Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

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Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

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The Top 10 Most Basic (but Most Important) Things You Need To Know BEFORE You Begin A Juicing or Raw Food DietIn the past few years, juicing has become a popular trend and hasno signs of slowing and farmers and fresh vegetable producershave recognized the juicing trend as a ripe opportunity to grow theconsumption of packaged "juice ready" produce helping thosewho want to make juice at home with family. But, here are somethings you should know...

There are many people that enjoy juicing and eating raw foods,and the number of businesses cashing in on this trend havegenerated $5 billion in annual revenues and juicing equipmenthas become so popular, it is responsible for hundreds of millionsin sales. The juice shops aren't doing so bad either, especiallywhen customers are spending upwards of $10 for 16 ounces offresh juice! To boot, the prices of juices you can buy from yourlocal health food store or local juice shop can be super expensive.

You can't rely on big corporations that sell "fresh" juices to tell youwhether they are using organic ingredients, or whether any of the

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

fruit or vegetables used have been produced in unregulatedcountries or comes from GMO crops. Finally, you probably can'ttell whether or not your local juice shop employees keepequipment and hands clean.

To boot, most people don't really know the fundamental basics ofjuicing and making raw food - especially if you've never done itbefore. Buying juice can be a very healthy but expensive dailyhabit and juicing is one of those habits that builds upon itssuccess, so a little bit each day can have an aggregate positiveeffect on the body.

There are many benefits to incorporating juicing and raw foods toyour diet, namely increasing mineral and vitamin content to yourdaily diet. One of the biggest benefits of consuming juices andraw foods is what you learn when you do it yourself.

When you take responsibility for your own health, you becomemore informed about where your produce comes from, what fruitsand vegetables are in season, what your specific nutritional needsare and you learn how to use what you have or find what youneed to benefit your health.

Changing or adding a new habit is a process, so within this ebookyou will learn the top ten things you'll need to know BEFOREstarting a juicing or raw food diet. If you follow these 10 basic (butvery important) steps to learn how to make this process easy andbeneficial, you won't be sorry! In fact, you'll likely save a ton ofmoney by years end.

Here's to making something tasty and nutritious....everyday! In Good Health! Charles Gonzales kustomwebservices@gmail.com

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Step #1 : Prep Your KitchenThe first thing you need to know is how to prep your kitchen. Youneed to clean and store your vegetables so they are ready whenyou need them and they will last without wilting. When you gofood shopping and you bring your fruits and veggies home, it’sprobably been touched by at least 5 or 10 people. You want tomake sure you clean your fruit and vegetables as soon as you gethome.

Cleaning Your ProduceWhat you want to do is fill your sink with water. Then you can addeither a store bought vegetable wash, you can add a little splashof apple cider vinegar, you can add some sea salt or you can addsome hydrogen peroxide, maybe a little bit of castle soap. Youcan use many many options. Different people have different waysto clean their vegetables. Find out which one works for you, butjust make sure to clean all your fruits and vegetables really, reallywell before you put them into your refrigerator.

Storing ProduceNow once you clean all of your fruits and vegetables, you have tostore them in your refrigerator. Now you can store them manyways. You can put them in your refrigerator crisper, but here’s areally cool technique. You can go and get yourself some BPA freeplastic containers, like the size of a shoe box. If you have a fullsize refrigerator at home, you can get 5 or 6 of these. Wash themout, make sure they are clean and dry.

Then lay a hand towel or paper towel inside each one of theboxes. Then place all of your clean fruits and vegetables inside ofthose boxes. You can put all your leafy green vegetables alltogether in one box. you can put all your root vegetables in

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

another box and put some of your lettuces in another box. And soon. This makes organizing your kitchen and your refrigeratorreally easy and very convenient. Then you can just grab and gowhenever you want for whatever you want.

Remove TemptationAnother thing you want to do is make space for some new things.If you’re getting ready to start juicing or trying a raw food diet oreven adding raw food to your diet, then you want to make surethat you take out some of the foods - if you’re starting this forweight loss or you just want to get a little healthier - you want tomake it easier for yourself.

So, you can take out some of the temptation foods. Just makesure that they are not available in your house. Say if you aretrying to give up wheat, you want to make sure that you don’thave a lot or any wheat products. It’s best to get organized so youcan meet your goals, you’ll have everything in one place whenyou need it.

Make Space For New ThingsYou also want to make space for new things. So there’s going tobe some ingredients that you may not have heard of, or maybesome vegetables or fruits that you haven’t used before or evenknew they were available , and you want to make space for thosethings.

Give yourself some counter space too. If you can remove anyappliances you aren't using as much to make space for new toolslike a juicer or blender or even a dehydrator, having those thingswithin reach can be a good source of motivation.

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

You can reorganize your cabinets and refrigerator to reflect thisnew change in your life. That is the first thing you’ll need to dobefore starting a juicing or raw food diet. You have to prepareyour kitchen, because once you prepare your kitchen, youprepare your mind.

Next, you probably have most of the kitchen basic tools requiredfor juicing or making raw food, but let's review.

Step #2 : Know Your ToolsNow, most people have regular kitchen tools. They have knives,spatulas, bowls, strainers, pots and pans, cutting boards andstorage containers. Those things you will also need for makingraw food and for juicing. If you have all those things already, thenyou are already ahead of the game.

