This Juicing 101 article discusses the benefits of juicing, particularly the role it plays in healing your body after a celiac disease diagnosis. I also share 10 amazing juice recipes and my 10-day juicing challenge. Everything you need to know about juicing while on the gluten-free diet is in this article. Please note this post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosures here.
I believe there is nothing better you can do for your body in the wake of a celiac disease diagnosis than front-load it with anti-inflammatory, disease-fighting fruits and vegetables.
Unfortunately, most people, regardless if they have a chronic disease or gluten disorder, eat too few fruits and vegetables. In fact, only 12.2 percent of American adults are meeting the dietary standards for fruit, and only 9.3 percent are meeting the dietary standards for vegetables as set forth by the CDC.
Given the sheer number of people suffering from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity these days, these are disturbing statistics.
On top of that, I would venture to say that even the current dietary guidelines don’t go far enough when it comes to how many fruits and vegetables a person really needs to create and maintain good health.
The CDC recommends adults consume 1.5-2 cups of fruit per day, and 2-3 cups of vegetables per day. While it’s a start, it’s hardly enough to combat the lifestyle diseases that have infiltrated human life.
If you want to be healthy, you want to eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible. You want to fill half your plate at every meal with a rainbow of vegetables. Instead of relegating vegetables as the side dish, they should be the main attraction.
That said, I know that eating a variety of vegetables is challenging. Even I don’t get enough of ’em each day despite spending most of my days talking about what good nutrition means.
It’s a lot of work to buy, store, prepare and actually eat a bounty of fruits and veggies on any given day. It’s much easier to grab a pre-packaged bar in our purse when we’re hungry, or order a burger and fries when on the go.
Introduction to Juicing
If you want to turn around your health, commit yourself to adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet this year. An easy way to do this is through juicing.
Thanks to juicing, I’ve been able to get even the most veggie-reluctant person to fall in love with vegetables, so I know it’s possible (and probable) when you give juicing a try.
In this article, I’m going to discuss the following:
- The Benefits of Juicing
- How to Get Started with Juicing
- Tips to Getting the Most out of Your Juicing Adventures
- 10 Amazing Juice Recipes
- My 10-Day Juicing Challenge
The Benefits of Juicing
There are many benefits to green juicing. Here are just a few things that happen when you juice your way to health:
(1) Fast intake of essential vitamins
Juicing makes it easy for your body to quickly absorb nutrients. When juicing, 99 percent of nutrients from the produce are quickly absorbed in your body, all without having to chew anything.
(2) Strengthen your immune system
Fruits and vegetables have super disease fighting powers that help lesson the need for antibiotics and medical interventions when you get sick.
(3) Rest your digestive system.
Your digestive system works hard day-in and day-out. Give it a rest by drinking your vegetables. For people with celiac disease, who have a damaged digestive system, this can be especially helpful in your healing journey.
(4) Boost your energy.
Loading up on fruits and vegetables will give you tons of nutrients you need to gain more energy, feel lighter, and think more clearly. If you have celiac disease, you are nutrient-deprived and juicing is a great way to help you replenish your nutrient tank.
(5) Crowd out junk food.
When you fill your tank with healthy foods, there isn’t much room for noshing on unhealthy stuff. Juicing makes you feel full and helps you crowd out the junk food. It’s a great way to kickstart weight loss too.
(6) Get glowing skin, hair and nails.
Your skin will probably look better, younger, and healthier than ever after juicing for a week. My skin glows, and juicing helps keep acne at bay for me. All those nutrients will also serve to strengthen your hair and nails. Nice bonus, right?
(7) Save money.
While you’re busy juicing, you won’t be going out to lunch or eating as many expensive meats (plant-based foods costs less). Plus, in the long run, you’ll likely spend less on medical interventions because you’ll genuinely be healthy.
(8) Live longer.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who added more fruits and vegetables to their diet over time improved their chances of living longer. Researchers examined more than 70,000 people and found that even cleaning up just one meal each day lowers one’s overall risk of premature death.
Don’t listen to naysayers who tell you juicing strips the fruits and vegetables of fiber… these people don’t have digestive issues and they are likely not eating enough vegetables anyway. (If you prefer blending your vegetables and fruits, by all means do that. It is a little harder on your digestive system, but still offers amazing benefits.)
