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Any time of the year is a good time to start juicing. The health benefits of drinking fruit and vegetable juice are numerous, ranging from improving your digestive health to increasing your body’s ability to repair itself and bolstering your immune system.
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However, as with any new routine, sticking to your juicing habit can be hard. Follow these 8 tips to help make juicing a part of your daily routine for years to come.
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One of the most common mistakes people make when starting a juicing lifestyle is failing to account for the extra effort. In order to make your juice both effective and sanitary, you need to wash your ingredients and cut them to the appropriate size for your machine. Most people don’t have the time to do this in the morning, so consider prepping the night before. Even if you chop up all of your veggies and fruits the night before, you still need to plan for the time to make the juice and clean your machine in the morning. Wake up a few minutes earlier to give yourself more time in the morning and keep the process as stress-free as possible.
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3. Solve the taste dilemma
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Make sure you choose ingredients that are both easy to juice and that you enjoy. Even though kale is loaded with nutrients, you’re unlikely to stick to juicing if you hate the taste, but there are many tasty additions that can help mask the taste of kale, so you can get the nutrients while enjoying the juice.
Apples, lemons, limes, grapefruits, pears, and ginger are all great additions to make the primary stars, like spinach, kale or broccoli taste great in your juice.
It is also important to realize that you might just have to get used to the taste of vegetables, as others have, it is part of changing to a healthy lifestyle. |
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5. Focus on your calorie intake
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As great as juices are for your health, they’re no replacement for actual fruits and vegetables. Many new juicers attempt to substitute complete meals with a juice blend, which often does not have the appropriate number of calories to keep you fueled all day.
Similarly, many people find that drinking fruits and vegetables is not as satisfying as eating them, which can lead to feelings of hunger. Associating negative feelings such as fatigue and hunger with drinking juice can make you feel like the process isn’t worth it. Instead, focus on drinking the juice as a snack or meal supplement. |
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2. Stock up on the (right) ingredients
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Another pitfall that leads new juicer to abandon the process is a simple lack of ingredients. If you’re all ready to make your juice, but you don’t have any leafy greens or fruits, it makes the entire process harder than it needs to be. Make sure you keep a fresh supply of fruits and vegetables in your fridge before you plan to make your juice so that you can focus on solidifying the habit instead of the obstacles in front of you.
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4. Invest in a quality juicer
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This one falls in line with the whole concept of making the process easier for you. A poor quality juicer can result in a poor quality juice, such as one full of large chunks, which in turn can make the entire process unappealing.
Cheap juicers are also more prone to breaking and clogging, which can completely stop your budding love for juicing in its tracks. There’s no need to spend a fortune on a juicer, as some high-end models also come with issues. Read reviews at online retail sites to identify the machine in your price range with the largest number of happy owners. |
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| Buy an airtight container to store your juice. Juice keeps well for about 3 days, so being able to make enough for a few days saves time and makes the whole juicing thing much easier. |
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7. Watch your sugar intake
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Avoid the shock of weight gain or sugar overload that can quickly turn you off to juicing by making your juices primarily from vegetables.
Fruit is very high in sugar, and you can easily go into calorie and sugar overload with just a couple of glasses a day, negating the whole point of juicing. Choose low sugar fruits, like apples and berries and use them in moderation. |
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8. Buy a portable container
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One major benefit of drinking juice blends is that they take such little time to consume. However, if you don’t have the time to sit and sip your drink, you’re not going to build the habit into your routine.
Purchasing a thermos or other container means you can take your juice with you wherever you go, so drinking it can become a part of your daily activities. In addition, you can make your juice in the morning and then take it with you to work to drink later.
Starting a new juicing routine can be difficult if you don’t take the time to plan for it in advance. Focus on identifying the biggest issues you face each day and develop methods to overcome them, and you’ll make your new juicing habit stick for a lifetime.
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