My husband and I recently watched, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (watch it free here), and were quite fascinated by this remarkable documentary. I was reminded again how beautiful God designed food to be the healing power to restore order and health in our bodies. I was also challenged to eat more fruits and vegetables and to see that it is more simple than I realized. With my insomnia and hormonal imbalance issues and my hubby’s high cholesterol levels (it seems to run in his family), we have been striving to be more intentional in learning what would be best for getting us both into a place of balance and better health.
Juicing is a simple way to increase your consumption of vegetables in an efficient manner. When juiced, the nutrition is made available to the body very quickly. Juicing helps you to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables as it helps to break them down and ”pre-digest” them for you. I also love how it helps us add a wider variety of vegetables to our diet that we don’t often eat or prefer otherwise. Beets would be one of those vegetables that is packed full of nutrition but we just don’t honestly eat a lot of it.
But…I don’t have a juicer. And honestly, juicers are kind of a pain in my experience. I had one a while back and it was so much work to clean the whole machine out after each use, our relationship ended rather quickly. Then I realized…there’s got to be a way I can use what I have. And yes, I have found an extremely simple way to make homemade juice with my blender. It’s so easy to do that it has been possible to add it to our morning breakfast meal.
What you need?
A blender (I use my Blendtec which I love and it works incredibly well! You can also use a standard blender, but plan to add more water and add ingredients one at a time)
A nut/milk bag or a paint strainer bag (available at your local hardware store)
Here’s a silly little video of me assembling our juice for your viewing pleasure! Don’t laugh…;)
Our Morning Boost: Carrot, Apple & Beet Juice
This mixture of fruits and vegetables is high in vitamin A, C, folate, nitrate, calcium, antioxidants, electrolytes, and iron, giving you a great boost to start your day! Carrots and beets are especially good for cleansing your blood and liver. As I understand it, apples are the one fruit that can be safely mixed with vegetables (Learn the recommendations about food combining here). But I did read here, that if you juice it, then it eliminates this problem…not sure who to believe on this one. 
1 large beet, diced
6 carrots, cut into medium chunks
1 – 2 apples, cut into chunks
2 celery slices, cut into chunks
Handfull of greens – kale, salad greens, romaine, etc
1/2 -1 cup water (when using a blender for juicing, you have to add a bit of water to help puree the ingredients. This is not necessary if you have an actual juicer)
Directions:
1. Wash and scrub all vegetables thoroughly. No need to peel them, unless you desire to do so. Cut up all ingredients into 1-2 inch chunks.
2. Gradually load your blender with each ingredient and add water. If using a standard blender, start with softest ingredient and try adding one ingredient at a time and blend till smooth between each addition.
3. Place blender onto your base and pulse or use whole fruit setting (when using a Blendtec), till fully blended.
4. Place your strainer bag in a large pitcher and gradually pour your juice into the bag. Gently, squeeze the strained juice out of the strainer bag.
5. Compost the leftover pulp (or make it into a fruit leather snack) and consume the juice!
Consume immediately, otherwise add a bit of lemon juice and place in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator. Best to consume on an empty stomach and 1 hour before or after other food items.
Yield: 32 oz.
In this manner we have juice each morning and cut back on our other food consumption. For example, we now have a 12 oz cup of juice and 1 egg and a half piece of toast for a full complete meal. My husband and I are feeling so much more energized as as result. The kids enjoy it as well!
I believe it is important to maintain a balanced whole foods diet. I believe God designed our bodies to enjoy a wide spectrum of real food that he has fashioned each with various nutrients for our bodies. Each vegetable, fruit, protein, or carbohydrate offers different value to our bodies. Thus, you won’t see me advocating any special diet. We need a whole variety of real foods in balance and moderation to one another. The disadvantage to juicing is that it does eliminate the fiber in the vegetables through the straining process, although apple juice is high in fiber, thus bringing more balance. In light of this, we try to make sure we have a whole fiber green smoothie or other fresh salad at another meal during the day to make sure we are enjoying the full spectrum of nutrition. The benefit of juicing for us is that it gets more vegetables into our body quicker and gives us that jump start on the day with a clearer mind and increased energy.
