There are plenty of craze diets out there that claim to be the miracle cure for weight loss, but it’s pretty easy to get lost in all of those options and to forget that what’s more important than losing weight is being healthy.  Whether you are overweight, looking to become more fit or want to feel healthier in general, juicing can be a great start to a better lifestyle.

In case you are confused by what I mean by “juicing”, I am referring to drinking pure fruit and vegetable juice that has not been preserved at all.  Some folks like to claim that they can accomplish this by purchasing bottled juice drinks that have no sugar added but this simply isn’t the case.  Those drinks you see at the store are not fresh, meaning nutrients have been lost in the bottling process.  And they have been created to taste good to consumers just as much as they are for making people healthy so there are typically more fruits in the mix than vegetables.  Just because something is better for you than the fruit juice cocktail next to it on the shelf doesn’t mean that it’s the best option for you.

The best way to combat this lack of nutrients and to get really involved with your dieting plan is to buy a juicer to keep in your kitchen so you can juice the fruits and vegetables of your choice every day, whenever you please.  You don’t need to break the bank with the juicer you choose, there are some high quality products out there for around $50 and trust me, you will get your money’s worth.  Once you have your own juicer, start by figuring out what produce will make your juice taste good to you.  Personally, I love adding peaches to my juice.  I can add any other fruits or vegetables but I can always taste the peaches. 

Make sure you remember to add those veggies even if you think they won’t taste good.  I hate eating beats but when I juice them with apples, peaches and cucumber, the combination is delicious.  This diet structure allows you to experiment with new tastes instead of forcing you to eat cardboard tasting rice cakes for every meal.  Make a fruit focused juice for breakfast and an all vegetable blend for lunch.  You can personalize this as much as you want and you will get results.  Replace one meal a day with juice and you’ll start feeling more energized.  Replace two meals a day and you’ll lose weight the healthy way.

For more dieting advice, watch health programming through Dish cable.