(Part 2) Best products from r/Juicing

A week really isn't so much, once you work yourself up to it. A friend of mine did water for 40 days. Now that's actually something! He kept a journal of the experience, and posted it online. I'm trying to find a link, and I'll post it if I can find it. On water, I do have to conserve my energy a bit. There are definitely no 25 mile per day bike rides like I do on juice. The idea behind water fasting is to allow the body to achieve massive clearing/restoration. In my experience, there are no consequences that come from water fasting. In fact, much the opposite. The level of healing, mental clarity, and overall well being felt during my water fasts makes the effects of juice fasting pale in comparison, but it is pretty intense.

As far as getting juices is concerned, I'm rather much a purist. I don't even like drinking non-organic juices, but will do so (Jamba Juice) in an extreme emergency. I will not, for any reason drink pasteurized juices (Odwalla, Columbia Gorge, etc.), as these juices are not raw, and would fall below my standards of acceptable foods as a raw-foodist. I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help in this regard, as I'm pretty much a hard-ass when it comes to these things. I simply do not compromise, and would rather "go without" than consume something substandard. From my perspective, this is one of the greatest strengths of the practice of juice fasting--the constant reinforcement of self discipline. After these many years, the problems experienced in the situations that you propose are quite simply irrelevant to me. For example, If I had to go on a trip sometime this year, and it was impossible/inconvenient to juice, I could shift to water for a few days. It simply isn't a concern. Years of practice have brought me to this point, and the knowledge that I can do such a thing is a very comforting thing. It is an extremely empowering feeling. I would even go as far to say that this self-discipline aspect of juicing is much more important than any physical improvements that I get from juicing.

For variety, I keep it simple, but also gravitate toward what is in season. When citrus is in season, I juice a lot of that. When watermelons are in season, I juice a lot of watermelons. In the dog days of Summer, a week or two of straight watermelon isn't unheard of. My staples (kale, spinach, chard, celery, cucumber, cilantro, carrots, beets, apples, lemons, ginger) are almost always available year round.

There are several books available on the subject of juicing, but many are packed with outdated/unscientific claims. You might want to track down some Normal Walker books just for fun. One book that I generally recommend is The Big Book of Juices. (get the paperback version). It is nothing but hundreds and hundreds of juice recipes, all illustrated and graded on various benefits. It's cheap too.

> check out [1] my personal site for what i've been doing for the last 3 x 60 day juice fasts (currently on day 34/60 - with 182 days juicing thus far). I am averaging 12 cups per day (that's 4 cups per serving, 3 times per day). My [2] BMI is currently 29.9 if yours is higher you may want to consider drinking more. Here are [3] my tips for helping you calculate this.... in the end if you are feeling hungry drink more.

I have actually been reading your personal site and lurking the subreddit for about a week now. I also watched the ~2 hour interview with you on I forget which site. Some really good stuff here! As a programmer myself, I love your logical, calculated method and approach.

My BMI is really close to yours (30.7).

When I look at recipes on other sites, it seems that they usually yield only 1-2 cups as opposed to your 4. How are others juicing? 6 servings @ 2 cups? 8 servings @ 1.5 cups?

> Calculate your calories and nutrition that you are getting using WolframAlpha - [4] tips on that here.. Recipes that I use daily are [5] here and [6] here ... I also [7] take these supplements to account for anything I may be missing.

> I sit in front a computer all day, every day. To date I've lost 82.3lbs ... and that's without the aid of elective surgical procedures, magic pills, expensive special foods or working out. Simply juice and discipline. I went from 3,000-5,000 calories per day to 600-800 calories per day. [8] Use WolframAlpha to calculate everything!

That post was super helpful, thank you so much for putting it together. Again, this is exactly the way I like information presented.

Now, I'm no nutritionist or doctor, but by consuming only 600-800 calories a day - are you not creating too much of a caloric deficit? Do you experience the same increased energy levels that all of the other juicers speak of even with such low calories?

My BMR is 2002 cal/day, and as I plan on doing ~1 hour of light cardio a day while I am juicing (and plan to continue once I am done of course) - that would put me at "lightly active"/"moderately active" 2753-3103 cal/day. What do you think would be the appropriate calorie intake (# or %) for me to maximize weight loss without killing myself / having no energy?

> I make my juices in batches 8 cups x 3 meals = 24 cups of juice. I make dinner for the evening, breakfast for the next day and lunch for the next day all in one juicing cycle (for all these it's about an hour of juicing) - [9] check out the equipment I use for containers (storage and transport) - avoid using metals - metal is great for water but not so much for juices.

That system would work perfectly for me, as I think it would be way too time consuming to do it in the morning before work. I figured metal was probably not the best idea, I just invested in some of these Aquasana AQ-6000 27oz Glass Water Bottles to store juice when I go to work / wherever else I need to "eat". I'll let the community know how they turn out as the reviews are somewhat mixed.

