Juicing in Winter

It may seem counterintuitive, but top juicers tell us why juicing is essential to winter wellness

During the cold weather months, we tend to leave juice behind, like so many summer flings. After all, we hardly need to hydrate with fruity refreshments while fireside in subzero temperatures, right?
Actually, that’s precisely what we need: Mid-polar vortex is when we may benefit most from cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies. And while fruit is generally a component, greens, vegetables, spices from cinnamon to turmeric, nut butters and milks also play invaluable roles by adding flavor and health-boosting nutrients.
“Juicing is more important in the winter, because it supports your immune system,” explains Shauna Martin, founder of Austin-based juice company, Daily Greens. “It’s key during cold and flu season. At the supermarket, you should find an ample supply of winter greens, apples and grapefruit—all great for winter juicing.”
For those who would rather not make their own, innovative companies have emerged offering tasty, year-round options to help you make cold-pressed juices a cornerstone of your winter wellness.

GLOW BIO

In 2012, after the successful release of Kimberly Snyder’s first book, The Beauty Detox Solution (Harlequin), she and partners founded Glow Bio to offer her beloved smoothies and juices to the public (not just personal clients).
Snyder’s expertise as a nutritionist fuels recipes based on her “Ingest/Digest/Manifest” philosophy. “Our foods are 100 percent organic, our ingredients are properly pre-hydrated, sprouted and enhanced with probiotics, and this manifests the best beauty and health results,” she explains. The menu is also color-coded based on specific goals from weight loss to skincare.
Signature Juice: The Glowing Green Smoothie is a staple for “optimal beauty, health and high energy all day” and a serving contains over three cups of dark leafy green vegetables. (Also, the new Green Ginger juice will warm you right up in cold weather!)
Winter Juicing Tip: “In the morning, your body may want something warm; start with hot water with lemon. Take smoothies and juices out of the fridge a little earlier, or make your smoothies with room-temperature water, so [they’re warmer] when you consume them.” myglowbio.com

LOVE GRACE

In 2011, chef Jake Mabanta and model and health counselor Carissa-Ann Santos launched Love Grace, an organic cold-pressed juice and superfood smoothie company. “We were making drinks and food for ourselves and people wanted them because feeling good is contagious,” says Santos, a fashion-world denizen who once lived on lattes. “We are supercharged about sharing health with the planet.”
Nutrition is the basis for higher consciousness and deeper joy. “Love Grace is inspired daily by human potential,” says Santos. “We are not just a juice company, we are a health company.”
Signature Juice: Purify is a hydrating combination of spinach, celery, cucumber and young coconut water. “Coconut water has an almost identical chemical makeup as plasma–55 percent of our blood,” she explains.
Winter Juicing Tip: “Not only does [juice] support you moving the physical toxins out, but it can aid in shifting the buildup of stagnant thoughts and energy that tend to weigh us down in winter. It’s a healthy way to bring attention inward and get refocused.” lovegracefoods.com

PALETA

In 2005, Kelly Boyer (a survivor of a rare, advanced-stage cancer) originally launched PALETA as a healthy meal delivery service in Southern California, after traveling through Europe and feeling inspired by the brightness of the food. “PALETA represents the painter’s palette because we believe food is art, and the palate or tastebuds in your mouth because the food tastes as great as it is beautiful,” she says.
The company’s mission is to help people change the way they eat, feel and live, offering cold-pressed juices made from only the purest, 100 percent organic ingredients from local farms (and made in a LEED-certified kitchen). Award-winning drinks are co-designed by chefs and nutritionists, and the company gives back by donating product and counteracting its carbon footprint by planting trees with Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project.
Signature Juice: PALETA’s line of Magic Milkshakes is designed to taste like ice cream: Boyer’s own favorite is the new Pistachio Paradise. On the juice side, the Kale Kooler finishes with a serrano pepper kick. (Next up: new superfood smoothies and a line of six tonics called Power Boosts are on the menu!)
Winter Juicing Tip: “Winter should focus more on greens and roots and use a lot of ginger to warm you up and keep sickness at bay, and coconut-based drinks to keep your body hydrated from the inside out. paleta.com

SUJA JUICE CO.

Since childhood, Annie Lawless was personally aware of how food can affect the way you look and feel. In San Diego, she met raw food chef Eric Ethan, and the fast-growing non-GMO beverage company was born. Soon after, James Brennan, a hospitality leader, and Jeff Church, co-founder of clean-water charity, Nika Water, came on board.
Thanks to large-scale use of organic, non-GMO fruits and vegetables, and displacement technology called High Pressure Processing (HPP), Suja is able to offer juices at various price points. But Lawless cites their dedication to “quality, integrity and transparency” too. She adds, “We work with CIA-trained chefs to perfect our blends and make the most nutrient-dense foods taste delicious.”
Signature Juice: The new Essentials line offers smoothie and juice blends that are non-GMO, nutrient-packed and mass retail for only $3.99.
Winter Juicing Tip: “Juicing is super important in the winter because we are eating fewer salads and greens. Using heavier greens like kale and chard in juices helps make them more rich and dense. I also love to make warm avocado and zucchini soup with green herbs like parsley, mint or cilantro.” sujajuice.com

