Dose of Prose
Let me start this post by saying that it took me a while to hop on the juice train. Initially I was not a fan of juice because I was under the impression that the commercialized juice sold in franchise grocery stores, although marketed as “healthy,” had a ton of added sugar in it. Although I have a major sweet tooth, I knew that if I drank that type of juice, my skin would break out and I would be consuming way too much artificial sugar. Long story short, I had no interest in drinking juice, until I moved to California.
During my numerous (sometimes unnecessary) trips to Whole Foods, Erewhon and the Grove, I would always pass by different juice/smoothie bars and see lines of people getting fresh pressed juice. Certain juices and juice cleanses/diets also began to trend around this time as well, so although I don’t usually follow the crowd, I was curious about the hype and naturally I became intrigued. One day, I decided to take the plunge and try fresh pressed juice…my experience? 10/10. It was nice to be able to see the juice being made right in front of me, so I knew what was going into my body. After that first sip, the rest is history. It was official: I was enamored with the world of juice.
I started to try different juices, smoothies and tonics and eventually found my own routine of juicing that worked for me. Although I’m a sucker for a nice salad, sometimes I don’t always have vegetables everyday with every meal. If I have cravings, I listen to them, so if I want some junk food, I’ll eat it. However, I’m all about balance, so after I’ve had a few too many cheat meals, I’ll want to detox, which is where juicing comes in clutch. It’s nice to order a green juice to get my veggies in a liquid, easy to digest, form. I also do intense workouts and I have a sensitive stomach, so I like to drink different immunity juices post-workout for muscle recovery and to aid my digestion/overall gut health. Lastly, although I love my morning coffee, I’ve found that starting my day off with a wellness juice, tonic or shot gives me natural energy to start my day. If you want me to give a list and review of my favorite juices/juice bars in LA, let me know and I’d be happy to do a separate blog post about that. In the meantime though, here are some photos of juices/smoothies I’ve been loving lately:
Over the last couple years, I’ve integrated juice into my diet and I’m so happy that I did…my bank account, however, is not. That’s right folks, juice is expensive. Expensive meaning $8-20 for ONE 14-16 oz juice. Why is it so pricey? A) everything is expensive in L.A. and B) how it’s made and what it’s made out of (ie. organic fruits/veggie) drives the cost up. Is it worth it? Well, that’s up for you to decide after you read today’s blog post.
I love the convenience of buying fresh pressed juice, but sometimes it’s hard for me to justify the pricing of it and whether or not it’s more economical to just make it myself. I don’t have a juicer, but I saw other videos of people making their own juices at home without one, so I figured it couldn’t be too difficult. I recently bought two juices in Trader Joe’s (the Suja juice brand) and looked at the ingredient list, which was short and simple, so I decided to give it a try. I attempted (key word – attempted) to recreate the juices myself on my Instagram and surprisingly it went pretty well. I even received some positive feedback and was asked if I had a blog post with a recipe detailing how I made the juice..so, as always, you ask – I deliver. Without further ado, here is a video demo and written recipe for celery and ginger juice. Happy sipping.
Celery Juice Recipe
Celery juice has many health benefits. Although it’s definitely an acquired taste, it’s something to consider integrating into your routine first thing in the morning, especially if you have high blood pressure, digestion issues, or you just want to boost your immunity and daily intake of vitamins/nutrients.
Disclaimer: this recipe only makes one 10oz cup of juice (or at least it did for me). If you have a high-power blender and a cheesecloth, you may be able to get more juice than I did. I do not have a strong blender nor do I have a cheesecloth. Please keep this in mind when making your juice. If you are limited in equipment like me…the more celery you have, the better!
Prep time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 3-4 bunches (15-20 stalks) of celery
- 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 green apple (optional)
Instructions
- Separate and wash celery stalks to rid of any debris.
- Chop celery into bite-size pieces.
- Make sure you cut the pieces small enough so that they will blend properly!
- To prevent the juice from having a bitter taste, cut the base and leaves off of the celery.
- Only blend the stalks of the celery.
- (optional) Chop green apple into quarters.
- (optional) Slice and squeeze fresh lemon.
- Place all ingredients into blender.
- Blend ingredients until it is a smooth mush-like consistency.
- Place a mesh strainer over a glass bowl/container. Pour the celery pulp into a strainer and wait for the juice to separate.
- After the juice has completely drained, discard the pulp.
Ginger Wellness Shots Recipe
If a juice doesn’t burn my insides, I don’t want it! Who agrees? haha. Just like celery juice, ginger, has multiple benefits. Whether you’re looking to detox, gain some energy, build your metabolism or boost your immunity, I definitely encourage you to give ginger juice a try.
Disclaimer: this is a very strong, highly concentrated recipe. If you are drinking this straight, I recommend only drinking 2 tablespoons and/or pouring it in a shot glass. If you want to drink more than that, dilute it with water and/or add it to other juices (i.e. pre-made green juice or apple cider vinegar drink). A little goes a long way!
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pieces of ginger (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 small lemons or 1 large lemon (I use Meyer lemons but regular lemon is fine) *optional*
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper *optional*
Instructions
- Peel (optional) and cut ginger into medium sized chunks.
- (optional) Slice and squeeze fresh lemon.
- Place all ingredients into blender and cover with water (if you’re adding cayenne to your shot, add it now).
- Blend ingredients until it is a paste-like consistency.
- Place mesh strainer over a glass bowl/container. Pour paste into strainer and wait for the juice to separate.
- (optional) Pour hot water over the paste to drain more juice.
- After the juice has completely drained, discard the paste.
I hope these recipes were helpful and easy to follow. If you end up making these recipes yourself, snap a photo and tag me in it on Instagram! Again, leave a comment and let me know if you want a blog post on my favorite juice spots. Let’s circle back to my question in the beginning of this post – is it worth it? My answer: it depends. Yes, you can make juice without a juicer. It may take some more time and effort, but it is more economical. However, if you know that you drink a lot of juice and/or want to make it in large batches, I suggest just getting a juicer, which is an investment in of itself, but the benefits of having one outweigh the cost of buying it. If money is not an issue, but you’re pressed for juice and time, then the most convenient alternative would be to just buy juice. Overall, it just depends on your lifestyle and what you’re looking for. Just do what’s best for you!
Until next time,
Kaamilah