Some other questions that came up for you (and anyone else who would like to contribute):

1. What are the best "bang-for-the-buck" fruits / vegetables in terms of vitamin / mineral content per $ or volume of juice?
   
   
2. I have read that you should say good-bye to caffeine before starting a juice fast. I drink ~6-8 cups of green tea a day. Any idea if that is okay?
   
   
3. In addition to the juices, how much water (on average) do you drink a day?

Here's what I came up with...

Ball wide mouth jars in a 24 ounce / pint and a half size.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008586V6Q?vs=1

Wide mouth version of the 'Cuppow.' It fits into the jar top of the wide mouth jars listed above and turns your jar into a grown up sippy cup. Perfect for driving!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009GLJ9LA/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SS115

Then get a reusable wine bottle bag from your local supermarket... I got one from Safeway for $4 at their checkout stand that looked sorta like this with the 6 compartments:

http://www.reusethisbag.com/Eco-Wineries.php

The 24 ounce / pint and a half jars fit in there perfectly and prevent them from rattling or breaking. Since it's designed to carry wine bottles, it's super sturdy and the straps won't break.

For a long haul you can set the whole bag into a small cooler with ice or ice packs to keep your juice cold all day.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Couple of comments on a juicer:

I own a Breville I think it is a good juicer but cleanup creates such a chore I think it discourages my use of it.

I have investigated and believe the Champion Juicer is a better all around fit as it requires very little in the way of constant maintenance and its cost is in line.

Here is the link - http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Duty-Commercial-Juicer-Color-Black/dp/B000E4C53M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373289445&sr=8-1&keywords=champion+juicer

I have met the owner of they company at a ExpoWest and they seem to have a passion for the Champion product.

I also like the pulp - so in general I use my Blendtec constantly and keep the fiber - I know many would say this is not juicing and perhaps they are correct.

I have a probably unpopular view, but I have a centrifugal juicer and find that if I make juice then refrigerate it for 24 - 36 hours, it's fine. If it is unrefrigerated for any period of time, it starts to taste weird/gross. I know everyone says the nutrients dissipate or whatever after juicing, and oxidation is a problem, but I can only judge on taste (since I can't see the nutrients) and it's been fine for me.

I use these glass bottles ($29.99 on Amazon for 6 bottles) and then I usually put a bottle coozy (kind of like these) around the outside. It doesn't fit the cylidrical bottles perfectly, but it keeps them cooler than a plain glass bottle. I also recently bought this bag which I started using to transport my bottles at work, since I don't always have easy access to the fridge. I find that keeping them cool, in full containers and as air tight as possible means that they will EASILY last a day just fine.

I bought the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor from Walmart for $50. It's plastic, but works very well and is easy to clean. Plus, extractor juicers give the best yield.

Found it on Amazon here

Go buy Joe Cross's book, Reboot With Joe (https://www.amazon.com/Reboot-Joe-Juice-Diet-Healthy/dp/1626340811) as it will have all the resources you need. I've done a 48 day and a 15 day and found it to be the best source of info and recipes.

As for calories, you will eat fewer calories which is what helps you lose weight. The secret is to drink as much juice as you can, 6 to 7 servings a day, and you'll be fine. Sweet fruit (as opposed to non sweet fruit like cucumbers) should be as limited as palatable. The goal is to drink green plants as much as you can, using the other juices to keep your motivation up and give you some other vitamins. Drinking a rainbow is a common juicing phrase, have a green juice, then a red one, another green, then a yellow, another green and then an orange. By doing this and by rotating your greens between the different green plant families you'll do fine.

The $300 juicers you see are probably the best since they are most likely a masticating juicer (look up some videos on masticating vs centrifugal juicers and decide which one you'd prefer)

I have this juicer when it went on sale for about $120 at a nearby Sears. I have owned it for I think about 2 months and now use it about twice a week (I want to get back up to every other day) for a replacement for lunch. It's really easy to clean IF you clean it right away after making juice, and my husband loves when we make apple-orange-carrot juice with it (although I try to lean for more vegetable juices for lunch)

5200 is fine. That's what I use, and I totally love it. No, it's not a proper juicer, but clean up is very quick, except for the nutbag which takes a minute. All you really need is the high power Vitamix motor, and the tamper, you don't need the extra bells and whistles.

This is of course assuming a Vitamix brand blender is your price range. A top quality blender comes at top quality price.

I have been very happy with this nutbag, so I would recommend it.

Many Walgreens stores carry turmeric in capsules, like this, in the supplement section.

I'm sure you could order some online, too. Either in pills or powdered form. Another powdered product.

I haven't tried any of those products. They're just examples. I love cooking with turmeric, personally. I just pour it in when I make Indian dals and sabjis. But yes, finding it fresh is another story.

