How to Get Started Juicing, How to do it Right, and What to Avoid

Tomato Juice and Fresh Tomatoes with Basil on a Wooden Table

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The Facts

Fruits are full of natural sugars. Many people add them to their juices because fruit makes them naturally sweet. The calories in your juice, if you add fruit, will come mostly from carbohydrates, which means that if you don’t eat other foods or only eat more vegetables during the day, you will be lacking other essentials, such as protein. Drinking a great deal of fruit juice can have a negative impact on your teeth as well, due to their high acidic levels. It would be a good idea to rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth after you have your juice.

When you first start, use fruits and veggies that you already eat regularly or that are a bit more “stomach friendly,” such as oranges, carrots, apples, and watermelon. Once you are comfortable with these, then you can move on to beetroots, then go a step further and start adding greens such as kale, cabbage, spinach, and broccoli. Vegetables are the backbone of any juicing program, but it takes a while for your body to adjust to them, so take your time and don’t go right out and start drinking green juices unless you would like to a severe case of nausea and diarrhea!

Another way to start out is by having juice as either one meal replacement (for most people, breakfast is the easiest) or drink one with a meal. It will take you some time to build up to tolerate an all-juice fast.

Final Tips

Juicing is a great, fun, tasty way to get a power punch of nutrition. When you are conscientious of the sugars you are consuming and the dental hygiene you should perform, juicing is a very rewarding way of life.

Are you ready to start juicing? Here’s a checklist of what you need and how to start.

1. First, your juicer. Do you have one? If not, check around. Buy the best juicer you can afford so it will last you a long time.

2. Before you start juicing, prepare your body by eating a lot of raw fruits and veggies at least one week before you begin. This will get your body ready for the change from food to juice.

3. Make a shopping list so you will have the ingredients on hand. Plan for about 3 days’ worth of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables at a time.

4. Decide when you are going to drink your juice. With a meal? Which meal? Instead of a meal? Which meal? Be practical about your choices and do what works best with your schedule.

5. If you get a headache the first few days, don’t be worried: this is normal, and it’s perfectly OK to take some pain remedies such as Tylenol or ibuprofen if you need to. Your body will adjust and the headaches will stop.

Here are two recipes to help get you started:

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