I went through the exhibit hall and met with many different companies and sampled a variety of plant based foods and drinks. One company that stood out to me was JuiceRX. Anything related to juice / juicing I always check out

Enters JuiceRX – Juice Cleanse Company

JuiceRX Juices

Who is JuiceRX?

JuiceRx Cleanse is a local juice cleanse company located in Chicago, Illinois. They provide fresh pressed 100% organic juices throughout the Chicagoland area (Nationwide soon!). This was my first time hearing about JuiceRX, so I wanted to learn more about them and their purpose for creating this company. I chatted with Dean Kasal, co-founder for about 20 minutes. I could definitely see the passion Dean had for juicing and his enthusiasm for helping others achieve optimal health. Dean shared with me his story on how he got started with juicing. After years of working a high stressed job in corporate America along with a diet that consisted of high processed foods, Dean was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (an autoimmune disease that affects the gastrointestinal system).  Doctors told him that there was no cause or cure for the disease and that he would have to spend the rest of his life taking pills.  After a year of taking the prescription pills, he was then told that he was developing serious liver damage. I’ve heard  multiple stories about doctors of Western medicine giving you a pill for one thing, and then you end up developing something else which requires another pill, and the cycle continues. Not wanting to be caught in this prescription pill cycle, Dean’s now wife and co-founder got him into juicing. Dean no longer has the disease. JuiceRx was created to help others live healthy vibrant lives via juice cleansing.

“One of the greatest things one can do for their health and longevity is to cleanse regularly. We change the oil in our cars and we clean our homes, but how often do we clean our own insides?” – Nicole Kasal (Co-founder)

What’s in the JuiceRX Cleanse?

There are 3 cleanse packs available to choose from as well as a U-Pick pack:

Regular Cleanse: Beginner and experienced cleanser friendly

Green Cleanse: Step up your greens with this cleanse, contains 25% less sugar than the Regular Cleanse. Also great for people with sugar issues including diabetes, hypoglycemia & candida.

Extreme Green Cleanse: Super hardcore cleanse, minimal sugar, for those seeking some serious deep cleaning.

They offer 1, 3, 5 & 6 day juice cleanse packs. The prices are all the same for each cleanse pack you select. Check the site for detail on pricing.

Where can I get JuiceRX?

Presently they only deliver to the Chicagoland area. When we last spoke, I was told that they will be shipping Nationwide soon. I don’t know the date, but I’ll update this post once I know.

How’s the taste?

As a disclaimer, I received a complementary 6 pack of juices from JuiceRX, but was not paid to write this review, everything written is 100% pure honesty.

The 6 juices I received are:

1. Cucumber Mint Electrolyte Boost – Cucumber, Green Apple, Celery, Lime & Mint. Very light and refreshing with a hint of sweetness.
2. Pineapple Jalapeno – Pineapple & Jalapeno. Loved this one.
3. Gingerade – Purified Water, Lemon, Ginger, Vermont Maple, Syrup & Stevia. Gingerade was perfect, I can see myself drinking this everyday. An ever great alternative to lemonade.
4. Lunchtime Detox – Cucumber, Green Apple, Beet & Ginger. The Lunchtime Detox has a slight earthy taste, which comes from the beets.  I don’t mind at all, but if you’re new to juicing the taste maybe so so to you. It’s balanced with the cucumber and green apple, so it’s not overpowering.
5. Kiwi Berry Cooler – Orange, Strawberry, Kiwi & Lemongrass. I expected to be sugar sweet and it was not. It was just right, tasted very tropical.
6. Horchata – Filtered Water, Raw Cashews, Saigon Cinnamon, Vanilla Bean, Dates, Stevia & Sea Salt. So Good!

I really liked all of them. They were very smooth, clean & tasty. The top 2 that stood out were Pineapple Jalapeno and Horchata. I’ve never thought to juice jalapeno with pineapple. The combination took me by surprise, just the right amount of heat and sweet. I found myself wanting more. The Horchata was unbelievable, personally I think its better than the traditional version.

Why JuiceRX?

What I believe stands out from JuiceRX from other juice cleansing companies is their trueness to juicing. They use the best juicer on the market, The Norwalk juicer. All of their juices are 100% organic, cold pressed and raw. There’s no pasteurization or HPP (high pressure pascalization), no additives, no fillers, just pure living juice.

