, or other fibrous parts. So, the end product is a relatively thin liquid that is similar to the consistency of V8. On the other hand, blenders mix all parts of the fruits and vegetables up together, creating a more slurry-like consistency whose thickness will depend on the water content of the ingredients and the amount of fibrous material included. Unless you have a very high-end blender, the resulting creation will likely be clumpy with bits of skin,
seeds, and rind. To ensure you create a juice that is easy to drink, you will want to use a juicer.

So, what are the best fruits and vegetables for juicing?
The answer to this question depends on how healthy you want your juices to be and which specific nutrients (if any) you are targeting, your level of experience with juicing and consuming certain types of vegetables, and of course your personal tastes and preferences. Most fruits and vegetables can be juiced, although some will yield more juice than others. You will want to avoid juicing soft fruits like bananas and avocados since they have a low water content and for this reason can clog up your
juicer.

All fruits are vegetables are great sources of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which are all essential for a healthy diet, but some are more healthy than others. Vegetables generally contain less sugar than fruits, and thus if you are diabetic or looking to minimize your sugar intake, you will want to use predominantly vegetables in your juices, perhaps adding a small amount of fruit for flavor. Dark, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are very nutrient dense and contain a plethora of disease-fighting, anti-aging phytonutrients, so those are a great choice for inclusion in your juices. However, if you are new to juicing, you may want to start with a smaller amount of these vegetables and increase the amount gradually to allow your body to become accustomed to them. It is worth keeping in mind that any digestive discomfort should be viewed as positive from a health standpoint, as it is a just a symptom of toxins being released from your body for elimination. Dark leafy greens are also usually somewhat bitter, so it is a good idea to neutralize them with more mild vegetables like celery or cucumber, for example, or stronger fruits such as berries and citrus.

Another excellent strategy to use when creating juice recipes for juicing is to use a range of different-colored fruits and vegetables, since different colors indicate the presence of different nutrients. Think about each fruit and vegetable's individual taste and which ones would go well together. Feel free to experiment with different combinations. You can also add herbs such as parsely and cilantro, or even a little ginger to give your recipe some zing. If you are looking to make a juice more sweet but are concerned about sugar content, consider adding some honey or stevia. The key is to be creative and have fun with it.

Before throwing your fruits and vegetables into the juicer, there are a few final points worth remembering. First, although juicing shouldn't require much preparation, it is best to chop up your fruits and vegetables first to make it easier for your juicer to extract the juice. This practice should also extend the life of your juicer. Second, It is also important to remove any large seeds or pits before juicing for obvious reasons. Finally, when juicing citrus fruits, it is a good idea to remove the peel for easier processing, but leave as much of the white pith on as possible, as it has a high nutrient density.

Now, you know enough to get started making your own healthy, delicious juice recipes with your juicer!