Juicing has become a popular dietary trend because it has many beneficial attributes. However, the nutrient content solely depends on which fruits and veggies you decide to use.
In this article, we will discuss the benefits of juicing as well as the best fruits and vegetables to use. First, we will look at the ten best hand juicers to use.
Benefits of Hand Juicers
When you decide to start juicing, you are adopting healthier eating habits. Juicing offers a cut to your calorie intake without lacking any nutrients, a promotion of healthy eating habits, a tasty way to drink fresh produce, and it saturates the body with micronutrients.
With juicing, you are also providing your body with a way to extract digestive enzymes that are typically stored in the fiber medium of whole fruits and vegetables. Because most commercial juices are processed, they lack the nutrients that freshly juiced fruits and vegetables provide.
Fiber is a well-known and important part of an overall healthy diet, but juicing removes insoluble fiber from fruits and vegetables. Removing the insoluble fiber increases your body’s chances of absorbing specific health endorsing phytonutrients and enzymes.
When you juice, you are adding many great health benefits to your diet as well as finding a perfect way to add nutrients from fruits and vegetables that you normally wouldn’t eat. Whole fruits and vegetables retain most of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
These nutrients have been proven to help protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and numerous inflammatory diseases. Flavonoids and anthocyanins are beneficial compounds that are plentiful in numerous fruits and vegetables and protect against oxidative cellular damage—which comes from routine cellular upkeep and is aggravated by exposure to chemicals and pollution.
Even though there are numerous benefits that can be found in juicing your fruits and vegetables, you should also be weary to some claims that are running the rumor mill. One such rumor is the claims that juicing is the only way to stay healthy and you should avoid solid foods.
Another one is that juicing is a substitution of a medical diagnosis or treatment. There really is not a lot of research out there to prove that juicing is healthier than eating the whole foods. Your digestive system is capable of handling fiber and removes nutrients from a multitude of foods.
An imperative note to consider also is that fiber is important for digestive function and has a multitude of health benefits. While there is not a whole lot of research into whether juicing is better for you than eating whole fruits and vegetables, it is however, easier for you to consume all the beneficial nutrients from these foods on a regular basis.
Whole Fruit or Juice?
95% of the vitamins and enzymes our bodies need are found in the juice of raw fruits and nutrients. It would take us eating 10-12 apples, 8lbs of spinach, or 2lbs of carrots to consume the same amount of nutrients that you could obtain in one 16oz of juice. You will find a high concentration of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in juice. These vitamins, minerals, and enzymes are easily absorbed into the bloodstream without overworking your digestive tract.
Juicing and Illness
Juicing not only promotes weight loss, improved energy levels, a fortified immunity, stronger bones, and a healthy-looking complexion, but there is research that shows it may also help decrease the chances of heart disease, cancer, and strokes.
Fresh vs Bottled
Fresh juice contains grander nutritional values that are fundamental for peak health, with natural vitamins filled with enzymes, vital minerals, antioxidants, and natural antibiotics. Bottle juices are processed and heated, which can damage and/or destroy certain nutrients. This makes fresh fruits and vegetables a better choice over bottled.
Benefits of Organic Fruits and Veggies
Organic fruits and vegetables do not contain any harmful toxins or pesticides and can also tend to have more tasty flavors.
Best Veggies and Fruits to Juice
The best vegetables and fruits to juice really only comes down to a matter of opinion. However, the following list contains fruits and vegetables that have solely the most health benefits and are also easy to juice.
- Spinach
Spinach has many important vitamins and minerals. However, it does contain oxalic acid which has the potential to interfere with the absorption of calcium. So if you do decide to juice spinach, it is recommended to limit this intake to 2-3 times a week.
- Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are one of the most popular choices out of any fruits and vegetables because they contain carotenoids, bioflavonoids, and mass amounts of vitamin C. Citrus fruits also help lower blood pressure and helps reduce plaque in arteries. These fruits are also antiviral and antibacterial. It is also important to note that you shouldn’t use these fruits until they are ripe because they can be acidic if picked too early.
- Kale
Kale contains protein, minerals, and calcium. It is also very tasty and will make a great addition to your juices.
- Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass is probably one of the most important greens that you will find on this list because it is very nutrient dense and includes pro vitamin A, chlorophyll, potassium, magnesium, among numerous more. It has many beneficial properties that include restoring health to the sick and increasing red blood counts to promote a healthy body.
It is high in indoles, which helps to prevent cancer. Other beneficial properties that can be found in wheatgrass are stimulating DNA repair, neutralizing superoxides and protect them from cancer. Wheatgrass contains of 20 enzymes, including the enzyme catalase.
