Quick Tips for Juicing on a Budget– Simple ways to cut costs

A common question I receive from clients and readers is regarding the time and money spent on juicing.

While juicing is more time consuming than pouring a glass of pasteurized OJ from the fridge, and certainly more money upfront (compared to a soda, coffee, or tea), there are many ways to enjoy juicing without all of the mess and added expense. And trust me, the benefits of freshly pressed juiced are well worth it!

For starters, if you are a busy working professional, or mother, like the majority of my amazing clients, you will want to invest in an efficient juicer that is also easy to clean. I suggest the Breville Juicer. Although this is a centrifugal juicer, meaning that you will want to consume the finished juice product more readily to avoid losing those enzymes and nutrients, I would much rather my clients get fresh and unpasteurized juice, than not have the time to juice at all. The Breville Juicer produces a virtually pulp-free product without very little “know-how”, and it is also relatively simple to clean.

But won’t it lose it’s nutrients?!

Ideally, we want to consume this juice immediately, but if you are not ready to infuse your body with all of those nutrients just yet… please hold off until your body is ready. I juice in the morning pre, or post workout, and then pop those little guys into the freezer upon pouring them into my BPA free plastic container. When I am headed out the door, they come along for the ride.

If you are really in a pinch, you can make batches of juices (for about 3 days out), pouring them into their individual containers and freezing them overnight (put them in the freezer immediately). When I am in this sort of bind, I will make my juices on Sunday afternoon/evening for the next three days. Ideally, I like to defrost one juice the night prior in the fridge (for the following day). If I am lucky, I have access to a company specializing in cold-pressed juices. Due to the dual processing of the juice (and the extra time invested in making it), a cold-pressed juice will maintain their enzymes and nutrients for a more substantial period of time. Currently, in Dallas, that grocer for me is the Green Grocer on Greenville. Check them out.

As far as the price of juice goes, I have many tricks for creating budget friendly and nutrient dense juices.

Juice Components

Something sweet:

Carrots make for a great sweetener. You can generally get a “good price” on organic carrots when bought in bulk. Costco is a great place to look for organic deals. Whole Foods Market also sells 15 pounds of carrots for about <$1/pound.

Other common “sweeter” options are: beets, apples, and pears.

Don’t go crazy on the sweet juices though. (For a 16 oz Juice:  I recommend making 4-8 oz of carrot juice– leaning towards the “less is more” for those already accustomed to juicing. The remaining juice should consist of GREENS. For apples and pears, stay under 4-6 oz per 16 oz juice. This is about 1-1 1/2 apples.) If you are feeling backed up, organic beets are an excellent way to stimulate digestion. Try half and half, (half beet (2-4 oz), and half carrot (4 oz)) and making the remaining 8-12 oz green (hold the lemon).

Stick with one “sweet” per 16 ounce juice and keep the remaining 8-12 oz a blood stabilizing and purifying combination of the following:

Dark “Leafies”:

I always try to include 1-2 different types of dark green leafy vegetables into my juice. Spinach and Kale are great blood purifiers, and have bone strengthening minerals, like calcium and magnesium, and body building proteins, in the form of amino acids. The “Leafies” don’t produce much juice, but what they do produce is an extremely high concentration of vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyl (think of this as energy from the Sun, and read about more about juicing greens here: “Sacred: The Art of Juicing“). Costco sells a pound of Organic spinach for under $4, and my Farmers Market allows me to snag beautiful and robust kale bunches for just $2. That’s a steal when you think of the nutrients it delivers to the body.

Also try:

• Cilantro
• Parsley
• Watercress
• Mustard Greens (if you like it spicy)

Water Containing Veggies:

These greens give you a plethora of minerals, but also add a lot of volume to your juice!

• Romaine
• Celery
• Cucumbers

One large cucumber, although approximately $2 when organic, can make about 6-8 oz of juice! Celery, cucumbers, and romaine are all extremely hydrating and help to regulate the body’s water levels. Say goodbye to bloat! Celery juice is an excellent source of electrolytes and a wonderful way to “de-bloat” if you feel that you are retaining water.