KnivesIt is really good to make sure that you have at least one or twosharp knives so that preparing your fruits and vegetables not onlyeasy, but very safe. There are many brands of knives, but allgood, average priced chef knives are made of stainless steel.There are several sizes of knives but the most common knivesused for raw food preparation are an 8” knife and a 3”-4” pairingknife. Choose a knife weight that is comfortable for you and is wellmade. Make sure the “tang” the part you hold in your hand (orhandle) feels good.

Some folks enjoy having a ceramic knife to cut lettuces, but it isn’tnecessary for everyone. Cutting lettuce with ceramic knives keepsit from oxidizing as quickly. Also, if you are opening coconuts,you’ll want to have a cleaver so you can break through the hard

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

shell without damaging one of your smaller knives and alsowithout hurting yourself.

It makes sense to brush up or learn some new cutting techniquesas well. There are plenty of free videos that can show youtechniques about how to use sharp knives so you can find that outbut for the most part you just want to make sure that you havetools that are safe and dull knife is a very unsafe knife.

Sharpen your knives professionally and keep them in a woodenblock to keep the blade from becoming dull or getting damaged.There are several moderately priced knife sets available so shoparound for what works for you. Also good knife maintenanceincludes never placing sharp knives in a sink full of water – that’sjust an emergency waiting to happen. Leave dirty knives on thecounter until ready to wash and then dry them immediately andplace them safely away.

Spatulas, Bowls and StrainersThese are pretty basic and you can find them if you don’t havethem at virtually any home goods store or even your local grocerymarket. Spatulas are pretty easy to find, so choose one thatworks with your kitchen and equipment. A spatula with a pliablehead that detaches for easy cleaning is a plus.

You can find many different options, and a few different sizesmake scraping your equipment easier. Consider having a longhandle spatula for the blender, a wider spatula for the foodprocessor and perhaps a medium sized spatula or a flat edgespatula for decorating are three good choices.

Make sure that you have bowls that are good for mixing and forholding compost or big salads. You want to have a variety of sizes

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

of bowls. You can use metal, glass bowls or wooden bowls- whatever is your choice and whatever fits into your cabinets.

With strainers, you can use an open strainer or a mesh strainer ora salad spinning devices that are very useful for making lots offresh food and rinsing it and drying it very quickly. So you caninvest in those if you need those.

Storage ContainersYou want to make sure that when you are considering storagecontainers, especially to keep food fresh, you want to usecontainers that will keep your food fresh and free of contaminants.Glass is the best choice because it is non-porous so it won’tabsorb any of the flavors or spices or any oils when you aremaking or storing raw food or juice. When you are juicingvegetables or roots, they are very concentrated in their color, andcan tend to stain plastic. You may want to consider having someglass containers that you can reuse and just wash and dry andsterilize at your pace.

So that’s it for knowing your tools. Those are the basic tools you’llneed before you start juicing and adding raw food to your diet.You will also need to know specific equipment that will help youget the job done. So that is what we will get into next…

Step #3 : Equipment Ideas ToGet The Job DoneAny new hobby or interest requires specialized equipment, so ifyou are starting to juice or incorporate raw food into your diet,there are some specific kitchen appliances you’ll want to consider

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

investing in to get the job done quickly and efficiently. The firstthing you’ll need of course, is a juicer.

JuicersThere are several kinds of juicers on the market and one of themost popular is called a centrifugal force juicer. This type of juicerhas a steel blade that spins around to break the produce downand the juice filters through a mesh plate at the bottom. Mosttypically have a stainless steel barrel which spins around veryquickly which creates the centrifugal force.

One of the benefits of owning a centrifugal juicer is the price -they are relatively inexpensive and you can find a variety ofjuicers below $150 that can suit your needs. If you are justbeginning and you are not sure whether juicing is something thatyou want to do for a very long time then this juicer will fit into yourbudget and will still deliver a relatively good product.

Unfortunately, there are several drawbacks of owning acentrifugal force juicer. First, the grinding blade can tend to heatup with the level of friction from the spinning blade, and that cantend to raise the temperature of the juice and diminish some ofthe nutritional value. Secondly, juices produced using centrifugalforce also tend to separate more quickly due to the oxidation thatoccurs during the extraction process. Also, these types of juicersare not very efficient at juicing leafy greens. You will ultimatelyextract some juice from leafy greens, but in most cases, theleaves are just too fragile and will not produce much volume afterbeing masticated.

Another type of juicer is called a juice press. These juicerscurrently retail between $300 - $500. The difference between acentrifugal force juicer and a juice press is, juice press machines

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

do not have a blade. Most of them have a mastication press thatbreaks the bulk of the fruit or vegetable down and then is fedthrough a barrel where a hard plastic or stainless steel partpresses the leafy greens or soft fruits and vegetables through at aslower pace, juicing them with pressure as opposed to a blade.

One advantage of having a juice press is these machines don’tquite produce as much heat when in use. This type of juicer willalso yield more volume. You can also use the fiber from bothjuicers to make raw food, but with the juice press, the pulp will bevery dry which makes adding it to salads or repurposing it intosomething delicious, very easy and convenient, and reduceswaste.

Juice press machines are notorious for extracting the juice fromdelicate leafy greens exceptionally well. One really big draw forsome people with juice press machines is they are typically soldwith an attachment that can process nuts to make nut butter.Centrifugal juicers cannot process nuts and seeds.

