Green juice is taking over the world.

You can find it everywhere now, and it’s no longer considered something that’s just for kale-eating, chakra balancing, New-Age types.

I happen to love the stuff, and it has improved my life and health in a variety of ways. Sometimes I make my own, and other times I buy it ready made. Either way, it’s fantastic.

These are the 10 reasons why I’m hooked on green juice:

1. It’s convenient: Green juice fits in a tumbler, a glass or a bottle. Pop in a straw (or not) and you can take it anywhere, even the car. I use a reusable glass bottle for mine and take it with me wherever I go. I love a meal that I can carry in one hand.

2. It tastes pretty good: Look, it’s not a decadent dark chocolate mousse cake, but green juice can be delicious, especially when it includes ginger, lemon and fresh herbs. Those with a sweet tooth can make their juice more palatable by adding a little more fruit. Basically, the only veggies that truly ruin the flavor are peppers, onions and garlic, but that’s just me. Some people might enjoy that.

3. I can drink it quickly: I like a strained juice as opposed to a smoothie-style blended juice because I can chug it quickly, especially after a long, hot yoga class.

4. Green Juice gives me a huge energy burst: Like I just said, it’s perfect after any kind of strenuous exercise. I’m instantly revived and in the mornings, a green juice gets me going and ready to greet the day better than coffee.

5. No chewing: I practically get TMJ from trying to chew a giant bowl of raw kale for an hour, but toss it in the juicer and it’s down the hatch in seconds.

6. Concentrated Nutrients: Fresh juice contains nearly the same amount of vitamins, minerals, compounds and phytonutrients as whole, unjuiced, fruits and vegetables. Juicing concentrates produce. Even though it would be difficult to eat an entire head of broccoli and a huge bag of raw Swiss Chard without getting full, a person could easily drink a glass of juice made from the same amount of veggies. The only downside is that juicing removes the fiber, and fiber is important to our health too, so avid juicers still need to make sure their diets contain enough fiber sources.

7. It’s Readily Available: I can find green juice anywhere I go. Juice bars are popping up all over the place. Even Starbucks sells Evolution green juices. I can find several brands at my regular grocery store, even more varieties at the upscale grocery stores, and Trader Joe’s has a fantastic cold pressed blend at half the price of some of the fancier brands. Green juice is everywhere.

8. Helps With Food Cravings: I find that when I drink green juice every day that my junk food cravings are drastically reduced. My theory on this is that when my body receives the nutrients it needs, it has no need for cravings. This is purely anecdotal, but green juice helps me resist tortilla chips, and that’s saying a lot, because I have a passion for tortilla chips.

9. I enjoy making it: Choosing the fresh produce, washing, chopping and pushing it through my juicer is a meditative process. My kitchen smells amazing and the beautiful jars of bright, emerald juice on my countertop make me happy.

10. My preschooler even likes it! There’s no way I can get this kid to eat a plate of spinach or broccoli in any form, but she will gladly drink green juice (even the less sweet blends) every single day. It’s how she gets most of her nutrients, and I’m grateful.

Here’s my absolute favorite green juice blend recipe. It’s easy to make, hard to ruin, and is delicious served over crushed ice.

Favorite Green Juice Recipe

1 green apple

1 large handful of chopped kale (1 heaping cup)

1 handful of raw spinach (1 heaping cup)

¼ bulb of fennel (without fronds)

1 small cucumber

1 stalk of celery

½ a lemon (I throw mine in with the rind because I love the extra lemony flavor, but most people peel it.)

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

½ inch piece of fresh turmeric (if available) Note: Add fresh turmeric sparingly because it can upset sensitive tummies. It gives me heartburn.

One small handful each fresh parsley and spearmint (to taste)

Run all the ingredients through a juicer. Serve at room temperature or over ice and enjoy immediately. Fresh juice lasts about a day in the refrigerator, but I like to drink it as soon as I make it. I think you’ll love it as much as I do.

Relephant:

How to Get Juicing. {Infographic & Recipes}

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Author: Victoria Fedden

Editor: Travis May

Images: Flickr/Heather