For a whole range of fresh vegetable juice recipes and detoxing juicing plans, check out Reboot Your Life.
My next mission is to experiment in using the discarded pulp for other food snacks. Muffins, crackers, fruit leather, add to a green smoothie? No waste is the goal…although composting really isn’t wasting in my opinion.
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Thrilled I ran across your site. found it searching for natural shampoo recipes and found so much more. I have a question about your blendtec. I’ve had a Vita Mix for 15 years love it. I did not know about the Blend Tec back then and comparing the two I think the Blend Tec would be a better blender all the way around. However, I’m reading about a design problem with the seals and the fact that you have to replace the container every year or two. How long have you had yours and have you had any problems? Thanks and Blessings on your ministry.
Greetings! Very helpful advice in thiis particular article!
It’s the little changes that make the most significant changes.
Thanks for sharing!
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I moved away from home a few years back and its probably for that reason that Ive put on a few unwanted pounds. Replacing friends with junk food hasnt been ideal. Then a friend of mine from back home suggested juicing. He said that he had been juicing on and off for several months and couldnt wait to surprise me when I came home for Christmas with his results. I was astonished! He has officially lost 90Ibs! THATS AN ENTIRE OLSEN TWIN! I myself am only looking to lose around 20 to 30 Ibs but I have never seen a transformation like that work so well! I’ll be starting next week.
If you are going to do this, make sure you have a powerful blender, such as Blendtec or Vitamix. Also the “Magic Bullet” works well. Just make sure it can really blend it up. Most “traditional” blenders aren’t capable of the job.
Hi Lindsay, here is a recipe I have successfully used the leftover pulp from juicing in: http://detoxinista.com/2011/09/recipe-makeover-detox-carrot-cake/. Enjoy!
Sue.
Just wanted to say your method of juicing is brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
Will have to try this. We do have a juicer, but I can only seem to make it once a week at best. Washing it is part of the problem. PS. It was nice to meet you at the OCEAN conference last weekend. My husband is much less shy than me, so I’m glad he said “hi” first! I love your blog and all the wifely, motherly Biblical encouragement you give and share with us. Our little ones are 9 months, 3, 5 & 7.
Thanks for introducing yourself Rachel! It was tons of fun to meet you!
Hi! Thanks so much for this video/article. I hate juicing because it takes so long to clean our juicer. this is why I bought a Vitamix. Now I feel that we can juice (instead of just doing green smoothies) thanks to you! I just purchased a nut milk bag, but was wondering if you have a suggestion about cleaning the bag. Thanks!
Great post! Thanks for providing the link to the free movie – we will be watching this tonight!
I’m curious to ask if you and your husband drink coffee? Is it too personal to ask what hormonal imbalances you have specifically? If it’s too personal I totally understand. Reason I ask is because I struggle with low thyroid. I do take medication for it and know that is a personal decision. But I still find I am quite fatigued in the mornings especially, and throughout the day. Granted I have a very active 15 month old and a husband who works long hours, but with 8.5-10 hours of sleep a night I feel I should “feel” more rested. I am not a consistent coffee drinker but there are days I just need it to get through the day. Those days are becoming more frequent, but I want to stop. With thoughts of a second on the horizon, and the desire to not get reliant on coffee I am trying to find ways to increase my energy. While nothing may do it like coffee does, I am hopeful something will help. I need to increase my vitamin intake and this seems like a great way to fulfill some of that. Just curious how much increased energy you get from the juice, and does it really taste good? Thanks!!
I have a Champion juicer… I love making and drinking healthy juices, but I hate cleaning that thing. And it’s a beast… so heavy! I feel horrible that I don’t really use it anymore… But I have a Ninja Pro blender that I make smoothies in, but I never thought to get a nut bag to squeeze out the pulp. Thank you so much for this tip!!! And your video was great!
Since you guys are talking about food combining, can I add my 2 cents? Based on my understanding, we should really focus on juicing veggies, not fruits. When you juice fruits you are getting a ton of sugar. The nutrients in juice gets to your blood stream quickly, but so does the sugar. Fruits should be eaten whole because they will digest more slowly, and not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar as it does when you drink fruit juice. Raw veggies are harder for the body to digest, so it’s great to consume them in juice form- the nutrients get to the body quickly without all that excess sugar. Also, fruit doesnt need to be juiced because fruit is digested fairly easily by the body.