Edit: Amazon apparently has everything. Whole turmeric root is available from multiple sellers.

AMZCHEF Slow Masticating Juicer Cold Press Juicer Extractor Machine Slow Juicer Vertical Reverse Function Quiet Motor Big Feed Chute|Vegetable&Fruit|Juice Jug & Brush 56RPM BPA-Free https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TC59WH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ff4TDbFBQDYA2

This is what I got and it works great. I'm pretty sure it's a clone of the breville Big Squeeze at less than half the cost. I haven't ran into any issues so far, and if I do I bought the optional 3 year warranty as well.

It's a slow juicer so you get all the benefits of that, and a bigger yield.

You can go to this page on their website, select your model and see if any are available.
I just got my Ninja Pulse last week and love it. This is my first Ninja so the first thing I did was throw some ice cubes in one of the cups and it really does make snow! They've been great for smoothies, slushies and I'm just getting started juicing, but I think they're working pretty well.

Same Juicer here.

Never had any plastic shavings.

Only the very thickest of carrots will ever need to be cut. I quarter my cucumbers lengthwise. This is a Godsend for apples, literally less than 5 seconds to prepare each apple. I cram my leafies in whole. Really soft fruit is still a bit of a challenge... send the pulp in for a second run, THEN put something more solid, like a carrot or celery through, in behind it.

Cleanup is a snap. A little rinsing, a little brushing. Less than 5 minutes, absolute tops.

Macy's is constantly having sales on this bitch. Usually around 40% off. In fact, 2 weeks after I got mine from Amazon for ~$220, Macy's had it for $180.

As far as affordable ones that work well, this is what I have: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FHQJ6C/

Pros: Strong motor (1hp!), easy to clean, wide mouth feeding tube, cheap!

Cons: centrifugal design isn't as efficient as masticating juicers

I have the omega, but I read you're trying to save $. I was using this one while I stayed at my aunt's doing a juice cleanse for 30 days. It was a solid performer, and greens came out dry.

Aicook Slow Masticating Juicer, Cold Press Juicer Machine https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5NSP5D/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_6W.BDbEN0CP27

I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009RVA2QA/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Seems to just spit out the grass like a lawn mower.

Started to look into it and saw some hand grinders

I just bought the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juicer from amazon. It got a good rating for the price on consumer reports as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Mouth-Extractor-67650/dp/B000FHQJ6C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341881650&sr=8-1&keywords=hamilton+beach+juicer

Sure. I had a juice 4 times a day and drank water non-stop. Each Juice was 18 ounces. I used these bad boys to take the juice to work.

My morning juice was 2 tomatoes, a whole thing of spinach, celery, carrots, and a 1/4 lemon. Had this around 9AM every morning.

For lunch and an afternoon snack I would split a 36 ounce batch into 2 18 ounce bottles and have one around 12 and the other around 3 or 4PM. This batch contained: 1 whole thing of kale, one whole cucumber, 2 green apples, half a lemon, then i'd fill the remainder with carrots.

For dinner I sometimes cheated and ate (not juiced) a few oranges in addition to my juice. The juice was kind of a free for all at night. I would just put random veggies and fruits in and hope it turned out well. Don't think I had a single one that came out tasting very good. Ingredients I would experiment with were beets, cauliflower, brocolli, sweet potato, arugula, romaine lettuce, kiwi, pineapple, ginger, chard and i think that is pretty much it.

I'm off of the fast now. I'm still doing the same juice recipes/experiments but now for lunch I throw in a meat of some sort.

Get the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro 67650. It's a very good entry-level juicer that I personally have for 4-5 years already.

https://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-67601A-Juicer-Electric/dp/B00E0IBKLQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8

You got a lot of clients' opinions on it (always read the 4 stars ones on Amazon for the lesser-biased and unshilling testimonials).

Having a blender instead of a juicer is a huge restriction. I would suggest just substituting one meal a day for a smoothie. My favorite recipe was: fresh strawberries, bananas, blueberries, peach, a dash of milk, a splash of OJ, and a couple scoops of vanilla yogurt, no ice. And an answer to your budget problems, this is my favorite mid grade juicer.

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-67650A-Mouth-Extractor/dp/B009RVA2QA

I got an Aicook.

Handles carrots, apples, pears, whatever.
You can always chop it fine to make it easier.

Correct, your juicer is not good enough.

Try to find a deal on a masticating juicer like this

After watching the documentary, I bought/read this book to really give a full understanding of it all before buying my juicing and going all in. It also has a ton of recipes in it for juicing/healthy eating, etc.

https://www.amazon.com/Reboot-Joe-Juice-Diet-Healthy/dp/1626340811/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518573442&sr=8-1&keywords=joe+cross