My [Failed] Attempt at Juicing

Self-created poster using The Keep Calm-o-matic

Way back in the spring, I thought I'd tackle another one of my detoxing rituals.  For the past four years, I've tried a different detox plan at the start of each spring season.  I've done a drastic three-month detox (with the help of a naturopath), a mild food detox, and another with the help of herbal supplements.

In April of this year, I wanted to give juicing a try for 30 days.  Because I know how weak I am in terms of willpower, I knew I could not simply drink juice for a month.  So, I thought I'd modify the technique and simply add at least one glass of juice each day for 30 days.  I figured I'd get the extra vitamins and minerals I don't usually get through diet alone and also use foods that would help clean my system.

I had purchased a juicer several months earlier and thought this would be a perfect way to get into the habit of juicing.  What do they say?  It takes 11 tries to create a habit?  Or is it 11 weeks?  Or 11 months?  Whatever.  I thought that 30 days would justify the purchase of that machine that was sitting idly (and collecting dust) on my kitchen counter.

I got a good deal for this machine at Costco.  It was one of those "I see it, I want it" kind of purchases. It's a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer and had seen this advertised on tv for years for so much more.  It comes with CD ROMs of an endless amount of recipes.

At first, I had fun playing around with recipes.  Then, I started using what I had on hand.

This combo included cucumber, pear, celery, ginger and some dandelion greens.  All I can say is thank goodness for the pear.

This was tastier.  This included beets, apple, ginger, zucchini and carrot.

My thirty day adventure with juicing ended before the third week.  And, even then, there wasn't much consistency on a daily basis.

So, why did I fail at this attempt at juicing?

1. First of all, that machine is a pain in the neck to clean.  It needs to be cleaned after each use otherwise the pulp will be crazy impossible to remove.  There are so many parts, and each so bulky. 
2. It takes a lot of produce to make one glass of juice. It can get quite expensive.
3. There was a lot of food waste in the collector bin at the back. I ended up using that pulp to top my salads even though the recipe books suggest using that pulp in baking. It bothered me how many fruits and veggies I needed to use, and how little I got in the glass.
4. I have since learned that this machine is not top notch (I should have guessed by the price, and it is the reason for #3 above).  I've also learned that it's a centrifugal juicer which means that it spins at high speed and the spinning motion forces the juice away from the pulp.  A better option is a masticating juicer as this type of machine simulates chewing action.  It basically works at low speed and squeezes the juice out, so less waste, more juice.

These were enough to kill my motivation early on.

I should have done my homework before splurging with this cheapo machine.  I wonder if I would have enjoyed the juicing experience more, and if I would have stuck to it.

Although I failed at this particular attempt, I am not giving up on juicing just yet.  There are really so many benefits (see links in the resources below).  I think I might sell this machine and try to save up for a better quality one. 

What is your experience with juicing?  Do you have any suggestions for me?

Resources for you:

Juicing: Your Key to Radiant Health (article and video by Dr. Mercola)
How to Cleanse and Nourish Your Cells with Fresh Vegetable Juices (article from Food Matters)
Juice Detox Recipes (article from The Naked Kitchen blog)
Juicer Buying Guide (article from Food Matters)
Vitamix (This is the machine of any juicer's dreams - not an affiliate link)