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Can I use a blender for juicing

Can I use a blender for juicing

Can I use a blender for juicing?

Can I use a blender for juicing? I always get asked this question and the answer will always be no, you cannot use a blender for juicing. If you used a blender it would make it into smoothie and not a juice. There are quite a few differences between a juice and smoothie, or a juicer and a blender and I’ll go into detail on the two and why you must use a juicer for juicing, and a blender for blending.

Can I use a blender for juicing?





I’ll say it again, no! The reason you cannot use a blender for juicing is that a blender does not separate the fiber and pulp from a juice like a juicer does. A blender simply chops up and blends whatever you decide to put into it. A juicer on the other hand will separate all the fiber and pulp and give you only the juice of the fruits and veggies you put into it. When you are on a juice fast you have to eliminate all of the insoluble fibers from your diet to give your digestive system a much needed rest and cleanse from all of those dirty toxins that you’ve been feeding it. So, if you’re still wondering, can I use a blender for juicing, read on!

Juicers are used for juicing

When you go on a juice fast, you are eliminating fibrous foods from your diet. You are also not using your digestive system. When you make a juice the vitamins and minerals are already broken down and absorbed into your system within minutes of consuming. This is critical to how a juice fast works. If you use a blender, you will still get all of the fiber and your digestive system will kick back into gear thus stopping your juice fast. Are you still wondering can I use a blender for juicing? Keep reading.

Blenders and Juicers Yield different quantities

When people ask me “can I use a blender for juicing” and I tell them no you must use a juicer, they don’t understand the quantities of fruits and vegetables that one goes through on a juice fast. Let’s take one of my most popular recipes and do a comparison between using a blender, and using a juicer. This is my Purple Power Juice recipe. It consists of the following:

2 Stalks of Celery, ½ of a Big Carrot, 1 Big Cucumber, 1 Giant handful of Spinach, ½ Lemon, 1 Whole Beet, 1 Apple, ¼ Head of Red Cabbage, and some fresh Ginger Root.

If you put that all into a blender you’d end up with enough to feed 2 or 3 people. There’s no difference in quantities when blending all of this together, or eating it raw. Can you imagine eating all of that 4-6 times each day? That’s exactly what you would be doing if you use a blender. When you juice this through a juicer you end up with 20 ounces of highly nutritious juice that you can consume in one sitting. Juicers extract the juice and eliminate the fiber and pulp.

If you take a look at the difference in the amount of calories you will consuming when you use a blender you’ll also see that you probably won’t lose weight. If you use a blender that juice comes out to be over 400 calories. When you use a juicer you eliminate the pulp and the juice comes out be under 200 calories. In a day that would be near 2400 calories if you used a blender and about 1200 calories by using a juicer. Do you still think “can I use a blender for juicing?”

Get yourself a Juicer to juice and a blender to blend

Juicers are not that expensive. You can pick up a Hamilton Beach 67601 Big Mouth Juice Extractor at Amazon for $49.99 and it will do everything you need. If you have a blender still hold onto it as smoothies are great for when you decide to come off of your juice fast. I enjoy smoothies when I’m not juice fasting. I hope I was able to shed some light on your question of “Can I use a blender for juicing?” If you are still in doubt just try one of the recipes in a blender and imagine doing that 4-6 times per day.


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142 Comments
  1. First Of all very good and informative post!
    Yes ..You can use a blender for your juicing.Make sure that you are using a strainer to remove pulp.I highly recommend you to use a masticating Juicer for your juicing. Blender are OK for Juicing But if you can use a masticating juicer instead of a blender than it will be the best for you.You will get best outputs.Take my word.

  2. First Of all very good and informative post!

    Yes ..You can use a blender for your juicing.Make sure that you are using a strainer to remove pulp.I highly recommend you to use a masticating Juicer for your juicing. Blender are OK for Juicing But if you can use a masticating juicer instead of a blender than it will be the best for you.You will get best outputs.Take my word.

    http://juicerly.com/

  3. You can use a blender. Just use a strainer to remove the pulp. Very bias post. Open your mind and be creative!

  4. Yes, you can. I can put all the ingredients for you purple power juice in my Blendtec, juice it in a couple of minutes, strain it in a nut milk bag and be done in no time. Clean up is fast and easy. I have a masticating juicer, but juicing and cleanup is more time consuming with it so I prefer the blender.

  5. Is there a difference in the Ninja Blender and the ninja bullet? Do you have to use ice for the blender and do you use ice for the bullet, also I have been wondering if using the bullet do all the seeds still stay in the drink like when using the blender?

  6. How do you prove that the quality of the juice that come from a blender is inferior to that from a juicer? Is it proven by somebody? It is the speed with which the food is centrifuged is what matters.High speed in blender gives as same as good quality.Strain it with a nutmilk bag or a fine strainer.This way I have become a successful juicer.

