Can't find organic? Then wash your veggies !

We know that commercially-grown fruits and vegetables are sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals. This is not something that we can avoid, as not all of us are blessed with easy access to organic or pesticide-free produce.
One very effective way I've found to remove these toxins from fruits and vegetables is to soak them in clean water with a mixture of a small capful of apple cider vinegar.
Vegetables tend to catch more of the pesticides. When preparing them, tear (not cut) them up from their bunch and soak them in this solution. In place of apple cider vinegar, you may use normal cooking vinegar and add some salt.
Soak it for about 10 minutes and you will start to notice the water smell. This means the pesticide has come off. Rinse the vegetables a couple more times and it's ready for juicing. Do the same thing for fruits.
Fruits and vegetables are already fully equipped with antioxidants and are super blood cleansers. Should the little toxins somehow find their way into your body, the amount of goodness from the juices will easily cancel out the toxins that are consumed at the same time.

Rotate fruit/vegetable juices intake for best results

To maintain and promote optimum health, our bodies need adequate amounts of the following:

Essential amino acids
Vitamins
Minerals
Enzymes
Essential fatty acids
Carbohydrates
Fiber
Water

We need all these sufficiently, constantly, and variedly in order to help accelerate and enhance the process of restoring nutrients to your nutrient-starved tissues.
When we regularly eat a mixed-variety of these fruits and vegetables, the vitamins, minerals, enzymes and all the abundance of health-building elements from these juices work together in a synergy. The results of these combinations on your health can be simply amazing!
While we may not get all the above-mentioned essentials from fruits/vegetables alone, there are some other healing foods that you may add to your dietary to ensure balance.
Some suggestions of other healing foods that you can add to your dietary:

Protein powder: I do not agree in getting protein from milk. Consider taking protein powder which contains glutamine, an amino acid which plays an important role in protein metabolism.

Cod liver or fish oil: The green vegetable juices that you drink is abundant with vitamin K which helps to "stick" the calcium to your bone matrix. But, in order for this to happen, you need some fats (from cod liver or fish oil) to assist with the vitamin K absorption.
Chlorella and spirulina: Fruits and vegetables contain very little or no vitamin B. You may add chlorella and/or spirulina in tablet/powder form as a supplement. These two algae have very high content of vitamin B.

Seeds and nuts: Many seeds and nuts contain protein and fat that is needed to fuel the body. They also contain important amino acids for the brain and the immune system. These can be eaten as they are, or ground and blended with your juices.

Celebration Recipes

Thanks to Fruity Squishey, she sent in a great idea. Let's sparkle in 2009 with some juice-tails!

Sparkling Tropical Fruit Juice

1 kiwi

1 orange, peeled and sectioned

1/2 mango, peeled and sliced

sparkling mineral water

Juice the fruit. Pour the juice in a fun glass and top off with sparkling water. Celebrate. 

Lemon Lime Ginger Ale

handful of grapes

1 apple

1/2 inch fresh ginger (give or take as you like)

1/2 lime

1/4 lemon

sparkling mineral water

Remove the grapes from the stem. Juice the apple and ginger together, then juice the rest of the fruit. Pour into fun glass and top off with sparkling water and serve over ice. Toast!

Gingered Apple Cider Toddy

1 inch piece ginger

3 apples

Juice and serve with some hot water and lemon. 

Cheers to 2009, Lucys! May we always feel great and look fabulous! 

New Juice

Mashin Mamma took 2 radishes, 3 stalks asparagus &  3 stalks celery, 1 cucumber, 2 carrots, 1 large leaf of kale, 1 kiwi, 1 apple, 1 orange, fist full crannberries, chunk of ginger, a thick slice of lemon and juiced for dinner.  Delicious and fulfilling.   Keep juicin' Lucys and be your best.  

MASHIN' MAMMA THE HOLIDAY LESSON CONTINUED

Mashin'  Mamma here to let you all know that I went back to my strict diet of juicing yesterday and today.   What a difference in the way I feel after getting the chemicals out of my body by juicing and limiting my intake of solid foods.   My body was totally exhausted from all the junk over the holidays.  Today I was full of energy again and got everyday chores accomphlished and more.   Lucys, take it from Mashin' Mamma, and you all know Mamma is right .  Stick to the juicin',  get the kids juicin,  the whole family and blog about it.  All you Lucys' out there Mashin' Mamma's age, just juice and take 20 years off yourself.  Feel great again, do something special for yourself and get your mojo goin' with the juice this new year.   New Year Eve I'll be toasting the New Year with a full glass of juice.  HAPPY NEW YEAR  Juicin' Lucys.

