Vegetable Juicing for a Healthy Lifestyle

Are you thinking of juicing? Interested in the benefits of vegetable juicing? There are many reasons to choose juicing. Nothing beats fresh vegetable juice for its goodness, nutrition, and extreme health benefits.

So whether you’re looking for a healthy addition to your diet or are planning a juice cleanse and detox, there’s nothing better than your own, homemade vegetable juice blends.

Healthy Juice Choices

The vegetable juices you buy in the store, especially the big name brands that we’re all familiar with, contain a lot of sodium and some contain high fructose corn syrup and even sugar. When you juice your own at home, all of this is avoided.

Depending on your juicer’s capabilities, the following are popular and common veggies for juicing:
Alfalfa
Basil
Beet
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Chives
Cucumber
Dandelion (leaves)
Eggplant
Fennel
Lettuce
Onion
Parsley
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Wheat Grass
Yam
Zuccchini

Most of the time, these are mixed with fruits or other ingredients to make tasty, healthy juices for everyday consumption. Just about any vegetable can be juiced and all have some kind of nutritional benefit – most have many. Juiced vegetables are more readily absorbed by your body and give instant access to nutrition.

What Kinds of Vegetable Juices

While the choices above are just some of the options available, depending on your juicer’s capability, it’s not easy to always pick combinations that will be palatable. Luckily, there are thousands of websites and resources for great juicing recipes. Here are a few favorites (sized for one person):

The Caesar Salad: 6-8 Romaine leaves, a parsnip, and 4 carrots. A great way to get your salad along with all the benefits without the negatives usually included thanks to the dressing and other additions.

Brussell Delight: 3-4 brussels sprouts, 3-4 carrots, 3-4 broccoli florets, 1 apple. An awesome source of vitamins C, A, and antioxidants!

Carrot Veggie Mix: 5-6 carrots, a few parsley leaves, 2 asparagus stalks, 2 celery stalks, 2 brussels sprouts. All your vegetable needs in one shot! A great mix with an inspiring sweet flavor.

Cuke Lover: half a large cucumber with 4-6 carrots. Tasty and tangy!

These are just a start. The most commonly-added complementary fruit to any juice mix are apples. Most fruits clash with vegetables in your digestive tract, which can cause nausea or diarrhea. Apples do not do this, so are a good choice. Bananas are also a good choice, in moderation. Either will add the sugars needed to create a sweeter, tastier drink.

What Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden for Juicing

Any of those on the above list can be grown at home for your own, organic, self-sourced juicing. The most common are carrots, peppers, cabbages, spinach, etc. Asparagus is a great perennial that can grow just about anywhere and be easily cared for and harvested. Celery, lettuce, brussels sprouts, and other greens make for simple kitchen gardening with a lot of nutritional punch.

Just about anything the gardener grows in his or her garden can be used in the juicer. Experiment!

Want to learn more about vegetable juicing:

Don’t miss these for more info:
The Reboot with Joe Juice Diet: Lose Weight, Get Healthy and Feel Amazing by Joe Cross
Juicing for Better Health from Minnesota State University, Mankato
The Nutrition Source: Vegetables and Fruits from Harvard School of Public Health

Links to Amazon from Gardening Channel are affiliate links.