    • It’s not inferior, it’s just different, juicer’s remove the flesh of what ever, leaving just the liquid content, this includes the removal of dietary fibre, which normally you wouldn’t want to remove from your diet, I think juicing is more of a detox, you wouldn’t stay on it long term, where as Smoothies you could use as long as you want,

  7. OMG, Donnie im so so happy i tried this, my friend recommended me here. its amazing.
    i lost 8kg in 28days. still continuing, but for some reason its nto that fast anymore.
    is there a reason for this. last 10days just 1.5kgs. im i missig something.

    thnx bella,
    from germany

  8. I recommend the Nutribullet, juicing tastes and feels bland. I leave the fiber in my drink and drink lots of water and green tea to help the digestion.

    • Nolily’s idea of using green tea, and leaving the fibre in the juices is imo a good idea, I won’t recommend, the brand she does,as imo it’s just a blender, better or not I don’t know

  9. How in the world do you get 400 calories out of those ingredients? I couldn’t even reach 250 calories, even being generous with the portions!

    • agreed. Not to mention that would a portion for one person, not 2-3. For me at least. I’m a guy that exercises frequently.

  10. I’ve just bought an expensive blender that does have a juicing attachment is this sufficiant?

  11. Hi, Have you tried the Ninja blender? I own a VitaMix blender and I am on the look out for a new one I have heard great things about the Ninjas any reviews?

  12. hello there im so excited to get started, WEIGHT ISSUES.i wish to know if one can use the MR MAgic, juicer lol

  13. We dont have a juicer. I use a blender then i have this mesh bag that came with a gift pack that i recieved. I use it to strain my smoothie and squeeze to get all the juices. Dont worry though, i cleaned that small bag thoroughly. Lol. No one sells a nut milk bag in our small town so i just settle for that.

  14. When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time
    a comment is added I get several e-mails with the
    same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?

    Thank you!

  15. I have a question !

    I don’t not have a juicer, and cannot afford to buy one (I am in France and there are no $40 juicers, they are minimum $200 for a not so great one) .
    I have made a green juice with the blender + strainer , is that 100% useless ? or just not as amazing as with a juicer ? As I said buying a juicer is NOT an option right now, so i don’t want to keep making my juice with the blender if i get zero good nutrition from it .

    Thanks !

    • I don’t not have a juicer = I don’t have a juicer ! (lol)

  16. Hahaha I think this is hilarious!
    Some of the tips here are helpful but as for people getting abusive, aggressive and unnecessarily passionate about a kitchen appliance, I think u all need to log off and go do some juicing!!!! (Or blending with a nutmeg bag)!
    Thanks for the tip. I have a juicer/blender and wanted to know whether I could drink smoothies instead of juice but you’ve all answered my question!

  17. Huh,I know I may get blasted by this, BUT… I actually think it’s silly to leave the pulp behind. Fiber is very good for the body, not to mention there are still a ton of nutrients left in it that the body benefits from. Cellulose is the structure that makes up the cell-wall in plants. Niether blending NOR juicing NOR human digestion break cellulose down. That’s what gives fruit and veggies their fiber. Blending is merely chopping the foods into a thicker, drink-able subtance. Juicing extracts the liquid from the food, leaving the fiber completely behind.
    There are some people who juice instead of blend because they believe that it’s too difficult for your stomach to break down the fiber in fruit, so by juicing they remove the hard fiber in it. That, to me, is a weird argument, seeing as your stomach was MADE to digest foods. So yeah.

    • You absorb juice, it doesn’t get digested. You need fiber but not while juicing. You’ll get your fiber when you go back to eating solids. It’s not like you will be juicing indefinitely for the rest of your life.

    • I agree – especially while trying to ‘remove toxins’ from your body. you need fiber to keep your waste system moving.

  18. Wow.
    You are utter fuckwits.

    • In the sense that you shouldn’t be so condescending and perhaps help the people who clearly can’t afford juicers yet want to live a healthier lifestyle.
      Instead of telling people to ‘get educated’ before submitting a comment, perhaps post an article on how while juicers are clearly the best option that there is no reason a person less well off couldn’t try and achieve the same thing with a blender and a good sivne, just make it clear the results may vary as it will change the juice in terms of fibre.

      Stop being so damned up your arses, the point is to help people live a healthier lifestyle.

  19. Protein from fruits alone? fruits have very little protein. Not enough what typical person needs for daily needs. Specially if someone has a active lifestyle(construction worker, factory workers, lifting weights, ect..) Muscle fibers are broken down when you have a active lifestyle. Protein from fruits alone will not suffice rebuilding broken down muscle fibers. Some benefits of having daily protein from food sources such chicken breast, egg whites, greek yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, lean white fish (tilapia),nuts. protein foods help you feel full longer,American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that protein increases satiety, and may increase metabolism. Consuming protein will also help the body maintain lean muscle mass, which is critical for a healthy weight loss plan. also lets not forget proteins are the body’s building blocks: bones, muscles, skin and blood are all made up of protein. Be smart, the only true of of heaving true healthy lifestyle is to have BALANCE and PORTION CONTROL. By juicing alone, yes you will lose weight but you will also lose a lot of lean muscle. Ever heard of a term skinny fat? People that lose lot of weight but they still look flabby. It’s because they burned away a lot of muscle by not having balanced diet! Mostly just by juicing or not eating nothing at all. There is no secret machine or pill to make one look/feel good. Stay active, eat balanced healthy food and most of all stay consistent! Staying consistent with any type of program is the biggest secret to success.

