Juicing without a juicer

You don’t need to spend a ton of money on a fancy juicing machine that just takes up more counter space. With a regular kitchen blender, you can easily and quickly enjoy all the nutritional benefits of juicing your fresh fruits and vegetables. You can also use a fine-mesh strainer to remove any residual pulp after blending, but keeping that fiber in your drink is much more nutritious. Fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut for a healthier colon.

Here’s a recipe for a great-tasting green juice that packs a delicious dose of iron, magnesium and potassium, as well as vitamins A, B6, C, D and K.

• 1 handful each spinach and kale (stems and all!)
• 2-3 stalks celery 
• 2 small peeled and chopped carrots
• 1/2 unpeeled, cored and chopped apple 
• Several thin slices of ginger
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup water

Add the water to the blender, then add your fresh, organic vegetables and fruits in any order. Pulse and blend with each addition until liquified. Pour into a glass, pulp and all, and enjoy immediately to get the most nutrition. If you prefer, you can pour it through a fine mesh strainer first, but don’t pass up the important health benefits of all that great fiber! Your juice will keep in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Juicing can give you a whole day’s worth of fruit and vegetable servings in just one 12-ounce glass. You’re also more likely to enjoy a wider variety of fresh produce that you might not otherwise have in your diet. The variety is important for ensuring you get all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to repair damaged cells, prevent disease…plus it helps you look and feel younger!

Drinking juice gives you plenty of energy, too – with its abundance of live enzymes, vitamins and minerals, juice is like a natural (and much healthier) version of Red Bull.