How to Get Started with Juicing
Getting started with juicing is easy. You need the right tools and a little know-how. Let’s discuss how to get started and ease your way into juicing:
(1) The Juicer
The first thing you need if you want to make homemade juices is a juicer. If you’re new to juicing, I highly recommend this juicer – and it’s top-rated on Amazon.
If you want something fancier and you have a little wiggle room in your budget, I recommend this brand as well. It’s the brand used in the highly acclaimed Netflix documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.
(2) The Produce
You can juice most fruits and vegetables, and you’ll want to stock up on plenty of them. When juicing, most fruits and vegetables will work, but there are a few exceptions.
First, you cannot juice bananas or avocados. They do not give off any juice and will clog your juicer. Both bananas and avocados, however, work well for blending and creating smoothies.
Second, you cannot put fruit peels, like those on oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, through your juicer. Instead, shave off the peel (it’s okay and preferred to leave some of the white pith, if possible) before running them through your juicer.
However, it’s okay to leave the peel on cucumbers, beets, carrots, and ginger root. Also, there is no need to remove the stem or seeds from apples, carrots, or strawberries. Go ahead and juice them too.
(3) The Right Recipe Combination
A good rule of thumb when creating your own juice recipes is as follows:
- Include one part juicy vegetable. This is defined as a vegetable that gives off plenty of juice when pushed through your juicer and includes vegetables such as celery, cucumber, carrot, beet, and peppers.
- Include one part one juicy fruit. These include fruits such as oranges (without peel), pears, peaches, melons, grapes, pineapple, mango, strawberries, etc. These fruits will add a touch of sweetness and add bulk to your drink.
- Include one part green leafy vegetable, such as kale (stems on), spinach, Swiss chard, romaine lettuce, etc. These add nutrient density to your brew.
- Include a small flavor enhancer, such as ginger root, turmeric root, parsley, mint, lemon, etc.
As you get more experienced at juicing and creating recipes, I encourage you to add more vegetables than fruit to your blends. The more vegetables you consume, the better you will feel and the less sugar and calories you’ll consume.
If you’re looking for juice recipe inspiration beyond this post, I highly recommend the Juicing Bible.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Juicing Experience
Here are a few ways to get the most out of your juicing experience:
(1) Focus on Dark Leafy Greens
Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, offer the highest concentration of nutrients and are a great source of minerals, iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, as well as vitamins K, C, E, and B. They also contain plenty of phytonutrients to protect our cells from damage and build immune and disease defense.
Did you know that many green vegetables have more iron than meat? Indeed, 20+ plants, including broccoli, kale, spinach, cabbage, and more. have more calcium per serving than a glass of milk.
Additionally, dark leafy greens contain good omega-3 fats and plenty of fiber. They also offer the best source of alkaline materials, which helps to neutralize bad breath, body odor, and foul-smelling urine/bowel movements.
And above all else, dark leafy greens offer plenty of anti-inflammatory action. They quietly work to quell inflammation and gobble up those pesky free radicals causing oxidative stress throughout your body.
(2) Use Organic (when possible)
Organic produce contains less pesticide residue, is not genetically modified, and many would argue are healthier for you as they do not add to your toxic load.
Unfortunately, by the time a child is one year old, she has already received her acceptable dose of eight pesticides from 20 common foods! This reason alone is why everyone should choose organic produce.
If you cannot afford to buy all organic produce, just make sure to buy organic produce listed on the Dirty Dozen list, a list of the 12 most pesticide-riddled produce according to the Environmental Working Group.
(3) Juice More Vegetables than Fruit
The general rule of thumb for juicing is to have 3 vegetables to 1 fruit (3:1) ratio. This ensures you get lots of vitamins without a lot of sugar.
(4) Don’t Juice and Eat
Avoid eating one hour before and one hour after juicing. This allows your digestive system to soak in all the nutrients without having to lift a finger to digest other foods in the process. Your digestive system needs a break every so often, too.
A good way to kickstart weight loss is to replace a meal (or regular snack) with juice each day. I will discuss how to do that in my 10-Day Juicing Challenge (see below).
(5) Commit to the Process:
It’s easy to say you’ll juice and then give up on it after just a few days. Drink a daily juice for 10 days to see how you feel. Give it time to work, and you might notice a difference in your health, weight, skin, energy, and so much more.
