Juice up your mojo with the right info

In just fifteen minutes, you can juice your way back to health, says leading wellness expert Jason Vale in the 2012 book Hungry for Change.

Within minutes of downing a glass of freshly extracted juice, says Change, your body receives an infusion of vitamins, minerals and enzymes that boost your metabolism and help restore your immune system.The other option is to get your nutrients by chewing a ton of different coloured vegetables every day, which is impossible for most of us regular people.

Nor do those cute bottles of colourful and “fresh” juices at the supermarket count. Change warns that they are loaded with fructose and are pasteurized or heat processed for a long shelf life, which results in a loss of vitamins and minerals.

Eager to get on the fast track to health while reading this book, I juiced every morning for one week and morphed into a clogged up, cold and grumpy blogger. Clearly, regular liquid nutrition does not work for everyone.

But if it works for you and you need a decent juicer, Adam Hart, Vancouver’s living food champion, chef, author and professional speaker offers a few simple tips to get started.

1. What do you look for in a juicer?

I look for a juicer that is not too big and fits compact on my countertop. I also look for a slow juicer versus a high speed juicer which tends to use too much heat and therefore destroys vital nutrients. Double auger slow juicers are great, but take up more room than single auger stand up juicers, which is what I use today.

2. Favourite juicer brand and why?

I currently use an Omega Vert juicer (see feature image). I am enjoying its size and ease of use. It is also great at removing a maximum amount of juice from fruits and vegetables. In the past, I have used a Champion double auger juicer. They are great as well.

3. How much can I expect to spend?

Good juicers are usually an investment of $300 – $500. I suggest you focus first on identifying the type of juicer you prefer (slow vs. fast, single vs. double auger) then look for deals. Amazon.com for example offers great prices on new and used juicers and other kitchen purchases.

P.S. (from the smart foodie): Is there a topic or food that you’d like to learn more about without having to search 100 websites? Send me a note.