Side Effects of Juicing?

by DS
(Phoenix)

Q I just received my juicer and made my first juice today. I followed a recipe from another site. I drank about 8 oz of juice. My throat began to feel like it was closing. I could breathe ok. The juice consisted of:

beets
carrots
apple
pear
arugula
tomato
broccoli
cauliflower
brussel sprouts

I have eaten all of these before without any issues. Can you shed some light on what this may be?

A This juice is probably not a good one for beginners. There are quite a few harsh ingredients in this juice recipe which may have given you the feeling of your throat closing. The broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower can all be quite “hot” when eaten raw and more so when juiced without any fiber to buffer the affect. The arugula can be quite spicy hot as well. When you combine them together and drink them down they may have irritated and perhaps even burned your throat causing the sensation you felt.

I would recommend starting with mild vegetables until you have an idea of just how potent some of these juices can be. Then you can add back one of these ingredients at a time in future juices to monitor the effect it has on your system. Beets can very tough on the digestive system too. I recommend going easy with it to begin with and perhaps only a few ingredients.

Carrots, celery, cucumber, spinach, lettuce, tomato, and fennel are all pretty safe bets. You can add in your apple or pear to sweeten it for your taste.

Take a look at some of these Juicing Recipes to get some fresh ideas and also read what people say about them. That will give you an idea of what to expect with each juice.

You have a wonderful plan in juicing; it was just your first outing that didn’t go well. Start anew and enjoy the Amazing benefits of juicing and good health.