“Each and every juice in our cleanse has been specially formulated to target specific organs in your body with the intention of detoxifying that particular organ and bringing it back to healthy, balanced and blissful state.  Each day of our cleanse includes a comprehensive array of six unique juices (which in combination target all of your major organs (and then some)” – JuiceRX

Each bottle of juices comes packed with approximately 3 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables, most juice companies do 2 pounds. They offer 23 juice and nut milk varieties to supplement in your cleanse. From fruity to pure green juices. The combination and flavors are out of this world.

My Final Thoughts

JuiceRx gets 2 thumbs up. Anyone trying to help create a healthy world is good in my book. Plus their juices are delicious and they don’t skip on the ingredients.  Would I do a juice cleanse with them? Absolutely.

Positives

• 100% Organic Cold pressed Juice
• Vegan & Gluten Free
• Free Delivery to your door with any cleanse pack (Chicago only).
• Bottles are 100% BPA Free
• 100% Raw & living, No pasteurization or HPP
• Tasty juices with 23 different options available
• 3 lbs. of fresh organic fruits & vegetables per 16oz bottle

Negatives

• Cost: The price for individual juices range from $9.75 – $10.75. Not the cheapest, but certainly not the most expensive. Considering the amount of organic produce you get in a bottle, I think the price is fair.
• Does not offer glass bottles as an option.
• Presently available to the Chicago area. (Nationwide coming soon)
• Not Non-GMO verified

Questions

Have you tried JuiceRx Cleanse before? Have you tried any other juice cleanse company, what was your experience?

Connect with JuiceRX

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juicerx

Website: http://www.juicerxcleanse.com/ Get $10 off your first order. Coupon Code: HEALTH10

Beginning the green juice journey isn’t always easy. A question I often receive is “what green juice recipes would you recommend for a beginner who doesn’t eat vegetables?” Using this question as a guide, I decided to create five easy and delicious green juice recipes for beginners. These recipes are tailored to be more pleasing to the palate and still provide you with the important nutrient from dark leafy greens.

1. Sweet Cucumber

4 handfuls of Spinach ( swiss chard is another great substitute)

2 Cucumbers

4 small Fuji Apples (2 medium fuji apples)

Green Juice Recipe #1

Spinach is among the top healthiest vegetables, loaded with a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals along with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

Spinach Nutrition: Vitamin K, Vitamin A (Beta-Carotene), Manganese, Folate, Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-complex, Calcium, Potassium, Tryptophan, Vitamin E, Copper, Protein & Zinc.

Cucumber Spinach Apple

2. Kale Pineapple Mint

1 Cucumber

1 Granny Smith Apple

1 Cup Pineapple

3 Kale Leaves

1 Handful Mint

1/2 Lemon (remove peel)

Green Juice Recipe #2

Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods. Some of it’s health benefits include immune boosting, cardiovascular support, skin-healing, bone-building, aids in detoxification and loaded with anti-cancer nutrients. Kale nutritional properties have been shown to lower your risk of at least five different types of cancer, which include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. There are at least 4 different kale varieties sold in grocery stores, include all varieties in your diet. Eat more kale and drink more kale!

Pineapple is known for the alkaline substance bromelain, which aids in digestion and is linked to a reduction of inflammation in arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.

Kale Nutrition: Vitamin K, Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin C, Manganese, Copper, Tryptophan, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin B6, Magnesium

Kale, Apple, Mint, Cucumber, Mint, Pineapple & Lemon

Tweetable: 5 Green Juice Recipes for Beginners

3. Kale Apple Love

3 Kale Leaves

5 small Apples (or 3 medium apples)

1/2 Lemon

Green Juice #3

Apples are an excellent addition to any juice recipe. Not only do they make a great base for your juices, they contain many health properties from vitamins, minerals and malic acid to detoxification benefits, digestion aid, cholesterol lowering and improved condition of the skin. There are some many varieties of apples to try, some of my favorite are fujis, galas and pink lady apples. Red Delicious tend to have a lot more sugar, where as the Granny Smith variety is one that has lower sugar content.

