At first glance, juicing everyday may sound intimidating. Where do you begin? How much fruit and vegetables are you supposed to buy on a daily basis? Once you get the hang of it however, like any habit, you start seeing and feeling some beneficial results.
The changes are very subtle at first but carry on with juicing everyday and eventually, they will transform your entire life. Here’s how.
11 Benefits of Juicing Daily
Juicing everyday is a big goal but as with any new endeavor, you just need to take it day by day.
And as it becomes easier and part of your daily routine, you see surprising changes in yourself as well as how you view health and the world around you, like…
You’re way ahead of the game before the day even starts
Most people clamber out of bed, groggy-eyed and grab a cup of coffee on the way to work, possibly with a donut or muffin on the side. Even if they make it a point to eat breakfast, it’s unlikely they’ll be getting much fruits or veggies.
You, on the other hand, get your daily fill of fruits and veggies a lot quicker and easier – you may even have consumed a whole basket of fresh, raw produce by noon!
Previous to juicing, fixing a side dish for lunch or dinner can be a hassle. We often have to plan ahead, and make sure we get nutrients from various places. When you juice, you can throw in some spinach and cucumber to your morning juice, making other meals less bothersome. Bonus: All those fruits and veggies you’re eating are keeping you extra hydrated too!
Juicing everyday makes you an expert at the grocery store
How often do you find yourself purchasing beets, bitter melon, coconut water, ginger, and mangoes all in one go? Juicing lets you become experimental, going in aisles and trying new things you’re not used to purchasing or tasting.
And it’s not just at the grocery store – once you’ve mastered the produce aisle at your local grocery store, you may find yourself heading over to check out farmer’s markets and Chinatowns to see what interesting produce they have on offer.
You start to find juice remedies for things
Starting to have a cold? There’s a juice for that chock full of vitamin C. Need more energy? There’s a juice for that, involving a lot of lemon and ginger. Want to improve your workouts? Of course there’s a juice for that.
Juicing every day could seem like a challenge, but trying out different things for your wellbeing is the perfect way to diversify your juice intake, while entertaining your tastebuds.
You start buying in bulk
Whether it’s BJ’s, Sam’s Club, Costco or your local coop, you’re going to have to buy in bulk in order to juice every day, save serious money, and purchase a ton of organic fruit and vegetables. To that end, your fridge will be a beautiful cornucopia of different produce.
You sleep like a baby
One of the first things you start really noticing when you’re juicing everyday is that you sleep better. That isn’t a coincidence. If you get more produce in your diet, you are getting a natural source of melatonin which promotes sleep. Some fruits and veggies that contain melatonin are: Bananas, morello cherries, ginger, and tomatoes.
Certain juice-able herbs like cilantro and dill also contain compounds that fight stress and anxiety and promote relaxation and deeper sleep so you can rest easier.
Juicing everyday makes your skin glow
…But first, it may do weird things. Depending on your diet previous to juicing, juicing every day may cause break outs at the beginning as it is pulling toxins from your body. Afterward however, many people report their skin glowing, especially when drinking green juice concoctions.
You notice a lack of cravings
Because you’re juicing a ton of fruit and veggies, you are getting a lot of vitamins and minerals in a single serving that you weren’t normally getting. People who juice often find themselves craving less sugar due to the fact that sugar cravings usually come from a lack of nutrients you aren’t getting in your normal diet.
You will have a different bathroom experience
Whether your urine smells strange due to asparagus, looks pink due to drinking beets or rhubarb, or you have to urinate more than usual due to celery, your daily bathroom routine most likely will change.
And it’s not just urine…juicing gives you a load of soluble fiber. Yup, that’s right – juicing removes the insoluble fiber, which is the roughage that adds bulk to your stool and basically pushes the food through your digestive tract. But you do get plenty of soluble fiber from juicing, which is great news because it’s hugely beneficial for gut health, acting as a prebiotic and boosting good bacterial growth.
If your body is not used to getting this much of a boost from fresh fruits and veggies, well, let’s say you may poop more than you’re used to. And yes, in the beginning, it may be watery.
Juicing everyday changes your tastebuds
Juicing is great for weight loss – but not in the way that people think it is. You see, juicing is not some magic bullet solution where you drink a glass of juice a day and it magically melts away the fat.
