Sam asks:
How would you feel about doing a guide of a newbie’s first month of juicing? What’s most beneficial to be drinking as they start out? And what will give them the most bang for the buck so that they can feel the effects and know to keep going.
Ease into it. Start with newbie juices like carrot, apple, ginger, and kale. That will be sweet enough that the taste won’t turn you off while also offering the power of superfoods.
As you juice more into the next weeks, use fewer carrots and apples while using more greens.
Gannicus asks:
I started juicing beets recently and only noticed a mild feeling that would last briefly the first couple of times I juiced beets. It was a bit like having a cold for a few hours.
The positive of the beets though is that after a few days of beet juicing it gave me a near constant semi erection and has really boosted my libido.
I’d be curious to know if other guys have experienced a boosted libido from beet juice.
Yes. See this post explaining why beet juice is nature’s viagra.
Dave asks:
I was under the impression that greens (spinach, kale, etc.) should be cooked in order to break down the oxalates. Consuming them raw can inhibit calcium absorption and other nutrients. Is this not the case?
That is a myth. However, if you are worried about kidney stones, add lemon to your juices. See, Can lemon juice be an alternative to potassium citrate in the treatment of urinary calcium stones in patients with hypocitraturia? A prospective randomized study. (“We suggest that lemon juice can be an alternative in the treatment of urinary calcium stones in patients with hypocitraturia. Additionally, dietary recommendations can increase effectiveness of the treatment.”)
Quest asks:
Why do you need to “swish around the wet pulp”? Isn’t the pulp removed when you strain the juice?
When you blend grape-kale juice or juice berries, you’ll want to swish around the pulp to ensure that all of the juice goes through the strainer. You are “swishing around the pulp” to squeeze out the remaining juice from the pulp. Make sense?
Faust asks:
Where do you get your Kale and how much do you pay for it? It’s like 1.99$ a bunch here and that strikes me as kind of high, but I really have no frame of reference.
I purchase mine from Whole Foods or Sprouts. It’s $1.50 at Sprouts and $2.50 at Whole Foods. Kale is a super food and $1.99 is cheaper than a can of poisonous Red Bull.
Any more questions? Ask away.
And of course feel free to answer each other’s questions. We’re all learning from one another.
I read that beets only last a few days in your refrigerator if you keep the greens attached to it, since the beet root keeps supplying moisture to the leaves. Do you know if this is true? I’ve been trying to buy a week’s worth of produce at one time, and am wondering if I should cut off the greens so the beets last longer.
Never heard of that. I store mine with the greens attached and they seem fine. But beet greens are sort of nasty, so I don’t always juice them. If you like the greens, you can cut the greens off and leave them next to the beets.
So I’ve been juicing once a day for the past three days.
My question is this: Do you peel any of your ingredients first? I’ve been peeling my carrots, beets, and ginger, but leaving the peels/rinds of the cucumbers, zucchini, lemons and limes intact.
My first blood of life+ tasted great. I drank it instead of dinner, and ended up fasting 26 hours. Not because I forced myself too, but simply because I just wasn’t hungry. Then again, I regularly practice intermittent fasted exertion…but never going so long without anything to eat. I usually fast around 16-20 hrs. 5 times a week.
In just three days of juicing, I feel great. I think this is a great way to keep eating as I have been for the past year or so (since I began intermittent fasting), and yet still get enough veggies…especially veggies I don’t normally prepare in my meals.
I leave on lemon and lime skin for the zest. I peel the orange and grapefruit skins. They are so thick that they can clog the juicer.
I don’t peel any vegetables. I do take a small scrubber to the beets to wipe off the layer of dirt that is stuck to the beets.
I just stumbled upon your blog and it really caught my attention. I want to start juicing. One question, how much juice a day do you drink? Do you take a glass after each meal? Do you just drink juice instead of eating solid food?
Thanks.
I fast until 2 or 3pm each day, then have 32oz of juice. wait 20 minutes, then a big protein meal like meat loaf or a whole chicken. then a normal dinner around 7 or 8, salmon and green beans or whatever.
today’s juice:
1 bunch of parsley
2 head of broccoli
4 carrots
1 green apple
15 green grapes
1 cucumber
I use the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer that’s been recommended on here. With every juice I’ve made with it, there is a thick head of foam on top of the actual juice, sometimes 2 to 3 times the amount of juice that comes out initially. If I let it sit, most of it eventually settles into juice, but I was curious if anyone else noticed this issue and has found a way to avoid it.
Mine always has a head of foam. I stir it up with a spoon periodically as I drink it. This helps clear up the foam.
I’ve got the Big Mouth as well, and the same thing happens with me. I really enjoy drinking the foam. It’s my favorite part of the juice.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. Here’s a follow-up that might be interesting to some people: after I talked to you I looked at the whole foods near me and they had 10 oz. of Kale for 1.99. That’s like twice the amount I was paying at my grocery store.
As soon as the dishwasher cycle’s done, I’m going to be drinking a juice of carrot, apple, kale, and lemon, and heading off to tonight’s workout.
Two Parter:
1. I just purchased my first juicer but I don’t really know where to begin. Is there an instructional video out there that you recommend for an amateur that starts off with how to use & clean the machine properly then moves on from there?
2. Is it possible to create a few concoctions that will last longer than a few hours without losing nutrients? Days? My schedule sucks, it would be great to make a few on Friday and store them for use during the week.
I’m thinking of getting into juicing. What do you do with the pulp? It seems a bit crazy to me to throw away all of that stuff.