The drawback of owning a juice press is, most juice pressmachines are sold at a slightly higher price point. So you want tomake sure if you are going to invest in a juice press that you findsomething that works within your budget. Also, juice pressmachines work a little bit more slowly, and they have a few moreparts so you may have to add a few more minutes to your juicingtime to compensate for the entire process - from prep to clean up.

There are also really high end juicers and juicing equipment. Ifyou were interested in investing in a high end juicer, you can lookinto hydraulic juice press machines. These juicers are extremelyefficient, retain more nutrients overall and for some, are worth thehefty price. Hydraulic “home use” juice press machines can be

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

very expensive - one of the most popular sells for more than$4000. Overall, choosing the right juicer to suit your needs isreally important.

BlendersA blender is an essential part of any home cook’s kitchen. Theyare great for making smoothies, soups, sauces and everything inbetween that needs to be mixed or blended. With raw foodpreparation, a blender is essential. Having a high poweredblender that has multiple speeds and a full size, what’s called a“jar” is essential, but these can be pricey. If you have a all-purpose blending machine with a small “one-size-fits-all” jar thatcan work too, and it will likely be more affordable. Though keep inmind, making enough for two people might be tough without a fullsize blender.

If you already have a blender and you are not quite ready toinvest into a juicer, that’s okay. The difference between juicingand blending is with juicing you will get a more refined liquid asopposed to with blending you will get all the fiber as well as thejuice with the end product. You can use a blender to blend upyour juices, smoothies, nut milks, raw nut cheeses and soups.You can also make dressings, dips and sauces and all kinds oftasty things.

Food ProcessorYou may also want to invest in a small food processor, especiallyif you are going to be incorporating more raw food into your diet.That will help make some raw food techniques very simple andeasy. There are many raw food recipes and blended juices thatyou can make without having a food processor, but if you areincorporating more raw food into your life using differenttechniques that mock certain cooked textures, then having a food

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

processor will make life a little easier. Take time to play aroundwith recipes to see if this is a piece of equipment you need.

Specialty EquipmentIf you are looking to expand your raw food repertoire, you maywant to consider having some specialty equipment. One of themost common equipment purchases is a dehydrator. Dehydratingfoods creates another alternative to cooked food options and isalso a great tool if you want to create crunchy foods like crackers,sweet or savory treats or preserve fruits and vegetables. Severaldehydrators have temperature controls, automatic timers and anumber of shelves with trays and liners. A square dehydratortends to dry more evenly because the fan heats from the backand the trays are adjustable, but if you have a round dehydratoralready feel free to use what you have. Dehydrating in the ovenisn't recommended, as many gas and electric ovens cannot heatbelow 150° F and that would defeat the purpose of dehydrating.The temperature for dehydrating fruits and vegetables should beno more than 118°F. Just make sure you have the counter spaceto accommodate this appliance.

Lastly, there are other hand held cutting devices that can makeyour food look amazing - because you just cannot ignore thevisual side of food. The presentation of food is equally asimportant as the quality of the food. Look into different cuttingtools like a spiralizer, mandoline, fancy vegetable peeler orpeeling mechanism that you can use to create different texturesthat enhance the visual presentation of your food.

We’ll get more into that when we start talking about recipes, butyou’re really going to need to have some basic ingredients beforeyou start juicing and adding raw foods so we’re going to talk aboutthat next.

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Step #4 : Procuring YourSIX Basic IngredientsAvoiding non-organic and GMO foods can be an expensiveproposition but having as much organic produce as possible whenjuicing and preparing raw food is really important. Non-organicconventionally grown foods are available everywhere, but sadlymany of these foods are either subject to being sprayed withchemicals or are genetically modified so they are not ideal forjuicing, especially if you have to buy non-organic produce. Thereare several economical options to consider...

CSA’sFirst, you might want to investigate community supportedagriculture groups. They are in most big cities, and are in manyrural places where there are family farms and you can participatein a community supported agriculture group where everyone paysfor a share of the seasonal harvest. You can find informationabout CSA’s online and it’s a great way to support local farms andyou’re getting some really great local and organic produce.

Food Co-opsYou can also find food co-ops near you to do your food shopping.A food co-op is owned by a collective of its members that offersaccess to foods at a price that is competitive with grocery storeprices. There are several co-op grocery stores in cities all acrossAmerica. With a little research, you will likely find one near you.

Farmer’s Market Another way to make sure you are getting quality organic produceis to visit your local farmer’s market. Usually farmer’s markets

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

have a variety of vendors from small family farms to local artisanalfood producers that come to sell products you may not be able tofind at your local market. These can be great places to buildrelationships with the farms and families that grow food.

Remember, you always want to use a vegetable wash as wetalked about in prepping your kitchen, so that if you must buyconventionally grown produce you definitely want to make surethat you give it a really good wash before you juice or eat it.

The SIX Basic IngredientsSome of the most basic ingredients in juicing and raw foodpreparation are fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, spices,salt, citrus and oils. You want to make sure that when you’restarting to set up your kitchen and gathering your recipes, youreally organize yourself and you’ve done some research in whatyou want to have in your kitchen. These are just some of thebasics. You can always add more ingredients, and when you findthe things that you really, really like you can bring those items intoyour kitchen. Once you have the basics down, it will becomereally fun to experiment with different recipes and ingredients.