    • When juicing one must concentrate on vegetables for protein and fruit to make your juices tastier. A lot of the greens out there have plenty of protein, especially when you have to use a lot of veggies to get your proper intake of juices per day.

    • This clearly says it’s a 3 day juicing. Your body can handle it for 3 days.

  20. Hello,

    Juicing is a great thing, but I do not recommend juicing for 7 days or longer because. All the fiber is removed and you need fiber to help move all the toxins out of your large colon. Juicing for a day or so is fine or juicing two meals a day and the third meal could be raw smoothies with the fiber.

    • That is what enema’s are for. Please know what you are talking about before instructing people.

      • bah bah bah! are you really suggesting enemas than allowing your body to do its own work naturally? Please get a clue before making rude an naive comments. signed, a medical practicioner

    • would it be Ok to just juice once a day and eat 2 healthy meals with lots of vegatables steamed ?

  21. It’s kind of silly to suggest that a blender is useless for juicing. All you need is a sieve, cheesecloth, or nutmilk bag to remove the pulp. People need to save their money these days, and not invest in equipment that they don’t need. If one *wants* to buy a juicer, then fine, but it’s certainly not *needed*. You can make the same healthy juices with equipment you already own.

    • Actually a blender wont even come close to the quantity and quality of nutrition as opposed to using a juicer Elizabeth. Even with a sieve, cheesecloth or nutmilk bag it’s not the same. A juicer splits the cell walls allowing for more nutrition per ounce of juice. A blender does not. Please educate yourself on the differences between juicers and blenders before assuming they are one in the same and can achieve the same. As far as saving money, you can get a quality juicer for as little as $40.

  22. the word is SPIRILINA. mega protein

  23. Thanks for the article. It makes sense however rather than having two appliances on the counter I’m considering buying an Omniblend V, adding a little water to the fruit & veg mix then passing the blended contents through a nut milk bag to separate any remaining pulp. Is this process sufficient to remove insoluble fibres, give my digestive system a rest and qualify as ‘juice’ under the Gerson therapy?

    *Note I’m in AUS and I can’t get appliances as cheap as you so it’s not cost effective and I’d like to reduce the amount of wasted pulp as much as possible.

    • Yes, a nut milk bag will definitely remove the fibers. You could also try using a fine mesh strainer if you don’t want to constantly buy those milk bags. The results will be the same and it’s much less messier on your hands.

  24. All u drink is juice? No protein? Yikes

  25. Can I take a protein shake during this juicing fast? I usually take one 45 mins before a work out.

  26. t

  27. If you are cleansing then juicing is the way you should go. If you are using the nutients from your fruits and vegetables for a stronger more energetic body then I would not get hung up on the differences between juicing and blending. When I blend I still get the same nutrients as anyone who juices. It is still broken down so your body uses it more readily than just eating good. I have both and I prefer to use the blender. I like the thicker drink,taste, and nutrients, not to mention all that pulp you are throwing out still has nutients and fibers that your body utilizes especially if you are an energetic person. Of course people that sell juicers are going to push that philosophy on you.

  28. can you make juice ahead of time or are there cons to this? Also, is it bad to have foam looking throughout your juice?

    • It be best to drink juice fresh. If you’re using a centrifugal juicer, drink it within the day, for a masticating juicer – you can store it for up to 72 hours (refrigerated of course). I’ve heard some freezing their juice but I don’t recommend it.

      • Freezing your juice is fine as frozen juices, fruits, and vegetables retain their nutritional value.

  29. I did my research. Juicing is bunk.

    http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=192

    • But nothing in that link contradicts anything on this page?!?!

  30. is Magic Bullet deluxe Juicer is good for juicing??

  31. What if I use the Nutribullet? It is not really a blender, but the pulp and fiber are still in there.

    • Earvin, it’s the same as a blender. It blends everything together and does not remove the pulp. It’s really no different than just eating the produce raw. You can try to strain the juices out of there but it’s a bit messy. Cheers!

  32. SO i just purchased a Ninja for no reason. I thought it would HELP with juicing?

    • Keebs, you’ll need a juicer for a juice fast. The ninja is a blender. Read this article for more information on why you MUST use a juicer for juicing: http://www.justonjuice.com/can-i-use-a-blender-for-juicing/ You can make some delicious smoothies to get you prepared for a juice fast though. Cheers!

    • Keep your Ninja, I have one. While they don’t do a good job of juicing vegetables they are GREAT for making smoothies from frozen fruit…You can make an awesome frozen margarita for a group in them as well.

  33. How much is a reliable juicer?

    • Joshua, you can get a good reliable juicer that will accommodate just about any budget. Here are three that I have and use: http://www.justonjuice.com/juicers They are all very good and cheaply priced. The Hamilton Beach is still the lowest priced juicer. It’s the same one I used on my first juice fast so give it a try! Cheers!

  34. Thanks for the info. You’ve cleared the air on the Juicer/Blender issue…I was set on using my blender and sieving but after reading this post thought the better of it so off to get my juicer tomorrow. But question, is it okay to go on a water fast a day prior to starting the juice fast? I am very eager to get started and I just dont want to loose steam :D.

