Juicing Recipes for Beginners, Using Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

They are a great morning wake up before breakfast and can sometimes help to reduce caffeine use for those ritual black tea and coffee drinkers.

The juices we are referring to are composed of raw living organic fruits and vegetables freshly pressed through a juicer. This process removes the fiber content and condenses all the antioxidants and phytonutrients into a one 8oz glass serving that is easy to drink as well as digest and nutritionally utilize.

By eliminating the fiber you are in essence freeing up digestion and providing a concentrated extract that you can readily absorb and assimilate.

Although some of the most health enhancing juices, in our opinion, are those created from low-sugar fruits, vegetables and leafy greens, we realize that many of you may not want to go straight for strong tasting green juices that may not be so appealing to the juicing virgin.

While, at some point, you might want to consider drinking more green juices for their cleansing and detoxifying effects, they are not as palatable as those using sweeter fruits and vegetables.

These types of juices might be higher in sugar content, but are still a great choice, relatively speaking, for their alkalizing influence and nutritive value. They are especially appropriate for individuals just starting a health promoting diet and lifestyle and, likewise, a much healthier beverage choice over bottled fruit juices and soft drinks.

Fresh raw juices are often an energizing and mood uplifting experience that can greatly improve one's outlook on life.

Scientific research has demonstrated that fruit and vegetable juicing can improve cognitive functions and promote a sense of well-being. In one study it was stated that, "Fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s, particularly among those who are at high risk for the disease."

Revitalizing juicing recipes might additionally encourage better eating habits and perhaps the desire at some point to partake in a short one day juice fast.

Periodic juice and/or water fasting a few times a year can be extremely beneficial for boosting the immune system, increasing mental capacities and repairing adrenal gland function.

While juice fasting is not for everyone, it can be one of the most basic and effective dietary regime's you can adhere to when feeling off-balance, sick, constipated, fatigued or stressed. It is often valued as one of the top ways to normalize digestion as well as renew and repair other bodily systems that are blocked up as a consequence.

As mentioned, the process of juicing is achieved by pressing vegetables and fruits through a juicer. This removes the fiber content that you would normally have to chew your way through and concentrates all the nutrients into a juice you can easily digest.

The best types of juicers for highest nutrient content prevent juice oxidization by moving at a very slow rotation speed. This includes brands like the Hurom, Omega and the Green Star juicer. There are also others, like the Breville, that will quickly juice in a matter of seconds, so it just depends on your priorities.

Juicing recipes are highly versatile and some of you may wish to use more or less of any one ingredient, depending on your current health objectives.

While we recommend washing your fruits and vegetables in pure water, peeling is not required. Aside from citrus or hard skins fruits, skins can be left on as they contain many minerals and other plant-specific phytonutrients. Likewise, leafy green stems can also be juiced.

Each of these juices makes between a 6-8 ounce glass that is best when consumed immediately, but for convenience can also be stored in a jar/container in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• 1C chopped purple cabbage
• 1C pomegranate seeds
• 3 pink lady apples
  
• handful of cilantro
• handful of parsley
• 1 cucumber
  

Directions:

1. Press the above ingredients through a juicer.
   
2. It is sometimes helpful to roll up your greens to help push them through.
   
3. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• 4 large carrots
• 4 fuji apples
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 lacinato kale leaves
• 1/2 a cucumber

Directions:

1. Press the above ingredients through a juicer.
2. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• one quarter of a small purple cabbage
• 2 cucumbers
  
• 1 celery stalk
  
• 3 sweet apples of choice
  
• 3 large carrots
• piece of fresh ginger root
  

Directions:

1. Press the above ingredients through a juicer.
2. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• 1C chopped beet root
• 1 cucumber
  
• big handful of cilantro (with stems)
• 1/4 to 1/2 of a habanero pepper
• 1 carrot
• 2 green apples
• squeeze of lime juice
  

Directions:

1. Press the above ingredients through a juicer.
2. Add your beet at the beginning to avoid beet juice dripping at the end and staining your counter top.
3. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers
• 2 large carrots
• 1/2C chopped purple cabbage
• 1 pink lady apple
• small piece of fresh turmeric root
• 1 meyer lemon, juiced
  

Directions:

1. Add hand-squeezed lemon juice into juicing pitcher.
   
2. Juice the rest of ingredients.
3. If fresh turmeric is unavailable, stir in 1/4t of dried powder at the end.
   
4. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• 1C of fresh raspberries
• 2 cucumbers
  
• handful of Italian parsley
  
• 5 carrots
  
• 1t blue green algae

Directions:

1. Press the above ingredients through juicer, except BGA.
2. Add the blue green algae at the end and stir until dissolved.
3. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

Ingredients:

• 1C hand-squeezed orange juice
• 6 pitted apricots
• handful of dandelion greens
• handful of spinach leaves
• 3 cucumbers
• 1/4t chlorella
• 1t aloe vera gel

Directions:

1. Add hand-squeezed orange juice into juicing pitcher.
   
2. Press the above ingredients through juicer, except chlorella and aloe.
   
3. Mix in the chlorella and aloe at the end.
4. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.
   

Ingredients:

• 1/2C chopped beet root
  
• 1/2C strawberries
  
• 3 cucumbers
  
• handful of parsley
  
• piece of fennel bulb or stalk
• 1 carrot
  

Directions:

1. Press the above ingredients through juicer.
2. Pour into a jar and drink immediately or store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

When drinking your juices, try to drink them slowly. Ideally, you’ll want to swish the liquid around in your mouth and “chew” it slightly.  This will mix in your saliva and enhance the digestive process. 

While green juices can help to wash the mouth of bacteria and nourish the teeth, high sugar juices can cause tooth decay. It is therefore beneficial to brush or clean the teeth after consuming them.

It is best to drink your juice in the morning on an empty stomach. This allows for greater nutrient absorption. If you'd like to drink them in the middle of the day, do so between meals.

Remember... you can also save the pulp fiber left over from your juicing recipes by adding it to raw soups, dehydrated crackers or try it in our crouton recipe.