Many people are setting up juice bars in the comfort of their own kitchens. Sure, juicers are pricey, but once you invest in one, you can take your favorite fruits and vegetables and instantly make a healthy fresh juice blend. Juice extracted from a juicing machine can provide you with an abundance of nutritional goodness including vitamins, potassium, and magnesium — but which juicers are worth the money? Here are five of my favorites!
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The other day I was walking down an aisle at Whole Foods when a bottle of V8 caught my eye. Suddenly I had an intense craving for a glass of tomato juice seasoned with salt and pepper. I used to enjoy tomato juice on a daily basis, but now, I only have it when I'm sipping a Bloody Mary. I think I might have to pick some up soon! How about you? Do you drink tomato juice?
Ah, high fructose corn syrup. The highly debated sweetener in many processed foods and drinks, recently the subject of a marketing campaign and name change, is again in the news, and it's not good for its image makeover. An extensive 22-year study released this month that followed almost 80,000 women has found that drinking non-diet sodas regularly, leads to an increase in the risk for gout.
Gout, a painful form of arthritis, is caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood. While some foods can trigger a gout attack, the illness is not the "rich man's disease" (caused by a meat- and alcohol-heavy diet) that it was previously believed to be. But this new study does show that diet does play a part, and regularly drinking beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup is a major cause — and so are fruit juices like orange juice, since they are high in fructose as well. To find out how much drinking one regular soda or two glasses of orange juice a day increases your risk of developing gout, read more.
I'm all juiced up and feeling pretty good about it. From tasty smoothies to simple orange juice, I rely on the vitamin-rich liquids to keep my energy up and my immune system ticking. And sometimes they even replace an entire meal. When that happens, I have to make sure I know which juices to turn to for the best nutritional value. Do you know your juices?
After working out it's really important to eat because it fuels lost energy and repairs damage to torn muscle. After my workouts I usually snack on an apple, some yogurt, or a fruit smoothie from Naked Juice. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen knows the importance of a post-workout meal too. Just last week she was spotted sipping on a Jamba Juice smoothie after leaving the gym. While a lot of the offerings at Jamba Juice can be calorie bombs, the chain does offer many low-calorie smoothies that can also be made with the addition of soy protein or nonfat yogurt. And in a new twist, it just started offering low-calorie "make your own smoothie" mixes at grocery stores.
Each package makes two eight-ounce smoothies, totaling 120 calories each — all you have to do is add apple juice. Besides being low in calories, they're made with real fruit, nonfat yogurt, and an antioxidant booster, and contain no corn syrup. So far only the chain's three most popular flavors are being offered: Razzmatazz, Mango-a-Go-Go, and Strawberries Wild. I'm bummed because I haven't seen any at my grocery store yet, but when I do, I am definitely going to try it.
In the meantime I'm going to make smoothies from scratch, like this green smoothie, almond berry banana smoothie, or chocolate-espresso smoothie. Are you a smoothie-holic like I am? What's your fave?
Although I'm a fan of interesting vinegars and exotic sauces, it can be pricey to purchase a bottle of something you may only use once. That's why it's nice to look toward the juice aisle. Juice is an incredibly affordable flavoring agent — and you can drink it after you cook with it. In this recipe, cranberry pomegranate juice is used to season savory chicken thighs. It's an effortless dish that's also elegant enough to serve friends without breaking the bank. Check out the technique and read more
Despite the health benefits of water, people still love to drink juice and soda. Unfortunately, these beverages are usually empty calories filled with sugar that do little in the way of hydration — even diet soda can be damaging. I think that water tastes great, but sometimes I get bored of drinking it all the time. Instead of giving in to juice and soda cravings, I've been making my own flavored water at home. Not only does it taste great, it's extremely economical.
My advice is to keep a few flavors in your fridge at all times; that way you'll always have a bit of variety and never get bored. Because I only like a hint of flavor in my water, I don't add a ton of stuff — find what works best for your taste buds though!
For a few ideas on how you can make your own read more
With juice labels touting their healthy benefits, it's easy to believe we're doing our bodies good with a glass of fruit juice. But just this week, Dr. Jennifer Ashton caught my attention when she stopped by the CBS Early Show to clear up some juicy health myths. Take the quiz and see how juice stacks up to your other beverage choices.
What breakfast is complete without a cold glass of juice? I love the flavor of both fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juices, but never thought about which was more healthy.
Since both are citrus fruits, they seem equally nutritious, but when I compared the two, there's more of a difference than I expected. To see what I discovered, read more
Cooking whole grains is simple — just heat the grains in water and that's it. If you want to enhance the color, flavor, and nutritional value of the grains, it's just as easy. Just use juice instead of water.
Choose from 100 percent carrot, orange, apple, beet, or pomegranate juices. It's a great way to change it up in the kitchen, and your body will appreciate the extra vitamins and antioxidants.