    Thanks a mil

    • Preye, it’s good to start drinking plenty of water the day or two before as it helps to pre flush your system and get you hydrated. Do include a few fresh fruits or veggies throughout the day as that will work to prep your body with the same nutrients you’ll get on the fast. Keep me posted on your progress and know that I’m here if you have questions. Cheers Preye!

      • Thanks Donnie. I went for 5days but had to stop to take some heavy medications. But I felt so great afterwards that I am all set for a second go. Target is two weeks this time around. Oh yeah, I lost 4kg in just 5days (Though after a couple of days I gained back 1kg which I guess was water weight, I did drop it later on though) Most important for me is my skin; there’s a ton of difference as its clearer, and my constant breakouts reduced drastically during and after the fast. I definitely will be incorporating at least one juice meal a day even after my next fast. Thanks once again for a great site and the tons of info you’ve made available. (My husband says thank you as well :D)

  35. Hi!

    I am 18 and I have always been around 9 and a half stone but since moving into my own place for uni I have went up to 10 stone 10lbs and it’s beginning to bother me. I do a lot of exercise and cheerleading so I was wondering if I do the juice fast for 1 or 2 weeks would I still have enough energy to go to the gym everyday and that. I gain weight very easily but I also lose it easily, so I’m unsure if I come off the fast I’ll just gain it all back in a week.

    I am in the UK and they don’t seem to sell the hamilton beach juicer on UK amazon and I was looking for something under £40 do you know of any that are decent? :)

    Ashleigh

    • Ashleigh, while it’s best to let your body rest and recover during the first few days of a juice fast, it shouldn’t interfere too much with your energy levels. I would plan it to where you have three days in a row to where you don’t have to workout too hard and start your juice fast then. That way you’ll be through a majority of the detox phase on your own time. You’ll only gain the weight back if you get back into bad eating habits Ashleigh. As long as you eat healthy after your fast, you’ll be fine. Read this article for how to eat after a juice fast: http://www.justonjuice.com/how-to-eat-after-a-fast/

      As far as juicers, take a look at http://www.justonjuice.com/juicers and take a look at the Breville or the Cuisinart if the Hamilton Beach isn’t available. Cheers!

  36. My wife is a big meat eater. Me not so much. I have talked to her about doing the juice thing. I have done a little juicing in the past. and loved it. after about a year of talking about it she is willing to try it with me. for the new year. we will start it together. I just dont have a real good plan..new to it myself I have been looking for some ideas and I need a little help getting started..I have talked her into it and dont want to fail. I gained some weight this year and My blood pressure went up this year and I am taking medication for it now and cholesterol medication after a physical I had done. I would like to come off them. and after all I have read about juicing I think it will help.

  37. I’m so confused, i thought fibers were good? im not trying to loose weight, just trying to be healthy? jucier or blender?
    thanks!

    • Melissa, if you’re just wanting the health benefits then simply add a juice or two to your existing diet and you’ll notice a difference. You’ll get more nutrition per glass by juicing than you will from blending. Blending is really no different that just eating the produce raw. Hope this helps.

    • Melissa, I keep the pulp (fiber)from my juicer and use it in omelets or in a meat loaf or lasagna. the are a lot of ways to do it. if you don’t use it all. Just put it into your garden, your plants will love it! No need to throw it away

      • Not sure if my comment actually posted or not – sorry if it already did…

        I’m a runner and am Paleo(well … I’m Primal). I prefer just 1 or 2 smoothies a day (either breakfast or post-run/lunch), (on days with only 1) a light veggie-based meal & some good old fashion meat & veggies for dinner. My mum & a few of my sisters are into “clean eating” & absolutely rave over juicing. Our compost can’t keep up with their daily pulp production – they’re now feeding it to the chickens (who ADORE it). – Anyone with chickens might also consider this- we still give them scratch & pellet feed but they’re now consuming mostly garden veggies & juice pulp.

        I don’t remove my pulp but if I did I think meatloaf & omelets would be the way to go! Ooh! Meatballs! … the possibilities you’ve opened for the rest of the family! Thank you Ma’am (/sir) 😀

  38. While I see your point about the differences between juicing and blending, I just don’t feel right tossing all the pulp away. I’ve juice fasted before for a full week, sometimes longer. I just feel terrible about throwing all the pulp away. Sure, you can save some of the pulp and use it in other recipes, but that’s usually not practical if you’re mixing and matching vegetables and fruits. Straight carrot pulp, sure. Kale, beets, cucumber, ginger, etc. etc. there’s just no real use for the pulp. So I’ve chosen to stick with blending for the most part. Sure, the taking in all that pulp will make you feel full, but that makes it easier to not go for other solid foods. It’s much less expensive as well, because you can’t possibly intake as much as you can with simply juicing and tossing all the pulp in the garbage/compost. Just wanted to explain my reasons for choosing blending over juicing. I’m sure others have these concerns. A combination of juicing and blending is preferable for someone who doesn’t feel right with wasting so much.

    • Mike, why do you feel terrible about throwing away the pulp? You’ve taken the majority of all the nutrition out of it so what are you actually wasting? Sure you will “eat” less if you consume these but you wont be getting near the same nutritional levels as if they were juiced.

