Category: Juicing

5lbs in 5 Days: Day 3 Boost Your Juice – Talking Supplements

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This was posted on Twitter yesterday by a fellow juicer!

How are you all doing? We’re halfway there and in a few hours you will be feeling alert and energised if you’re not already. And it’s Berry Banana Crunch Day!! Yum.

I had to give in to an afternoon nap yesterday. Afternoon and evening of the second day are always the most trying for me anyway, but it didn’t help that there was a party going on at our neighbours’ house the previous evening and when I finally did get to sleep, I was woken up in the early hours and couldn’t drop off again. So I gave in and felt much better for it.

Wednesday Wisdom

I hope by now any headache is starting to abate. Are you keeping hydrated?

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I particularly like Pukka Organic Teas, my favourite is licorice and cinnamon but I also enjoy lemon, ginger and manuka honey. I drink a lot of warm water but it feels good to wrap your hands around a mug of tea and feel the stimulating flavours doing their work.

Now we’re on our third day, it’s time to think about supplementing your juices for added benefits. Hopefully by now most of the ‘elimination’ is done and it’s a good idea to start taking probiotics. The live yogurt in today’s Berry Banana Crunch is a good start but then I will start taking a couple of Juicemaster Bacterial Cultures a day to repopulate the gut and intestinal tract with friendly bacteria, replacing what has been flushed out of the system – vital for a strong immune system and a healthy digestive system.

It’s also a good idea to add Spirulina, Chlorella or Wheatgrass powder to one juice a day. Now I know Spirulina is not to everyone’s taste, I absolutely hated it the first time I tried it! I am not usually one to give up at the first attempt so I tried several times, but it was just too vile. I swapped it with my son for his wheatgrass powder, which I find very pleasant.

However, last year I was ordering from the Juicemaster website and they had a special offer on a bundle of supplements, one of which was Spirulina. I wanted all the ones that came with it and it was cheaper to buy them all together so I decided to give it another try. This one is milder than the first brand I tried, but still an acquired taste. I can take it, but some people prefer to take Spirulina separately in a little apple juice rather than ‘ruin’ or ‘taint’ (their words) a large glass of juice.

They also sell Spirulina and Chlorella combined in tablet form if you prefer to take them that way.

Spirulina is a blue-green algae, chock full of vitamins – including B12 – minerals, essential oils, and is three-quarters protein while Wheatgrass is high in chlorophyll, an important bloodbuilder, and is a good source of dietary fibre as well as B vitamins and minerals.

Chlorella is good for boosting the metabolism and increasing energy.

Don’t overdo the green supplements: one type once a day in one juice.

Be sure you buy good quality – preferably organic – supplements if you choose to use them.

Supplements are often expensive and they are by no means essential, these are just the ones I use if you’re looking to boost your juice!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days Juice Challenge: Pies, Tarts & Pudding

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I’m sorry to do this to you, but I spent all yesterday afternoon being surrounded by swirls of home-baking smells since my husband chose the first day of my juice cleanse to get creative in the kitchen. This is what confronted me when I went to get my dinner juice from the fridge. At least you only have a photo, I don’t have smellovision so you’re spared the aroma of vegetable pie, jam tarts and rice pudding with raisins!

As my husband pointed out when I related this story to our daughter, I wouldn’t have eaten them anyway, but that’s not the point! The smell of baking makes the other juices – the digestive ones – flow, it evokes memories of childhood and of days when I would spend all weekend baking and, like it or not, the mouth starts watering and the stomach begins to growl.

Nevertheless, despite such provocation, I made it through Day 1 with my resolve in tact.

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Tuesday’s Tips

I find the latter half of the second day the hardest. I usually end up going to bed really early to shorten the day and by late morning of the third day I am over it. So, if you are flagging and you’re able to do so, take a mid-afternoon rest or go to bed early. Your body probably needs it with all the work it’s being asked to do eliminating all the rubbish and repairing the wear and tear.  I realise that probably isn’t realistic for many of you who have jobs and/or children. So try to minimise what you need to do on this day, prioritise, see if you can leave certain tasks until later in the week when the ‘juice high’ kicks in.

