Thursday, February 12, 2009

Question & Answer Time


Well. Color me surprised.

I had no idea you would be so passionate about this juicing thing. Seriously, I’ve actually been trying not to talk about it, so as not to sound like an infomercial. But now I’m realizing that you actually care… so here you go. Answers to your questions.

**OH! And the contest for the 10 free books is still open. I'll draw 10 names random from the comments from the last post, and this post as well. I'll do the drawing when the books arrive from the publisher, in about a week. **

Ok, question time.

What kind of juicer do you use?

Lots of you are mentioning your old juicer in the garage that you got for a wedding gift or from your grandpa. And I certainly don’t want to discourage you from using it. That being said, I must tell you that starting with a GOOD juicer is key here.

I use the Juice Man Pro. Cherie recommended it, and I love it because its powerful AND Dishwasher Safe. I never would have stuck with juicing this long if I had to wash by hand. Also, the feed-tube-thingy (technical term, I know) is large and so I don’t have to cut all the produce into minuscule pieces.

Malerie, this ones for you. Is it expensive?

Not at all. First of all, if you have a good juicer, then it doesn’t take much produce to get a lot of juice. So you’re not buying a whole bushel of apples. My friend Callie gets all her produce at Costco. I buy mine at my local grocery store and I try to buy organic when possible. Plus, we are just getting into Spring – when all the local produce stands open up! Also, try co-ops, Farmers Markets, and best of all – growing your own veggies.

Tara asks: Once you make a drink how long is it good for? Do I need to drink it right away?

Good question, Tara. I’m a big fan of drinking the juice immediately, because of all the healthy enzymes. Think of your fruits and vegetables as live foods – once you cut into them, the enzymes immediately start dying. The sooner you drink it, the more live enzymes you have which helps you digest. That said, you can refrigerate the juice for up to 24 hours if need be. You’ll know if it spoils.

Now for the questions that weren’t asked, but you might be thinking:

Why not just eat a carrot?

If you’re like me, then you have a hard time getting your daily dose of fruits and vegetables in. I was hardly getting anything! If you can eat 5 carrots, 5 stalks of celery, 1 Cucumber, ½ a beet, 1 apple and some ginger, then do it. But for me, I NEVER would have taken the time to sit down and eat all that. Juicing worked for me.

Aren’t I juicing out all the fiber?

Nope. Soluble fiber remains.

Why go to all the trouble of using a juicer? Can’t I just drink an Odwalla?

I’ll let Cherie handle this one. Fresh juice is a live food, like I mentioned earlier. Its full of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes and that living ingredient --light energy-- that revitalizes the body. You feel different when you drink raw juice! In contrast, commercially processed canned, bottled, frozen, or packaged juices have been pasteurized, which means the juice has been heated to high temperatures, and many of the vitamins and enzymes have been killed or removed. And the light energy is virtually gone.

Did I miss your question? Leave it in comments and I'll get to it.

And yes, the special juicing announcement is still forthcoming. It will make you laugh. And you will be able to see it at your local grocery store. Wait for it…….

13 comments:

cacfus said...

I would love the book! (Crossing fingers that I will win :) I have never really been interested in juicing before reading your post, but I would love to give it a try. I have been trying to eat healthier since my pants are also becoming a little "tight". Thanks for being so honest in your story in the previous post.

PS - Love to hear you on the radio! You are always so cheerful and positive and it always gives me a little "lift"

Anonymous said...

Sarah I am so intrigued by all this posting about juicing!! Keep writing about it... I'm learning so much. :)

Laura and Joe said...

I tried juicing years back but never fully got the hang of it. Thanks for being so honest about your personal struggles and successes. You go, girl!!

Eva said...

My question: What is your favorite juice to make?

Susan Isaacs said...

Hey I found you thru Matthew Paul Turner's blog. My favorite juice combo is apple, carrot and ginger. I juice along with doing Master Cleanser. The longest I've gone is eight days, and afterward my whole entire system feels clean and refreshed!

Cliff and Dana said...

I have a question for you. When you lost the weight was it because you were replacing meals with juicing or just because you added juicing to your normal daily routine? Did you increase exercise too? Thanks. :)

Cliff and Dana said...

Ok, another question for you. What company makes the Juiceman Pro? I am trying to find pricing on the internet and there seems to be a lot of juicers with similar names. Thanks :0)

Anonymous said...

Q: What time of day do you juice? First thing in the morning, afternoon?

Q: If you juice in the morning, do you drink it alongside your coffee?

I started juicing back in October. My greatest success with it: I'm a schoolteacher, and every time I feel the bite of a cold or flu coming on, I juice two big glasses of juice, and have not gotten sick this year (yet)!

Anonymous said...

WOW! I am really excited for you. Thanks so much for sharing and answering questions.
I have one embarrassing question for you. I rarely eat veggies, but when I do I have a bad case of gas and stomach ache. My question is will juicing give me gas? To be honest I think that is one of the reasons I don't like to eat my veggies, and I don't really like salads. I need help.

Beatriz
bmonalaska@yahoo.com

Sarah said...

First of all, thank you for being so open and genuine. I love reading your blog and getting a little glimpse into your life. I majored in Psychology...so I LOVE "people watching" (even if it is more like "people reading").

I have to admit...I had never even thought about juicing before you started talking about it. I mean, it never even crossed my mind as a possibility. But now, because of your complete honesty and great information (and because you always look so great in your pics!!), I'm seriously considering it. I am most worried about a) the taste. But I will do my best to "power through" as you did. b) the cost. But your suggestions of going to Costco and local farmers markets make the idea seem potentially feasible.

So I look forward to trying this out and seeing how it goes. Thanks for your willingness to help all of us out by starting us off with great tips and tricks. I appreciate it!

Anonymous said...

Sara-Thanks so much for exposing the "raw" truth about fresh veggies and fruits. I am trying to lose weight after having 4 children and it's hard. I exercise daily but it's not enough. I think I may try this juicing! ohana1st@hotmail.com

Steve n Coco said...

Well, I can't say that this sounds good to me at all, but I am so fascinated by your enthusiasm that I might just have to check out this book!! I think my husband would love it...

Be blessed,
Courtney

Unknown said...

If soluble fiber remains, are you then juicing out insoluble fiber? You do need that, right? Doesn't that help digestion or am I off? In that case, is it just that you should get it from another source?
Are there any serious critics of juicing?
listen to the skeptic... trying to prevent herself from wanting to buy a juicer...