Catalase breaks down harmful hydrogen peroxide in the body and prevents them from harming cells. The only nutrients that wheatgrass seems to not contain is vitamin D and B12, according to several studies.
This green has been used to reverse many health issues including cancer with success.
- Melons
Many melons are natural diuretics—making them dominant cleansers and detoxifiers. All melons are antiviral and antibacterial. An important note is that melons also have a high water content which makes them ideal for rehydrating your body.
- Peppers
Peppers are high in vitamin C and contain many antioxidants. They are beneficial for conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and the common cold. Peppers also keep your arteries decongested. Another beneficial property that can be found with peppers is that they help hair, nails, and skin due to their natural silicones.
- Apples
Apples are one of the best fruits to juice because it’s full of nutrients that promote in digesting fats and contain a lot of antioxidants as well as helps reduce cholesterol, cleanse the digestive system, and boost your immune system. This fruit goes well most fruits and vegetables by softening any bitter or strong taste.
- Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a popular choice and are very beneficial to your health. They decrease your cancer risk (most notably, testicular cancer in men), and due to their high volume of lycopene, are very good for you heart. This vegetable also goes very well with many other vegetables. It is also important to note that a raw tomato is different from a cooked one. Cooked tomatoes become very acidic while a raw one may not bother you at all.
- Carrots
Carrots have a high beta carotene volume which is great for your skin, brain, fighting cancer, protecting arteries, fighting infections, and boosting the immune system. Studies have shown as well as many doctors believe that carrots have the ability to eliminate putrefactive bacteria in the colon as well as help purge the body of intestinal parasites. Carrots also blend very well with apples, as their juice is sweet.
- Pineapples
Pineapples are an anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial fruit. Secondly, pineapples are able to disband blood clots. Lastly, pineapples are also known to contain bromelain, a digestive enzyme that is really important for the body to digest protein.
- Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens are known for its benefits, including chlorophyll, but it is also very good for cleaning out the kidney, liver, gallbladder, bowel, and pancreas. It also contains a fair volume of calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron. Another beneficial property that dandelion grass provides is that it is a mild diuretic, helps people with anemia, diabetes, and hypoglycemia. It helps to clear and eliminate blockages in the body, which means that it has the potential to help people with acne problems.
- Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes contain vitamin C, manganese, copper, fiber, B6, potassium, and iron. Along with these properties, sweet potatoes are also anti-inflammatory. They also provide a remarkable quantity of vitamin in the form of beta carotene.
- Berries
Berries are antiviral and antibacterial and contain many antioxidants. In general, berries are very good for your blood. However, blueberries and blackberries specifically help diarrhea and urinary infections as raspberries are specifically good to help menstrual cramps. Strawberries contain mass amounts of lycopene and help the cardiovascular system.
- Papaya
Papaya is very beneficial for the digestive system, as it contains an enzyme, called papain, which helps breakdown protein. Papaya juice will help those who have digestive problems by juicing it daily and after meals. Another notable property of papaya is that it also helps replenish vitamin C in the body and protects against cancer.
- Cabbage
Cabbage is also a great green that is very beneficial for the stomach. It is also important to note that if you have ulcer problems, then cabbage is something that you should juice daily. Cabbage is full of indoles that help estrogen balance as well as regulating metabolism, and cancer prevention. It is also a beneficial detoxifier. Unfortunately, cabbage does not taste good by itself, but you can mask this flavor by choosing other fruits and veggies to mix with it.
- Cranberries
Cranberries are great at preventing bacteria from developing in the bladder, prostate, and kidneys, and it also helps deodorize urine. Cranberries contain a nutrient called mannose, which is used to help keep the entire urinary tract from contracting an infection.
They are also antiviral and antibiotic and are beneficial in the sense that they help prevent kidney stones. When you juice cranberries, you will need to combine it with water or another fruit or veggie because they are sour.
- Broccoli
Broccoli has a high volume of vitamin C and has a lot of antioxidants. It helps in preventing colon, lung, and breast cancer. Also, its chlorophyll helps regulate insulin and blood sugar.
- Celery
Celery is the go to vegetable when you need to cleanse your digestive system of uric acid. Celery has a high potassium volume which is perfect for lowering blood pressure and is a great cure if you retain water regularly or have a lot of bloating. It is also a great vegetable choice if you have issues with gout.
It also has a powerful diuretic effect that makes it a great detoxifier. This vegetable removes toxins from your body with ease. You will also want to juice the leafy top of celery because it is full of potassium that helps balance out the sodium that is in the stalk.
- Parsley
Parsley is a great choice for juicing because it contains a lot of chlorophyll, is good for your blood, and helps with kidney and gallstones as well as cleanses the liver and supports the heart. This herb also has anti-parasitic properties that can also give you extra energy. Another beneficial property that parsley contains is that it helps deodorize the body.