I don’t suffer headaches anymore, but I did when I first did a juice cleanse. Keep drinking between the juices. The headache is temporary, I promise. It is caused by withdrawal and will soon go. Drinking will help flush it away. And speaking of which, have we all had a good clear out?! One thing they never tell you when you start a juice cleanse: stay near the facilities! Another reason to make sure you drink plenty of water, to replace what you’ve lost in the ‘elimination’.

Try to keep yourself mentally occupied so you’re not thinking about food or clock-watching until your next juice. Tackle the bills or do something arty, something that requires total concentration.

If you feel more energetic, do some exercise: maybe do a Spring tidy-up of the garden, walk up and down the stairs at work, go for a bike ride, use your home as a gym. Exercise doesn’t have to mean doing a marathon or lifting weights – see my post Jumpin’, Jivin’ and Jiggin’ About.

One of my favourite juices today: Ruby Tuesday. I have it often. Can’t wait.

Enjoy!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days: Day 1 Motivation

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Today is the first day of your journey to a healthier life!

Congratulations on making the decision and following through. The sun was shining when I opened the curtains, always a great start to a juice cleanse, and it felt so good to open the windows and breathe fresh air. Central heating is so stifling and dehydrating. My skin feels parched after the winter months and I can’t wait to see the results of a week of juicing, improvement in your skin is usually the first thing you notice when you begin juicing.

Don’t panic if you gain a spot or two! Your skin is a major player in detoxing, internal problems are often mirrored in your skin and when your body is cleansing, your liver and kidneys are working hard so your skin gives a helping hand to eliminate the rubbish you have accumulated. They will soon disappear.

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Turbo with a Kick, one of my favourites!

Today’s tips:

The timings on the app are for guidance only. When I did my first cleanse I found some gaps between juices too long and others too short. I was getting too hungry sometimes and forcing down juices at others. Don’t let your blood sugar dip too low but don’t force anything down either.

Sip your juices slowly while sitting down and try to do so without working or texting at the same time. Take time out to just juice.

I recommend investing in a set of stainless steel straws like the one in the photo. They are dishwasher safe and come with a tiny cleaning brush. It is better for your teeth to sip rather than drink juices and also better for you and the environment to ditch the plastic straws. They are inexpensive and can be bought on Amazon.

Rinse your mouth out after each juice but don’t use a brush until after 20 minutes.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND HERBAL TEAS!

Get a good night’s sleep.

Juice Master

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5lbs in 5 days: Day Zero, A Final Thought

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Just a short postscript to the day before I toddle off for an early night. I’m exhausted from watching a very long but extremely exciting (no, really, it was) cycling Tour Of Flanders! Just in case you’re wondering, Peter Sagan triumphed after a long solo run-in and to celebrate, did one of his trademark cycling wheelies! My husband said, ‘I wish I could do that!’ to which I replied, ‘Don’t even think about it!’ He just had his first bike ride today after 9 months recovering from a bike accident and he wants to start doing stunts! To cap it all, our son texted he would show him how the next time he’s up.

But I didn’t start this to chat about cycling – honestly, I didn’t – although while we’re on subject, it’s a great form of exercise while doing the juice challenge.

No, I had a final thought about prepping for the juice challenge, which is that if you’re hoping to lose some weight, weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you begin and then put away the scales until Day 7! Ask your partner or someone else close to you to hide them if necessary!

Now I know you’re shouting at me ‘Day 7!! This is supposed to be a 5 day fast, not 7!’ Well, technically it is, BUT…

It is psychologically useful to look beyond the 5 days because you may be a little disappointed if you weigh yourself on the fifth day. Yes, you will have lost some weight, but if you wait until the seventh day, you may have lost another couple of pounds.

This is for 2 reasons: the first is that it isn’t so much what you’ve eaten that day that shows up on the scales, but what you’ve eaten for the past couple of days. So on day 6 and 7 you should still be benefiting from juicing on days 4 and 5. Also, since you won’t be jumping straight back in to ‘normal’ eating on days 6 and 7 but still juicing and adding in salads and vegetables, you will carry on losing a little weight.

