Juicing Recipes Get's Back To The Basics

I'm heading on back to the good old days. That's right, this is a juicing for health site, and I'm stomping back to the old school. I'm saying that because of late, my posts have been more concentrated on weight loss than juicing. For those not needing to lose weight, sorry but I really had to take the opportunity to address the issue, since I was (and still am!) receiving tons of emails about juicing specifically for that purpose. So now, finally, I'm writing this to jump back full speed into the business of juicing, because after all, I live by the juice - and you should too. :)

I'll start today by offering an honest and comprehensive review of the Breville Juice Fountain Elite, my pick for the overall best juicer on the market today. I've mentioned it a few times on the site, but this time I'll really give you the "low down". Yep. Every fresh start at a topic deserves its' core ingredient be attended to first. Every house needs a foundation. Every dog has his day. Every.... ok, ok, I'll shut up already.

1st off, you need to know that the Juice Fountain Elite is my #1 pick over ANY other juicer currently on the market when price is a consideration. As mentioned, I preface this statement by letting you know there are better juicers, but they cost a tad more, especially if you buy the JFE through my links ($140.00 off!!). So when I say it's hands down the best, I mean that it's the best - in a value for your money sort of way.

Here's a list of reasons why this Breville unit is Super Cool, Unreal Freaky, and Awesome:
  • Reason 1: It has a 3-inch chute which means that many fruits and large veggies can be juiced whole. This helps a great deal for those that don't necessarily have time - or an inclining - to cut their portions correctly for juicing. Also, juicing whole fruits allows that more of the overall nutritional value of said food item can be juiced, and therefore consumed.
  • Reason 2: There are several parts to clean, but fear not, because most of these parts are dishwasher safe. This certainly adds to the appeal since most of us dread having to hand wash small parts.
  • Reason 3: If you get up early in the morning for a juice, your kids won't wake up startled and wonder why you've seemingly fired up your lawnmower in the kitchen. In other words, as juicers go, the Breville is a fairly quiet unit.
  • Reason 4: Editors at a popular product review company had tested 29 juicers, using various methods. They had basically processed 600 oranges, 10 pineapples, 150 beets, (and a whole slew of other fruits and veggies) and compared results. Out of these various brands, 2 Breville juicer models were hands down winners in almost every category. In fact they only lost points because of their weight and girth.
  • To that "girth" ^^^ criticism I say ... come on(!), juicers are not meant to be strapped around our necks like an I pod, they are meant to live on your counter-top for crying out loud. They're supposed to be big and beautiful, so that when you reach the kitchen every morning you are immediately sucked into its' gravity field. Sheesh, I thought we all knew that.
  • Reason 5: Forget bulky, the Breville JFE is nothing but Uber Sexy. Yep. It's stainless steel, which - to interior decor - is the new black. Get the Juice Fountain Elite and you will suddenly find yourself running to the appliance store to trade in every other appliance you own, for something in "stainless steel". Trust me, I did this last year and now even my can opener is of the "stainless" variety.
Expanding further on the test mentioned in reason 4, said testers were quite horrified to discover that certain very popular brands simply broke down during the process. How that matters to us is simple: if these heavily marketed juicers couldn't withstand one simple go around to gather data, they wouldn't last 3 months in your home. I'll play nice for now and not name these brands, but I can assure you they ARE some of the more popular (and more useless) juicer brands that we see every day.

All in all, the more expensive juicer models (like Breville and Greenstar products) have a significant and obvious advantage over pretty much anything from a catalog or on TV. That's not because they cost more, it's because they are meant for more robust usage and for a more serious juicing fanatic. More bang always costs more bucks, people. I can speak highly at a few top end products, those being the Breville Juice and Blend, and the Greenstar Juice Extractor. There are more products and companies that are truly awesome, but detailing them would take another article or 10. (BTW, click the links above to check them out)

One thing of utmost importance when considering juicers folks; if you are in the market, never, EVER go cheap because cheap breaks, cheap frustrates, and cheap can stop your progress when it's rendered useless by an overly ambitious pineapple recipe. Stick with the brands known to do the job over and over again. As I've mentioned, Breville (and Greenstar) are both companies worth their weight in gold.