Green VegetablesIt is recommended to keep a nice array of green leafy vegetablesat all times as basic ingredients in your kitchen. Green leafyvegetables contain minerals, proteins and fiber and a lot ofnutritional value. You can blend them into soups and sauces aswell. Many dark leafy greens are considered bitter greens, andlettuces and young greens are considered sweet greens. A goodbalance of both is a good nutritional strategy.

Fruits

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

You also want to make sure that you have some basic fruits - likeoranges, lemons, limes when in season and apples. Citrus fruitsare a staple in raw food preparation and add beneficial vitamins tojuices and raw food dishes. Using them as “just” juice is fine, butlemons, limes and oranges are a must have kitchen ingredient.

Packed with nutrients, the acid of citrus fruits helps accentuatethe flavors of several foods and are extremely versatile. Keep ahandful on hand at all times. You also want to keep a few applesaround. They are not only great for juicing, but can add a touch ofnatural sweetness to many raw food recipes without addingadditional sweetener.

Root VegetablesRoot vegetables are really diverse, but you may only be able tofind some of them during colder seasons. Keep vegetables likecarrots and beets handy will ensure that you get a variety ofantioxidants, vitamins and minerals in your juices and raw food.Additionally, roots like ginger and turmeric come in handy whenyou want to add additional nutrients or flavor.

Nuts & SeedsRaw, unpasteurized nuts and seeds are great to have aroundbecause they make great, nutrient dense snacks. Considerkeeping pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, sunflowerseeds and some almonds and brazil nuts around by the handful.They can easily be added to raw food, salads, homemade dressings, and some can be sprouted and blended, or cansimply crafted into a nut or seed milk and used as a base forsmoothies.

Make sure to keep a variety of produce and dry ingredientsaround so that when you are learning how to combine foods and

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

flavors that you’re not limited to what you have or what you don’thave at home.

Spices & SaltYou also want to have spices and salt. Those are really importantbecause no one enjoys bland food. Learning how to use spicesfunctionally or just for flavor is fun and can really expand raw foodgenres.

FatsLastly, when it comes to healthy fats you want to definitely investin a good oil. Remember you are going to just be eating it the waythat it is and you want to have healthy fats in your diet. Find anunfiltered organic, first cold pressed oils are best.

That’s it’s for the basic ingredients. Next, we’re going to get intothe must haves of juicing. These tips will undoubtedly makejuicing easier, more time efficient and tasty.

Step #5 : The FOUR Must HaveIngredients For JuicingYou want to make sure that you have leafy green vegetablesalways at your disposal when you start juicing. You want to makesure that you have a pretty good balance of fruits and vegetablesso when you start juicing you can figure out your recipes for theweek and you’ll know that maybe for three days this week, you’llbe making vegetable juice, and for two days you’re making fruitjuice….and you want to make sure that you have a balance thatworks for your diet and your lifestyle. Having a good balance ofvegetable juices to fruit juices.

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Leafy GreensSo, we’re going to start with green juices - so make sure you havegreens. You want greens like dandelion greens - which are full oftrace minerals, kale, cabbage, lettuces and celery. Make sure thatyou incorporate some herbs too. These will add flavor andnutrition. You can also juice the green tops from beets - say if youbuy beets from the farmer’s market you’ll have the green tops andthe root.

Just make sure you have some leafy greens because they arehigh in minerals. You can also use wheatgrass if your juicer hasthe capacity to extract the juice from these delicate greens. Celeryhas essential salts and cabbage contains nutrients like vitamin c,vitamin k and manganese. Cabbage is also high in glucosinolates- the anti inflammatory and antioxidant compound found incabbage that are linked to cancer prevention.

Sub Acid FruitsAlso, make sure that you have sub acid fruits. Sub acid fruitsinclude apples, pears and grapes are great to juice and add as abase to a smoothie. So if you are making a smoothie with a freshjuice base, you can juice the sub acid fruits first and then addthem to the blender. Remember, mixing greens with sub acidfruits is one of the most popular juicing combinations because thebitterness of the greens is tempered by the subtle sweetness ofone or two sub acid fruits when combined.

Acid FruitsMake sure that you have some acid fruits too. Like oranges,lemons and grapefruit are all really great when you can find themfresh and seasonal and you can add them as well to blendeddrinks or even other raw food recipes. Make sure you have yourgreens, sub acid fruits and acid fruits, but you also want to have

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

some root vegetables. Most of the acid fruits can also containhigh amounts of citric, malic and lactic acids that can bedetrimental to tooth enamel so use them sparingly. Orangeshowever, are the least harmful to tooth enamel.

Root VegetablesThese will add lots of flavor and lots of nutrients to your juices.Roots like beets and carrots are really delicious and nutritiousoptions that you can incorporate into your juicing recipes. Whenthey are in season, they are delicious, but in most places you canfind them all year round. You can also add roots to spice thingsup including ginger, turmeric and radishes. These will add spicyheat and abundant nutrition to your juices as well.

So those are the four must have ingredients to have on handwhen beginning a juicing regimen and will make it very easy foryou to make juice everyday and increase your consumption ofplant-based foods. Depending on where you live you can get allthese ingredients at your local food market, CSA or food coop andare great to have around for juicing or making raw food. Next,we’ll review the four must have ingredients for making blendeddrinks!

Step #6 : The FOUR Must HaveIngredients for Making Blended Foods and JuicesYou can start with juices as a base for smoothies. For example,you can use juices, nut milks, probiotics or herbal tea blends as abase for your daily blended food or smoothie.