      Also Mike, it’s only less expensive if all you eat is fresh fruits and veggies. You make good points and I also wanted to follow up for people who share these concerns. Thanks for your post, I’m sure it will help answer questions that many people are asking themselves. Cheers!

  39. I have been going back and forth about this. I understand the benefits of less fiber and pulp fasting. However, when not fasting isn’t pulp and especially fiber a really good thing for a healthy diet?

    • Tara, fiber is definitely good for you. It’s a must when eating solids obviously. When you juice, the juice doesn’t get digested but instead gets absorbed, so fiber is not necessary. During a juice fast it’s important to not have that fiber so your system can get cleansed. The juice will clean you out as you’ll see if you fast.

      Since you aren’t going to juice indefinitely for the rest of your life, you’ll get the fiber back as soon as you start eating solids, when you need it.

  40. I’m a male. 31 yrs. i’m not intending to loose weight. i just want health benefits. so i think using a Blender is worth it for me instead of a Juicer, RIGHT?

    • Actually Mike, you’ll get more nutrition by adding a juice or two to your existing diet as opposed to blending.

  41. If you’re not on a juicing fast and you just wanna stay healthy and boost your immune system you can use a blender.

    • That will work as a meal replacement Mike, but for someone who just wants to add some nutrition to their existing diet, juicing is still a much better alternative to blending.

  42. Which is better for a person who is nutrition-deficient and has been very weak?? A blender or Juicer?

  43. What if I use a blender and sieve out the remainings?

    • Michelle, that wont work the same as a juicer for a couple of reasons. When you use a juicer, the juicer is actually damaging the cell walls where the majority of nutrients are stored. This makes your juices very easy to absorb and much more concentrated. When you use a blender, you don’t get near as much nutrition when sieving out the juice. Your best bet is to just get a juicer. Take a look at http://www.justonjuice.com/juicers/ and take a look at the three I have listed. They all work very well and are within most budgets. The cheapest priced one is the Hamilton Beach that I used for my fast. I’ve tried all three and can say they will all work.

      • Oh no! I’ve been using my Ninja Pro 100 cause the commercial said it was a juicer as well. The juices are more “pulpy”, but I thought that made them healthier than getting rid of all the fiber – I thought fiber was a good thing! But I drank 5 juices yesterday and was SOOOOO full – every time it came to drink another one I was like God help me I don’t know if I can fit this. Today I could only fit three – I nursed the last one for like an hour! But at the same time even though I had cravings all day, I was so full I didn’t act on them. So I thought that was a good thing. But to find out I consumed all those calories? What a waste! :-( I probably just GAINED weight! Awwww…

        • Those commercials are very misleading when it comes to juicing. Get yourself a juicer and you’ll see a tremendous difference! You probably didn’t gain weight Shannon. If anything, the fresh fruits and veggies will put you through the detox. Just get a juicer now and keep going! It’s good to prepare your body before a fast by eating only fresh fruits and veggies, so not all is wasted. If you need a good deal on a juicer check here to see a few great deals on Amazon: http://astore.amazon.com/jus033-20

          Keep me posted Shannon.

  44. Can i take a soup during the 7-day jucing diet?

    • Nel, you need to stick to your juices, the ones you make at home. You can make soups out of some of the juices. Head to the forums and look under the recipe section. There’s a thread with soup recipes and ideas that you’ll most likely enjoy. Let me know if you have any questions Nel.

  45. Fibre is really good for you and is like an internal broom. As far as I know it has no calories.

    • It’s fine if you eat solid foods, but not fine if you plan on doing a juice fast Victoire.

      There are 4 calories per gram of fiber. A simple google search will agree.

  46. Hello Donnie!

    I am planning to go onto a 7 days juice fast, my only concern is my low blad pressure, I normally drink 2 cups of coffee a day. Is coffee allowed during the fast?

    • Dee, are you taking any medication? Do you have low blood pressure or are you trying to lower your blood pressure? You shouldn’t have coffee while on the juice fast as it contains caffeine. You’re only going to lose toxins as long as you aren’t putting any into your system. Go decaf but leave out the cream and sugar. Let me know if you have any questions.

      • Hello Donnie, thank you for quick response. No I don’t take any medication for my blood pressure. I just can’t live without coffee. I will try to stop drinking it then.

        • Trust me Dee, you can live without coffee. It’s a strong addiction but you can overcome it. Once you get off the caffeine you’ll realize how much more energetic you are without it.

  47. Hi Donnie,I am so glad I found your post! I am trying to seriously figure out the best way to get my family eating more healthily than we have been. I have always been a relatively healthy eater. My husband, not so much. But in the course of time, we have all gotten caught in the fast-food/processed food trap of a super busy life. My 16 yo son has high blood pressure and we all have just gotten to where we eat like crap. As a mom, I feel terrible about this, and if I could go back in time and change anything, it would be how I have fed my kids from early on. The problem will be getting them to eat the healthy things they have been accustomed to being picky about and refusing to eat. I have been trying to figure out if I should get a juicer, blender, food processor. I definitely want to make fresh juice because I know how awful store bought juices are, and the kids will drink it without pulp (I LOVE pulp!)Aside from that, I really wasn’t sure where the difference would lie between them all, if I should get one or all, and especially WHY. I read your post and all the comments and got so much clarification and answers to all of my questions. I definitely can’t wait to read through the rest of your site! I have some hope now that I can actually get some good nutrition quickly into my kids without a fight as we work on changing the rest slowly. Thank you!!