Just for fun, and just because I'm hoping you are really a fanatic about juicing like I am, check out the Breville Mega Super Unreal Millennium Falcon Juicer. (That's not its' name, but it should be) It has a certain drool factor if you're a juice freak like I am :). As I've said somewhere, that thing could juice a Cadillac and still have enough "hudspa" to liquify your old hockey sticks. One good thing to know is that Amazon has these Uber juicers at $100.00 savings (again, if you click the link I gave that is ;)) Another great thing about the Juice and Blend is that it has a fully Uber Awesome blender attachment. So what might seem a tad expensive at first go is not really so steep - since you save on blender expenses.

Seriously, The Breville Juice/blend combo is a very advanced juicer and most people owning these models are already very serious about juicing, or they need to produce large volumes in short periods. Having said all that nonsense, this is the model I have and I just love it. Firstly, it will not ever quit. Secondly, if my BMW ever blows a gasket, I'm sure I have the replacement engine in my kitchen, right beside the microwave.

To conclude, for a reasonable cost there simply is no better juicer on the market than the Breville Juice Fountain Elite, in my opinion. You can look it over yourself (click the links), or as always, click on the fancy-shmancy pictures I always feel inclined to provide. You can buy it directly from my links at Amazon, (I've got the sweetest deals in existence;)) or by finding a brick and mortar store that carries Breville or Greenstar products. Either way it is a responsible and smart purchase if you are entering into the juicing lifestyle and want something that's both Uber Sexy and Uber Functional.

Here's an excellent juicing vid featuring my baby. Cheers!

Juicing For Health And Quality Home Exercise

Since I get constantly inundated with emails asking my advice on losing weight, and since it always happens at this time of year when kind folks are hoping to prepare for the summer bikinis and beach outings, I am going to make this answer available to everyone yet again. It makes more sense than having to CC an email to only those who email me. And yes,  I've covered this topic once before (you can find it here) but repetition is sometimes the key to getting people to see the light.

OK, here is my advice, and it's based on years of training both serious athletes, Hollywood personalities, and normal folk like you and I. In the first place, anyone with expanding stomach issues needs to click here, or click the fancy "in post" graphic that is flashing between the "Truth About Abs" text and some enviable couple's amazing abs. Oddly enough the program IS called the Truth About Abs. (Go figure;)) Anyway, here's the thing: This program is 100% useful and effective - and it's available at a mind-numbingly serious deal. I mean it. Click the link now and grab it if you're worried about stomach fat - or if you're looking for a good workout and health maintenance program. It costs less than a few weeks of Lattes. Seriously. Your gut will thank you, your fridge door hinges will thank you, and your tailor will thank you (for all the extra work taking in your trousers ;)).

Now I'm not just going on and on about this program with my own self interest at heart. I happen to know this program works like gangbusters when applied. Truth About Abs is not just an "abs" program, it's an overall fitness regimen and it's worth it's weight in gold as both a fitness routine and as a nutritional guideline. It is the perfect jumping off point for anyone serious about getting healthy - and since most people start to notice fat around the mid-section first, it is perfectly topical. Obviously I really believe in this program or I would never steer you there. There is nothing I can do to help shed your stomach fat that this program cannot do. It's worth noting that since I charge up to 350.00 per week to train someone in a group, and 550.00 as a 1 on 1 coach, (using almost the identical principles found in that program) well there's not much else to say. It's a no brainer if you're reading this and want to shed the spare tire for the coming summer and beyond.

