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

Fresh juice mix fruit, healthy drinks on wooden table.

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Have you had some serious thoughts about juicing? Do you see your friends at the gym or at work talking about some spinach/strawberry juice they just tried and wondered if you would like it? What’s stopping you? Many people are nervous or afraid to get into juicing because of the unknown. How will I do it? How will I feel? Will it make others think I’m weird?

Juicing is a terrific way to cleanse the body and fill it with nutrition, but juicing sometimes has some misconceptions attached to it. Too much a good thing, no matter how healthy and natural it might be, can become a bad thing. Even water, in excessive amounts, can kill you, so before you jump on the juice bandwagon, keep reading to find out some important things you should know and how you should get started. If anyone tells you that juicing is weird, they are just in denial about all the dangers of the foods they are eating and they simply aren’t aware- yet- about the joys of juicing. Keep reading! We’ve even included a couple recipes at the end of this article to help get your started.

Why Juice?

As you probably already know, juicing is an easy, speedy way to get essential vitamins and minerals into your body. Also, because you are mixing it at home, you know exactly what is in it, and what you are getting – not to mention what you AREN’T getting, such as preservatives and sugars. Juicing has moved past the simple strawberries, bananas, and ice recipes of the past. There are countless recipes online to mix and match the nutrition you need, but might not eat every day.

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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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Juicy Rainbow Smoothie

This is a great starter juice as it has an 80/20 vegetable/fruit mixture and is easy on the stomach. It’s also easy to make as it only has 6 everyday ingredients. It happens to taste great too!