Last winter  I splurged on a juicer. My doctor found a pre-cancerous polyp in my colon and I was a little shaken. I’ve been a vegetarian most of my life. I eat well. I exercise. I meditate. What’s the deal? My body should be dancing around a campfire singing kumbaya. Instead, 3 months later my father died of colon cancer. It was a difficult time and in my grief, I started research on what fruits and veggies were good for your colon. I found that I was not consuming all the nutrients available to me from fruits and veggies. Now, remember I have been a Veggie for over 12 years and I was eating my colors but there just isn’t enough calories or time in the day to eat everything Mother Earth has to offer us.

This is what drove me to the kitchen appliance isle. I stood in front of 5 juicers with no education on what was better then the next; I went home and did some reading.

There are three categories juicers fall in: Masticating, Centrifugal and Triturating. Masticating juicers operate at a slow speed with a single gear. The pulp is pressed up against a screen and squeezed. Centrifugal juicers use a much faster and higher rpm. The fruits and vegetables are ground up, the pulp is extracted into a container and the juice is pushed through a strainer to be released in a separate container. Triturating juicers run at a slow rpm and have a two-step process- the fruits and vegetables are crushed before the juice is pressed. The most common juicers and more affordable are centrifugal juicers. Reading reviews me to the cash register with a Breville Juice Fountain. My first juice was an apple and carrot blend; I was hooked.

After a few weeks (and the second edition of The Juicing Bible) I created a recipe that worked for my nutritional needs:

♥1 beet (antibacterial, antioxidant, tonic: high in vitamin A and betaine)
♥1 cup cranberries (antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anticancer: high in vitamin A and C, iodine and calcium)
♥½ cucumber (small amounts of vitamin A, iron and potassium. The large amount of water make this a great veggie for juices and smoothies)
♥1 apple (tonic, digestive, detoxifying, diuretic, antiseptic, lower blood cholesterol. Antirheumatic and liver stimulant)
♥2 carrots (antioxidant, anticancer protect arteries, expectorant, antiseptic, diuretic, boost immunity, antibacterial, lower blood cholesterol levels)
♥2 celery stalks (sometimes used as a treatment for high blood pressure and also to help detoxify carcinogens)
♥3 leaves of kale or swiss chard (antioxidant, anticancer: excellent source of vitamin A and chlorophyll with some vitamin C, calcium, iron and folic acid)
♥3 slices of melon (antioxidant, anticancer, anticoagulant: Good source of Vitamin A and C)

This makes 2 large glasses of juice. I make the morning juice the night before, stir in ~15grams of Soy Protein to each glass, cover and refrigerate. Before I go out for my run or start my day, I have my juice. On weekends, it isn’t unusual to get inspired and whip up a sweet juice like apples, pears and carrots or a combination of melon and cucumber. I’m not a nutritionist but I can tell you that after a year, my skin is clearer and my overall health has improved.

So…. yes, my name is Anastasia and I am addicted to freshly made juice.

In the summer my tiny one bedroom cottage turns into a hotel. Well, not exactly strangers checking in and out sort of place but the kind of home that is 1 block from the beach and 1 block from the heart of town. This means my car gets to rest awhile; the family and friends come here. The only requirement that I have for visitors is that they try – at least once- the morning juice routine.

Everyone comes back to the cottage by the sea not only for beach time but for the juice. My mother sits on the front porch sipping the juice with continuous pauses of “mmmm” or “darn, this is sooo good.” During the holiday season, I stumbled upon juicers at Macys (they were and I believe still are 40% off). I knew that my mom didn’t need a juicer as large mine and I opted for the Jack Lallane Power Juicer. It is also in the centrifugal category. She says operating and cleaning the machine is easy. More importantly she said, I am never buying bottled juice again.

Juicing has taught me (and my mother) NEW ways to appreciate my fruits and veggies. Fresh juice is nothing like the stuff in the supermarket. It allows you the freedom to mix and match produce based on your taste preferences and nutritional needs. Me and my juicer….we’re best friends.

Think juicy,
Anastasia