I am now deep into an attempt to reduce my intake of soda, and replace it with either water (mixed success) and/or juices. But these aren't your run-of-the-mill juices. We are talking about serious, kick ass juices chuck full of various fruits/vegetables, and other unusual ingredients. Some of these are called "superfoods", some are "anitoxidants", some are called smoothies, etc. Bottom line, these are supercharged V-8's....more like V16's.
There are three basic brands I am testing right now. There is Odwalla, which is predominantly sold in local Starbucks. There is Bolthouse, which is sold in Walmarts, Schnucks, Kroger, and Majiers. And, my personal favorite, Naked Juice. All three of these manufacturers produce a quality product. Each have a variety of juices they offer. Each taste good.
You may be asking, "Why is Naked Juice your favorite?". Good question. One obvious answer is that it sounds funny to tell someone "I am drinking some Naked Juice." And, you know I am all about sounding funny. Another answer is the variety they offer. While the others are adding new blends, I think NJ currently has some of the best combinations. Bolthouse is getting close, though.
By far, the most interesting of the blends, is the one NJ calls "Green Machine" and Bolthouse calls "Green Goodness". Check out some of the ingredients of these two (this list is not the complete list, just some of the more interesting ingredients):
- Apple Juice
- Pineapple Juice
- Mango Puree
- Kiwi Juice
- Spirulina
- Broccoli
- Chlorella
- Green Tea
- Spinach
- Wheat Grass
- Blue Green Algea
- Garlic
- Echinacea
Dang, there is a party in that bottle, and we are all invited. Who would have ever thought of drinking algea mixed with spinach? Possibly a one eyed whale who has large forearms? I have tried this mixture. It isn't bad. One of my sons is very fond of NJ's "Blue Machine" which is a lot like this one.
There is another juice offered that provides 1,200% of the recommended amount of Vitamin C. To twist a quote from the Simpsons, Only Vitamin C has more Vitamin C than this drink.
Overall, I would recommend giving these juices a shot. They are flavorful. They are filling. They have to be better for you than a BladderBuster sized Dr. Pepper. I would think, being the person who took a couple semesters of pre-med classes in college, that this stuff would help your immune system, help you feel better, and help you get these much needed fruit/vegetable requirements in that pyramid. As my experiment continues, I will let you know if I think it has helped me.
One other cool thing about these juices....they are found in the fruits/vegetables section of the store, in a refrigerated section, not in the tomato juice/gatorade/Hi C/Kool-Aid aisle.
Next time you are at Walmart or a grocery store, see if they have one of these...and give it a shot. If you do, drop me a line or post a comment here and let me know what you tried, and if you liked it.
BTW: Yes, I am also trying various Pomegranate/Green Teas. There are lots of them, too.
2 comments:
I tried one of the Naked Juices - Pomegranate...something. My mind is blank. Of course, after the first sip, I had to pull my eyeballs back out from the center of my skull! Pucker city! I need to lay off the Dr. Pepper. I'm trying to just do more water...juices are still calories. But water is so boring...and un-flavorful...and not fizzy in the least. :o( {big pouty lip}
Beware of some of those things that offer you hundreds over the RDA for vitamins. Our bodies only need so much of one thing and it flushes the rest right out. Money down the drain? ;)
Also...be sure to really look at those ingrediants in those drinks. I'm willing to bet that you'd get far more benefits (and save a lot of money) by just investing in a juicer and DIY. This way you control all the good stuff and keep the crap out. Crap, I say? What crap?
Just check the ingredients, my friend. :)
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