FREE JUICING GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS: ULTIMATE GUIDE

Juicing has changed my life! And it can do the same for you too.

In this guide, I will explain to you the following:

• What is juicing?
• How can I get the most health benefits out of my juices?
• What type of vegetables/fruits can I juice?
• Are there any side effects?
• How do I store my juice?
• Juicing recipes?

What is Juicing?

Juicing is simply put, “drinking your food.” But it’s much, much more than that. We’re not talking about commercially made juices that are laden with more sugar and artificial flavoring than actual juice.

I’m talking about the raw, pure juices from vegetables and an occasional fruit.

Benefits of Juicing

We expose our bodies to a huge amount of toxins DAILY, through the food, water, the air, and even the products that we put on our body. Our body is extremely smart and capable of its natural ability to expel these toxins.

However, as we age our body loses the efficiency in cleansing itself daily. Even people that lead a relatively healthy lifestyle should cleanse their body as they are still exposed to environmental toxins. (Yup, it’s not completely your fault.)

Drinking juices made from green leafy vegetables will help detoxify your body and flush those toxins out! You may have been told that “we are what we eat.” That’s only part of it. We are what we can absorb! There’s no point in eating all that broccoli if your body cannot digest and absorb the nutrients from it.

Fresh vegetable juices supply you with a huge amount of nutrients that your body needs. Nutrients that are more easily and readily absorbed into your blood stream, and feeds all 50 trillion cells in your body. This means every single organ in your body can perform at their best!

Drinking a vegetable juice is like taking a multivitamin!

The results that can you can expect from daily juicing can be:

• Mental clarity
• More energy
• Clear, glowing skin
• Weight loss
• Thick shiny hair and nails
• Better digestion
• Alkaline (balance body’s pH= no disease)
• Bulletproof your immune system
• Hydration
• Happy, rejuvenated, refreshed, and great sense of well-being

Possible Side Effects from Juicing

Juicing is not as simple as throwing in a few oranges and beets in a juicer and call it a day.

Do not get too excited and start throwing in every green leafy vegetables you can find.

During the first day (or possibly 2) you may experience some side effects such as nausea, irritability, sluggishness, tummy ache, or just a little off. Don’t freak out! This is normal! That means your body is working hard to eliminate years of built up toxin! You will start to feel 10x better after that initial reaction.

Some vegetables are stronger detoxifier, thus you should start with smaller amounts. Increase it as your tummy and taste buds get more used to it.

• Beets, ginger, turmeric, cilantro and wheat grass are some examples

Let me share a really quick story about the first time I took a shot of wheat grass. My husband and I started a healthy journey even before we got married. We started to grow wheat grass on our own out of curiosity and to lose some weight. We waited 10 long days for the grass to finally grow up to 7 inches. We were so excited that we juiced and drank more than an ounce. That morning I threw it all up on my way to work! Considering I’ve been drinking green smoothies long before that, I was surprised that my body reacted that way.

The lesson that I learned here is to take it easy in the beginning. 

If this is your first time juicing, I would recommend that you start off with the basic vegetables such as celery and cucumbers. These vegetables taste mild, but still provide a huge amount of benefits. Try my Beginner’s Green Juice below! It taste like lemonade!

Let your taste buds and body get used to the taste at first. Then play around with more ingredients. Have an open mind and be ready to experiment. More importantly, listen to your body. 

If you have a specific medical condition, consult with your physician first!

Detox Your Whole Body

Imagine your kitchen sink is clogged up.  When you pour Drano down the pipe, what happens? It melts all the gunk and as the nasty stuff comes out it’ll be circulating around a bit. You have to actually run hot water down to flush all that out.

Detoxing your body with daily juices is the same process. Imagine the gunk as toxins in your body. As toxins are released from your organs and blood, they need to go somewhere! That’s why it’s crucial for you to do one of the following techniques to help speed up the flushing process of toxins. 

1. Take an Epsom salt bath for 20 minutes.
2. Exercise to sweat it out.
3. Drink a lot of water and tea so you urinate often.
4. Sit in a sauna.

                          Grocery Shopping

This is actually the my favorite part because I love loading the shopping cart up with goodies. Make this an enjoyable process and you’re more likely to stick with the juicing lifestyle.

It is best to buy organic fruits and vegetables when juicing. Conventionally grown produce is filled with pesticides, germicides, and herbicides. You don’t want to be pouring in MORE toxins as you are trying to get rid of toxins. It almost defeats the purpose of what you’re trying to accomplish!

We know that buying organic foods can be more pricey. Depending on your budget, DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN AFFORD.

Don’t worry! Here are some quick tips for ya:

• Stick to the guideline in the chart below to prioritize. Focus on buying the foods that are listed as “dirty” organic. Celery and leafy vegetables, such as kale, are grown on the ground and therefore more exposed to the pesticide sprays. I always buy organic celery and kale. I don’t always buy organic cucumber (unless it’s on sale or available at the farmer’s market) because I can peel the skin off. Same with pineapples.A good rule of thumb is: the thicker the skin, the more the toxins.
• Buy your produce at the farmer’s market. Most small farmers can’t afford to pay for the “organic” labeling, but do practice organic farming techniques. Talk to them and simply ask!
• If you do buy non-organic produce, wash it with a simple, but effective homemade solution of vinegar and water. Thanks to Stepintomygreenworld for the chart. This DIY solution also helps keep fruits like berries fresh much longer!

Let’s Start Juicing, Shall We?!

You can pretty much juice all different types of vegetables and fruits. I would recommend starting out with:

• Celery
• cucumber

Celery and cucumber make a good base since they are easy to digest and are more palatable. They also yield a lot of liquids!

These vegetables aren’t as nutrient dense as the following vegetables below. Once you are more comfortable with drinking green juices, you can advance to the following vegetables:

• Romaine lettuce
• spinach
• cabbage
• bok choy
• fennel

And finally the most bitter tasting, yet so full of nutrients is the following:

• Kale
• swiss chard
• dandelion greens
• collard greens 

You can also add herbs to your juice! Herbs have powerful healing properties. Start off with a small amount. A couple of sprigs will do.

• Parsley
• cilantro
• mint

Add a natural sweetener

• Fuji apples
• carrots  (You can use any type of apple, but I find that Fuji is the sweetest) .

Other vegetables/fruits to consider:

• Bell peppers
• oranges
• pineapples
• sweet potato
• broccoli
• grapes
• pears
• watermelon
• asparagus

There are endless combinations of fruits and vegetables you can use to juice. However, it is ideal to have a higher ratio of vegetable. Vegetables are the most nutrient dense and best thing you can put in your body.

Storing Your Juice

As soon as your juice hits the air or light, it will start to oxidize and lose nutrients. It is best to drink the juice immediately to reap the benefits. If you are a busy working person (which we all are, right?) you won’t have time to juice every single day. Sometimes it’s necessary to juice double the amount and store it in the refrigerator.

It also depends on the type of juicer you have. With a masticating juicer, you can store your juice for up to 72 hours. With other juicers such as the centrifuge, it is best to drink it within 24 hours.

• Pour your juice in a glass bottle, or BPA-free bottle with a tight cap. Fill it all the way up to the top!

I love storing my juice in a mason jar, like this one here. The jars come with the caps; however I prefer these white screw caps. 

By the way, I’ve actually dropped my mason jars a few times and received quite a few glares from the hubby, so now I store my juices in this awesome glass bottle when I travel. It is protected by a silicone sleeve and comes in all different colors. If you’re accident-prone like moi, you will LOVE this bottle. 

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