I know you will find this difficult. Everyone wants to jump on the scales every morning, you’ve all heard of the fast weightloss that juicing creates and you want to see it with your own eyes. But trust me, the impact will be greater if you delay gratification

PLUS:

The emphasis of a juice challenge is on improving your overall health, improving your lifestyle, changing your relationship with food, not just on losing weight. Use the time to focus on that, to reflect on your lifestyle, how you can reduce any stress, make changes to your food shopping habits, meditate. Be good to yourself, don’t be testing yourself by jumping on the scales at every opportunity.

By far the best way to judge your progress is your shape: take your measurements before you begin and again a week later. If you’re exercising as well as juicing, this is where you’ll see the difference. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat so the scales may not tell you the whole story.

One last thought: you are doing a good thing. There is no pass or failure involved. There aren’t a certain number of pounds you have to lose or it hasn’t worked! Have fun, enjoy the challenge. Look forward to a healthier you.

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The Secret

That’s it. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read these posts. I hope they have been of some help. Have a good sleep and enjoy your first juices!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5 lbs in 5 Days: Day Zero – Prep Day

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(Apologies for lack of credit, I came across this on Twitter and it was unattributed)

So, here we are on Day Zero of my 5lbs in 5 Days* challenge! It starts properly tomorrow, but Day Zero is preparation day.

It’s a fine morning to begin our countdown, the sun is straining to come out from behind the clouds. I was woken by the dawn chorus, a beautiful way to start the day. If you have the oportunity, get as much fresh air as you can, breathe it in deeply and appreciate the budding trees and nesting birds.

This is an excellent time to clear out the bodily clutter and start anew. In a week’s time you will feel you are a different person!

If, like me, you are a regular juicer and have a fairly ‘clean’ diet ie free from processed foods, alcohol and sugar, then you probably only need the weekend to taper down before the week long juice fast. If you are doing this for the first time and/or tend to have takeaways or convenience food and so on, then I recommend you spend a couple of weeks gradually introducing more fruit and veg and reducing the sugar/alcohol/coffee/processed foods before you do a full-on juice cleanse. That way, you are less likely to experience withdrawal symptoms in the first couple of days – this could be a headache for instance or a strong craving for caffeine – and therefore less likely to give up before you’ve really felt the benefits.

My day began with my usual cup of hot water – unfortunately I can’t have lemon juice in it, it sets my teeth on edge! Sometimes I have ginger tea; fresh ginger is anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-fungal and is a strong weapon to deploy when doing a cleanse or when fighting off viruses or inflammation in the body.

Next I had a very fiery Morning Glory – see Juicy Winter Warmers – which was particularly spicy today and a great wake-up juice!

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Another glass of warm water was followed by a large breakfast smoothie:

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Small banana

Handful of Walnuts

Heaped Tbsp of Pumpkin Seeds

2 Tbsps Quinoa Flakes

2 Large Romaine Lettuce Leaves

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder

1 Medium Glass Fresh Apple Juice + a little filtered water

1 Heaped Tbsp Coyo Plain Yogurt

It has plenty of protein, carbs, omega oils, vitamins and minerals to keep me going all morning. If you want it a little fruitier/sweeter and a little less ‘green,’ try adding a couple of dried apricots or a pitted medjool date.

For lunch I’ll be having leftover home-made vegetable soup (see Thick and Chunky Winter Vegetable Soup)

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with home-made Gluten-free Tiger Nut Bread

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 Mid-afternoon I’ll have The Red One image

Beetroot juice in my funky Grip and Go glass bottle

This evening I’ll either have a huge salad with avocado or a vegetable stir-fry, haven’t decided yet – depends how cold it is by then!

Don’t forget to keep hydrated, lots of water and fruit or herbal teas will help prevent any detox headaches and hunger pangs.

Try to wind down from tv, computers and other devices well before bedtime and get an early night. Try to avoid over-exertion of the mind and body during this juice fast, it’s not advisable to start building that extension or increasing your work load. Any chance you get to just ‘be’, to be still, to be alone, to meditate, contemplate, do some yoga, go for a stroll, take it. Cleansing your mind is as important as cleansing your body.