Having said this, I still put fruit in my juices because it makes them taste better! But I try to do at least 60% veggies. And I think you are right on about the apple thing- if you are going to add fruit apple is perfect!
There is a lot of conflicting info out there about health. If you are healthy and don’t have digestive problems, you don’t have to worry too much about food combining. I think the basics of health are to include a ton of veggies in your diet, reduce sugars and grains, avoid processed food and get exercise.
Was it really nice and did you like it
My husband and I watched that about 2 months ago. I truly believe God has given us everything we need to heal our bodies from the earth. My husband has asthma and wanted to get off advair. He started at the gym but still had to use his inhaler. After watching that documentary, he started juicing ( kale or spinach, 2 apples, celery, cucumber). Within a month he lost 21 pounds, and stopped taking his inhaler. He said he has never felt better. What an eye opening documentary!!
Thanks for sharing this! I love hearing about people who have used healthy food as their medicine. You are so right about God giving us natural things from the earth to heal us!
We have a “Magic Bullet” that my mother-in-law gave us for Christmas a few years back. It was one of those gifts that you smile and say thank you, but inwardly you’re wondering what the HECK you will use it for. I use it EVERY DAY for juicing! Here’s the thing, though, I like to put Kale in my juice and i don’t mind the pulp, but I’ve never been able to get my kids to drink it with the Kale in it. Why, you ask? Because my BRAIN never suggested straining it! Thank you for that suggestion!!!! As I type, my kids are drinking juice with KALE!!! Blessings on you!
Just wanted to let you know i made this drink yesterday,exactly as u mentioned ……and it was delicious. You can definetly taste the beet in there, but it was very pleasant with the sweetness from apple….off to make another batch
I have this juicer from Amazon and it’s not difficult to clean at all. In fact most of the pieces can even go in the dishwasher. Seems like it would take a lot longer having to squeeze on the bag and I don’t know that I could get as much juice as what my juicer does so I prefer that method. Plus I can take my pulp and run it back through the juicer again if I wanted just to get a little more juice out. And it takes me about two minutes to clean my juicer parts. Maybe there are other juicers out there that are harder to clean I don’t know. I’ve been juicing for years and love it.
http://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8005-Single-Gear-Commercial-Masticating/dp/B0002OKDT2
You mentioned hormone problems. I have trouble with this and lack of sleep, and depression. I just wanted to mention a book that has a lot of advice in that has REALLY helped me: “Female Brain Gone Insane” . I just had a bought of sleepless nights and mind racing and was able to come down off of it in about three days with the supplements that she recommends. Just thought I would throw it out there in case you haven’t heard of it. Blessings!
We have a juicer, but like you said, it’s so difficult to clean and assemble! I have never tried to do it in my blender. I might just try that. The one hesitation I have about juicing is that I’ve read that it increases your intake of the sugar naturally in fruits and veggies. Obviously, they are all good for us(as long as you aren’t allergic to any of them), and we should eat plenty, but what I’ve read makes me wonder about juicing every day.
Anyone have any thoughts on that?
Linda
Thanks for this post. I agree that most folks, myself included, could benefit from adding many more veggies to their diet and this is a quick and tasty way to get them!
I have heard some nutritionists recommend only eating cooked greens alongside healthy fat (olive oil, coconut etc) to aid in digestion. So, lately I’ve been using cooked greens in my morning smoothies. What are your thoughts on consuming raw greens vs cooked? There are so many nutritional experts giving conflicting advice nowadays, it can sure be daunting trying to sort it all out!
I always love your posts… I would be curious to know how much your food budget goes up after juicing a while. My husband started juicing this winter for health issues after watching fat sick and nearly dead. It is great and I’d love to do it for the whole family but it can be expensive buying all that produce. I know to buy in season and I have found costco has good deals on organic carrots and spinach but would love any other tips people have on juicing on a budget.