Tangy:

The whole organic lemon, rinsed well, can also cut the green taste from vegetable juices. If organic, and rinsed well, you can juice the whole thing. Lemons are excellent for aiding in detoxification of the liver. Despite their acidic taste, organic lemons are actually alkaline in the body. Hold the lemon when juicing carrots. I find it makes the juice taste like a “fruit loop”… in an unpleasant way.

Saving Money:

It used to be that I would only buy broccoli florets (because I truly dislike eating their stems), and I would discard the bottoms of my romaine, or the stems of my kale, post making kale salads… Now, I juice it all!

Not only do these little less attractive pieces have nutrients too, but they too contain digestive supporting enzymes and help add volume to your juice. More volume means more juice to drink! Wahoo!

Here are a few items that you can add to your juice (organic is always preferred):

• Lemon rinds
• Kale Stems
• Broccoli stems
• Cauliflower stems
• Beet greens (rinsed thoroughly of dirt)
• The bottom portion of a bunch of romaine, or greens of choice
• Celery ends (rinsed well)
• Pineapple cores

What you won’t see me juicing:

Berries!

• Organic berries are a pricey little number of their own, and do not yield a lot of juice. They are much more beneficial consumed whole, with their fiber intact.

Bananas!

• Bananas belong in smoothies, not in juicers! They have very little water.

I also encourage you to sign up to for the Extremely Green Detox with my lovely mentor, Natalia Rose. Starting Monday, July 1st, which leaves you just today and tomorrow to get signed up, you will have the opportunity to learn from Natalia herself.

The details:

Monday July 1 – Friday August 2, 2013

12:30 PM ET Every Monday & Thursday

100% Virtual

Live & Virtual One Month Guided Intensive Cleanse to Help Rid You of Pathogens, Systemic Yeast, Cellulite and Chronic Illness Once and for All! BONUS: A special protocol for new mamas!

“Take a leap with me even farther than you’ve gone before into the world of self-healing, regeneration, natural beauty and weight loss.”– Natalia Rose

Woohoo! Are you ready? Because I just signed up and I am looking forward to once again joining some of my favorite people in this new program Natalia is offering. We’ve all been chatting about and we hope you will join in with us. Get signed up here ASAP, and let the transformations begin.

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When the dog bites, when the bee stings, these are a few of my favorite things.

I can link just about any mood swing, or a lack of my typical “energizer bunny” energy levels, to what I have consumed and my digestion. Once you know the secrets to superior digestive functioning, you will experience incredible energy, radiant skin, and a unique lightness, in addition to superior health and overall well-being. It starts with what is going on inside.

Digestion is key, and if you have been researching “probiotics” or “digestive health” for any length of time, you have probably come across the statement: “85% of the body’s immune system can be found in the gut.”

When you look up the word “gut” in the dictionary, you will likely come across some sort of reference to the “stomach” or the “belly.” To refer to the stomach as the gut, especially when talking about our immunity, can be very misleading. Our stomach is just a piece of the entire “digestive equation” and thus our immune system.

Once food leaves the stomach it must travel the length of the small and large intestine (25-30 feet). The small intestine is where most nutrient absorption occurs. A lot can happen during this transit time, affecting the way our body does and does not absorb nutrients for energy, beauty, and health. The transit time of our food also dictates the rate at which we accumulate waste. This waste accumulation is linked to disease, weight gain, rapid aging, and cell deterioration. 

There are hundreds of trillions of itty-bitty microorganisms living in harmony along the digestive tract, and functioning as a part of the whole body. Various strains of bacteria help to break down and eliminate waste matter in the intestines. These are often referred to as “good bacteria,” “probiotics,” or “beneficial flora.” Creating a protective barrier along the entire digestive tract, and preventing the invasion of pathogens, viruses, bad bacteria and undigested food particles, these microorganisms are essential to our health.