Hope this has given some useful insight to pre-cleanse prep and I look forward to hearing your experiences during the week.

See my other Juicing Posts for more detailed tips and to read about my Super Juice experience.

Good luck!

*http://www.juicemaster.com

Copyright: Chris McGowan

5lbs in 5 Days Juice Challenge

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On Monday 4th April, I will be taking part in Jason Vale’s Big Juice Challenge using his 5lbs in 5 Days juicing plan. I wondered if any of you would like to do it with me and perhaps I can offer some support if it’s your first time?

This is my favourite of Jason’s plans: the juices are tasty and satisfying and the plan is just long enough to feel you’re getting somewhere and to spur you on to clean up your diet and lifestyle more permanently.

It says 5lbs in 5 Days, but most people lose more. My first time – without exercising – I lost 8, some have lost as much as 11, it really depends how overweight you are and how much you exercise.

This is an excellent time to start cleaning up your diet as the weather improves and the days get longer; you can finally leave your winter cave and breathe some fresh air while walking/running/cycling, and feel inspired by the renewal of Nature all around you to renew your faith and investment in you and your amazing body!

Juicing feeds your body on a cellular level, giving it everything it needs, and once your body has eliminated and replaced all the rubbish you will feel alert, energised, positive and motivated to carry on. Your hormones will be reset, your digestive system calmed and you may even finally discover which foods are aggravating or make you bloated/sluggish when you begin slowly to reintroduce solid food.

For those of you concerned about living on liquids for a week, don’t worry there are some solids in there too! Some of the juices are blended with avocado, there are mixed seeds, berries, banana and yogurt too. The Berry Banana Crunch is something to look forward to on Day 3!

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Jason’s 5lbs in 5 Days app is fun, informative and inspiring. I recommend using it if you’ve never done this before, and if you can obtain a copy of the book all the better. It really helps if you understand the process and make a mental as well as physical commitment to your health.

The app contains a shopping list and all the recipes and coaching videos you need to keep motivated. You have a ginger shot and 4 juices every day (2 x 2 recipes so you can make some in advance by doubling the quantity) plus herb or fruit teas and water:

DON’T FORGET THE WATER!

For extra motivation, I recommend watching Super Juice Me! The Documentary which involves an experiment Jason conducted taking 8 people with 28 chronic and sometimes life-threatening illnesses, giving them specially-prepared juices for 28 days. You will be amazed, moved, inspired.

If you are interested or if you would like more information or if you’re not sure, take a look at my My First Juice Cleanse – Advice for Beginners (which has my before and after photos), Super Juicing Day 1: Tips & Tricks or any of the other juicing posts.

Finally, if you would like to join me, Rule Number 1 is Don’t Have A Final Blow-Out This Weekend! You will feel worse for it and stand a bigger chance of giving up before you get properly started.

If this is too short notice, then you could spend this week tapering off your usual diet ie cutting out sugar, processed foods, alcohol, coffee and begin properly next week. I will still be here if you need support.

Juice On!

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Juice Master

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Juicing: How to Begin or Do As I Say, Not As I Did!

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Every year, like many others, I suffer from the post-Christmas slump. January 2014 was no different.

I felt blah. I needed to lose some weight. I had gained a stone (14lbs) in a year and I couldn’t shift it. I was fed up.

Then one Saturday morning, I was reading a Guardian supplement about getting out and doing something you hadn’t tried before. Usually, these kinds of suggestions are beyond my capabilities and often just too far out there! Bungee jumping? Afraid of heights. Ballroom dancing? Two left feet. Making ukeleles? No comment. As I was just about to put it down, my eye caught a tiny item on the sidebar about a juicing app.

I realised that it was Jason Vale’s 3lbs in 3 days juicing app* and read on with interest: my nephew, Shayan Scott,* was working as Associate Producer & Lighting Cameraman on Jason’s SuperJuiceMe! documentary about 8 people with chronic diseases juicing for 28 days.* It seemed serendipitous. I asked Shayan for advice on which juicer to buy.

He sent me a link for the Philips 1861 and off I went: ordered the juicer, bought the app, made a list, did the shopping, started the juice plan.

Except I shouldn’t have! Not like that anyway. 