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Fresh JuiceUsing sub acid or acid juices as a base for smoothies is verycommon. Juices including apple juice and orange juice aredelicious and contain monosaccharides - aka simple sugars.These juices are generally sweeter than vegetable juices so justuse them in moderation. You can also make vegetable basedsmoothies - either sweet or savory. Adding juices from cucumber,kale and a variety of lettuces can be a great base for blendedgreen smoothies as well as a juice base for a blended savorysoup.

Nut MilksUsing nut milks is a great way to add protein and additionalminerals to your daily blended drinks. Raw nuts and seedsincluding almonds, brazil nuts and hemp are great alternatives todairy based smoothies. Simply soak a handful of nuts likealmonds in purified water for up to 10 hours to release theenzyme inhibitors. Then, once soaked, strain and rinse them, andadd them to your blender with about 10 - 16 ounces of filteredwater and a pinch of mineral salt. Blend on a high sped untilsmooth. You can strain your nut milk with a nut milk bag orcheesecloth and use the nut flower separately (either moist ordried in a dehydrator) if you like, or simply leave the fiber in themilk.

Brazil nuts and hemp seeds do not need to be soaked and can beblended directly into nut milk. You can also experiment with othernuts and seeds including hazelnuts and sunflower seeds for avariety of nutrients and healthy fats. The benefit of brazil nuts isunderestimated. These large, fatty nuts contain selenium which isessential to the health of skin cells, and has been knownto help produce thyroxine, an essential hormone produced by thethyroid.

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Coconut water and coconut flesh can also be used as a non-lactose base for raw soups and smoothies. Coconuts, especiallyfresh coconuts, contain good fats and lots of potassium.

ProbioticsThe most common probiotics used for smoothies and blendedfoods are kefir and yogurt. Both are dairy by-products that havebeen naturally fermented and contain living acidophilus andlactobacillus cultures that are well known for keeping thegastrointestinal system and other harmful bacteria (AND yeastand mold) in check.

Most probiotics also contain B vitamins, Vitamin D, calcium andprotein as well and can make smoothies and soups creamy andhighly nutritious. There are also lactose-free alternatives whichcan be used as well.

Make sure to do research on manufacturers. If you choose a liveprobiotic that is NOT shelf stable, remember it is perishable andneeds to be refrigerated. Even some probiotic capsules requirerefrigeration – just read the labels. Additionally, there are shelfstable probiotics that do NOT require refrigeration and cancontain billions of additional probiotic bacterial lactobacillus andacidophilus strains. Many health professionals recommend agood balance of both.

Lastly, Herbal Tea BlendsBrewing herbal and medicinal teas is another great way toincrease the nutrient profile of your raw foods and drinks. Simplybrew the tea beforehand. You can add them after allowing it tocool or you can add it to your smoothie or blended soup warm.There are several tea blends you can brew as a base for asmoothie or blended soup.

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

Either yerba maté or green matcha tea is great as a smoothiebase. You can brew your own herbal tea blend, or you can brewflowers, like calendula, echinacea or hibiscus to add a tartsweetness to a smoothie. For soups, teas brewed from roots likedandelion or burdock can add nutrition and dimension to theflavor of your soup.

Once you have your base, you can add fruit, vegetables and othersupplements of your choice. You can make quite a variety offoods with these basics and they are really delicious andhealthful. Now, if you are done drinking and want to start eating,next up are the four must haves for making raw foods.

Step #7 : The FOUR Must HaveIngredients for Making Raw FoodsWe all know nature makes raw food, but you can make gourmetraw foods that your family will love, that are highly nutritious andlook and taste great. The foundation of making raw food iscentered around the following four must have ingredients. You’llneed to have these foods around to make raw food, sides, soupsand desserts that not only look good, but also taste good.

All by itself, raw food is pretty nutritious and there are manyrecipes and recipe books out there as great resources. Thesenext four ingredients help make them especially delicious. Theyare easy to acquire, relatively inexpensive and are naturallyabundant in vitamins, minerals, and good fats. Learning how touse them together and in an appropriate ratio, to mimic cooked

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

food flavors and textures is a big part of creating raw food. Herethey are..

AcidFirst you want to make sure you have acid fruits around at alltimes. Whether you are making a marinade, dressing or simplymaking vegetable side dishes, the acid from lemons, limes,oranges or grapefruit help add tartness and complement thenatural flavors of leafy greens and root vegetables perfectly. Acidfrom the fruit is really essential when making vegetable marinadesfor raw vegetables. Adding some zest from the peel of acid fruitscan also add flavor and dimension to your foods.

Another acid you can keep on hand is apple cider vinegar. ACV isnaturally fermented and is well known for its high levels of aceticacid - which can increase the absorption of other importantnutrients from the foods you eat. Also, apple cider vinegar canadd tartness to raw foods, dressings and patés,

Oils / FatsFats are essential because many vitamins consumed require fatin order to be dissolved and used by the body properly. The mostcommon oil used in raw food preparation is an unfiltered oil.Generally most people use either organic, first cold pressed extravirgin olive oil that has some olive sediment at the bottom of thebottle. Some prefer using coconut oil because of the flavor andalso because it is known to be a more healthy alternative to corn,safflower, canola or sesame oil. Monounsaturated fats are bestwhen making raw foods.