Juicing 101

Hey New Juicers! Watch Irishman Jason Vale explain the importance of juicing in the 21st century.
The Lucys just love his Irish accent.

What is a CSA?

While chatting about juicing with my eco-friendly friend, Jess, she mentioned that this holiday her family bought a CSA membership.  What's that I ask? She said it's where her family will be getting their locally grown/organic fruits and vegetables in 2009.  This is very intriguing to an avid juicer, so I had to have more info -  

Community Supported Agriculture

Many farms offer produce subscriptions, where buyers receive a weekly or monthly basket of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, meats, or any sort of different farm products.

A CSA, (for Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become "members" (or "shareholders," or "subscribers") of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some farmers will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some CSAs also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season.

A CSA season typically runs from late spring through early fall. The number of CSAs in the United States was estimated at 50 in 1990, and has since grown to over 2000.

Click here to find your nearest CSA or Farmer's Market. 

Click here to find out more details on CSAs

Welcome, Fruity Squishier!

The Juicin' Lucys want to welcome Fruity Squishier to the juice club. Thanks for joining our journey to nourish our body, mind and spirit. 

Keep on feelin' great and remember, JUST JUICE! 

THE HOLIDAY LESSON

MASHIN' MAMMA'S HOLIDAY LESSON:   Hope everyones Holidays were the best and you are back to your juicin'.  I had some of my best friends visit for Christmas and the juicin' slowed down in the kitchen.  What juicin' I did was shared with my friends and needless to say they loved it and went back home with a juicer.  I have converted three more to becoming a Juicin' Lucy.

Now, we all know that during holidays we all have to taste the turkey and ham with all the good tasting side dishes of poison and not to mention the dessert loaded with sugar and corn syrup and other ingredients that are supposed to be oh so good for us.  Well, that is just what I did, had to taste it all and feed my body the poisons.  My body is definitely talking to me, asking me what I have done to it.  My body is tired, bloated and hurting, all from those delicious poisons.  So all my fellow Juicin' Lucys, beware.  Believe me, it is not worth it just for a few seconds of good old tasting preservatives.  Lesson learned.  Back to Juicin, my Lucy's. - Mashin' Mamma

Gettin' Juiced!

Inspiration is just a click away! 

Check out the Juice Master's tips to jump start the path to better health and increased vitality. 

Jason Vale's - 10 Top Tips for a Juicer Lifestyle

and get jazzed on the Juice Lady's (Cherie Calbom) Benefits of Fresh Juice - she gives us great Tips and FAQs

Happy Juicing! 

Asian Market Juice Quest

What else would we do on Christmas Day? 

We headed to Chinatown for a yummy, hot and uber-healthy Vietnamese soup bowl. After our delicious meal and some strong Vietnamese coffee my husband I were jazzed to set out to find new things to juice at the local Asian Supermarket. 

Here is what we found. 

Watercress - produces a green juice, can be juiced like parsley or cilantro, adds a peppery, bitter flavor, don't drink watercress juice by itself. 

Traditional Uses: Anemia, circulation, intestinal problems, skin problems, weight loss, bladder problems, hair loss, kidneys, female endocrine system, thyroid

Good Source of: Calcium, Potassium, Chlorophyll, Chloride, Sulfur, Phosphorus, Vitamin C

Lemongrass - Lots of fibers and not a lot of juice came out. It also made my juicer make really scary noises! Maybe I will stick to Lemongrass in my soup or tea. 

Traditional Uses: Blood cleanser, detoxes liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and the digestive tract. Expels uric acid, cholesterol, excess fats and other toxins in the body while stimulating digestion, blood circulation, and lactation, alleviates indigestion, gastroenteritis and acne, reduces blood pressure. Just boil some lemon grass leaves, let it cool for a while and drink the liquid. 

Ginger - Strong taste but a favorite if you want to add some Kick to your juice. 

