Inspired by my mother who started incorporating juicing into her life, I purchased my own juicing machine and may I say, I’m hooked! I had a terrible habit of skipping breakfast but now I drink the carrot / celery / apple / ginger concoction every morning and I love every sip of it. I seriously cannot get enough of its deliciousness and my body has been feeling well since I started a week ago.

I purchased the Breville Compact Juice Fountain from Amazon. It was reasonably priced compared to the other models. I was pretty shocked, at first, by how expensive these machines can be (there are some that cost more than $600!) but compared to how much you have to pay for a delicious juice at juice stands and restaurants, I thought it would make financial sense to go for it. These fresh juices typically can cost an upward of $6 for 16 oz at a place like The Real Food Daily.

I wouldn’t necessary call juicing controversial but there are split opinions on juicing benefits (check out this article, “Juice or Not to Juice” by Lululemon Community). One side is convinced that juicing allows the replenishment of vitamins and nutrients our body need, while the other side argues that taking out all the fiber contents from juicing fruits and vegetables has no real health benefits. I think both arguments have validity to them so the decision to juice or not to juice is a personal choice for everyone.

I don’t juice as a method of a weight loss. It would, of course, be nice if I can drop a few pounds (or 30) but I juice because it just tastes so darn good! It’s really that simple. The only downfall is that you have to clean up the machine immediately after you juice; otherwise, these bits of leftover peels can get stuck making it very difficult to get them out later.

Here’s my favorite recipe, using produces that you can easily find in your refrigerator!

My Breakfast Blend

2-3 medium carrots, unpeeled
2 stalks of celery
2 small apples, unpeeled
1 tablespoon ginger, unpeeled (you don’t see it on the photo but ginger is a must!)

Throw everything in the juicer and enjoy! It makes about 16 oz of juice!  My next adventure is to start using the peels in spaghetti sauce and carrot muffins.