Super Juicy Juicing Recipes

If you only want orange juice a simple citrus press will suit you just fine but when you progress on to wheatgrass and carrots or perhaps root ginger you will need one of the many juicers there are now on the market.

I have to say that experience has proven to me that many of the juicers you can buy at your local electrical outlet are just not man enough for the job. Worse still, they produce fairly disgusting juice that has a scummy looking foam on the top. Oxygen is introduced during the juicing process, which destroys nutrients and all-in-all, they are not good.

If you are serious about juicing you need to go for one of the specialist machines and the type of food you want to process for juice will dictate the type of machine you buy. Take a look at juicer reviews where individuals are encouraged to leave their own views about the juicers they have purchased. It might help you avoid making a costly mistake.

The first step in understanding the different juicers is to have a rough idea how they work.

Centrifugal juicers spin a very fine grater at very high speed. The pieces of fruit and vegetable are dropped down a chute and when they hit the grater the pulp is separated from the juice with the juice being 'spun' out in one direction through a centrifugal motion and the pulp in another. These machines are quick to use and usually fairly easy to clean but they are noisy, they get hot - which destroys nutrients and they can introduce oxygen to the juice which once again affects nutritional value.

A variation on this theme is the whole fruit centrifugal juicer which operates in exactly the same way but the large feeder chute allows whole fruits to be processed. This obviously reduces preparation times. I personally cannot recommend any of these machines because of their very high operating temperatures and the horrible foam they produce which sits on top of the juice like a scum.

Masticating juicers 'chew' the food to be juiced, breaking down fibres and squeezing out the juice. They operate at relatively slow speeds and therefore do not generate so much heat. A type of masticating juicer is the single auger type which works like an old fashioned mincer. A screw like device rotates and crushes and pulverises the food against a mesh screen which allows the juice to pass through.

If you are in the market for a juicer drop by Juicer Bargains to check for machines at the best prices.

1. Everyone is familiar with Fruit Juices These nutrient rich juices cleanse and nourish whilst offering anti-oxidant protection too.

Don't be afraid to process the whole fruit through your juicer, first making sure that all skins and rinds have been thoroughly washed and cleaned.

Some soft fruits are better processed in a liquidiser or blender as the fibre within them is so soft it is easily processed within the digestive tract.

Don't be tempted to gulp down fruit juices. Sip them, hold them in your mouth to give the saliva a chance to begin the process of digestion. Savour the flavour and the freshness of the taste.

2. Green juices are the next group and these are the cleansers; the detoxers and the rejuvenators. (I'm making words up here as I go, but you get the picture) Green juices are very good for you but they don't always taste that good so be warned!

Green juices are full of chlorophyll which, in its chemical make-up, is the closest thing to blood we have. This makes sense as it it is the life force of plants in much the same way as our circulatory systems are our life force too.

3. Finally we come to vegetable juices. These are wonderful for restoring the pH balance of the body to an optimum close to alkaline state. Any vegetable can be juiced. Adding garlic to the juicer will give the immune system a boost although it may make you a little unpopular with your lover.....

It is the vegetable juices that should be embraced by slimmers as they are wonderful for breaking down fat deposits and increasing metabolism.

Juicer recipes are very much a matter of personal taste and preference. Think about your health and the needs of your body. You might consider a green juice at night to work its cleansing magic whilst you sleep. An energising fruit juice in the morning to give you a burst of energy. A welcome vegetable juice later in the day to counter the effects of any acid forming food you have eaten.

Juicing can become a way of life very easily. With the right equipment and the right preparation it is quick and easy to do and your body will thank you for it.

If your looking for juicing ideas then the best place to start is your fruit bowl and veg rack! It sounds obvious but if you've got the right juicer you can juice almost anything though it must be said that some things go better together than others. My tip would be to buy what's in season then it tends to taste better and save you money at the same time! For me, a lot of it depends on my mood. If I'm feeling tired and in need of an energy boost, I tend to go for something carroty, especially with apples and a bit of ginger or orange and pineapple. My favourite juices in the summer tend to include melon or strawberry. While in winter I favour tomatoes and celerys with a warming dash of tabasco. For a cold I drink red pepper and clementines for the vitamin C. My fallback fave is always pear, I love pears! These are just a few of my juicing ideas, have fun juicing!

Here is my favourite juice recipe

Apple and pear juice

2 apples
2 pears
Squeeze of lemon
Teaspoon ground cinammon

Peel and core the apples and pears and chop them into chunks.
Juice the apples first then the pears (pears can clog up the filter)
Add the lemon juice and cinammon
Stir and drink

Juicing fresh fruit and vegetables brings many health benefits. Fruit and veg are packed with vitamins and minerals and other key nutrients and even more so when consumed raw as when juiced. A good juicer can handle pulp, skin and even pips so none of the goodness is thrown away. Juicing has been proved to benefit the skin, liver and kidneys. Homemade juice is low in fat and can be an aid to maintaining healthy weight and a healthy heart. Juicing also has a beneficial anti-oxident effect which can aid the elimination of toxins that accumulate in our bodies.

I've also found that juicing has plenty of other benefits. It's fun!, I love experimenting with different fruits and vegetables and finding great new combinations. It's also cheaper than buying readymade juice and is really useful foe using up left over fruit and veg so cuts down on waste. You can juice organic, you can juice seasonal, you can even grow your own and juice that! The list of juicing benefits goes on, feel free to your own in the comments section below!