    • Kim, I wish you the best on your path of healthiness for you and your family. The hardest part is changing habit. I simply stopped buying a majority of the processed foods I used to get at the grocery store and replacing them with healthier alternatives. Not everything in my kitchen is 100% healthy.

      Don’t turn it into a big issue. Slowly start replacing the bad foods with good ones. It can be a drastic change if you do it all at once or it can be a welcome and easy change if you take the right approach.

      You should get a juicer and a blender. Blenders are great for making smoothies and juicers are great for making juice. Another thing I like to do is to make frozen treats out of my juices for my boys. These are usually more fruity juices but when they are frozen they are better than most Popsicles out there and my boys love them!

      Just one green juice per day can make a big difference! Keep me posted and let me know how things turn out. I’m always here if you have any questions Kim.

      • Thanks for the great advice! I bought the Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Pro today along with one of their blenders. Can’t wait to get started!

        • That’s fantastic Kim! I wish you the best on your juice fast! Let me know if you have any questions along the way.

  48. Can I use a Nutribullet?

  49. Hey ! So do you reccomend the juicer you mentioned above ? My goal is to loose weight, what juice receipies would you most recommend for that ? Or which ingridients ?

    • Norma, I recommend that juicer and the ones listed here at http://www.justonjuice.com/juicers/

      If your goal is to lose weight then as long as you are juicing and having a good variety of ingredients you will do great. There’s no one in particular magic juice to lose weight. You just need to make sure you’re getting enough nutrition during your fast and the weight will come off. That’s the awesome part about it. You’re still free to experiment with a variety of ingredients and recipes. Have fun with it! I’ll be here if you have any questions Norma.

  50. I’m currently juicing with the fusion juicer. What are your thoughts about this juicer? Also, what are some good recipes to lower high blood pressure and a good protein juice recipe?
    Thanks!

    • Arrick, I’ve never used the fusion juicer but would love to try it out in the future. Let me know how it works out for you. As far as recipes to help with blood pressure, they all will if you stick to just juice over the course of 3-7 days. Juicing will really help your blood pressure in a very short amount of time. I was able to get off my BP meds really fast during my first week. Keep me updated on how things go and again, let me know how you like the Fusion Juicer Arrick. I’m always here if you have questions.

      • Please let us know about the fusion juicer . I am interested in whether the opening is large and is it easy to clean and use thanks

        • Filis, I haven’t personally used the Fusion juicer but I haven’t heard anything bad about it. Most centrifugal juicers consist of the same basic parts and I don’t see the Fusion juicer that much more complicated than other juicers. Get it and give it a shot. I’m sure you will absolutely enjoy it Filis!

  51. Just want to add that I’ve started juicing with a blender, straining with a cheese cloth and a strainer set atop a crock pot. It’s not so bad! Just have to make sure that I have a large pot of water to swish the cloth in after I get all the juice out and save the pulp (compost). This gets the debris off of it. Then I toss cheesecloth into a small pot of boiling water for a little while to “clean” it. I actually hate cleaning juicers, but the one I had wasn’t very high quality probably. It’s all good! As long as you juice! Nice site. Very helpful.

    • Jason, while you may think using your blender and straining the juice is a good idea, it’s not and let me tell you why. When you use a juicer, the juicer will actually damage the cell walls where most of the enzymes and nutrients are being stored. This makes the juice really easy for your body to absorb. Blenders do not do that and so even when you strain the juice, you’re not getting near the quality you get with a juicer. With the blender, your juices are not broken down as much as they are with a juicer and aren’t as easily absorbed by your body.

      I can understand that you hate cleaning juicers but if you look at the whole process you are going through with your blender, straining the juices with the cheesecloth, and then bringing the water up to a boil to clean the cheesecloth, you are spending a lot of time and much more than it takes to clean any average centrifugal juicer. You should be able to make a juice, drink it, and clean your juicer in less time than it takes to bring your water to a boil to clean your cheesecloth.

      You’d have much better success using your juicer that isn’t of high quality than using any blender. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you go back to using the juicer over the blender Jason. It’s only going to make things easier for you. I’m here if you have any questions.

  52. Hello,

    I have been doing a lot of research about juicing and I am planning on getting a juicer soon to start. I am terrified about the detox effects of the first 3-4 days. However, I know i’ll get through it as many have. My question is, would it be advisable to ingest activated charcoal pills during those 3-4 days to aid in getting rid of the toxins? I have read that activated charcoal adsorbs toxins and guides them out through the GI tract…

    I know my body is in great need of a detox and am looking forward to this experience.

    • Sasha, there’s no need to be terrified of it. You’ll do fine. No need for any pills while on your fast. Just let the juice do its magic and all will be well. I’m here if you have any questions.