Apple Nutrition: Vitamin C & Polyphenols

Kale, Apple & Lemon

4. Spring Cooler

1 Fuji Apple

1 Cucumber

1/2in Ginger Root

1 small handful Mint

Green Juice #4

Cucumbers high water content and mineral balance hydrates your body down to the cellular level. Cucumbers top three phytonutrients are s are cucurbitacins, lignans, and flavonoids. These specific phytonutrients provides out bodies with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits.

Cucumber Nutrition: Vitamin K, Molybdenum, Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium & Tryptophan.

Cucumber, Apple & Mint

5. Green Juice

1 Cucumber

2 Celery Ribs

1 Handful of Cilantro

4 Sprigs of Basil

2 Apples

Green Juice Recipe #5

Last but not least, this green juice recipe features two important herbs you should include in your diet, cilantro and basil. Cilantro contain antibacterial  and ant-fungal compounds that have been shown effective against salmonella. Cilantro is widely know for its heavy metal cleansing properties, but cilantro also supports cardiovascular health, contains anti-diabetic properties, anti-anxiety effects, blood sugar lowering effects and antioxidant properties.

Basil also offer antibacterial properties, cardiovascular health benefits, anti-inflammatory effects, and DNA cell protection.

Basil Nutrition: Vitamin K, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A ( beta-carotene),  Manganese, Tryptophan, Vitamin B6, Magnesium,  Vitamin C and Potassium.

Apple, Cucumber, Celery, Cilantro & Basil

*Each juice recipe produces 18-20 oz of juice.

What’s Next?

• If you’re new here or new to juicing and are struggling or need questions answered, share them down below in the comments section.
• If you know someone that may be interested in juicing and incorporating liquid nutrition into their diet, feel free to send them this article.

Photography: Ashley Robinson

Of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States (and many other developed countries) 7 out of 10 stem from chronic inflammation in the body. In the recent years scientists have come to understand that inflammation is a major contributing factor to a wide range of health problems. These health problems include diabetes, heart disease (the leading cause of death globally), Alzheimer’s, asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney disease and certain types of cancer. So what causes inflammation in the body and why is it so prevalent?

Let’s first begin by understanding what inflammation is:

Inflammation is a natural response by your body to help protect itself from harmful microorganism and to help heal wounds. For instance, any sort of trauma to your body, like a cut, bruises, an allergic reaction, a bacteria or viral infection (like the common cold) all trigger an inflammatory response. Depending on the injury or illness, you may experience pain, swelling, redness and /or warmth in that area. This response is known as acute inflammation, which means it’s temporary and will subside once the problem is corrected by the body. Without inflammation, infections and wounds would never heal. In this case inflammation is necessary, however, when inflammation becomes chronic, you are now opening yourself up to a multitude of health problems, many of which I listed above.

Disease Stemming From Chronic Inflammation

Tweetable: Simple solutions to prevent chronic inflammation & other health problems

Chronic Inflammation

Chronic inflammation means long term or constant inflammation. This type of inflammation can last anywhere from a few months to a lifetime. One of the primary causes of chronic inflammation is an unhealthy diet. Specifically a diet high in refined sugars, processed foods, and fried & barbequed foods AKA the Standard American Diet (SAD). These sorts of foods create an overly acidic environment in your body. A poor diet followed with nutritional deficiencies and lack of enzymes all contribute to chronic inflammation.

When you consume unhealthy and unnatural foods inflammation is immediately triggered in your body. Therefore by constantly eating a poor diet, chronic inflammation will persist.  In addition, the consumption of unhealthy foods also produces free radicals in the body. Excess amounts of free radicals in the body are damaging and have been linked to a number of diseases, such as, Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cataracts, dementia, diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain and stiffness, and kidney disease. The good news is that if you have any of the health problems like high cholesterol, heart disease, arthritis and other diseases attributed by chronic inflammation it can be reversed.  Don’t fret, there is a simple solution to preventing chronic inflammation in the body.

Inflammation Diet (Causes / Contributors)

A healthy body is slightly alkaline. Those who eat a standard American diet have bodies that are generally over acidic. Over acidic bodies create chronic inflammation and other health problems.

Acidic Foods You Should Eliminate From Your Diet

• Fast Food (McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, etc)

• Fried Foods and Trans fats (Trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your good (HDL) cholesterol. Scientist and medical doctors all agree that trans fats are the worst type of fats and should be avoided.

