Carrots don’t have a lot of natural moisture content, that’s why juice extractors require so many carrots to get just a little bit of juice. When I make carrot juice in my Blendtec, I use only 2-3 carrots and then add water to about an inch below the carrots. Don’t be afraid to add water to any juice you make! Your body is 83% water, after all. Most commercial carrot juice is very processed, and many of us have become accustomed to a thinner consistency, so feel free to add as much or as little water to get the consistency YOU want. Remember to use the Whole Juice button!
Oranges Everyday, somebody asks me if they can just toss the whole orange into their Blendtec. Well, you CAN....but it’s going to taste very bitter and might give you a bit of a tummy-ache.
The outer skin on an orange contains limonene, which is an undigestible oil. It has a lot of nutrients though and oodles of tart orange flavor. Used in moderation, it’s great. I use a soft fruit peeler (looks like a potato peeler but has a serrated blade) to remove just the outer skin (leaving as much or as little orange part depending on what I am making) keeping as much of the pith (white part) as I can because the pith has a lot of riboflavin which is good for healthy joints.
Round fruits of a certain size can tend to make a nice little home for themselves on top of the blade and just spin around. So cut or break your orange in half. As with all juices, if you feel that it is too thick (because of all that great fiber!) for your taste, just add water. Your brain is 74% water. Think about it.
Cantaloupe All melons contain a lot of water, so they are a great addition to your juices. And pound for pound, melon seeds have more protein than meat, so I throw the seeds in as well (not to mention that sure makes my fruit prep a lot easier!) Cantaloupe brings a nice sweetness to juices, eliminating the need for added sweeteners.
Grapes I try to use seeded grapes as my foundation for most of my juices. They are big and full of water, lending a nice sweet flavor as well as the resveratrol in the skins and the anti-aging properties of the grape seeds themselves. Win-win-win.
Seedless green grapes are terrific frozen! Like little mini sorbets. I use frozen grapes (remember, hard stuff on top!) whenever I make fresh fruit sorbets, I get all the nutrients plus a much better consistency and flavor than if I use ice. A perfectly healthy sorbet in just 45 seconds!
Pineapple Bromelain is a wonderful enzyme found in pineapple (especially the core) that aids digestion, speeds wound heeling, and reduces inflammation! But the core is usually removed in canned pineapple. Many people choose canned pineapple because the fruit looks a little intimidating to prepare.
Try this: Grab the top leaves and just snap off at the bottom, where it meets the fruit. looks a little easier to maneuver now, huh? Slice off both ends. Stand on one end and slice pineapple in half vertically. I leave the skin on to keep it fresh longer and just slice off a slab from one of the halves as needed, cutting off the skin as I use it. You may find it’s easier for you to prep it further - peeling, slicing and storing it all at once.
Strawberries are mighty tasty. Just one fresh strawberry can impact the flavor of your juice a lot! (Though I find it takes several frozen strawberries to equal the flavor of one fresh.) I keep them unwashed in the refrigerator and wash them as I use them, since they will spoil quickly once they are washed. Leave the greens on! The greens are a terrific source of chlorophyll, a natural blood purifier.
Kale is number one on the list of cancer preventing vegetable with an ORAC value of 1770 (ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Most people have no idea what it tastes like and have only ever seen kale as a green leafy garnish on your plate. Get some. Put it in your juice. You’ll never know it’s there and your body will be very happy. Kale is loaded with calcium, iron and beta-carotene as well as vitamins K, C & A.
Onions are one of the foods I had to re-learn. They are not just a seasoning. They are a powerhouse vegetable, full of cancer preventing nutrients. I, personally find them a bit too strong for my juicing tastes, but I’m definitely throwing them on the grill and enjoying the simple pleasure of delicious grilled onion a lot more often!
Spinach is number two on the list of cancer preventing vegetables with an ORAC value right behind kale. Since I’m non-dairy, I know that calcium is a real issue for me. I throw spinach into darn near everything I can get away with. Yes, it DOES make things very green. Sometimes that’s okay, but if you are struggling to get your kids to eat it and put it in their juice, it may look a lot less appetizing than it really is - try adding blueberries to hide the color. It’s so packed with nutrients, even a little brings the iron, calcium, manganese, vitamins A & C and folic acid your body is craving. Experiment with just how much you can throw into your kid’s ice cream or juice before they can see the color change. Every little bit helps.
Dandelion Greens Yup. The same dandelion that is considered a weed by most of us gardeners is number 4 on the list of cancer preventing vegetables. I don’t use chemicals in my garden, so I feel safe just running out and picking the greens fresh, give ‘em a quick wash and then throw ‘em in my juice. Or I buy them at the local Farmer’s Market or even many grocery stores. Dandelion is the third richest source of Vitamin A (just after cod liver oil and beef liver). Dandelion is also known for it’s excellent detoxification properties, especially for the liver and it’s one heck of a diuretic, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Cabbage is in the top 3 vegetables for preventing cancer. But other than what I put on my fish tacos or cole slaw, it’s not something I eat much. Since using my Blendtec blender, I’ve found it’s a great addition to ice creams and juices. The red cabbage makes for a lovely purple or pink color and the green cabbage doesn’t affect the color as much a spinach or kale would!
Almonds are great for reducing your cholesterol. Almond milk is a terrific milk substitute and very easy to make. If you prefer a very smooth consistency, try straining it through cheesecloth or a gold coffee filter. Try it hot with cinnamon and nutmeg!
Red Bell Pepper Everyone thinks citrus fruits
corner the market on vitamin C but one red pepper has 2 to 3 times
more vitamin C than an orange. Vitamin C keeps skin healthy because
it helps protect us from the sun (which also means it’s an
anti-ager) and it’s a key nutrient in collagen production, which
keeps skin firm.
