Juice with dandelion greens, red kale, green kale, pineapple, carrots and apple.

Four handfuls of spinach, three stalks of kale, dandelion greens, two apples, five carrots, two kiwis and some pineapple is my normal breakfast, what’s yours?

Since buying my juicer, I consume more fruits and vegetables in a day than I used to in a week.

Many celebrities have recently endorsed juicing as a weight-loss plan, cleanse or detox, there is even a movie specifically about the method. The film, Fat Sick & Nearly Dead, chronicles the struggles of Joe Cross as an unhealthy, overweight man who makes incredible positive changes for his body through a strict juice diet. Cross has gone on to advocate juicing diets for weight loss, and has made himself into somewhat of a juicing icon.

I however, have taken a different approach. I feel that this nutrient-packed juice is a great addition to an already healthy diet, but should not replace solid foods all together. In order to have a balanced diet, your body still needs many other food groups, and textures. Juicing extracts the fiber from all of the vegetables and fruits, which is a necessary staple for a healthy diet. This is why many people argue the benefits of juicing versus blending. I have evaluated both sides of the argument.

When you make a blended juice, the volume is much greater. Therefore, much less expensive ingredients can be added and not as much produce is needed to fill one glass. Also, with the fiber incorporated into the drink, the sugar will be absorbed slower into the bloodstream. However, this also means that the nutrients will be absorbed slower and doesn’t make for a very easy way to ‘bulk up’ on those nutritious vegetables. When you have all of the fiber in the juice, it is also harder to create a flavor that doesn’t taste like grass. These are some of the reasons I personally choose to juice rather than blend.

With the other option, juicing, there are many advantages. Simple preparation of choosing, washing and chopping vegetables as well as the quick execution of the actual juicing process makes for a quick meal. The juice is highly concentrated and packs a ton of nutrients into one glass; without the pulp, all of that goodness gets absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly and allows more room in your stomach to take in more of the good stuff. This allows for a huge energy and health boost and your body doesn’t have to work as hard to digest it. There are tons of variations for flavor, and it is a great way to use up some vegetables that are left over in the fridge.

There are a few downfalls, mostly the price of fresh produce which can get a bit excessive. My trick is to buy in bulk and balance out the vegetables and fruits for a tasty and pocketbook-friendly combo. Some people also talk about how difficult juicers can be to clean, but I chose a machine that is easy to break down, clean and set back up, the Omega J8003 Nutritional Center. All of the parts are easily detachable and dishwasher-safe, what more could you ask for?

By incorporating this juice into my diet, I have noticed significant results including weight loss but more importantly energy increase and taking pride in preparing healthy options for myself. The juice may have a funky color, but the taste and effects are groovy.