Juicing seems to be all the rage right now but I’m afraid there is a lot of false information going around. I’m not sure there is such a big issue with combining fruits and veggies. I just had a conversation with my naturopath about a post a popular homemaking blogger wrote about why eating too many greens was a bad thing. My naturopath said that’s completely inaccurate. She said to eat as many greens as you want.
Hi there
Thank you for this!
Can I ask about the bags for straining what are the called and where can I get them?
Hi, running marathons and juicing seem to be the biggest fads at my church right now. I am curious about the juicing however after reading some of the major dangers with it I am concerned. I was wondering others thoughts on all the dangers that can come with it. I realize nothing is perfect and without problems.
What in the world is dangerous about juicing? I have never heard anything like that and I have been juicing for years. My mom used to make carrot juice for us when I was little and I am 34.
Juicing is a great way to get micro-nutrients into your body. Your body doesn’t have to break any fiber down so it is absorbed instantly.
Great post. I agree with you on the separation of pulp from juice. It is much faster to digest just the juice. I have a recipe for pulp muffins, yummy. I use a Champion juicer and I have gotten used to cleaning it because I like the juice so much! I also agree with you on the separation of fruits and vegetables.
Thank you for all of your writing on your site. I always appreciate it!
I can’t imagine my life without my juicer. I bought a champion juicer ten years ago and I used it on and off until about four years ago. Now I use it every day. I make green juice and carrot juice for everybody (me and five kiddos)…everyday. It has made a huge difference in our life. My kids eyes sparkle and everybody always comments on their healthy appearance. I love fresh juice!
We bought an Omega Vert juicer a few months ago. We found the best time to make juice was in the evening right after the kids went to bed. My husband usually packs his lunch while I make the juice. We also enjoy the time to talk. Now that we have a routine, I can make a quart of juice in 20 minutes, including clean-up. The Omega Vert seems easier to clean than many of the other masticating juicers out there, and it works fairly quickly. I’ve had a few people request a juicing video and recipe post on my blog, so I’m hoping to do one soon.
I am wondering where to purchase the vegies like beets and kale. The only place I occasionally see them is stores like Safeway, where they’re overpriced and not organic or fresh-looking! Any ideas?
Local farmers market, Whole Foods, Azure Standard are the best options I have found.
(veggie) pulp can be used to make veggie burgers, or added to ground meat patties and meatloaf!
Great idea!
I love this idea alot and hope to try it, but my waste free self hates the idea of throwing away the leftover in the strainer bag. Is there much left in the bag, and do you have any ideas of what to do with it besides throw it away?
That’s funny that you should ask…there honestly isn’t a whole ton of pulp left. Maybe 1 cup. You would have to freeze the pulp until you could collect enough to make something. I just added some links at the bottom of the post. You can add to muffins, homemade crackers, fruit leather, or to a green smoothie later in the day.
I’ve also heard of cooking the pulp into veggie broth, or adding it to chicken broth. Thanks so much for this post!
My niece is on this juicing program. She shared the movie with us a few weeks back. Fascinating. Here is her blog to journal her way.
http://www.theveggie-saurus.blogspot.com
maeghan
Thanks for this post!
1. What did you mean when you said apples are the only fruit to safely use with the veggies?
2. What is the benefit of straining the juice before consuming? Couldn’t youjust drink it as is and get the same nutritional benefits?
I updated my comment above about the apples with a few references. If you read more about juicing, you will find that removing the pulp is essential for the benefits of easy and quick digestion for the body. It enables you to get the benefits of the veggies right away and thus a great start for your day. When you consume all the pulp, it just takes a longer time for your body to digest and can be more difficult especially when juicing and you would be drinking large quantities. Plus…in these large of quantities, it is so pulpy, that it is not palatable in my opinion. Beets and carrots are actually better of juiced as well. It is only the fiber that is removed, and thus why I recommend making sure you get that in some other form throughout the day. Juicing is a way for us to get a variety of increased veggies in our diet in the easiest most enjoyable manner. My next project is to learn how to make fruit leather out of the pulp!
Just like god made our bodies to heal themselves…he also made the to digest fiber. Throw it all in a migic bullet and drink it all. No need to throw away all that pulp…or try to find crafty ways to use it or store it. Just man up..or woman up…drink it all…you then won’t have to worry about getting fiber in your diet elswhere and cleanup is easy. The whole process takes about 3 minutes.