Typically, I did it the hard way: no reading, no preparation, no juice buddy, just Jason’s app to guide me.

I wouldn’t recommend this approach to beginners. You are less likely to succeed: physically it is too much for your body to cope with and mentally you’re more likely to give up if you don’t understand the process. I learned that easing into it is definitely the best way to go: gradually cutting out the processed, sugary and fatty foods, coffee, alcohol etc., while introducing more fruit, veg and salad. But I am an all or nothing type so in I jumped!

I did, however, have a relatively healthy diet beforehand: I didn’t drink coffee or smoke, rarely drank alcohol, rarely ate junk food, though I was partial to an occasional pack of crisps and slice of pizza. No sugary drinks or snacks. But I did have decades worth of pain medications.

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Daily Ginger Shot

So, Day 1 was a breeze. The morning Ginger Shot nearly took my head off but I loved it! I felt so proud of myself. I could do this.

By the night of Day 2, however, I thought I was going to die! My stomach felt like it was eating itself. This was not a promising beginning.

I now know that it was because I wasn’t drinking:  I should have been drinking water and herbal teas in addition to the juices. I also now have to accept what I had been ignoring for a long time: as much as I love pineapple, it doesn’t love me back. Some people are sensitive to it and I happen to be one of them.

If I had prepared properly, eg read one of Jason’s books or researched on the web, I would have saved myself a lot of discomfort.

But I am nothing if not determined and by lunch-time of Day 3 I knew I wasn’t about to die and I also knew I didn’t want to stop. I was starting to experience the ‘juicy high’.

So I bought Jason’s 5lbs in 5 Days app* and continued with that. It certainly delivered what it promised:

During that first week of juicing, I felt so energised and alert; my IBS and hiatus hernia symptoms were controlled, but best of all, after years of chronic insomnia, I could sleep. I also lost 8lbs. Since then, I haven’t had to use my inhaler for 4 years. My cholesterol was borderline before I began juicing, now it is well within the healthy range. Even the tinnitus was tamed.
I have gone on to lose 36lbs and have kept it off. (When my sister-in-law came to visit, she took a step back and said, ‘Look at you, you’re half of yourself!). My aches and pains also eased. I haven’t had a cold, cough or sinusitis (my bêtes noirs!) in 18 months.

(I became calmer too, my husband said I didn’t tell him off as much!)

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Before Juicing: Puffy, tired eyes, puffy face and double chin,  I’d put on over a stone (14 lbs) in a year

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6 months after I began juicing, no double chin and a healthy sparkle in my eyes

 

11 months on, it’s Christmas Day, I haven’t slept (too excited!), but that juicy glow and shiny sparkle are still there! 

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2 Years on, still keeping the weight off, still juicing. Happier and more confident.

My weight has now been stable since February, 2015, I lost 36lbs altogether. I don’t need to lose any more. I juice for health.

I have several of Jason’s books, all easy to read, down-to-earth, amusing and informative. His apps have invaluable daily coaching videos and easy recipes, they really get you motivated and fired up if you’re flagging due to withdrawal or lack of support.

I highly recommend reading one of them if you’re thinking of juicing, and especially before starting a juice ‘cleanse’.

Take the time to understand what you’re doing and why, make a commitment and you will succeed in transforming your health and outlook.

(See also my Page ‘Juicing Posts: Advice, Reviews, Tips & Tricks’ in the Menu at the top of this post)

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My 5lbs in 5 Days and 7lbs in 7 Days books are permanently on loan!

I do a juice plan every few months – often joining in with Jason’s seasonal Juice Challenges – I juice every day but also have smoothies, salads, stir-fries, soups, rice, pasta and quinoa meals. I even have (raw) chocolate! (There are lots of recipes, both savoury and sweet, in the Menu).

Juicing is not an all-or-nothing thing, you don’t have to do a full-on programme. If you only juice once a day, or do a juice-only-day once or twice a week or just juice whenever you have the time, you will reap the benefits. It is an excellent pick-me up at any time of the day.

If you need advice on choosing a juicer and blender, please see  Which Juicer?, My Family of Blenders and Retro Super Blend Review

Jason Vale, Joe Cross and Neil Martin* do guided Juice Challenges several times a year, check out their websites for details.