10 Amazing Juice Recipes
Before I share with you how the 10-Day Juicing Challenge works (keep scrolling – you don’t want to miss it!!), I want to share with you the 10 amazing juice recipes I’ve developed over the years.
These recipes are tried and true, helping you on your journey to boost your immune system while still giving your taste buds a treat.
Remember, while I share these recipes to inspire you, you don’t need a recipe to juice. Use whatever you have on hand and have fun with it.
1. Ease Into Green Juice Recipe
This juice offers an easy way to ease into green juicing, especially if you’re not sure if juicing is for you. This juicing recipe includes all sorts of juicy fruits and vegetables, offering up a refreshing and delicious drink.
- 3 celery stalks
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1/2 green apple
- 1/2 pear
2. Carrot Cooler Juice Recipe
Enjoy orange juice in an entirely new way with carrots, apples, lemon, and ginger – no oranges required! This “orange juice” is quite refreshing and full of Vitamin A and antioxidants galore.
- 3 large carrots
- 1/2 red apple
- 1/2 lemon (peel removed)
- 1/2 inch ginger root (peel on)
3. Immunity Defender Juice Recipe
Stave off cold and flu symptoms with this immunity-defending juice recipe made with Vitamin C-loaded oranges, pineapple, and yellow peppers. Fresh juice can boost your immune system and help you fend off whatever germs come your way (or at least lessen the severity of cold and flu symptoms).
Here are some additional tips on staying healthy during cold and flu season.
- 1 orange (peel removed)
- 1 yellow pepper (stem and seeds removed)
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/2 lemon (peel removed)
- 1/2 fresh ginger (peel on)
4. Kale Courage Juice Recipe
If you’re feeling brave and ready to dive into true green juicing, give my Kale Courage green juicing recipe a try. Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables on the planet, and the orange and cucumber ensure the greens go down smoothly.
- 3 kale leaves (with stems)
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1 orange (peel removed)
- Dash of sea salt to taste
5. Cool as a Cucumber Juice Recipe
This juice concoction goes down smoothly and with ease. The cucumber is refreshing, and the pineapple adds just the right amount of sweetness. I have no doubt that this juicing recipe will soon become one of your favorite recipes of all time!
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- 1/2 lemon (peel removed)
6. Fresh and Minty Green Juice Recipe
Enjoy a refreshing and totally minty homemade green juice with my fresh and minty green juice recipe. You can add more or less mint to make it as minty fresh as you like.
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 green apple
- 5-10 mint leaves
- 2 kale leaves (with stems)
- 1/2 lemon (peel removed)
7. Turmeric Tonic Juice Recipe
Infuse your juice recipes with fresh turmeric to fight inflammation and deter disease from developing inside your body. Turmeric is known as a potent antioxidant and has been used as a natural remedy for centuries. Add fresh turmeric root (get it at your local Whole Foods store) to infuse your juice with super-nutrients.
- 3 chunks of cantaloupe
- 1/2 grapefruit (peel removed)
- 1/4 lemon (peel removed)
- 1/2 ginger root
- 1/2 turmeric root
8. Tart and Tangy Juice Recipe
Your tastebuds will tingle with the tart, and tangy flavors of this homemade juice recipe… plus this juice is loaded with Vitamins A and C. Grapefruit pith (the white part around the grapefruit but under the peel) is good for you, so be sure to leave the pith on to get bonus antioxidants, nutrients, and fiber.
- 1/2 grapefruit (peel removed)
- 1/2 green apple
- 1/2 red apple
- 1/4 lemon (peel removed)
9. Celebrate Celery Juice Recipe
Celery packs a nutritional punch. Just one cup of celery offers 37 percent of your daily Vitamin K needs. Further, the green stalk is a rich source of flavonoids, which lowers inflammation and enhances the immune system. Juice the leaves, stem, and all.
- 6 celery stalks
- 1 pear
- 1 handful of spinach leaves
- 1 small handful of parsley
10. Antioxidant Boost Juice Recipe
Beets are known for their antioxidant powers and offer fantastic detoxification benefits to the liver. In fact, beets contain betaine, which helps liver cells eliminate toxins, as well as pectic, which clears the toxins from the liver, and betalains, which encourage the detoxification process, according to mindbodygreen.
On top of that, this juice includes blueberries, the #1 antioxidant fruit available. Watch those free radicals go bye-bye when you drink this juice.
