5 Day Juice Challenge

The other week, I started a personal challenge to make and drink at least one juice each day. I did pretty well, but it took me seven days to have five different juices. One day when I was unable to make a juice I had Harmless Harvest coconut water instead, which you must try if you have not yet. I’m pretty sure it’s the best coconut water on the market.

What I love best about juicing is that most combinations of fruits and vegetables work great and you don’t have to measure before you combine them. You can just throw in whatever combination you think you’ll like and give it a try. I like to include at least one sweet item like carrots, apples, or beets in each drink to cut the bitterness of the greens or other vegetables. These juices gave me extra energy and were a great replacement for my usual carb-heavy snack when I get hungry mid afternoon at work. One day, I had my juice right before going to the gym and I had a great workout, which I’m chalking up to the juice.

At home, we have a juicer and a Vitamix blender. I have used both to make juice, and there are definitely some pros and cons to both.

Juicer: Using a juicer is quick to use because you know exactly how much juice you are making, and you don’t have to add any extra liquid for blending as you do with the Vitamix. The pros for using a juicer are that it is much tougher to clean up. A Juicer is much cheaper than a Vitamix, but the Vitamix has uses other than just making juice, unlike a juicer.

Vitamix: Some people like the Vitamix because it leaves behind the fiber from the fruits and vegetables, but I did not like this texture. When I made Day 1’s juice I tried drinking it without straining and the kale fiber was not very enjoyable. This might not be the case with other vegetables and fruits, though. I decided after Day 1 to strain my juice into a bowl to separate the liquid from the fiber, and I enjoyed this much better. When using the Vitamix though, you do have to use a liquid base so that it all blends together. I used water or coconut water, which does dilute the juice a bit but I was fine with that. The Vitamix is so much easier to clean than a juicer. There are not multiple parts to disassemble and you can just rinse out the Vitamix and call it a day, although you also have the strainer and a bowl to clean.

Overall, I find the Vitamix easier and quicker to use. My combinations below are just guidelines and you should try mixing and matching to see which ones you like best.