DAILY GREENS

Though Shauna Martin launched her company in 2012, her story begins years before when, as a 33-year-old mother, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She attributes her recovery partially to the vegan diet and daily green juicing habit she adopted. “Two years ago, I decided that I wanted to share this life-enriching habit of ‘drinking your vegetables’ with the world,” she says.
Daily Greens is all about getting greens into people’s diets. “Our core promise is the convenient delivery of nutrient-dense greens in support of a long-term healthy lifestyle,” Martin explains.
Signature Juice: Purity is the recipe Martin first started making in her kitchen nine years ago with kale, parsley, broccoli, cucumber, lemon and basil.
Winter Juicing Tip: “To fight off the winter doldrums and combat low sunlight fatigue, add a hit of Blue Green Algae from Klamath Lake in Oregon [from] E3Live. Blue Green Algae contains over 65 nutrients including a large dose of Vitamin B12. Another way to fight winter blues is to spice up your green juice with a pinch of cayenne pepper [for] heat.” drinkdailygreens.com

JUICE PRESS

In late 2010, Marcus Antebi—who was attracted to nutrition and fitness after getting sober—was fed up with the commercial juice and raw food options in New York. While training in Thai boxing, he had experienced the benefits of a plant-based diet firsthand and was inspired to start his own company.
Juice Press is a pioneer of the raw cold-pressed juice, raw food and smoothie industry with over 61 formulas, 25 superfood smoothies and 18 locations in NYC and the Hamptons. (They plan to expand to 50 locations in the next two years.)
Signature Juice: In the cold-pressed juice category, the Doctor Green Juice (red apple juice, pineapple juice, kale juice, lemon juice, ginger juice) and Mother Earth (cucumber, celery, kale, Swiss chard, dandelion, parsley, lemon, ginger juice) are favorites.
Winter Juicing Tip: “People are more vulnerable to illness in the winter months because they are generally indoors and get less sunlight. In addition, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, people tend to make epic dietary mistakes, then pay later in the cold months. Juicing is a way to flood the body with nutrients while avoiding common dietary mistakes.” juicepress.com

LUMI JUICE

Florida-bred Hillary Lewis grew up with an orange tree in her backyard and only drank fresh-squeezed juice. It wasn’t until April 2013 that the entrepreneur found her bottled-juice calling. She named her company based on an acronym for “Love You, Mean It” and, six months later, the cold-pressed product was already in national grocery stores.
Not about cleansing, Lumi juices are intended as everyday drinks and boosters. Each 16-ounce bottle contains two pounds of fresh-picked vegetables and fruits—an entire day’s serving. The remaining dry pulp is compost for local Virginia farms. And the carbon footprint is wee thanks to small-batch production at a full manufacturing facility. “I love my customers and want them to love themselves through healthy consumption,” says Lewis.
Signature Juice: Farmhouse Greens includes only one Fuji apple per bottle (to keep sugar content low and pure green flavor high), plus cucumber, kale, celery, lemon and Italian parsley.
Winter Juicing Tip: “In winter, it’s harder to get your recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, so cold-pressed juice is especially important!” lumijuice.com
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New Year, New Juice: Recipe for a Quick Winter Weekend Cleanse

A short-term, moderate cleanse may be the perfect way to kick off 2015. Just ask Carissa-Ann Santos of Love Grace. “It’s important to remember that, [during] a juice cleanse, you will be operating outside of your normal dietary routine,” she explains. “This is a short period of time when you are introducing condensed nutrition into the system: chlorophyll, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. It’s a jumpstart to a healthy lifestyle.”
Worried about sugar intake? Santos explains: “The naturally occurring sugars in fruits and vegetables are accompanied by a wide variety of nutrients when consumed in a juice that has not been heat pasteurized.”
So, start 2015 fresh (in more ways than one) with a winter cleanse like “Each Day,” below.  *Recommended for three days.

• one 16 ounces Purify (green juice and coconut water for hydration)
• one 4 ounces Ginger Bomb
  (orange, ginger, lemon, oregano and Himalayan sea salt for metabolism)
• one 16 ounces Super Cider/Longevity Tonic (fruity but not sweet juices for daily minerals)
• one 16 ounces Green Sunshine (Packed green juice with phytonutrients for alkalizing and balancing)
• one 16 ounces Green Protein Smoothie/Chocolate Superfood Smoothie/Probiotic Smoothie (Banana, coconut oil and flax seed-based smoothies filled with protein.)
• one 16 ounces Restore (Vitamins A, C and K in abundance!)

 
Check out these other delicious juicing recipes we’ve gathered!