To Juice or Not to Juice that is the question??

To Juice or Not to Juice

Posted by Tori Spelling on Jan 19, 2012

January is all about shedding those sneaky holiday pounds and getting our health back on track. Lots of health-conscious mamas turn to juicing, either as a snack, meal replacement, or full on liquid diet. But how does juicing actually impact our health? Let’s take a look.

Juice v. Whole Fruits and Vegetables

Most doctors agree that eating an actual fruit or vegetable is healthier than drinking it. For one thing, the fiber in whole produce creates a feeling of fullness that lasts much longer than with juice, so whole foods are more diet-friendly. Our bodies actually absorb the nutrients in whole fruits and veggies better than the juiced versions as well.

The 411 on Fasting

Juice fasts are usually a bad idea. You miss important nutrients like fiber, lean protein, and healthy fats, plus fasting often comes with mood swings, fatigue, and skin breakouts. And once the fast ends, most people end up gaining back whatever weight they lost, sometimes more. So all that deprivation essentially puts you right back where you started (not worth it).

That said, it can be a challenge to eat the full, daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, and juicing is a convenient way to supplement your diet as well as add variety to your daily meals. With that in mind, here are some recipes you can make as a snack, courtesy of Shape. To make these, simply throw all the ingredients in a juicer (scroll down to see my recommendations for juicers if you don’t have one).

Cold and Flu Fighter


1 oz organic ginger
Squeeze of lemon
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Stress Reliever


2 big handfuls of spinach
3-4 stalks broccoli
3-4 stalks celery
1 larger or 2 small carrots

Curb Your Sugar Cravings


2 apples
8 stalks of celery
1 dash of cinnamon

Energy Booster


1 large cucumber
8 stalks celery
1 handful of kale
1 handful of spinach
1 handful of parsley
¼ lemon with rind (if organic)
1-inch piece of ginger

Libido Booster



2 cups coconut water
2 stalks celery
½ banana
1 small piece of ginger
½ avocado
1 handful basil
3 figs

If you don’t have a juicer yet, here are three that come highly recommended:

• Juiceman Junior Model JM400 ($69.99 on Amazon)
• Breville Juice Fountain Compact ($100 at Breville USA)
• Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Pro ($150 at Power Juicer)

http://www.torispelling.com/cat/eat