I am curious as to whether you have to strain it. Does the blender not make it a completely smooth consistency? Why can’t you just drink it straight from the blender?
It’s smooth but still very pulpy. You could drink it in this manner buts it’s very thick and rather unpleasant. Straining it again gives your body the nutrients immediately. With all the pulp, it is harder on the body to digest. There’s benefit to both and that’s why I recommend a balance.
Thanks Lindsay!
Thanks for this post. I need to get a new blender and now I know where to start. I’ve been making green smoothies for my family and we all LOVE them, but it would be nice to change things up a bit and do juice every once in a while.
Do you drink you juice with a meal or do you use it as a meal? Honestly, I juiced for awhile but I can’t say I felt great after drinking it. The juice does not fill me up instead makes me feel bloated and it feels hard to digest. I started drinking it hoping it would help me with my blood sugar and it did not. Does anyone else have similar problems?
No, we eat it with a meal. It just provides us with a way to get veggies during our breakfast meal. We’ll eat it with eggs, oatmeal, etc.
Thanks. I should try it that way.
Brandie I had a similar issue. I don’t feel different when I drink fruit juice, or fruit/veggie juice with too much fruit. I feel worse actually. But if I drink straight up veggie juice I feel great, or veggie juice with just a little bit of fruit to take away the bitterness. So it may be because you had too much fruit in yours?
So…….you said to eat it “on an empty stomach and 1 hour before or after other food items.” But now you say you eat with a meal? I’m confused. Maybe it doesn’t matter when you drink juice???
It is the standard recommendation to allow the 1 hr time period for digestion, and that is why I included that in the post. I try to spread it out personally as much as possible, but find my stomach does better when I eat something else within 30 minutes of drinking whole veggie juice. You just have to try it out and see what works better for your body.
Thanks for the fun video! It was nice to see you.
I’m interested in the “apples are the one fruit that can be safely mixed with vegetables.” I have never heard this before? Is it some type of food combinations diet? Or is it only with juicing? I make green smoothies almost daily, and usually put berries and banana in mine, no apples in sight
If you have some articles you could point me in the direction of, I would appreciate it!
I know. I’m with you there. There are alot of different recommendations out there. We consume green smoothies as well. In general though, it is recommended to eat veggies and fruit apart from each other to be able to receive the full benefit of each in any case. Apples apparently don’t make a difference. I’ll link to the article shortly.
Sorry for the trouble with the video being private. It should be fixed now.
Hi! Love reading your blog. We’ve been juicing too ever since I watched the documentary. After having 4 kids very close together, i’ve found it to be such a huge help in getting healthy again and finding energy. I was really frustrated about cleaning my juicer too. However, I just started juicing a bunch of different juices before bed and I save them in mason jars for the next day. My husband and I are set up for the next day and I don’t have to worry about juicing while feeding and taking care of my family. It’s been such a time saver and I only wash it once now. I just dump the leftover compost into a bag before making the next batch. Anyways, thanks for you constant inspiration!
Hi there! Do you steam your beet prior to cutting and placing in blender? Thank you!
Nope! We eat them all raw.
I’m having the same problem. The video says it is private.
I also have a Blendtec which I adore! I’ve been wondering how to “juice” and you explained that very well. Thanks! We’ve been making whole Green juice Daily going on three years. What a difference it makes for us! Being creatures of habit we don’t vary from our usual breakfast either—boiled egg & whole wheat toast or cereal with berries. Yum!
I was also intrigued by that movie, but had heard how cumbersome it could be cleaning the juicer. Never thought to strain my own juice from the blender.
Thanks for sharing! I have been wondering about using my VitaMix to “juice” vegetables rather than investing in a separate juicer. I would love to watch your video, but for some reason when I click on it, YouTube comes up with an error message stating that the video is private.
FYI…when I try and watch the video it says its private. Love the idea of using the blender to juice though. I’ve been looking at juicers but hadn’t gotten one due to the clean-up issues you mentioned. Thanks for this idea–can’t wait to view the video, when available.
Can’t view the video, it says it’s private….