You also want to have a healthy dose of Omega fatty acids, sokeep foods like chia, flax and sunflower seeds around. Some solid

Top 10 Things To Know Before You Begin Juicing

foods that contain good sources of fat and also add flavorsinclude avocado, olives, coconut and nuts in general.

SaltThe body needs healthy sources of salt to perform essentialbodily functions. Real salt, including pink mineral salt and seasalt, contain trace minerals that help support proper nervefunction and thyroid function. Also, using salt with mostvegetables helps release the water content from the cells of thevegetable. So next time you are making a raw side of greens, andyou add salt, you will see after a few minutes how much water isreleased from the cellular wall of the vegetable.

Salt also acts as one of the primary seasonings in raw food.However, many vegetables contain natural sources of salt, soalways add salt in stages and taste as you go along. You canalways add salt, but it is difficult to remove.

Many people enjoy using liquid sources of salt that includeOrganic Shoyu or Bragg’s amino acids. Both are fermented soyproducts so just make sure if you choose to use these productsthat they are GMO free.

SpicesLastly, spices can turn any raw food dish into a culinary explosionof flavor. Most spices can be found fresh, dried and ground.Having a variety of herbs, both fresh and dried, can really adddimension to your raw food dishes. Consider having an herbgarden to keep a few commonly used fresh herbs at hand. Themost common spices to have on hand when making raw foodinclude, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, turmeric,coriander, dried basil, dried oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg andcardamom.

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For savory dishes, use a combination of garlic powder, corianderand cayenne pepper. For ethnic dishes, use a combination ofcoriander, cumin, turmeric and nutmeg. When making savorydishes use a hint of sweetness use basil or paprika, andcinnamon or cardamom for making dessert sweets.

Many spices and herbs contain essential oils that can bebeneficial to the body as well, and many have been usedthroughout the history of the world for medicinal and culturalpurposes. For example, mint has been used across the world astea and a symbol of welcoming in many cultures, and nutritionallymint has been recognized to have antibacterial properties thatfreshen breath and ease stomach discomfort. Even the smell ofmint essential oil has been shown to ease the mind.

Using all four ingredients, in some varying flavor ratio, will providea foundation of endless creativity when making raw foods. Onceyou have this down, choosing fixins and superfoods to add will besecond nature…unless you’re not sure which superfoods to add.So, we’ll get into that next.

Step #8 : The Superfood Dilemma

The “superfood” category has become a "catch all" name formany common and exotic foods. Primarily, it refers toseveral fruits, vegetables, roots and seeds and that tend tobe more nutritionally dense than the average fruit or vegetable,root or seed. Super foods have been used for centuries, and withgreat success by many in recent years, yet very few are backedby long term scientific proof of efficacy. Therein lies the dilemma.

Most super foods fall into two general categories - basic superfoods and exotic super foods. Some of the most common super

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foods are easily available at your local grocery store including -almonds, kale, avocado and pomegranate (when in season).These are foods with beneficial and abundant vitamin and mineralcontent and they are widely available at local health food stores. In recent times, many of these foods have been celebratedbecause of their unique nutritional profiles and ability to contributeto positive outcomes on human health.

Other basic super foods include chia seeds, hemp seeds, gojiberries and cacao. These foods have become verypopular because they are much more commonly used in healthfood products today than ever before. Many of these super foodsare available at health food stores and specialty stores. Thesefoods have become mainstream superstars because of theirunique flavor, their quality and their dense nutritional profile. Infact, some of them have been around for a really long time. Chiaseeds and cacao beans have been around for centuries, but haveonly recently become a common ingredient in many commerciallyproduced foods. They are always added to foods to increasenutritional value.

There is a third category of super foods that include really uniquefoods like açai, maca root powder, sea vegetables, Incan berries,lucuma powder, shilajit and gracilaria, etc. These foods are nativeto several countries, and can be very difficult to find at health foodstores. However, there are many online retailers thatwarehouse exotic superfood supplements and in various formsincluding dried solids, ground powders and/or pureed.

Again, it is important to research the sources and origination ofthe superfood and also to make sure whatever you purchase isorganic. If it isn’t certified organic, you may want to take theopportunity to contact the manufacturer and ask questions, or

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simply choose a different product. The goal is to receive thehealth benefits, not additional additives or chemicals. Do as muchindependent research as possible to avoid misinformation andscams. Your health is on the line…

Deciding to include super foods into your blended and raw foodsdiet should be taken seriously because most of thesesupplements do not have enough historical or scientific data toprove efficacy and have not been regulated by the FDA. It is bestto use caution, moderation and common sense. Here's a short listof the most popular super foods...

1. HEMP SEEDS : Hemp seeds have been known to helpreduce the risk of chronic conditions including cardiovasculardisease, hypertension, cancer, and arthritis. Other studieshave shown that hemp seeds can reduce the stickiness ofblood platelets. Of course, talk to your doctor first.

2. GOJI BERRIES : Goji berries are bright red and native toAsia. They have been used as medicinal food for thousandsof years and are a dried fruit just slightly smaller than a raisinand contain many seeds. The Goji berry tastes, to someextent like a cross between a cherry and a cranberry. Thepolysaccharides are probably the most vital nutrient in gojiberries, most notably the lycium barbarum polysaccharides(LBP). Research reveals that LBP polysaccharides areexceptional sources of the fundamental cell sugars importantfor proper immune function and intercellular communication.