Finally, I can’t praise the juicing community enough. On Twitter, complete strangers acted as my personal cheerleaders and the following websites have invaluable resources:

*Juicemaster

*Reboot With Joe

*Neil Martin, Natural Juice Junkie

 http://www.beyondfit.co.uk/

*Shayan also filmed Jason’s coaching videos, find him here at: https://m.facebook.com/ShayanScottFilms

*Watch SuperJuiceMe! the Documentary for free and be inspired at: http://youtu.be/Aaxa7rxEbyk

Disclaimer: please consult your doctor before beginning a juice ‘cleanse’ or ‘fast’. This is just my personal experience of juicing.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Easter Weekend Offer From Grip&Go Bottles

This Easter weekend the people at Grip and Go are offering a 15% discount for my followers on their stylishly quirky glass bottles (click on the link to go to their website, discount code at end of this post).

They come in 3 sizes, are dishwasher safe and are great for storing juices, nut milks or water. They fit in the fridge door and the thin-waisted ones are fantastic if you have a grip problem or if you have wet hands.

The bottles are also available with easy-grip lids as well as stainless steel ones.

The one on the right has a chalking surface so you can write on what the contents are!

I love this fun twisty bottle:

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The bottles come in several bright colours. There’s also a travel mug.

They have excellent customer service. Oh, and Free Delivery too!

So much better to have reuseable glass bottles, better for you, better for the environment – ditch the plastic!

Use Discount Code: JUICENUT15

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Make Beetroot Your New Veg Friend! (Juice Recipes Included)

 

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The Red One – Recipe Below (along with details of where to buy the glass bottle)

When I was at school and had school dinners, they used to give us sliced boiled beetroot with shepherd’s pie once a week. It turned the mashed potato a blushing pink. In those days we ate what we were given, both at home and at school, there were no menu options. I loved school dinners and whilst I wasn’t a big fan of boiled beetroot, it was ok. I ate it. Then in my teens I started taking packed lunches and between then and 2 years ago, not another slice of beetroot passed my lips. We never had it at home and later when I had my own family, my husband didn’t like it so we just never bought it.

Juicing changed all that. When I came to have my first juice with beetroot in, I was somewhat apprehensive. To my surprise, I liked it and given all its nutritional benefits, beetroot became My New Veg Friend.

It is advisable when you first begin juicing to add some fruit, especially lemon and/or berries, even ginger, which I still do, I’m not that hardcore that I drink straight beetroot juice! It has a slightly earthy flavour which some people aren’t keen on, although some varieties are sweeter than others. This is reduced if you remove the skin, but of course you’ll also be removing vital nutrients.

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A welcome donation from our neighbour’s allotment

To my surprise, my previously juice-sceptic husband started having a daily beetroot juice too. I convinced him that it would help his blood pressure and now it has become part of his daily routine. And he doesn’t even drink it with a peg on his nose! He certainly feels healthier for it.

He gets regular exercise cleaning up after he’s made it too – for some reason, he always manages to get beetroot juice everywhere! So be warned, it stains, you’re advised to wear an apron and rubber gloves!

Just one of the many beetroot explosions in our kitchen, it even reached the ceiling once!

Beetroots are rich in iron, potassium, magnesium and folate, are anti-imflammatory, rich in anti-oxidants and are good for heart and blood health. They increase blood flow to the brain and improve exercise performance. Regular drinking of beetroot juice has been shown to reduce blood pressure.

Here’s one of the beetroot recipes we use – full of anti-oxidants, it is also anti-inflammatory, mineral-rich and has protein from the romaine leaves (see below for links to other beetroot juice recipes)*

The Red One

Ingredients

(Organic if possible)

1 Small or Half a Medium Beetroot – If organic and you’re used to beetroot, just chop the ends off, scrub well and leave the peel on

2-3 Medium Carrots, scrubbed

6 Romaine leaves, rinsed well

Thick Slice of Wax-Free Lemon – if organic, scrub and leave peel on, if not peel thinly leaving as much pith as possible.