Alternative: Opt for baked, steamed, lightly sautéed clean foods.

*Anything that has hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils  should be avoided, make sure to read the labels.

• Foods with Trans Fats:

-Commercial baked goods (Little Debbie is not your friend), crackers, cookies, cakes, French fries,
-Shortening and most margarine are high in trans fats.
-Corn, cottonseed, soybean, and safflower oils

Alternative: Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil (best for cooking), palm oil, sesame seed oil, hemp oil,  flax  seed oil, truffle oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil, pumpkin seed oil.

• High Sugar Diets

Refined sugars, high fructose corn syrups, artificial sweeteners, aspartame, equal, sucralose, NutraSweet, pop (soda) are not your friends.
There are many scientific studies linking aspartame to cancer. Study: Aspartame Linked to Blood Cancers

“A newly published long term study that spans 22 years shows that drinking one or more aspartame-sweetened soft drinks per day increases the risk of several blood cancers in men. The study was led by Dr. Eva S. Schernhammer of the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.”

Alternative: Whole fruit sweeteners (dates), coconut sugar, stevia, xylitol, yacon syrup, lucuma powder.

• Refined Grains

White flours, white rice, enriched flours & white potatoes.

Alternative: Whole grains, quinoa*, amaranth*, buckwheat*, millet*, oats, wild rice*, black, brown and red rice*, and teff*.

*=Non-Gluten Grains

• Red Meats & Processed Meats

Beef, pork, bacon & lamb
Processed Meats = smoked, cured, salted or chemically preserved
Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine confirm that red meat triggers chronic inflammatory response.

Alternative: Pastured raised chicken, wild caught fish, cold water fish: wild pacific salmon, ocean char, cod, halibut, haddock, sole, pollack, tuna, stripped bass. Sardines, anchovies.

If you decided to keep red meat in your diet, select grass-fed and wild meats, and keep it to no more than once per week.

• Dairy Products

60% of the world’s population cannot digest milk.  In fact the ability to digest milk as an adult is a genetic adaptation. This genetic adaptation is primarily present in people of Northern European ancestry.  Africans, Asians & Native Americans generally do not have this genetic adaptation and should completely avoid milk and other dairy products.

Milk is a common allergen that causes systemic inflammation, weight gain, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), constipation, acne, and abnormal digestion.

Alternative: Almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk.

• Overweight & Obese

Research now shows that obesity and inflammation in the body is directly related to certain types of cancers.

• Poor Gut Health

Poor gut health and lack of beneficial bacteria induces inflammation in the body as well as lowers our immune system.
Also too many antibiotics wipes out both good and bad bacteria causing unhealthy microbes to invade your body.

• Chronic Stress
• Alcohol & Coffee

High consumption of these two create chronic inflammation and promote tumor growth and increases your risk for cancer.

Alternative: Consider subbing in green juices, green tea, yerba mate, smoothies & water. If you can’t give up alcohol and coffee, consider reducing your consumption. The general recommendation for alcohol consumption: no more than 2 drinks a day for men and no more than 1 drink a day for women. Have your green juice before you grab a coffee also try out yerba mate instead of coffee.

• Lack of Physical Activity
• Lack of Sleep

A community study by researchers at Emory University School of Medicine found that people who don’t get enough sleep or sleep poorly have higher levels of inflammation.

Anti Inflammatory Diet

• The first step to reducing inflammation in the body is limiting overly acidic foods. 80% of the foods you consume should be alkaline and 20% should be acidic, known as the 80/20 rule. This should be followed for each meal you consume, instead of just trying to consume all alkaline foods for one or two meals and acidifying foods at other meals. This ratio gives the body what it needs to neutralize the acid residue and prevent any buildups in the body.