- 2 beets (skin on okay)
- 3/4 cup blueberries
- 1 small handful of parsley
- 2 celery stalks
- 1-inch ginger (peel on)
Take the 10-Day Juicing Challenge
If you’re inspired (and ready) to get healthy, and you can clearly see the benefits of juicing in your life, I invite you to take my 10-Day Juicing Challenge.
For 10 days, you’ll replace one meal or snack with an 8 oz. juice of choice.
I’ve tried to make this process a little easier for you.
Enter your email into this form, and I’ll send you all 10 recipes PLUS a shopping list of all the ingredients you need to make them.
Before getting started, I ask that you agree to a few guidelines first:
DO NOT add juice to your meal. Instead, replace a meal with juice instead. If you add juice to your meal, you’ll add way too many calories to your diet, and you may gain weight.
DO NOT eat anything for at least one hour before and one hour after you juice. This will help ensure your digestive system is fully resting and doesn’t have to lift a finger to digest the juice.
DO prepare ahead of time. Purchase all fruits and vegetables you need to be successful in the challenge. Cut and wash veggies ahead of time, portion the produce in baggies, and/or do whatever you need to do to set yourself up for success.
DO NOT pre-make juices. You must make the juice and then enjoy it within the hour of juicing to prevent bacteria from developing in the juice, which can make you sick.
DO track the changes in your mood, energy, body, and health. Get in touch with your body.
DO make juice recipes you like. If there is a juice on this list that doesn’t work for you, don’t make it or change the recipe. You can make the same few juices every day. I do recommend, however, that you add as many leafy greens as you can to your diet.
You can also get more juicing recipes in this awesome book!
Troubleshooting
Here are a few potential snags that you may have to overcome when you take the juicing challenge.
Hunger. If you’re still hungry after juicing, increase the amount of your juice intake. Each juice recipe makes about 8 oz. of juice, but if you weigh more than 150 lbs, I suggest you make a 12-16 oz. glass of juice. Adjust until you find what satisfies you most. You can also enjoy a healthy snack a few hours after juicing. Don’t starve yourself.
Traveling. If you’re on the road and don’t have access to your juicer, it’s okay to purchase a cold-pressed juice at the supermarket. Try brands such as Daily Greens, Suja, or Evolution, and look for ones that have less fruit and more vegetables. Trader Joe’s also sells fantastic cold pressed juice.
Store Bought Trickery. Remember, when buying store-bought juice, look for “cold pressed” juices only, ones made with more vegetables than fruit, and ones that are generally less than 200 calories for the entire bottle. Orange juice and fruit juices are not the kinds of juices we’re going for here.
Bonus Recipe
This is my favorite go-to green juice recipe. Enjoy, and good luck with your juicing adventures!
Jenny’s Green Juice
Ingredients
- 3-4 stalks organic kale
- 2 stalks organic celery
- 1/3 organic English cucumber
- 1 chunk fresh pineapple (about 3-4 inches cubed) – peeled
- 1/2 lemon -peeled but leave some of the white pith
- 1 inch ginger – peeled
Instructions
- Wash and prepare all your ingredients.
- Run each ingredient through your juicer one-by-one, using the cucumber and celery to push through the kale stalks.
- Enjoy immediately!
Nutrition
10-DAY JUICING CHALLENGE
Join me by signing up for the 10-Day Juicing Challenge. I'll send you a copy of all 10 juice recipes + the one-page shopping list to help you get started.
Good For You Gluten Free says
Each recipe is one serving. Maybe I have a typo somewhere? I’m so sorry.
Mary B says
if this recipe makes 10 servings and I am only supposed toe drink 1 serving, what am I supposed to do with all the leftovers. I have no one else to share these recipes with.
Good For You Gluten Free says
I don’t know enough about masticating juicers. Thank you for reading my article!
Kat says
Thank you! Best article I’ve found! I just shared it with 4 friends!
Question: I have a twin gear masticating juicer (Omega Green Elite) is there any reason I shouldn’t juice citrus fruit, peel and all, if my machine can handle it?
Kevin says
I have been on pain management for 8yrs and hv gained 100lbs. This will be my first juicing diet. Hoping for the best. I have a bad back and gaining weight has made it worse.
Steve J Robin (@SteveJRobin1) says
Your 10 juicing recipes are really amazing. I love all these recipe and want to make it. Thanks for sharing.
https://homeplix.com/aicok-juicer