So lets talk about juicing… the once norm for the health gurus and fitness fanatics is now mainstream and available not only at your neighbourhood Pret and EAT but also supermarkets have their own versions. A now regular on the fashionable brunch menu, but how many of us know what we are drinking? Or has it just become a prerequisite to be part of the health crew. What’s out there may look like goodness in a bottle, but often enough it’s laden with fruit (and hence unnecessary sugar while lacking the fibre available when eating a fruit whole). To get around this I often buy ‘cold-press’ green juices from stand alone juice shops (see Press, Imbibery for example). Predominantly these are lovely and if you get something like the ‘Deep Greens’ from MaE Deli or ‘Eat your Salad’ from Good Life Eatery – you can avoid all fruit and have a low calorie drink packed with the much sought-after micronutrients. However, it’s a hassle to always have to go out to get your juice and it can become an expensive habit quickly!!!
So I’ve taken to juicing at home with a regular run-of-the-mill juicer dug out from the recesses of my kitchen cupboards (circa 2008). I wanted to see if I could make this a habit before shelling out a lot of money on a shiny new cold-press juicer only to become another big piece of kitchen kit to be forgotten.
Recipes are aplenty (mine to follow of course) but funnily the hardest part of the whole juicing thing was just getting into the habit of it. If it’s a tedious process, it becomes a fuss and you skip it. So set up was key… and the process to get going was slow. It is hard to make or break any habit. That juicer sat on my kitchen counter for weeks untouched, in my peripheral vision and at the back of my mind simmering before it was even cleaned, plugged in and ready to go – then after a couple of trial runs I figured out not a lot of juice comes out of most veggies and you can go through baskets to get out just a small cup. So next to it I lined up my NutriBullet and my dinky citrus press. Yes all the equipment lined up and on display becomes an eyesore but it reminds me to juice, which is key.
Finally I had a system for my hybird ‘Superfly Green Juice’ – a version not for the fainthearted!
For a small glass (aprrox 250ml) of juice:
Juice together:
1/2 cucumber
2-3 celery stalks
1 whole fennel bulb
Optional fruit on occasion for the novice; half or whole small apple or small kiwi
Blend in:
handful baby spinach
Add in:
Juice of half a lemon / Juice of a whole lime (hand squeezed or using a citrus press)
Like all recipes build it your own way. There are endless versions of the humble green juice and only you know what suits you best and boosters you need on any given day. The basic premise is to do away with the fruit (maybe start with 1 apple and then cut it down to half, then none or if you really need some fruit try a kiwi which is high in Vit C and not too sugary) and seek out juicy, affordable and accessible veg to be your base. I always use cucumber and celery – both with simple familiar flavours and easy to build other flavours into. A firm favourite for me is fennel – I love the aniseed taste and it is soothing on the tummy. Then I found it rather pointless to juice leafy greens – so I blend a large handful of soft leaves with my NutriBullet (another fad kit – any blender will do) add some citrus and hey presto! You’ve got a simple green juice. It is not sweet – but it is palatable. As you become braver blend in some ginger or fresh turmeric, or try parsley or mint. Here are some suggestions:
Optional items to blend in:
Mint or Parsley
Aloe vera gel
Fresh Turmeric or Ginger (1-2 inch piece)
Spirulina or Wheatgrass
Alternatively swap the spinach with other mild leafy greens:
Romaine Lettuce
Baby Kale
Rapini
Experiment with what you have and what is in season. Watch out though as some can be quite bitter raw. For variety, a failsafe is a handful from the odd baby leaf salad bag.
If you want something more substantial – then you can smoothie-fy it by blending 1/3 avocado and a few almonds. Or add some pea protein or hemp protein post workout. You can also add some pre-soaked chia seeds (2 tsp) to give it a thicker consistency. #endlesspossibilities Give yourself permission to experiment and meet your own needs.
It doesn’t have to be a big green juice, just add a small glass to your routine. It is not a detox or substitute, it’s just a way to get vitamins and nutrients in that sometimes go amiss in our #busylondonlife
Superfit Superfly 