Chunk of Ginger – size depending on whether or not you are used to the taste, it doesn’t want to be overpowering

2 Medium Apples

Half a Mango or Large Handful of Mixed Berries

Method

Juice all ingredients except Mango or Berries. Blend them into the juice, add ice.

(Beetroot is also a great tomato substitute: if you’re nightshade-sensitive and miss pasta or pizza sauce see my post Amazing Tomatoless Sauce)

*Winter Beetroot Wonder-Juice: Refreshing, Nutritious, Simple

Election Day Special Fruity Beetroot Juice

Blended Breakfast Beetroot Juice

Hot, Hot, Hot Anti-Inflammatory Beetroot & Ginger Juice!

Here’s one for beetroot soup:

Vegan, Gluten-Free Carrot, Beetroot & Basil Soup

and a burger recipe:

Nutty Bean & Beetroot Veggie Burgers with Quinoa & Redcurrants

You can even have beetroot in your porridge!

Pink Oats, Anyone?

The glass bottle in the photo is by Grip and Go UK. They produce a variety of stylish glass bottles in quirky shapes, some with colourful silicone grips and easy grip lids, or you can choose stainless steel lids. The bottles are dishwasher-safe and you can even chalk on the one in the photo, great fun! Ditch the plastic!

Here’s a gentle, relaxing YouTube video of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata (see what I did there? 😉) to listen to while you sip your juice.

 Copyright: Chris McGowan

Juicing Accessories I Can’t Do Without!

As a regular juicer for over 2 years, I’ve acquired a few accessories that I wouldn’t want to do without, so I thought I’d write a post about my juicy recommendations. Naturally, there are other brands of similar items available but these are the ones I actually use and which I’ve had for the most part for all of that time.

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After the juicer and blender, the first thing I bought was a couple of metal juice flasks. These are great at keeping juices fresh in the fridge and help them last longer by keeping them cold and away from light and air, thereby slowing down the oxidising process. Always fill up to the top to prevent air spoiling the juice, adding ice chips helps too. They are good for carrying around so long as you don’t leave them in the car getting warm. This one is from Juicemaster and is the 0.4L size. It also comes in 0.6L  and there is a Sigg equivalent too.

The next thing you need if you are using flasks of any kind is a long-handled flexible brush that will reach right down and clean them out properly. Good hygiene is essential when juicing, all equipment and accessories need to be thoroughly cleaned to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

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Again, this one is from Juicemaster and still going strong after two years. While we’re talking brushes, I’d also say you need a good vegetable scrubbing brush too so you can leave the skin on your veggies.

It is always best to drink your juices through a straw to protect your teeth, but I have a problem with plastic straws: I don’t like ingesting chemicals, plastic is bad for the environment and you have to keep buying them. Instead, I found some stainless steel ones that come as a set of 4 (somehow one has disappeared!) with a tiny spiral brush for cleaning them.

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They are available on Amazon and currently cost around £4. They can be placed in the dishwasher and sterilised.

Once we mastered juicing  we moved on to making our own nut milks (see here for Nut Milk, Shake & Smoothie Recipes), and my next must-have accessory is a nut milk bag for straining the milk from the pulp. There are several different kinds and shapes available, I got mine on Amazon. It is easy to rinse through under the tap and hang it by the drawstring to air dry. Always rinse it out straightaway to make sure it is completely clean – don’t let the pulp dry in the bag, it will be so much harder to remove.

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Once we started making nut milk, we needed something to store it in! I prefer glass to plastic and we found a great 500ml glass bottle by Grip & Go on Amazon which, if you’re like me and have a dodgy grip, is so much easier to hold: it has a thinner middle around which is a textured silicone grip. You can get them in many colours and two sizes, they are dishwasher safe apart from the lid and they don’t leak. I originally had a glass jug with a plastic lid, but it was neither airtight nor leakproof so the milk went off quicker and you couldn’t shake it up without getting splashed.

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I bought 2 x 500ml bottles after finding the 1L bottle too heavy. They fit easily in the fridge door and look good too. The company also do a quirky twisty glass bottle that looks even better for those with grip problems like me. Great for juices too!

Copyright: Chris McGowan