Instead, juicing for weight loss works because that glass (or three) of fresh juice changes you from the inside out. You don’t even know it’s happening but one day, you wake up and you realize you are so used to, so in love with the taste of fresh, raw produce that you can’t go a day without it.
Pretty soon, processed, fried and fatty foods start to lose all appeal. You choose a salad for dinner not because you want to but because you crave greens. You start making your own pasta sauces because the stuff in the jars just tastes too fake. It happens gradually, but it happens. And that’s how juicing helps you lose weight – and keep it off – for life.
Your kitchen looks different
First, it’ll be your fridge with all of the fresh produce lining the shelves. After you get hooked, you’ll want to upgrade your old blender to a Vitamix and purchase your first slow juicer.
Then, you start saving for top-of-the-line juicers like the Super Angel or Norwalk. And of course, all your fresh produce needs places to reside. So you start clearing the counters to make room for your new healthy friends. Maybe you even start growing your own wheatgrass in your windowsills.
It’s not just your kitchen. Your bookshelves start filling with juicing books and there’s notes on your favorite juice recipes on the fridge. And don’t even get me started on the juicing blogs you’ll have bookmarked on your laptop…
Your lunch changes
Juicing on the weekends and breakfast juicing is great but pretty soon, you’re going to want to take your juice with you to work so you can replenish all day.
But sometimes it’s not feasible to use your juicer on a daily basis. The prep and clean up may be a hassle, or you simply don’t have the time. That is why many people make large batches of juice for work or travel.
Fresh juice is different than water, in that it needs an air tight lid to keep fresh, and often a cooler. Canning/mason jars are a great tool not just for preserving jams and marmalades, but for your juice as well!
You become health food savvy
Once you’ve been juicing for awhile, you’re going to start looking around for…accessories. You can dress up your mason jar, it’s true, but we’re talking about the things you put inside of your juice. Whether it’s wheat germ, chia seeds, wheatgrass, apple cider vinegar, aloe vera, and more, if you want additional health benefits and a different texture, experimenting with these supplements may be a cure for the common juicing plateau.
You become a gardener
Don’t be intimidated! Juicing long term, you will start to recognize the benefits of having a garden – no matter how small it is. You may decide to go with a tiny wheatgrass planter in your kitchen. Or maybe just sprout your own spouts or grow a little batch of herbs.
Some long-term juicing aficionados recognize the benefit of having fresh, wholesome fruits and veggies right outside your door. It’ll cut your grocery bill down (especially when you’re buying organic), and you know exactly where your food comes from. But a full blown garden is not for everyone and there’s many ways to have your cake greens and eat them too – check out the easiest greens to grow!
You learn the hard way…
…although you don’t have to, because you’re being warned here. Many people start out juicing mostly fruits. And who can blame them? Fruit is delicious! But they’re also high in sugar, which is why you might get a sugar rush if you drink the wrong kind of juice, aka all fruit concoctions.
If you are uninformed when you first start juicing, you may get carried away with too much fruit and not enough vegetables. Nothing but fruit creates a concentrated source of sugar (even the good kind!) without enough fiber to slow down its absorption and you may feel a bit light-headed or even have headaches.
To avoid juicing too much sugar, try to aim for an 80/20 ratio of vegetables to fruit and watch your intake of these high-sugar fruits like pineapple, mango, papaya and bananas and stick to low-sugar fruit to sweeten your recipes.
You may turn orange
Again, this is very optional and you’re being warned so you don’t develop an orange cast. One of the more interesting side effects of juicing is that it can make your skin do weird things (if you’re not careful).
Like, if you drink too much carrot juice, your skin can turn into an interesting shade of orange. It’s called Carotenosis, and it’s where too much carotene gets in your blood. This isn’t usually dangerous, but you do end up looking like you have got a weird tan. So don’t down a gallon of carrot juice everyday, okay?
Juicing daily is a lifestyle change. Between buying more organic produce, upgrading your juicer, and changing your eating habits, it may seem like an overwhelming challenge. However, adding an outstanding amount of vitamins and minerals into your diet far outweigh the subtle changes in your usual routine. Most importantly, you’ll be surprised at how many health benefits you will gain while experimenting with different flavors and combinations in your daily life. Happy juicing!