  53. I am looking to start juicing can I use the bullet will it have the same effect

  54. I would like to do a ‘juice fast’ however weight loss is not my main goal, I am considering doing a juice fast for more of a ‘detox’ from all the processed foods i tend to consume and get my body on track with a more healthy lifestyle in general. I currently drink a smoothie( from a blender) for breakfast and hav elooked into buying a juice for a clense, however since my goal is not to lose any weight would I still get the detoxing benifits from veggie/fruit smoothies or should i countiue my search for a juicer, also what are some tips to not lose too much weight durring this process. I’m currently only 105-110 lbs and 4′ 11″ so I don’t really have a need for weight loss on my journey

    • Ciara, while I’m sure you will still get some benefits from eating smoothies, you’ll get a lot more benefits from drinking juice from a juicer. If you’re goal isn’t is to lose weight and you do not want to buy a juicer, I would suggest you stick to a diet of fresh fruits and veggies while including your smoothies. This will help to rid your system of toxins just not in the same way a juice fast would. If you do want to purchase a juicer it would aid you greatly in your efforts as the juice will allow you to take in much more nutrition via the fresh produce. Also, the more weight you have to start with, the more you will lose. You might lose a little or nothing at all if you were to juice for a few days and then eat a diet of just fruits and veggies. I’m always here if you have questions Ciara. I wish you the best!

  55. Can i use a thermomix for juicing? Thanks

  56. What about a combo of Juicer / Blender. If I want to incorporate things like Banana, Avocado, etc. These can’t be put through a juicer.

    What I’ve been doing is juicing all of the items that can be juiced, then putting the extracted juice into the blender with other ingredients that can’t be juiced, and blending them together. I also add a few ice cubes, since I like my juices nice and cold.

    My goal is weight loss (want to drop another 40 lb). I started the juice fast on Friday. Sunday morning I was already down 5.5 lb.

    Also, I was under the impression that the juice fast would move things through rather quickly…that is definitely not the case for me. I’ve had one (small) BM, 48 hours after the start. Is this normal?

    • Chris, why can’t you put a banana or avocado through a juicer? I’ve done so plenty of times. The problem when you put those ingredients into a blender along with your juice is that you are no longer juice fasting due to the fact you are now incorporating solids into your diet. Since blenders do not separate the fiber it’s no different than eating what you put in it raw. It’s fine if you just add ice cubes but adding stuff like banana’s or avocado’s won’t work. While you most likely will still lose weight, you aren’t losing as much as if you were on a straight fast incorporating only juices.

      The fast will move things through rather quickly due to the fact that you aren’t having any solids. But you’re including bananas and avocado in your blender so you’ll be consistently having more waste. If you go back to just juice you’ll notice that you’ll start to get cleaned out more efficiently.

      You have to remember that juice is absorbed within 15 minutes of you drinking it since it’s already broken down into it’s lowest form. When you add solids through your blender those solids have to be passed through your digestive system. So really you aren’t giving your digestive system the rest that it needs while on the fast. Stop adding stuff with the blender and do straight juice. You’ll start to get cleaned out and lose more weight along with getting all the benefits that the fast has to offer.

  57. What is wrong with a smoothie fast? I’m mostly interested in losing weight. Would this not also be effective for that? I’m not interested in juicers because they are messy, and waste a lot of the plant (fiber and other nutrients) that should be getting consumed, and require using a lot more fruits and vegetables which is more expensive. I also have a really nice Blentec blender and don’t want to spend additional dollars on a juicer even if they are only 50 dollars.

    • Andrew, if you make a smoothie you’re not juice fasting. When you juice fast, the point is to remove all the fiber and pulp during your fast so you only take in the nutrients in a high enough quantity to flush your system. When you make a smoothie you are including all of the fiber and pulp and that makes it no different that just eating the fruits and vegetables raw. Also, if you follow the recipes and serving size guidelines for juicing in your blender you will be getting around 2500+ calories per day and that’s not going to work if you’re goal is to lose weight. Even if you reduce the recipe quantities and continue to use your blender, you won’t be getting even half of the same amount of nutrition you would from juicing.

      I can understand you don’t want to clean or feel that juicers produce waste but if your goal is to “juice fast” you need a juicer to do it right. As far as the fiber that you feel should be consumed, I agree with you. That stuff should be consumed on a regular diet, but not a juice fast. The reason you use a lot more fruits and vegetables on a juice fast is to get a high concentration of nutrition per drink. The only thing that gets wasted is the fiber of the produce. Since a juicer breaks down the juice to it’s lowest stage, the juice is directly absorbed into your body and not digested. This helps fuel your body instantly and speeds up the weight loss process. When you blend it, no matter how much or how long you blend it for, you are not breaking it down to a state of absorption so your body will digest it no different that if you were to just eat it raw.

      The bottom line is if you want to do a juice fast, you’ll need to have a juicer Andrew.

  58. megan256

    The Health Master Jucier… Its 1200 watts. This would work, right?

  59. Hello Donnie:

    I want to do juicing to reduce inflammation in foot, legs, etc, What recipes do you recommend for inflammatory conditions?

    • Lynn, ginger is really great when treating inflammation. I would suggest you include it in all of your juices. I’ll be here if you have any questions.