Traditional Uses:  Inflammation, Headaches, Diarrhea, Digestion, Cholesterol, Gas & Bloating, Cold & Flu, Immune System, Energy, Nausea (especially in pregnant women), Arthritis, Menstrual Cramps, Circulatory Disorders, Enhances Mood/Relieves Stress, Mouth Freshener, Anti-Cancer, Natural Preservative/Bactericide/Meat Tenderizer and helps to block harmful effects of prostaglandin (substance leading to inflammation of blood vessels in brain)

Good Source of: Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Protein, Selenium, Sodium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6

Chinese Broccoli - Lots of stalk and thick, blue-green leaves and not so much of the florets makes it perfect for juicing. It is similar to kale and has a slightly sweeter taste than broccoli. 

Good Source of:  This food is low in Sodium, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin B6, Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese.

Green Mango - The taste was very surprising, it's not like a ripe mango at all, it is very tart due to the high Vitamin C content in the raw fruit compared to a ripened one.  Raw mangos also comprises unique proteolytic enzymes. Be aware Blending it with a sweet fruit and chilling over ice on a hot desert day sounds very refreshing. **Dieters beware: for every 100g of mango in your diet may help you to gain about 75-85 calories. The raw mango is full of starch but once the fruit gets ripened the starch transforms to sugar.

Traditional Uses: digestion, antioxidant, blood builder, anemia, menstrual cramps

Good Source of: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, sodium copper, selenium, iron, zine, manganese, and traces of Vitamin E, Vitamin B (thiamin), riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, Tocopherol, Vitamin K

Baby Bok Choy - Also called Chinese chard and is in the cabbage family. Typically used in soups and stir-fry we decided to see how it tastes juiced.

Traditional Uses: expel toxins, cancer-fighting, healthy digestion, antioxidants

Good Source of: vitamin C, calcium, folic acid, beta-carotene, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin B6

Buying an Electric Juicer

My First Juicer: 

• Juiceman (not Juiceman Jr.) - Both Juicin' Jones and Mashin' Mamma bought theirs at local Walmart (about $90), although Mashin' Mamma had drive to the next town over to find it in stock. 

• Jack LaLanne Power Pro - Squishin' Squeeshie bought hers at Target (about $160) and is in love with it. Jack LaLanne is her new hero. 

Juicers We Dream About: 

• Dr. Weil / Trusted Health Advisor created his own brand of juicer -  'Healthy Kitchen'  Juice Extractor (about $300)
• Breville / A company know for it's exquisite coffee extraction, we would expect no less from their juicer - Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain 1000-Watt Juice Extractor (about $250)
• Omega 8005 Juicer (about $260) / The BMW of Juicers. Single gear, masticating juice extractors that juice, wheatgrass and so much more. 

Kick Up Your Juice

Cranberries have five times the antioxidant content of broccoli, which means they may protect against cancer, stroke and heart disease. In addition, they are chock-full of phytonutrients, and can help women avoid urinary tract infections. Limit the cranberries to about 4 ounces per pint of juice.

Fresh ginger not only gives your juice a little "kick"can have dramatic effects on cardiovascular health, including preventing atherosclerosis, lowering cholesterol levels, and preventing the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL).

You can also add half a lemon (leaving much of the white rind on). If you are a Protein Nutritional Type, you will not want to use lemons as they will push your pH in the wrong direction.

What do you add to kick it up a notch?

Source: Dr. Mercola

http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/juicing.htm

What Did You Juice Today?

Tell us your concoction.

My Mother is a MILF from Juicing

Here's the back story - "Mashin' Mama looks great! We can't believe how good she looks after just a few months of juicing." 

This was evidence enough for her two thirty-something daughters to run out and buy affordable juicers, plug them in and juice juice away. Since time zones and the daily grind keep them from talking to Mashin Mama as much as they would like the daughters, Squishin' Squeeshie and Juicin' Jones, started this blog to keep up with their mother and her new juicin' lifestyle.

We have Juicing Fever!

This blog was created for the Juicin Lucys!  We've started and we just can't stop juicing everything in sight. We feel lighter, fuller, and most importantly nourished. 

Join us as we celebrate and explore the benefits juicing has on our mind, body and spirit.