• Eat plenty of vegetables with every meal. Vegetables are one of the most alkalizing foods you can eat. Avoid overcooking; aim for more raw and lightly steamed vegetables to preserve nutrient content.
• Incorporate a plant-based diet. Plant-based diets are anti-inflammatory because they contain anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, which prevents our bodies from overproducing inflammatory compounds.  There’s no need to turn vegan overnight, just start by making a few meals a week all plant-based. Plant foods have 64 times more antioxidants than red meat, poultry, dairy and eggs.
• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are rich in many antioxidant compounds, which reduce inflammation in the body. Study shows that fruits and vegetables with the highest antioxidant levels reduce inflammation the most. Fruits and vegetables each contain unique phytonutrients compounds unique to them, we miss out when we just stick to a few types of fruits and vegetables.
• Choose Healthy Fats and Oils. Not all fats are bad for you. No more than 30% (preferably 20-25%) of fats should come from your diet. Important fats you should include in your diet daily are the essential fatty acids (EFAs). These fats are required for optimal health and must be obtained from your diet as your body does not produce them. The most important of the EFAs are the omega 3 and omega 6. Omega 3 are especially important because they contain anti-inflammatory properties and other compounds to normalize cholesterol levels and help prevent stroke and cancer. The Standard American Diet lacks this essential nutrient.

Plant based source (excellent)

Pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flax seeds and chia seeds.

Animal source (excellent)

Wild-caught salmon, fish oil supplements and sardines.

• Drink Pure Water Daily. Approximately 70% our bodies are made up of water. Water is essential for many functions in our bodies, such as: proper metabolism and digestion, delivery of oxygen into the bloodstream, proper kidney and urinary tract infections, joint lubrication and muscle functions, healthy respiratory function, elimination of toxins and much more. As a general rule aim for 1 quart (32oz) of water for every 70 pounds of weight. Drink water through your day and always drink water or any liquids 30 minutes before a meal or after. Drinking a lot of water while you eat will interfere with digestion. My personal recommendation is to start your morning with a glass of fresh water upon raising.

• Drink Fresh Green Juices Daily. Juicing alkalizes the body and offers protection against unhealthy inflammation. Juicing also improves your body’s ability to remove toxins, which is another cause of inflammation. Have at least 1 quart (32oz) of fresh green juice a day.

Special tip: Consider adding flax seed, hemp seed or chia seed oils to your favorite vegetable juices for an added anti-inflammatory boost.

• Do Some Form of Physical Activity. Maintain a body weight with in a normal range. Try to get in at least 30 minutes of some form of physical activity each day. It can be as simple as a walk around your neighborhood.

Now that you have read this article, I hope that you have a better understanding of how and why healthy dietary habits are so important to your health.

“The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Dr. Ann Wigmore

Feel free to post a comment or question below.

If you know someone that can benefit from this article, please take a second and send them a link to this post.

Juice Recipes for Inflammation

• 5 Carrots, 1/2 Beet, 1 Cucumber and 1/2 Parsley bunch

• 1 Cucumber, 3 Celery stalk, 4 Kale leaves, handful of Spinach, 2-3 Granny Smith Apples, knob Ginger, 1cm turmeric & 1/2 Lemon (rind removed)

• 1 Cilantro bunch, 2 Cucumbers,  2 Celery stalks, 1 Lime & 2 Pears

Sources:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trans-fat/CL00032

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/health/11-08RedMeatCancer.asp

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/story?id=8450036

http://rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

]]> http://www.greenjuiceaday.com/chronic-inflammation/feed/ 3 http://www.greenjuiceaday.com/green-juice-breakfast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=green-juice-breakfast http://www.greenjuiceaday.com/green-juice-breakfast/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2013 17:54:09 +0000 Mariam Turay http://www.greenjuiceaday.com/?p=700 Green Juice Breakfast

Sunday breakfast: Green Juice , Coconut Probiotic & Papaya

Here’s what we are having in the green juice house today. Green juice: swiss chard, kale, cilantro, watercress, granny smith apples, celery, ginger & lemon. Along with a fresh glass of coconut (kefir) probiotic drink and papaya.

Share with me below what you are having for breakfast/brunch?

For more green juice recipes click here

A refreshing juice recipe

If you like this juice recipe, share it on twitter by Clicking Here

In honor of ol Valentine’s Day, I create this delicious cleansing watermelon mojito juice recipe sans alcohol.

Nutrients

Beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, folate, vitamin B1, manganese.

Watermelon Nutrition

Watermelon is a heart healthy fruit because it contains high amount of lycopene, an important phytonutrient for the heart and bone health. Watermelon is a great cleansing food, because it is loaded with water and essential minerals like potassium. Watermelon is also a great source of citrulline, an amino acid. Citrulline is converted by our bodies in to arginine (an essential amino acid). Arginine helps improve blood flow in the arteries of the heart, decrease blood pressure for those with high blood pressure and it may help with erectile dysfunction.

