“One of the five most common questions about juicing are cost related. I could answer those questions by sharing that juicing is an investment in your health, and that your health is the most valuable asset you will ever possess. I could tell you about the numerous rich men who wish they could return to their 20’s to eat right. I could say that juicing is actually less expensive than Starbucks. But that would be a bit preachy, wouldn’t it?”

– Juicing For Men

 

Everyday when I get home, I fire up my Hamilton Beach Juicer and refine a massive glass of grade-A fuel (i.e. kale-carrot-lime juice) for myself. While I drink it, I can actually feel my body detoxifying and my mind becoming more focused.

Yeah I know, roll your eyes and groan “placebo effect.” You’re already healthy enough and eat plenty of vegetables. Plus, look at all those Web articles that expose juicing as nothing more than a costly fad. It’s obviously a waste of time and should be avoided.

Wrong.

How do I know? Because I used to think the exact same thing, until I set aside my ego and actually tried it.

Juicing, unlike eating regular vegetables, causes the body to undergo cellular cleansing. This process allows the body to detoxify and regenerate itself in an efficient and rapid manner.

Since I’ve started juicing I haven’t gotten sick, haven’t had acne, developed healthier looking skin that has a radiant glow, and feel much more alert and intelligent.

And my experiences aren’t unique.

According to author and nutritionist Scott Ohlgren:

“A cleansed liver is a felt sensation. Improving its function seems to affect everything, from mental clarity and focus, to emotions, to sleep, to how stress is handled, our digestion, our skin, even how we perceive and deal with-at least in my experience-relationships! Sometimes I think the word “juicing” is the wrong word. We should just call it “Liver Desludging and Overall Life Enhancement Liquid.” Liver detoxification is so important, and nothing comes close to it like the juice of raw vegetables.”

Obviously I can’t convert you to a believer, so anyone still not interested in juicing can skip the rest of this post.

For those of you still here, I have some advice:

See if someone you know owns a juicer and try it out. If you don’t like it, you won’t be out anything.

But if you do like it…

Buy the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor, this is the exact juicer I own and love. For the money, costing less than a video game, it’s a fantastic buy.

Check out Juicing For Men, the best juicing site I’ve ever seen. Unlike most juicing sites, the author provides information and advice in a practical and easy to understand manner (void of the typical tree hugging mysticism that pollutes most juice blogs). When I first started reading this site as I was a bit overwhelmed at the sheer quantity of information, so I recommend beginning with this post and then reading through these.

As great as Juicing For Men is (and trust me, it’s pretty damn awesome), you should probably pick up a book or two on juicing. I just ordered Total Juicing (which I’ve heard great things about), and I also own The 28-Day Cleansing Program.

Most importantly, you should start juicing everyday. When I began, I’d make the following recipe:

• 4 carrots
• 1″ piece ginger
• 1 cup pineapple
• a handful of Italian parsley

I drank that everyday for several months, before switching to the more nutrient rich (and less tasty) recipe of:

• 6 carrots
• 1″ piece ginger
• 1 lime (peeled, otherwise you will break the juicer)
• 1 bunch kale

It’s been close to a year since I first started juicing, and I’ve felt tremendous improvements in both my mental and physical health.

If you have any additional juicing related questions feel free to leave a comment, or send me an email.