JUICING IN THE NEW YEAR

Last week, I was browsing Instagram and came across Shaylei's picture. Earlier this year I watched an incredible documentary on Netflix about foods we eat and one of the big things I took away was the importance of getting the nutrients we need to live. One way to do this is by juicing. I haven't had a chance to experiment with it yet so I asked Shaylei to contribute this post and I am so happy she did!

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I was scrolling through Instagram one day when I saw someone sipping on a green drink... yes, green. Now, to someone who doesn't know much about juicing, that looks pretty strange. That person was Courtney Swan and she posted everything that was in her drink along with the benefits of each ingredient. It wasn't long before I asked her what juicing was all about and how I could start it.

I looked up the difference between traditional juicing and cold-press juicing and bought a few cold-press juices by Suja at Whole Foods when I had the chance. Cold-press juicing allows more nutrients to be retained from the ingredients because they are not subjected to heat produced by the blades of traditional juicers. Pre-packaged juices were a great starting point for me, but not always in my college student budget. I then acquired my own cold-press juicer and that's when the adventure really began.

When it comes to juicing at home, the combinations are endless. It's easy to get all of the nutrients that busy sorority woman needs in a glass of fresh juice that tastes great, too! The types of nutrients can be identified by the color of each ingredient. These vitamins, minerals and other organic substances may help protect against chronic diseases. If you're looking to make a positive lifestyle change in the New Year, these nutrients are fundamental to maintaining your body's good health.

Below are a couple of my favorite juices I've made since I've been home for winter break. The first is made of carrots, cranberries, celery and lemon and the second is kale, spinach, cucumber, green grapes, bell pepper and apples. Don't be afraid to experiment with your juices and make them something you will truly love!

Tips

• Use apples to mask flavors like kale until you become familiar with their taste
• Follow leafy greens with juicier ingredients to push them through your juicer
• Make 50% of your juice neutral, 25% sweet, and 25% bold flavors using the table below