Ingredients

1/2 Small watermelon

1 Apple

1-2 Oranges

1 Handful of mint

Serving Size -28-32 oz

Leave a comment below, share with me your Valentine’s Day Plan.

For more juice recipes click here and take a look at our  green juice recipes

Here’s a green juice recipe that will support and strengthen your pancreas.
The pancreas produces juices that helps break down food and hormones that help control blood sugar levels. – GreenJuiceADay

Here’s a green juice I made today. It gave me the boost I needed from feeling under the weather.

This green juice recipe calls for dandelion greens, a traditional remedy for cleansing the liver.

You’ve done it and I’ve done it as well…you just didn’t use those greens or herbs soon enough and now they’re a wilted, soggy, gooey mess. And even worse they’ll have to be thrown away. What a waste of money! I don’t like wasting money or food so I’ve tried many methods that are supposed to keep your greens fresher for longer, and I’ve finally found a method that works well for me. Since using this method, I have not had to throw away any of my fresh greens and herbs. Below are the steps I take to keep my leafy greens fresh as the day I bought them.

How To Store Your Greens To Keep Them Fresh & Crisp

These steps will work for all lettuces, dark leafy greens (ex: kale and collards), and rough herbs (ex: parsley and dill).

1.  Remove any rubber bands or elastic that is around the produce.

2.  Create a cold bath in your kitchen sink. I like to add a ½ cup of vinegar.  Veggie wash works just as well. This helps kill any harmful bacteria and gets rid of any other residue on your produce.

3.  Soak for about 20-30 minutes. Swirl the produce around a few times. If there is heavy dirt on your greens or lettuce, use your fingers or a soft bristle brush to remove it.

4.  To speed up the drying process, I use my trusty salad spinner. If you don’t have a salad spinner, consider getting one, because its a very useful kitchen gadget. Who wants to have wet salad leaves? Trust me, it will change your life

* If you don’t have a  salad spinner, make sure to towel dry completely and lay out for about 15 minutes on a paper towel.
Please note that you can reuse these paper towels. I like to leave them out to dry and use for the next time.
Now that you’ve thoroughly washed and dried your produce, you must properly store them. Proper storage is key to longer lasting fruits and vegetables.

5.  You can use ziploc containers, ziploc bags, store produce bags or green bags (ex: Evert Fresh bags) to store your greens and herbs. Wrap your lettuce, greens and herbs with paper towels. The paper towels will absorb moisture, preventing leaves from turning limp and/or moldy.

6.  Place into the bags or green bags and store in your refrigerator. If you are using a container, line the inside of your container with paper towels and place your greens inside. Place the lid on the container and refrigerate.

* Keep your greens closer to the front to prevent any freezing. If space is limited make sure the stems or tips are pointed towards the back, just in case any freezing occurs, you can just cut of the stems.

The benefit to following this procedure is that once you’ve washed and stored your produce for the week, it’s ready to use. It cuts the time down tremendously. All it takes is about 30 minutes once week or twice a week, depending on however many times you head to the grocery store or market.

Your leafy greens and herbs will keep up to a week, some will even keep up to two weeks.

*Special tip, if you’ve brought back semi wilted greens, you can soak them in cold water for 30 minutes or overnight. This method will help revive your greens.

 ”Learn how this technique can extend the life of your greens & herbs.” -Click To Tweet

This is the method I use and it works very well for me. Do you have a different method or technique to extend the life of your leafy greens and herbs? Please share below in the comment section.

I’m often hearing “I want to juice but organic produce cost so much”or “Juicing is too expensive”.   You may have heard statements like these or even said them yourself and the truth is, juicing can be expensive. However, using the tips I’ve provided you with may result in a much lower grocery bill at the end of the month. First lets go over the basics of organic vs conventional.

Here’s the deal with organic produce, rule #1 choose organic over conventional whenever possible. Here’s why. To get the healthiest most nutrient dense juice possible, you’ll want to buy organic. It’s important because pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and whatever-cides are heavily used on conventional produce. So what does this mean to us? In 1995 the USDA tested roughly 7,000 conventionally grown fruit and vegetable produce and found residue of 65 different types of pesticide, with 2 out of 3 samples containing pesticide residue. Pesticide residue have been shown to cause numerous long term health risks, such as cancer and birth defects, nerve damage, impaired fertility and more.