  60. I have a Jack La lane juicer that does well with hard veggies and fruits but almost nothing from soft foods like greens or berries. What kind of juicer can I get that will juice greens and wheat grass ,still be practical to clean 3-4 times a day. Also it needs to be of practical size and weight for senior citizen.

    • Hi Sonja, thank you for your comment. The three on my add are good but the Cuisinart is rather large and much heavier than the other two. The Breville is very easy to clean and also very easy to use. The Hamilton beach is the least expensive but is very comparable to the Breville.

      My mother is 54 and she loves her Bella juicer. She used it for on her 2 week juice fast and continues to use it daily. It juices everything I’ve put through it without any problems. I would definitely recommend you take a look at it and read some of the many positive reviews from Amazon.

      Bella High Power Juice Extractor

      I’ll be here if you have any questions.

    • I can second the complaint about the Jack La Lane. I’m on Day 1, using the recipes from Joe Cross’s site, and what I end up having to do for Kale and Parsley is to chop then finely, then put them in the blender (with some water so the blades get traction). After pureeing it into sludge, I pour this mix into the juicer and let it sit for a moment, as a lot of the juice and added water drain right out before I start the machine. Then I start the juicer and process it. The pulp still comes out wettish so I run it through a second time and it comes out like sawdust, as it should. This is a lot of extra work for greens, but this diet NEEDS the greens.. So maybe I’ll buy something better too.

      • Scott, that’s interesting that the Jack La Lane juicer does that. I’ve heard multiple complaints about it but have never used one myself. If you do want to look for another juicer take a look at http://www.justonjuice.com/juicers as I have three of the ones I use on there and they all work really well. Congrats on day 1 of your juice fast too! Keep me posted and let me know how things go for you. I’m here if you have any questions Scott.

  61. Sorry I made quite a few typos…(I’m using my phone). I meant to say, “Is it OK to do this until I’m able to get a new juicer?

    • Elaine, thanks for your comment. I’m glad you are getting results. Continue doing what you’re doing until you can get a juicer. I’m sure once you get a juicer you’ll start to see even more results. I’ll be here if you have any questions.

      • Hi Donnie! I love your recipes and cannot wait to try this for a week on Monday!! Like Elaine, the poster above, I cannot buy a juicer at this time and currently have a Ninja. Would you recommend reducing the recipes – or, what is the best way to strain the juice out? Thanks!!

        • Jules, thank you for your comment. If you want to get the benefits of juicing you’ll still need a juicer. It’s not just about quantities. A juicer will damage the cell walls where a majority of enzymes and nutrients are being stored whereas a blender will not. So even if you strain the juice it’s close to the quality in nutrition as a juicer. Juicers will break down the juice more so than a blender ever will. It’s important you understand this as you wont be getting the same effect with a blender. I would suggest you prep yourself by creating good smoothies and eating raw fruits and vegetables until you can get a juicer. Hamilton Beach is offering refurbished juicers at around $30. Take a look and I hope you can get it and get started juicing! http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002OF3FBK/?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&condition=refurbished&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=jus033-20

  62. I recently did a detox, but because of low funds and a broken juicer, I altered some of The recipes to reduce The quantity of fruits and veggies and blended them. I did a three day detox and got the same results… is it still wrong to do it this way I’m able to get a new juicer?

    • Hi Elaine! How much did you decrease the recipes by? I also cannot afford a juicer right now and have a Ninja. Thanks!!

  63. I saw from another source that I could just blend the fruits & vegetables and strain the pulp, does this make the juice loose any nutritional value?

    • Lesilie, you can try it that way. While it’s time consuming and a bit messy, you’ll have to make sure your squeezing out enough juice to make it worth your time. Make sure you have plenty of cheese cloth. You will get a really good workout from doing it that way.

  64. I have a ninja blender and it says it can be used for juicing, is this true? Can I use it for juicing or do I need to buy a separate juicer?

    • Zolu, it’s not recommended that you use a ninja juicer for juicing. The reason being is that it doesn’t juice it only blends. It’s highly important that you separate the juice from the pulp. A ninja blender doesn’t do this. The only way around this is to strain all of your juice after you blend it. It’s a big hassle and usually very time consuming.

      You’ll do better with a juicer that separates the pulp and extracts only the juice.

      I’ll be here if you have any questions.

      • I was taught that the Pulp in full of nutritional value, so…would that be like food, and so the whole point is No Food…just liquid for nutrition with out any fiber or pulps to be digested…is that it?

        • ok…i read your post and I have decided to do 2 weeks of juice 7 smoothie. morning juice, lunch smoothie and dinner juice!!Thanks!

          • Cookie, congrats on deciding to start your fast. While smoothies are really good and healthy, they are also solids since they still contain all of the pulp. The difference is that the pulp is just blended in. It’s not the same as a juice. If you want to do the juice fast you’ll have to stay just on juice for it to have the benefits. If you have any questions just let me know.

        • Cookie, you extract more nutrition than you leave behind in the pulp. Nutrition is food regardless of if it’s in liquid or solid form. The point is to load up on liquid nutrition while cleansing your digestive system and giving it a rest. This speeds up the healing process and weight loss occurs.

  65. I totally agree!

  66. i agree with you john. fasting does so much more than just losing a few pounds. the vita mix will do the job, and i want the fiber