But when the dog bites (a.k.a. we flood our system with stressors), we compromise the existence of our friendly bacteria, and thus compromise our immune system and health.

To prevent this from occurring, our first line of defense should be a healthy diet. This means focusing our attention on the colors in the produce section, rather than the marbling on our steak, and the “bliss-point” of our snickers bar.

…and the bee stings,

These are a few of my favorite things to help with every day life:

1. Raw Probiotics by Garden of Life. Over the years that I have been working with clients and recommending probiotics, Garden of Life is the brand my clients and I have come to swear by. And by swear by, I mean, when we don’t have them, we notice a difference. In addition to a wholesome diet, probiotics help with digestion, and therefore our energy levels, sugar cravings, youth and longevity, a strong immunity, and our skin, just to name a few. Although Garden of Life’s brand is not vegan, I do find the product produces both short and long-term results. You can get these online here.
2. Fermented foods, like “Spicy Kim-Chi” by Rejuventative foods, help to combat sugar cravings, improve digestion, and strengthen your immunity by providing the body with live cultures (probiotics) that are completely unpasteurized, and vegan. These little organisms can help our body rebuild its own happy colony of beneficial flora. I recommend enjoying this before lunch and dinner, to prevent overeating, and other cravings. Kim-Chi and fermented foods should always be raw and unpasteurized. They should NEVER contain vinegar. You can find Rejuvenative foods in your favorite health food store, like Whole Foods Market, or online. You can also make a probiotic rich and fermented food product in your kitchen.
3. Instead of reaching for sugar, I choose NuNaturals NuStevia. (Preferably the Alcohol-free Vanilla). When times are stressful, I often look for something nostalgic like a hot chocolate. Gratefully, a little bit of cocoa, hot water, and stevia do the trick for me, and I am a happy camper. You can find NuNaturals Alcohol-Free Stevia online here.
4. Raw Cacao by Navitas. Much like a coffee bean makes coffee, chocolate is derived from the cacao bean. Cacao has mood-boosting properties due to Theobromine, a stimulant similar to caffeine (You can read more here: “Can you be addicted to Chocolate?”). For those that are susceptible to anxiety and stress, raw cacao does not seem to have the same nervousness and jittery side effects that coffee, or even a processed cocoa, has. I attribute this to the availability of magnesium, a naturally relaxing mineral that balances out moderate amounts of the stimulant. When I am chilly, or just needing a little mood-boosting, I mix 1 tbsp of raw cacao with 1 cup of hot water and NuNaturals NuStevia to taste. For a creamier mixture, use a dairy-free alternative like almond or coconut milk.  You can find Raw Cacao by Navitas online here.
5. Scram—by Healthforce. When I am traveling, dining out more often, and gravitating towards more sugars, like chocolate after dinner (and yes, even more fruits), I can feel my system getting out of sorts. This is where I absolutely love Healthforce’s SCRAM—a delightful blend of herbs that enhance digestion by helping to prevent the overgrowth of bad bacteria and yeasts. Not only do they help to kill off the bad guys, but they have the good guys proliferate. 5 stars from me– especially from clients suffering from acne! You can find Scram online here.
6. My big secret— I am also a big fan of motivational books on audio. I get these out at the library and listen to them on my many commutes to meet with clients, run errands, and the works. I cannot say I am a fan of them all, but as long as the message is upbeat and the advice actionable, I always find a takeaway, however small (even if it’s just a good laugh). (Can I admit that I once listened to part of an ancient CD coaching young women to ask for raises, and other completely taboo topics at the time of its publication? The advice was sound (and still relevant) but it also gave me a good laugh when they introduced role playing. Give me a break. I am in the car a lot 🙂 ). Did you know you can achieve anything? Dream big. There is no such thing as a dream too big. 

These are just a few of my non-foodie tips that I share with my clients. Interested in improving your digestion for superior health and energy? Send me an email. I would be happy to work with you. Lauren@theglowdetoxdiet.com

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