- Radish
Radishes have many beneficial properties for your health. They are very rich in many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Radishes are a great source for vitamin A, B6, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, folate acid, copper, zinc, and manganese.
They are also a great detoxifier by cleansing your kidneys, bladder, liver, gallbladder, prostate, testicles, and digestive track. It can also remove toxins, viruses, and other disease causing agents.
Criteria for Evaluation
Before purchasing a juicer, you need to take into consideration its build quality, its durability, ease of use, and maintenance. Every product on our top 10 list was tested against these criteria.
Build Quality
For a hand juicer, you will want something that has the classic dome design. It is perfect for juicing citrus fruits. You will also need to make sure that it is made of stainless steel, a thick plastic material, or glass. If you go with stoneware, then you will end up paying more for it, but it will last longer than most other juicers. However, stainless steel is also a great option and will last you a lifetime. On our list you can find a selection of stainless steel, glass and plastic juicers to choose from.
Durability
The durability of a hand juicer solely depends on the material that it is made from. A product’s durability also depends on the company that designed the item. Out of all of the possible scenarios that could happen, it would most likely be best to go with something that is stainless steel or plastic.
Ease of Use
Almost every hand juicer is similar, except those that come with lids that will secure the fruit and help you juice. You will want something that is simple to turn so that it is easy on your wrist.We tested all 10 of the options on our list for ease of use to make sure these were the most efficient on the market.
Maintenance
Hands down, if you are looking for a hand juicer, you will want something that is very easy to clean. With this said, you will want your juicer to be made from something that does not stain easily and enables you to remove seeds and pulp easily. If your hand juicer has these features, than it may not really bother you if it is or is not dishwasher safe. Check out our list for the dishwasher safe options (highlighted under pros).
FAQs
Q: Whats the best time of the day to have juice? Early morning on an empty stomach or anytime during the day? Is drinking juice in the evening beneficial or not recommended?
Many studies show that drinking juice in the morning, on an empty stomach and alone, is the best time of day to have fresh juice because the nutrients can be absorbed easier and it does not have other food to hinder your body’s cleansing. Juice is mostly used for cleansing.
Fruit juice is the best to have in the morning hours.
Generally, it is always best to have something light, like a bowl of fruit, smoothie or juice in the morning because heavy foods slow our digestive systems down and can make you feel sluggish.
Drinking juice in the evening or anytime is still beneficial. The benefits of juicing still remain no matter what time of day you drink it. However, drinking juice in the morning is the best.
Follow these two general rules when drinking juice:
– Juice is best when you drink it alone with fruit only combinations in the morning hours. It is also best to wait at least 10 minutes before having food.
– If drinking juice with a meal later on in the day, be sure to drink slowly and swish it around your mouth to activate the digestive enzymes.
Q: What is the foamy stuff at the top of the juice?
The “foamy stuff” at the top of your juice is usually a combination of some of the fiber mixed with the juice and sometimes, not always, the speed in which the juicer juices.
The juicer has to separate the juice from the produce. So when the juicer starts to clog a bit, sometimes the fiber will be pushed out into the juice as well. It occurs more often in centrifugal juicers that spin. The spinning is very fast, and it sort of throws the juice into the cup faster, and this fast motion creates foam.
It is completely safe to eat. However, if you do not like it, a solution would be to get a new juicer or stop and clean the pulp out of the juicer half way through.
Q: Should I start my juicing by doing a 3-day cleanse and then regularly incorporate juice into my diet? How do you personally incorporate juice into your diet?
Cleanses are a great way to start your body into a new habit as well as help your body to cleanse quicker than normal. I think they can be a great option. However, they are not desirable for everyone.
Some people like to do cleanses each week, but it is really up to you if you want to do a cleanse. If you are getting in at least one juice a day and eat a clean diet, your body will naturally cleanse.
Q: What is the best juice to drink with a meal?
One of the best juices to drink with meals is vegetable juices. You will want to drink it in between bites and swish it around your mouth to activate your digestive enzymes. This will help with digestion.
One of the best options to try is a papaya-veggie mix (like carrot) for the most powerful digestive tonic.
Q: Why can’t I use a blender or food processor instead of a juicer?
A blender is not able to extract the fiber from the juice. It will mash the produce to liquefy it, but will not take it out. Separating the fiber from the juice allows your body to digest and soak in all of those live vitamins quicker. It’s also more concentrated when juiced.
For example, blending three apples vs. juicing three apples is very different because by juicing the apples you make a super concentrated life giving liquid that your body can absorb quickly.