Gone are the days when I asked for sparkly nail varnish and shiny shoes for my birthday. This year I asked for a shiny sparkly juicer! Yes, I am over 25. No this isn't a nearly thirty health crisis (is it?). Juicing is fun and good for you and so here are the 5 reasons you NEED a juicer.
TO CLARIFY: a blender mushes everything up and a juicer mushes everything up and then removes the bits.
1. It's yummy
Yes, it's tasty AND its good for you! We have forced ourselves to eat/drink a lot of horrid tasting substances in the name of health and finally something tastes good. You are making it so you can pick all the fruit and veg you like the taste of and there is no added sugar (unless you physically add sugar). You are also getting lovely goodness from all of the fruit and veg you juice: your 5 a day in a glass! Win win!
2. Get Creative
It's true, crafts are in, just ask Kirsty Allsop. Whilst juicing is quite far removed from home made bunting you can still let your creative side out. Experimenting with new recipes for your favourite juice is a quick fun process and brings different selections of fruit and veg to your diet.
3. Just so smooth
As kids, didn't we all hate the orange juice 'with bits'? Once you get older you learn to put up with the bits because it makes the juice feel authentic; the bits help us believe that our juice is made of real fruit. Of course, there are lots of benefits of eating all the pulpy bits you get when you blend fruit and veg but lets face it sucking the juice out of fruity pulp and then chowing that down doesn't make you scream "give me more". Juicing fruit and veg removes all of the bits for a smooth drinking experience and you still get a lot of goodness from the juice alone. If it helps you get more fruit and veg in your diet, it can only be a good thing.
4. Feel the power
Juicing makes me feel strong. For those of you without access to a car, this is the only powerful engine you need (Jeremy Clarkson is running out to buy a juicer this second). Hearing the wizz of the blades, the almost deafening buzz of the motor and the act of plunging fruit and veg towards its juicy death is incredibly enjoyable. Taking control of your diet is quite enjoyable too. Do buy an easy-to-clean juicer or the enjoyment will wane.
5. It's cheap!
Buy a (100% juice) juice in London and it will set you back up to £5. With your own blender all it will cost you is the price of fruit and veg. I bought one glass of ginger and carrot juice from a smoothie bar in London and it set me back £4.70. I made a jug (4 glasses) of ginger and carrot juice and cost me £1.50 and I still have enough ginger for another few jugs! With the saving you could even set up your own juice bar - juicing is incredibly trendy you know.
There you have it - do join me in my juicing obsession and do tweet me (@samanthabaines) with any creative juice recipes you come up with! Here is my carrot and ginger juice recipe.
1. Get a bag of cheap carrots
2. Cut off the ends of the carrots and stick them in your juicer
3. Cut a nice lump of Fresh Ginger (about 1inch length) and stick that in the juicer too
4. Its finished so drink it!