3. CACAO BEANS, NIBS & POWDER : Raw cacao beanshave powerful antioxidant properties, they contain severalnatural stimulants which enhance focus and concentration,

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and in it's various forms, it encourages the production ofendorphins, which helps improve mood.

4. AÇAI BERRY : The purple açai berry is native to theAmazon, and is packed with nutrients, fiber and amino acids.The fruit is manufactured into a pulp, is very versatile andcan be found in most health food stores.

5. CHIA SEEDS : Part of the lamiaceae family – aka the mintfamily, Salvia Hispanica is native to Mexico and Guatemala.It became a huge sensation starting in the 1970’s known inpop culture, but is now known to the world as a superfoodcontaining amino acids and omega 3 fatty acids. In order toreceive the amazing benefits, it is best consumed in food ordrink and sprouted (soaked in water).

Using super foods is a personal choice, and many people have experienced positive health outcomes using superfoods. Just remember to use caution, research with reliable sources and stay informed. Finally, there's been a lot of talk about consuming probiotics and good gut health…so let’s get into that next.

Step #9 : Put These In Your Gut!If you’ve ever taken prescription antibiotics to help fight aninfection, or you’ve used antibacterial hand sanitizer or soap thenyou might be convinced that bacteria are bad for you. Actually,there are several bacterial strains that are good for your gut andpromote good health. The problem is, prescription antibioticscan not only kill the bacteria causing the sickness in the firstplace, but they can also kill the naturally forming bacteria the bodyneeds to have good digestion and strong immunity.

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It is very easy to purchase shelf stable probiotics as well that haveseveral strains of lactobacillus and contain billions of bacteria thatcan be useful and helpful to the body.

To have and keep these healthy bacteria in your body, it is best toconsume cultured or fermented foods that contain probiotics.Fermented foods have been exposed to bacteria that have theright conditions to grow and eat the sugars from the foods beingfermented. In turn, the bacteria helps break down certain nutrientsin the food and improves the digestion as well as gives the body ahealthy amount of enzymes and probiotic “good” bacteria.

Probiotics In GeneralThese friendly living microorganisms, (aka acidophilus,lactobacillus and bifidobacterium) are found in all fermented foodsthat have not been exposed to heat above 122°F. All fermentedfoods must be started with a Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria andYeast (SCOBY) and are really amazing and fun to experimentwith to boost the nutritional impact of the seasons harvest. You dohave to use caution…these are bacteria after all.

Probiotics are essential to maintaining intestinal health, can helpreduce adrenal fatigue (caused by stress which most of us havedaily) and they provide naturally occurring enzymes and aminoacids to not only boost your immunity but boost your libido too.(Win/Win) All probiotics are rich in B vitamins (B6, B12) vitamin D,and the co-enzyme Boitin (aka Vitamin H) – which is responsiblefor the electrical activity of the Heart.

Probiotic DrinksKefir is a fermented milk beverage made with whole cow, goat orsheep’s milk with kefir grains. There is also a way to make a non-lactose kefir from coconut water or plain water with sugar by using

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water kefir grains. Both lactose and water kefir grains areclassified as a S.C.O.B.Y. (symbiotic culture of bacteria andyeast). Kefir is known to contain the family of B vitamins, protein,calcium and folic acid and it tastes similar to yogurt. Kefir cancontain several different strains of lactic acid bacteria also knownas lactobacillus – friendly digestive bacteria.

In recent years, studies have proven that these “friendly” probioticbacteria are useful for maintaining urogenital, intestinal and colonhealth. Probiotics help restore the delicate balance of microfloraand regulate our intestinal pH levels – making them more neutraland they are vital to the proper development of the immunesystem. The cells in the digestive tract are connected to immunesystem, so the theory is that if one can positively alter themicroorganisms in the intestinal tract, then one can positivelyaffect the immune system’s defenses. In fact, the effects ofcertain probiotics have been widely celebrated for playing a role inthe prevention of carcinogenesis.

A scientist in the late 1800 s, Elie Metchnikoff theorized that′“aging is caused by toxic bacteria in the gut and that lactic acidcould prolong life”. Health begins in the gut.

KombuchaThis raw, fermented probiotic drink is commonly brewed fromblack and green tea, cane sugar, the scoby and time. It is dairy-free, has a “vinegary” taste and can contain alcohol content, soread the labels and find a flavor that works for you. Kombucha isa non-dairy alternative to milk kefir and yogurt and is naturallyeffervescent. You can find kombucha at most health food stores –Kombucha has become THE rockstar of raw fermented foods thatis convenient and nutritious.

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Fermented FoodsMany foods can be fermented safely and are also very delicious.Some of the most popular foods that ferment well includecucumbers, cabbage, root vegetables, miso and tomatoes.Pickles and raw kraut are becoming more widely available atmainstream health food stores and most people can easily findorganic miso. During the summer harvest of tomatoes, it ispopular to make fermented salsa that starts with fresh, organictomatoes, spices, herbs, onions, garlic and whey or water kefir.

Kraut & Fermented SalsaDuring the summer tomato harvest, it is fun to make freshfermented salsa. Use tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, herbs,salt and a “scoby” starter like whey (from your milk kefir) or actualwater kefir. Left to breathe, but gently covered for a day or two willprovide an all natural probiotic fermented food that is deliciousand nutritious. During the fall cabbage harvest, it is fun to makefermented kraut. You can add herbs, dried fruit and seavegetables to add flavor. Though you must always add saltbecause it is essential to keeping any bad bacteria from growingand spoiling the entire batch.

