ASK JILL: To juice or not to juice: That is the question

Friday, 25 June 2010 09:02 Jill MacInnes

When I began yoga classes last year, my instructor and friend Gina Benkendorf suggested I try juicing as a means of adding more fruit and vegetables to my diet. I was skeptical but found a good priced juicer at Costco and have been juicing ever since.

Let’s take a moment and compare the store bought juice to the real thing. Most juices in the store are fruit juice made from concentrate. V-8, which claims to be healthy vegetable juice. is full of sodium and preservatives that allow it to remain on the shelf awhile.

Jill MacInnes

Even Odwalla is heated and adds man-made vitamin E and packs a heavy 22 grams of sugar.

Fresh juice is made and consumed immediately allowing the body to reap all the nutritious benefits without the added sugar, salt or preservatives.

So the question is not only whether to juice but how to make it easier.

You should start with a green base of vegetables for the juice and then add in some fruit for sweetness and additional vitamins.

Vegetables contain a variety of minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients that help boost your immune system. Good starts are kale, romaine, bok choy, cucumber, swiss chard, and celery. You can experiment with your favorites.

Try for organic, but if that isn’t available, any vegetables are better then none. Rinse all the vegetable that you would like to juice for the week and store them in airtight container.

Dry them and they will last about a week without spoiling.

Take your favorite fruit, be they pineapple, apple, pear, kiwi, or lemon (you can use the rind), watermelon or mango.

Start with 2-3 leaves of kale or 2 cups of greens; see how much liquid it makes. Then add the fruit -- ½ an apple and ½ a pear. Some slices of pineapple.

Experiment. See what tastes best.

Most times when you purchase a juicer you get simple recipes included. I recommend the Jack Lalanne or
Breville. They are on the cheaper end and are great for beginners.

As with most things that are worthwhile, juicing is a little bit of work. but the rewards are worth the effort.

Drink to your health!

My favorite juice recipe:
2 kale leaves
½ cucumber
1 apple
½ pear
2 stalks of celery

Check dailyhealth.com for additional recipes. For more ideas on healthy eats feel free to contact Jill at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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