If you’re curious about juicing or have any interest in your health, listen up. What could regular juicing mean for you? Natural energy, improved sleeping, fewer to no headaches/migraines, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, better digestion, a drastic reduction in chronic pain, an added boost to your sex drive, more radiant skin, more shine to your hair and the overall feeling of a superhuman.
Needless to say, juicing could profoundly change the quality of life for most people, but not everyone has the time or money to invest in it. Juicing isn’t cheap ($6-10 per glass) due to the sheer quantity of produce required to make a glass, but it is worth it.
If time is what’s not on your side, there are some local spots juicing properly and perpetually for not much more than you would pay to juice at home. Very tempting when you consider buying, hauling and prepping all the produce at home, then having to clean up. But before we tell you where to go, here’s why to go and some tips for getting started…
WHY JUICING IS BETTER
When we eat or blend our fruits and vegetables, the majority of the good stuff (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes and even water) are trapped within the fiber throughout the normal digestive process, meaning our bodies are only taking in about 10% of the micronutrients that exist in the produce. The juicing process extracts all of those valuable vitamins and enzymes by breaking down and discarding the insoluble fiber to create a concentrated pure, nutrition-packed liquid. By drinking our vegetables, up to 99% of their nutritional value gets instantly absorbed straight into your bloodstream, allowing your digestive organs to kick their heels up. Which means your body is spending it’s energy on repairing cells instead of on digesting food. Science is a beautiful thing.
JUICING DONE RIGHT
Now lets be clear here, this is only referring to fresh juice – not a bottle you picked up at the store or even a cold pressed juice. All cost about the same, but the difference in nutritional value is like night and day.
Drinking it fresh (within 30 minutes of juicing) means the enzymes are still alive and all the essential minerals, antioxidants and natural antibiotics are completely intact. Most bottled juices are pasteurized, meaning they’ve been heated and processed, killing the majority of the vitamins and minerals you’re paying top dollar to get.
Juicing is not for or about weight loss – it is about healing the body and helping it thrive. Although it’s a common misconception, as weight loss tends to ensue when people start taking care of their bodies. While juice cleanses are a great way to detoxify your body and get it on track to a healthy lifestyle, juicing itself should not be viewed as a meal replacement outside of a cleanse.
GETTING STARTED
-Drinking fresh juice first thing in the morning or when you’re really hungry are the best times, since the body absorbs more rapidly then.
-Start out with veggies your body already knows and loves to help your taste palate adapt.
-Apples are a great way to sweeten up root vegetables like beets and carrots.
-Lemons and lime help counter bitter greens like kale, dandelion greens, etc.
-Keep rotating the kind of juices you drink so your body doesn’t get too used to one thing.
TOP SPOTS
JUGOS
145 Dartmouth St. (Back Bay)
Jugos’ huge selection of fresh juice is hard to top with a tried and true roster of regulars that are available year round and a rotating list that changes with the seasons. Custom orders or additions are always welcome and any juice ordered over the counter is liquified right then and there. They also offer a 24oz juice for only $3 more than the 12oz, which is a great option if you can’t afford to juice every day. Their entire (raw) menu proves that healthy and natural superfoods simply taste better than anything else.
Prices: 12oz $5.95 | 16oz $6.95 | 24oz $8.95
LIFE ALIVE
765 Mass Ave. (Central Square)
Aside from a monumental menu of nourishing and downright yummy food, Life Alive is also a juice bar that knows what it’s doing. Customers can watch produce go straight from their exposed cooler, through the juicer, to the cup, and onto the pickup counter ready for consumption. This kind of transparency is part of their commitment to educate the public while offering smart and healthy food options that truly taste great. The fresh juice menu is only nine deep and each one’ll treat ya right.
Prices: only 12oz $3.75-7.95
THIRST JUICE CO
44 School St. (Downtown)
This passion project of husband and wife duo, Chris Roche and Heather Stevenson, isn’t just about making healthy food options more convenient to the public but making the information on juicing more accessible as well. Their live juice menu tastes as good as it actually is for you, and it’s all completely raw, vegan and gluten free. Never downtown? Don’t worry, they deliver!
Prices: 12oz $6.95 | 16oz $8.5
THE JUICE BOX
359 West Broadway (South Boston)
The juices at The Juice Box are made in front of your face, to answer any questions you might have about freshness. A 16oz is $8, but that’s because there is literally over a pound of fruits and vegetables in it. The ingenious make-your-own-trail-mix bar is where you can get up close and personal with the regularly rotating local art featured in the store.
AURUM
377 Centre St. (Hyde Sq., Jamaica Plain)
Aurum’s proximity to Jamaica Pond and the rotating local art on their walls each month, make this a cool spot to just stop by and refuel. They also have a very veggie-friendly menu including homemade granola, soup, vegetarian bowls, salads and their signature variety of modernized, sweet and savory Syrian “pies” are pretty tasty. The juice menu is short but sweet.
Prices: only 12oz $5.49
Other solid spots include…
Blue Shirt Cafe (Davis Sq, Somerville)
The Juicery (North End)
Fruitata Healthy Juice Bar (in the Pru)
Squeeze Cafe & Juice Bar (Downtown/Back Bay/Chestnut Hill)
Coming soon: Jubali Juice (Seaport District)