So to sum it up, probiotics that come from food sources are morereadily bioavailable than when they come from a supplement.Taking probiotics can reduce your risk of catching colds andgetting sick and can reduce the risk of yeast imbalance. You caneasily add these foods and beverages to your daily regimen fornutritional support because you can find them at most grocerystores. In addition to purchasing commercially manufacturedprobiotics, you can also make many of them right at home. Youwill need to purchase a scoby locally to start your first batch.

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Lastly, and most importantly, before you have prepped yourkitchen and gotten organized, or acquired your tools, and sourcedyour local produce it is imperative to understand the landscape ofgenetically modified foods. So that’s what we’ll explore next.

Step #10 : Know Your GMO'sWhat the heck are GMOs anyway?

GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants and/oranimals that have been genetically engineered or cross bred withthe DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. Thisvery unconventional and unorthodox combining of genes fromdifferent species does not occur in nature or in traditionalcrossbreeding. Another quandary is, a handful of companies evenown legal patents on a variety of food producing seeds whichmakes growing certain crops commercially, for many farmers, alegal issue.

Virtually all commercial GMOs are engineered to withstand directapplication of several chemical herbicide products and/or toproduce an insecticide. Despite industry promises, hardly any ofthe GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield,enhanced nutrition, drought tolerance, or any other consumerbenefit. Sadly, a growing body of evidence connects GMOs withhealth problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’and consumers’ rights.

Have GMO’s been proven safe?In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on avariety of studies conducted by the very same corporations thatcreate and lobby for them and also profit from their sale - to thetune of over $300 billion dollars. Most developed nations do notconsider GMOs to be safe. In over 60 countries around the world,

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there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the productionand sale of genetically modified foods.

Are GMOs labeled?Unfortunately, even though polls reveal that a significant majorityof Americans want to be informed about whether the food they’repurchasing contains GMOs, the powerful biotech lobby hassucceeded in keeping this information from the public. Severalstates and corporations have lobbied against consumer labeling,causing confusion about the long and short term risks ofconsuming GMO foods.

How common are GMOs?In the U.S., genetically modified ingredients are in as much as80% of conventional processed food. The most commongenetically modified foods you’ll find when making raw foodsare…

ALFALFA - As the fourth largest crop grown in America it isprimarily used to feed livestock and is perhaps the most popularsprout of all time. It has been known to cause digestive disordersin cows and pesticides can show up in dairy by products. Usecaution when purchasing seeds for home sprouting. Make sure tobuy organic sprouts and organic alfalfa seeds.

SOYBEAN- At least 92% of soy in America is geneticallymodified. The US is the largest producer of genetically modifiedsoy with other global producers including Argentina, Brazil andChina. Soy is used to produce other food ingredients andadditives including lecithin, which is a commonly used emulsifierin processed foods.

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SQUASH - There are several thousand acres of squash andzucchinis that have been bioengineered to be resistant to viruses.

PAPAYA - Almost 75% of the Hawaiian papaya crop isgenetically modified to withstand the effects of the papaya“ringspot” virus.

CORN - This is the number one crop grown in the US, and is atleast 85 percent genetically modified (mutated) to contain foreign(non corn) DNA, other bacteria and several pesticides. It iscommonly used as a primary feedstock in confined animal feedingoperations across the country. It can be found in almost allprocessed foods on the market.

So it stands to reason that when considering juicing or raw foods,you should always consider buying organic first. If you can’t findwhat you need, buy conventionally grown foods that have notbeen yet exploited by genetic modification or buy foods that havenot been exposed to high levels of toxic chemicals andpesticides.

Thanks to the Environmental Working Group, the top foods thatare categorized as safe to eat, and have been conventionallygrown are known as the “Clean 15”. Here they are…

1. Avocados2. Asparagus3. Cabbage4. Cantaloupe5. Eggplant6. Grapefruit7. Kiwi Fruit8. Mango

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9. Onions10. Pineapples11. Sweet Corn12. Sweet Peas13. Sweet Potatoes14. Sweet Onions15. Watermelon

On the flip side, you’ll want to buy the following foods on the“Dirty Dozen” list below organically grown!

1. Apples2. Celery3. Cherries4. Domestic Blueberries5. Imported Grapes6. Kale, Collards & Spinach7. Lettuce8. Nectarines9. Peaches10. Potatoes11. Strawberries12. Sweet Bell Peppers

CONCLUSIONLastly, for many, juicing and eating raw food is rooted in valuesand principles. When choosing to add juices and raw foods toyour meals, make sure you know your why. Understand why youwant to make this change in your life. For many, adding a healthhabit is a life or death decision, but it doesn’t have to be…you cantake control of your health and use these 10 steps to prepare your

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kitchen, your mind and your body to achieve your health andnutrition goals.

Eating organic, non-gmo foods sourced locally is good practice -for health and commerce. Get to know your food producers andlearn the facts about your food. You also have many basic toolsthat will make juicing and creating raw food sides, saladsand dressings easy and delicious. It just takes a bit of practiceand consistency.

Keep yourself on track by starting a library of digital recipe booksthat can easily help get the creative juices flowing to create newsides, soups, salads, dressings and desserts to keep healthy as alifestyle. Good luck and good health!

Charles Gonzaleskustomwebservices@gmail.com

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these days. This is something completely different.

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