“Laboratory studies show that pesticides can cause health problems, such as birth defects, nerve damage, cancer, and other effects that might occur over a long period of time…” – EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency)

So by choosing organic produce over conventional, you are avoiding the harmful effects of pesticides, but also you are consuming higher quality foods that are higher in nutritional content. A 2001 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that organic produce contained 27% more vitamin C, 21% more iron and 29% more magnesium than conventional produce and much more.

I spend on average $25-$30 a week on organic fruits and vegetable and that’s for myself and my partner. I used to easily spend double that if not more at places like Whole Foods aka Whole Paycheck. Following these tips that I am going to share with you will help keep more money in your pocket and allow you to get much more for less than what you use to pay for.

Support Your Local Farmers

One of my local farmers market

The bulk of my fruits and vegetables come from my local farmers market. Its my favorite place to shop, because I get amazing deals and the fruits and veggies are so fresh. They are picked the day before, instead of weeks or even months before like in regular grocery stores. Nor do they come from other countries; many produce in grocery stores come from far away place like Mexico, Asia, Canada and South America.

Tips For Shopping At a Farmers Market:

1. Prices are negotiable towards the end of the market.
2. If you shop there often, farmers will take care of you. Develop a relationship with your farmer. I’m a regular and I’m always given extra goods, 2 for the price of 1.
3. Buy in bulk. Discounts are given when you buy in bulk, anywhere from 20-30%. Apples, pears, carrots, beets and other fruits can be stored longer than leafy greens. I don’t eat all my berries, so I freeze them for later use.
4. Buy the ugly stuff often called seconds. I don’t know about you, but I don’t need a perfectly round apple. These fruits are often discount up to 50%. Seconds only means that the appearance is imperfect, but not the quality. If there is no sign, don’t be afraid to ask.

Some examples of what I bring in each week, click each image to see the full amount.

July-27 Farmers Market Hull

Sept-15 Farmers Market Hull

Oct-21 Farmers Market Hull total cost $24

The easiest way to find a local farmers market in your area is to do a Google search: [your city] [farmers market]

Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Sample CSA Box

A CSA or community supported agriculture is another way you can buy local and seasonal foods directly from a farmer. Each week you’ll receive a box of fruits and vegetables, and other farm products may be included. All depends on the package you decide to select. Essentially its a weekly subscription of the freshest produce that is in season. Its a great way to try new vegetables for new ways of cooking.

Fin a local CSA in your area, check out:

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

http://www.biodynamics.com/csa.html

http://www.buylocalfood.com

DIY Gardening

My community garden plot

I like this option a lot. Its a great way to get outdoor exercise, sunshine (free vitamin D) and de-stress/relax. You can grow in your backyard and/or indoors. Even if you don’t have space there are other option like joining a community garden. I have a hydroponic system set up to grow herbs and I also joined a local community garden in my neighborhood in the great city of Chicago.

My Community Garden Plot

My Hydroponic Herb Garden

Gardening Resources – Home Gardening Course

Membership Warehouse Clubs

Here’s another option, you can become a member at Costco from $55/year. These warehouse stores allow for bulk buying at a discounted price. They contain a fair amount of organic produce that you can buy in addition to other household needs.

Avoid The Dirty Dozen

If for some reason none of the above options are available to you, focus on purchasing these 12 fruits and vegetables organically. Every year for the past 8 years the Environmental Working Group (EWG) collects data on foods contaminated with pesticides. These 12 fruits and vegetables are found to have the highest amount of pesticides, so it is crucial to buy them organic.

“The most contaminated fruits, in alphabetical order, are apples, domestic blueberries, grapes, imported nectarines, peaches and strawberries.”

“The most contaminated vegetables are bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, potatoes and spinach.” -EWG

 “Find out how to save money on organic produce.” – @GreenJuiceADay – Click To Tweet

The Bottom Line

These tips have worked for me, and if you implement them, I suspect it will work for you.

Have you implemented any of these strategies? Which one has worked for you? If you have any additional tips  to add to this let me know in the comments.

Oh, and don’t forget to share this on Twitter and Facebook.