This is the juicer to which I made reference yesterday: the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer "Deluxe." (This is the mid-level model which I found at Costco for $94 -- the best price I've seen.)
First, the soapbox: I continue to believe (with many) that juicing fresh fruits and veggies is the single most powerful thing we can do for nutritional health. The nutrients in food are in the juice, not the fiber. Our mouth is a natural juicer, separating juice from fiber as we chew. Mechanical juicers do an even more efficient job of that separating process, allowing the body to receive the nutrients more quickly since the process of further digesting fiber in the stomach is eliminated. Do we need fiber? Absolutely -- but primarily for colon cleansing, not for nutrition. And if we're eating lots of additional grains, seeds, fruits, and veggies (meat has NO fiber!), we'll get plenty. Juicing is the most direct way to expose food nutrients to digestive enzymes which makes those nutrients available to the body.
Now -- the juicer:
Some juicing purists will disagree, but when it comes to the three variables involved in juicing over which we have control -- price, time, and quality/quantity of juice -- I like this LaLanne juicer for the average money-bound, time-strapped person looking to impact his or her health daily.
The gold standard for home juicing (in most folks' opinion) is still the twin-gear Green Star series, a Korean-made juicer distributed in the US by Tribest. (Okay, the gold standard is the Norwalk, named after, and based on the early designs of, juicing legend Norman Walker. The Norwalk is the recommended juicer for the Gerson cancer therapy programs, but at $2,200 it's a bit beyond the reach of the average consumer.) I have had my Green Power (it was first Green Power, then Green Life, and now is Green Star) for about seven years and the motor runs as smoothly today as when I bought it. The Green Star juicers will juice everything, including wheat grass -- the killer for most juicers. (For good prices and comparisons on the Gold Star series, and other juicers, discountjuicers.com is an excellent resource.)
Back to the three variables: The LaLanne Power Juicer is fast, easy to clean, and extracts lots of juice (though not as much as the Green Star). The disadvantage is that it juices using a cutting disc that spins at thousands of RPMs (called a centrifugal juicer) versus the twin-gear (masticating) juicers that gently crush and squeeze juice out of the fiber. Centrifugal juicers introduce much more oxygen into the juice which immediately begins the oxidizing process that destroys food enzymes. This is compensated for by juicing small amounts of juice and consuming it quickly instead of storing it in the refrigerator and consuming it later.
And for right-now juicing -- drinking the juice on the spot -- the LaLanne juicer excels. It makes short work of anything you can fit in the large feeder tube (again, NOT wheatgrass, barley grass, etc.) and cleans up quickly. I bought a plastic model a couple years ago and liked it, but stuck with my Green Power, juicing a couple days of juice at a time. I've switched back to the LaLanne (this newer, stainless steel model) in order to juice a small amount (8-10 oz.) at a time and consume it, not store it. And the slightly wetter pulp (due to less efficient juice extraction) is greatly appreciated by the worms and microbes in my flower garden where I bury it.
For $99, it's hard to beat this juicer for the average person/family. (Disclosure: I borrowed the juicer image from the Power Juicer web site without permission. I have no affiliation with any of the products or companies mentioned.)
If you have thoughts on juicing/juicers or the information above, I'd love to hear from you either by email or the Comments link below.
[Note: There is obviously much more to say about juicing and juicers than the above notes. For an in-depth research report on the most popular juicers in terms of nutritional enzymes, see "Comparison of Juice Extractors: Enzymes" by Dr. Michael Donaldson, research scientist at the Hallelujah Acres Foundation. The report is a .pdf file available here -- scroll to the bottom of the page where you'll see the article in a "Quick Facts" or "Full Version."]
First, the soapbox: I continue to believe (with many) that juicing fresh fruits and veggies is the single most powerful thing we can do for nutritional health. The nutrients in food are in the juice, not the fiber. Our mouth is a natural juicer, separating juice from fiber as we chew. Mechanical juicers do an even more efficient job of that separating process, allowing the body to receive the nutrients more quickly since the process of further digesting fiber in the stomach is eliminated. Do we need fiber? Absolutely -- but primarily for colon cleansing, not for nutrition. And if we're eating lots of additional grains, seeds, fruits, and veggies (meat has NO fiber!), we'll get plenty. Juicing is the most direct way to expose food nutrients to digestive enzymes which makes those nutrients available to the body.
Now -- the juicer:
Some juicing purists will disagree, but when it comes to the three variables involved in juicing over which we have control -- price, time, and quality/quantity of juice -- I like this LaLanne juicer for the average money-bound, time-strapped person looking to impact his or her health daily.
The gold standard for home juicing (in most folks' opinion) is still the twin-gear Green Star series, a Korean-made juicer distributed in the US by Tribest. (Okay, the gold standard is the Norwalk, named after, and based on the early designs of, juicing legend Norman Walker. The Norwalk is the recommended juicer for the Gerson cancer therapy programs, but at $2,200 it's a bit beyond the reach of the average consumer.) I have had my Green Power (it was first Green Power, then Green Life, and now is Green Star) for about seven years and the motor runs as smoothly today as when I bought it. The Green Star juicers will juice everything, including wheat grass -- the killer for most juicers. (For good prices and comparisons on the Gold Star series, and other juicers, discountjuicers.com is an excellent resource.)
Back to the three variables: The LaLanne Power Juicer is fast, easy to clean, and extracts lots of juice (though not as much as the Green Star). The disadvantage is that it juices using a cutting disc that spins at thousands of RPMs (called a centrifugal juicer) versus the twin-gear (masticating) juicers that gently crush and squeeze juice out of the fiber. Centrifugal juicers introduce much more oxygen into the juice which immediately begins the oxidizing process that destroys food enzymes. This is compensated for by juicing small amounts of juice and consuming it quickly instead of storing it in the refrigerator and consuming it later.
And for right-now juicing -- drinking the juice on the spot -- the LaLanne juicer excels. It makes short work of anything you can fit in the large feeder tube (again, NOT wheatgrass, barley grass, etc.) and cleans up quickly. I bought a plastic model a couple years ago and liked it, but stuck with my Green Power, juicing a couple days of juice at a time. I've switched back to the LaLanne (this newer, stainless steel model) in order to juice a small amount (8-10 oz.) at a time and consume it, not store it. And the slightly wetter pulp (due to less efficient juice extraction) is greatly appreciated by the worms and microbes in my flower garden where I bury it.
For $99, it's hard to beat this juicer for the average person/family. (Disclosure: I borrowed the juicer image from the Power Juicer web site without permission. I have no affiliation with any of the products or companies mentioned.)
If you have thoughts on juicing/juicers or the information above, I'd love to hear from you either by email or the Comments link below.
[Note: There is obviously much more to say about juicing and juicers than the above notes. For an in-depth research report on the most popular juicers in terms of nutritional enzymes, see "Comparison of Juice Extractors: Enzymes" by Dr. Michael Donaldson, research scientist at the Hallelujah Acres Foundation. The report is a .pdf file available here -- scroll to the bottom of the page where you'll see the article in a "Quick Facts" or "Full Version."]
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