Anyone juice?

[LilyWDW]

The vitamix doesn't get rid of the fiber that is why I got it.

I have a Nutribullet and a Ninja. Both work great for making delicious fruit and vegetable smoothies. So much better then just juice!

 

[bearzabout]

I do not thaw frozen fruit before using it for smoothies. The speed of the blender helps to melt the frozen fruit. I add ice if I want a cool, summer frozen drink.

I add flax seeds on occasion. The Vitamix chops them into small pieces but they change the flavor of the smoothie.

The Vitamix also makes great frozen coffee drinks and sorbets. It has such a long warranty that I don't worry about it breaking. It chops ice beautifully.

In my opinion, a smoothie is the easiest way to enjoy raw green veggies. I fill the Vitamix 1/2 full of baby spinach before adding everything else to create 2 large drinks for the two of us. If the fiber makes it too thick, I just add more water.

I know someone who drank so much carrot juice she ended up sick in the hospital, so you do have to be careful with juicing.

 

[manning]

Blender vs juicer

Juicer you only use the juice

The blender you use all the edible parts of the fruit/vegetables

Why throw out the good stuff

For example take the pineapple

When you slice it you throw away the core because it is so hard.
That is the most nutritious part of the pineapple


The blender breaks it down just as well as the other ingredients so you can use it.

I lean to the the blender but both are good. Overall go with what you like.

Oranges

Juice it you only have the juice

With the blender you peel it leaving the white part on the orange. That is called the pith. It contains the highest amount of valuable bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents.

I lean to the blender. However both are good. Go with what you like.

 

[blanq]

I don't "juice", but I make smoothies with my Vitamix. I have figured out a way of saving big bucks. I buy Mountain House unsweeted plain yogurt in large containers at Costco for a few bucks. I also buy my fresh baby spinach there or at Sam's Club. They tend to have good prices and it seems to last longer than the packages in the grocery store. I also always have apples on hand and add one to each smoothie.

I freeze fruit myself in season. I have freezer bags full of strawberries, blackberries and raspberries (the best in smoothies) I picked myself last summer. I buy bananas, blueberries, apricots, peaches and grapes on sale for the cheapest prices in summer. I spread the washed and cut fruit pieces out on cookie sheets and quickly flash freeze them before putting them in Ziploc freezer bags. I freeze enough to last until the next growing season.

I use orange juice and tart cherry juice concentrate for the base and add some water.

Since the fruit is always available, there is no excuse for me not to make these healthy drinks year round. I'll have 3-4 per week. What a treat!

I also add Knox Nutrajoint powder with glucosamine and a little Now spirulina. These green smoothies look horrible but they sure do taste great.

DH gave me a Vitamix 750 for Christmas and I have been making smoothies too. I am enjoying a mix of fruit and veggies mixed with coconut water. I am freezing a lot of my fruit for them as you are. I do like that I get more fiber if I blend instead of juice and there isn't the pulp waste either. My breakfast today was a frozen banana blended with coconut water and it was great! Isn't the Vitamix amazing?!!

 

[mfd25wife]

Ok, I finally saw Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead a couple of nights ago. I was really intrigued, because I do have a couple of autoimmune diseases and am on predinose daily as well as thyroid hormones and couple of other things. I have been running borderline high BP. I have a lot of heart disease in my family, as in everyone has been diagnosed or died of it that is the generation before mine and up on one side. I am not extremely overweight, but I really do need to lose 15-20#. The doctor never mentions it, but I know. And, I know I feel sluggish and tired. It's been easy to say it is due to the diseases, but I know I won't feel better until I lose some of it. It's a big vicious cycle.

Anyway, forgive me for the stupid question, but I'm trying to understand the advantages of juicing over just eating a micronutrient diet. I wonder if I would get the same benefit by eating all fruits and vegetables as I would by juicing them? Honestly, part of my question is because of the $400+ price tag/month that the truck driver spent just on himself. I realize that you use for example 4 carrots, 2 apples, and kale or whatever, but if you are squeezing it down to only the juice and discarding the rest, I don't understand how you really get more. It seems like eating 2 whole carrots, an apple and some kale would still equal what you got if you just extract the juice of more of the same foods. My apologies, but I need someone to understand.

 

[jmac323]

We have a Breville and a Nutribullet and we go through periods where we juice more often then others. My kids are getting more picky as they get older so we make "smoothies" and juices as supplements for them. In the morning we do a juice to go with our breakfast and it is usually in the Nutribullet which helps us keep fiber in the veggies and fruit. Today we had: kale, apple, carrot, spinach, a little greek yogurt, a blood orange, ginger and beet. The girls are so into picking out veggies and fruit and trying new concoctions so it makes it fun too.

 

[tvguy]

My Doctor and the Nutritionist he sent me to say skip the juicing, just eat the fruits and veggies as is.

 

[mfd25wife]

My Doctor and the Nutritionist he sent me to say skip the juicing, just eat the fruits and veggies as is.

Have you seen any weight loss or any gains in the way you feel?

 

[tvguy]

Have you seen any weight loss or any gains in the way you feel?

I consume less when I eat the fruit and veggies than when I drink them. I have to watch sugar. Dark green veggies and apples are my go to items.

 

[mikehn]

Dumb question here but why do you have to juice using organics? I eat regular fruit. Why cant I juice using regular fruit? A non juicer here just trying to understand the logic.

 

[tvguy]

Dumb question here but why do you have to juice using organics? I eat regular fruit. Why cant I juice using regular fruit? A non juicer here just trying to understand the logic.

You don't have to, just a preference. Dateline did a deal on how most "non-organic" fruits and vegetables meet organic standards anyway, they just don't advertise themselves as such, and that's why they cost less.

 

[bookgirl]

I don't juice as I've been told by to many health professionals that juicing makes the fruit part pretty much useless as a nutritional item.

Fiber is lost because you don't eat the pulp and the peel and because fruit is made up of a certain amount of air you have to double or triple your actual amounts of 'fruit' to get enough juice so the calorie count is high. After you lose the air and the pulp in fruit all you get is the pure fructose (sugar).

This also applies to things like beets and carrots as they are higher sugar veggies.

Lower calorie veggies you lose the fiber content, but the calories aren't so bad.


I have to admit I do like the occasional V8 or cranberry juice but I treat them like I do any calorie'd beverage and drink them in moderation.