Secondly, there are a good deal of people emailing me that say they just hate gyms and refuse to join one. It's either an actual phobia, they despise being around all the gym rats, or they just have an understandable craving for privacy. So the inevitable question becomes this; "what can one get for home that will be the MOST effective fat burner?" The answer is to head to this link and get yourself a rowing machine. The one I've featured before is the Kettler Kadett Outrigger - I own one, and it is just awesome. German engineered, quiet as a peep, and easily the best bang for your home gym/workout buck. In fact I am staring at mine right now and thinking about rowing around in the ocean of my mind, while I listen to a new audio book. :)
  • Factoid: Rowing is one of only a few NO impact workouts that can actually build muscle tone in legs and back.
At this point you may be wondering, "why a rowing machine and not a treadmill?" Well, in the first place rowing is an excellent overall exercise with more fat burning potential than a treadmill, but more to my point, it's the only home gym equipment I've noticed time and time again that is consistently put to effective use. Treadmills are nice if you are partial to running ... umm... nowhere, and stationery bikes can work too - with the added benefit of being as boring as a rerun of "The Antique Roadshow". Also worth noting that it takes longer to burn calories on both the treadmill and stationery bike than you will burn using a rower (if you're doing both right), and it's much harder on your joints. Not to mention that normally people buying treadmills and stationery cycles end up using them more as glorified clothes hangers than as a fitness tool. Anyone that buys a treadmill is, in my opinion, in need of a quick glance out the front window. One pair of runners and access to the outdoors will save you a heckuva lot of money - and space inside your house.

It has continually been my experience in the fitness and training industry that rowing machines get more use than any other home gym item, with the exception of an actual home gym. Now, if you feel like buying a home gym, then all I can say is... please... DO IT! I have a Bowflex at home that I use in conjunction with my rower. The Bowflex is actually quite brilliant whether you are just starting to get back in shape or a serious fanatic like me.

Most serious gym-level equipment can get quite expensive and require heaps of real estate inside the home, which is why the Bowflex rocks. Besides, if you have the kind of money to get gym quality gear I would suggest you get cognitive therapy instead - to deal with your gym phobias. Counseling will cost you less than some gym equipment, just sayin'. Just do like I do, get a Bowflex for light to medium home workouts, and get to the gym when you are truly ready to shred. And just so you know, the Bowflex links I provide offer around $400.00 savings ($399.01!!!) off the regular price for a Bowflex home gym. (I gets me them serious Amazon deals don't ya know ;))

Anyway, back to the rowing machine. Here's my personal take on why they get used more than, say, the common treadmill:
  1. They tuck under the bed/couch/kitchen table easy enough, and thus can come out whenever you feel like working up a sweat.
  2. Rowing is excellent for instant stress relief.
  3. Rowing won't ever stress your knee and ankle joints in the manner that running or cycling can.
  4. It's almost too easy to just grab the trusty I pod, snag a play-list of your best tunes (or an audio book), and row your butt off for 45 - 60 minutes each day.
  5. They give you an excellent aerobic workout while building strong core muscles.
  6. The rhythmic nature of rowing has a certain meditative quality that I personally enjoy, and meditation helps literally every area of your life.
So for anyone out there that feels too threatened by those "ripped and curled" folks at the gym, or perhaps you just can't get easy access to a gym nearby, it doesn't have to be that frustrating. If you're feeling like it's too confusing to start, or too much effort to even begin, well, forget the information overload and get simple. Simple works folks. The reality is that much of what you see and hear about as "the latest and greatest thing" is nothing more than a whole lot of marketing speak designed to separate more money from your wallet than lbs from your midsection. Getting your body and health back is truly no harder than getting up and moving in the direction of whatever home equipment you own. The principle of inertia will do the rest, if you are serious. Therein is the real kicker, because you have to GET SERIOUS about the change to make it happen.

Make the commitment to yourself and to your loved ones. Get a juicer, juice every day - twice a day. Get some home gym equipment (or join a gym). Get a good workout program, get moving, get it together, and GET HEALTHY!

Now for some Juicing Recipes Quick Wheatgrass Combos!
  • Wheatgrass and celery with a splash of tabasco
  • Wheatgrass and parsley
  • Wheatgrass and orange juice (makes for a very interesting color ;))
  • Wheatgrass and mint
  • Wheatgrass and cucumber
Cheers!