A Little Q&A Time...

Happy Monday :) 

I hope you were able to start kick your week with some new healthy juices! 

I have received such a great response from everyone who has been reading the blog (Woo Hoo) !!!  I am loving the flood of messages I am getting everyday from everyone asking about juicing, how to juice, for advice, or simply just a message saying "You have inspired me and I am starting juicing tomorrow!" All which leads me to my next topic which is a little Q&A.  I'm sure a lot of you have some of the same questions so hopefully this helps! 

1. Do I need to peel oranges?
The answer is yes.  All fruits and vegetables that have likewise peels need to be skinned before going through the juicer.  These types of peels will damage the strainer and you will not be able to use your juicer anymore (which after purchasing one is the last thing you want to do).  Fruits such as apples, cucumbers, and pears are perfectly fine to go through the juicer without being skinned prior to juicing.  There should be a list in your juicing manual that has a more detailed list of what can and cant go through the strainer. 

2. Can I use frozen fruit?
You cannot use frozen fruit with your juicer.  The juicer will only liquidize fresh fruits.  Using frozen fruits can be damaging to the strainer.  Frozen fruits are something you would use for a smoothie when you are blending, not juicing. 

3. Do you buy pre-cut fruit?
My answer to this is sometimes I do, but I try to stay away from it.  If you have already started making juices then you know how time consuming it can be.  When I know I am going to have an extremely busy week, then I will buy pre-cut fruit and bagged Kale/Spinach just because it saves me some more time but I really try not to because it's more expensive.



4. Do you use juice as a meal replacement?
Typically I do.  When I first started to replace a few meals with juice, I didn't have any issues doing so.  I didn't feel like I was starving, weak, or deprived. (Everyone is different so listen and pay attention to how your body is feeling) When I replace a meal with juice I usually drink about 16oz but if I feel like I need more, Ill drink more! Juice can be made to complement a meal as well! You get so many more nutrients by drinking fresh, homemade juice that I highly recommend drinking at least one juice a day!

5.  Can I blend the recipes you post and will I physically get the same results as you if I blend instead of juice? 

Ok, so to the first part of that question... Yes you can blend the recipes I post in a blender, however they wont taste the same as a juice made with a juicer.  I have tried the same exact recipe in my juicer and in a blender and they tasted VERY different! Also, the recipes I post are specifically for juicing therefore if you do decide to blend you will need a lot less produce. 
As far as what your results will be by doing a "blending" detox, I am unsure.  During my journey to losing 20lbs I never once blended a smoothie, I only used a juice extractor.  I rarely blend anymore because I am pleased with how the juice taste, so now it's hard to go back to blending.  With that being said, there are a ton of benefits from blending and it's still a healthy alternative to most typical diets.   

6.  Do I have to use one of those ridiculously expensive juicers?

Not at all!  I have a few friends who just recently purchased juicers from Wal-Mart that were under 50 dollars! I have tried these juicers out and the end product turns out the exact same.  The biggest difference I saw was the Breville Juicer (my juicer) has a 3" inch feed tube that's large enough for many whole fruits.  With the Black and Decker juicer you really have to cut up all of the fruit into pretty small pieces, but... it's a lot less expensive!  The Black and Decker juicer is a good "starter" juicer.

 A few other differences between the two juicers are the Breville Juice extractor has 5 different speeds you can juice at, it has a special spout that separates the froth from the juice when pouring into your jars, the pitcher is bigger, and the trash bin is bigger as well. 

Here is a picture of the Black and Decker Juice Extractor...

7.  What juicer do I use? 
I use The Juice Fountain Multi-Speed Breville Juicer and here is a picture of that one...

8.  When the recipe calls  for pineapple, do you use the entire thing?
After cutting the rind off, yes you use the entire thing including the center.  It will go through the juicer!

 9.  Do you use organic fruit and vegetables?
I try to as much as possible.  I also like to buy my fruit and veggies from our farmers market to support local business! Buying organic is a little bit more expensive however when we are juicing and detoxing we are trying to "cleanse" our bodies of all the chemicals we usually put in them.  Non-Organic produced is typically filled with pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, additives, radiation, genetic modification, and preservatives all which are extremely harmful to our bodies.  If you have some free time one night I recommend sitting down and and reading in more detail about the list above.

10.  Is it better to make one juice at a time or several at a time?


It is always best to drink juice as fresh as possible.  When we are juicing we are breaking open the cell walls of the produce causing the produce to become very sensitive to air and light.  When the produce is exposed to air, it loses some of it's nutrients.  I wrote more in detail about this in my post titled "DETOXING" 

11. I get SUPER hungry and I am afraid I wont be able to juice. 
I as well have a huge appetite. I mean, like HUGE...When I drink my juices I am completely satisfied and feel full.  I never deprive myself... If I am hungry then I just drink more juice.  I never limit myself to a certain amount and I just try and stick to a ballpark range of 12-20oz.  Like I always say, start off slow! If you're afraid you'll get hungry then only try substituting breakfast for awhile and then try and replace other meals. 

-------> If you want to read more about Juicing vs. Blending check out my post titled "The Facts".

 Just a little reminder if you started a cleanse and it didn't last all day or maybe you started juicing and got frustrated... Your health is worth it! And if you are doing this to lose weight, don't give up just because you didn't see results after the first day(although I know we all hope, dream, and pray for that) This is something that will take TIME.  Time getting use to, time to adjust, and time to see change!

And I just wanted to share a few of the sweet messages I've received :)

"So I just bought a juicer and I have been reading your blog religiously and I love it! You have such a positive attitude that is so contagious haha I know that sounds cheesy but it's true!

"I just wanted to say you are an inspiration! I have read your blog and bought a juicer.. Im excited to start the juicing journey! Lol so thanks for being so detailed and motivating! Good luck with everything and thanks again for sharing!"

"Hi! I know you really don't know me, but wanted to tell you that my daughter and I are gonna start this juicing lifestyle! So excited! Her in Tempe me here in Albuquerque! Thanks for the recipes.. Will follow your blog! You are a beautiful young lady inside and out!"

"Just wanted to say your blog was super inspiring and I watched that documentary and I'm doing a juice fast for 30 days. I just completed my first day today. I feel great. Thank you for your blog." 

Thank you all SO much for giving me something to be so excited about and proud of! 

Stay tuned for my non-juicing grocery list later this week... 

Well, Until Next time  

Xoxo

Ashley 

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