I fail at vegetables. (A story of juicing.)

I watched Hungry for Change a few weeks ago. Have you seen it? I found it pretty fascinating. They talk about the importance of knowing where your food comes from, as well as the health and cosmetic benefits of eating clean. It’s VERY persuasive. We were totally pulled in. The last 20 minutes of the documentary are basically an infomercial for juicing…so obviously, I bought a juicer two days later. I also intended to do the 3-day detox they recommend on their site, as a way to kick start healthier summer eating. That was a total flop. I’m sure this comes as no surprise to anyone who actually knows me. I am not cut out for eating vegetables all day. GIMME SOME FAT. Having vegetable juice for breakfast, a mid-morning snack of veggies, and a salad for lunch? Veggie-overload. I wasn't strong enough. I made it 12 hours into my 72-hour detox before caving and eating cookies. Then I went home after work and ate most of the contents of our refrigerator. Moral of the story? Deprivation helps no one. And, really – I enjoy eating. I mean, I really love it. And I did not enjoy eating during the detox. I think what it comes down to, is trying something realistic. Not trying to change your eating habits completely, but gradually adding more healthy foods into your diet, so that eventually they overtake the less healthy foods. And allowing yourself to have the less healthy foods that you really enjoy – just in moderation. Novel information, I know ;)

All was not lost, however. I may not be ready for an entirely healthy grown-in-the-earth diet, but I am ALL OVER JUICING. Seriously, I absolutely love it.

1. The juice is (usually) delicious. 
2. You get SO many servings of fruits and vegetables (the juicer extracts 70% of nutrients from the fruits and veggies) in one glass of juice.
3. It’s pretty fun to watch a pear become pear juice in under 2 seconds.

My mom raised the point that they were expensive glasses of juice, given the number of fruits and vegetables that went into one cup. And she’s totally right – but I’m looking at it from a different perspective. I don’t think of it as a glass of juice, like you would a glass of orange juice – an accompaniment to your breakfast. But rather, I think of it as 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables that are easily and quickly (and deliciously) consumed. My mom’s second point was “Why don’t you just eat 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables, then?” Another valid point. But the fact of the matter is, I don’t. And I know I’m not alone. I never eat as many servings of fruits and vegetables as I should. I just can’t stomach eating all of them. I get bored. (I get bored very easily.) On a typical day, I get max three servings. Nowhere near the number of servings recommended. Juicing helps me get more servings of fruits and vegetables and I enjoy it – so I’m more likely to stick with it. I think that may be the most important part.

I bought the Breville Juice Fountain Compact BJE200XL (Note that it’s not actually compact, at all). I did some research on different types of juicers and the general consensus was that if you’re not going to spend upwards of $500 on a Vitamix (noooo, thank you), the Breville 200XL was the way to go. So far, I’ve been super happy with it. It has a wide spout, which means that I rarely have to cut my fruits and vegetables before juicing them. This is such a benefit in the morning before work. It’s also fairly easy to clean – takes me about 5 minutes post juicing. There are dozens of reviews on Amazon, which you can see here.

So that’s my juicing story. I love it. I’m converted. But I’m never going to be an herbivore.