Sluuuuuuuuuurp.

Being able to have a glass of fresh juice has been amazing (and delicious!).

I’m loving all of the combinations I’ve been trying, but I find that a back bone of carrots, ginger, lime and apple is the most delicious.  Then I just add bonus fruits and veggies, like spinach (no extra flavor), tomatoes, oranges, beets, and cucumbers.

So, do I juice everything?  Peel and all?  YES!  Absolutely.  I juice orange rinds, lime rinds, cucumber peel.  It all goes in and the rinds make it citrusy and zesty.

Juicing is time consuming, especially if I need to cut the produce.  And it can be expensive because all of those fruits and veggies are used to make just one glass.  The pulp doesn’t necessarily need to go into the trash (or compost)- it can be used in healthy muffins, savory pancakes, or breads!  If I had a kitchen, I would definitely take advantage.  Since I don’t, I have been eating some of the pulp with dressing on it, but with orange peels and ginger, sometimes it’s too strong.  Great in juice, strong in pulp!

Some sources, such as here and here, say that juicing isn’t necessarily any better than actually eating the fruit or vegetable.  Other sources say that your body can absorb the vitamins and minerals better because the body doesn’t need to actually break down anything.  But, of course, whole fruits and veggies provide extra fiber that juice does not.

I wouldn’t say I love juice for it’s health properties, but it does make me FEEL healthy.  I mean, pressed carrots, kale, spinach, ginger, apples, and oranges- who WOULDN’T feel healthy after all that freshness?!

It’s a really great pick-me-up when I’m feeling groggy in the afternoon, or something refreshing to get my day going.

I’m looking forward to juicing all summer long!