I want to start out by saying that Carrot Juice is just the juice of the carrot minus the fiber. The carrot is ground into mush, then it is extracted by cold pressing the contents, and then out comes the juice. This is not a smoothie like you would make with a Vitamix or Blendtex Blender.
Carrot juice is juiced for it's healing properties from Beta Carotene. Beta Carotene is very unique in the body because it is unlike other nutrients that are used, if needed, once they enter the body and then sent out of the body. Beta Carotene is stored in the liver and used when the body needs it, so you don't ever lose it and you get the maximum health benefits from it.
Beta Carotene changes to Vitamin A (the body converts it). The health benefits are extraordinary. Vitamin A attacks free radicals that roam through the body and cause cancer. If you have a good amount of vitamin A in your body it can prevent cancer because your body has the necessary tools to kill the cancer causing cells.
Diabetics sometimes have a hard time converting beta carotene to vitamin as, so they can take cod liver oil to get the Vitamin A, which is essential to have a healthy body.
Carrot juice also gives your body lots of minerals, which helps to build healthy skin, bones, teeth, helps to maintain and prevent diseases in the eyes, and sends enzymes that are very important to body tissues.
What Kind of Carrots Should Be Used?
1. Organic Carrots
It is important to ALWAYS juice carrots (or any veggie/fruit) organic. Do not juice anything that has been infused with pesticides of any kind because when you extract juice from a vegetable or a fruit you are taking only the nutritious vitamin/mineral part of it and leaving the fiber. If the vegetable or fruit has been treated with pesticides (either internally (seed's DNA) or topical treatment (on top of the plant)) you will be drinking it and not just a little but A LOT.
Would you normally eat 12 full sized carrots in one sitting? No. But, when you juice a carrot you are drinking the juice of that many carrots - if it has pesticides in it then you are consuming a lot of it, and those pesticides can hurt your body as pesticides are poison.
2. Large Carrots
The larger the carrot the better because that means the carrot has reached full maturity, which means it has the maximum nutrients. I have found that health food stores that actually juice in the store (i.e. Whole Foods) has MUCH larger carrots than regular grocery stores (i.e. Publix, Kroger).
3. Buy in Bulk
Buy bags that are 20 - 25 lbs. at a time. These bags are much better priced than the smaller bags. I use my juicing carrots for juice and for other things like Chicken Stock, Chicken 'N Dumplings, Veggie Stock, or I just steam them for a meal - pretty much anything that I use carrots in.
Step 1: Peel each carrot with a peeler. (Must do this to remove bacteria from the skins - the nutrients are all through the carrots, so you are not losing out on all of the nutrients by peeling the skin).
Step 2: Have a container in place to catch the juice.
Step 3: Place carrots in the juicer and JUICE!
Step 4: Drink your juice!
**If you plan to store your carrot juice you can do so in an airtight container. Make sure you fill it to the very top (little air as possible, so you don't lose nutrients from oxidation). You can store for a maximum of 72 hours. Carrot juice is the only juice that you can store (studies have been done to confirm this). Do not store other juices - drink them immediately.
How do I Juice A Carrot?
What I Use:
I use a cold press juicer called the Norwalk. It is awesome. I did the Gerson Therapy to help me get rid of PCOS, MRSA, and to improve my overall health (I wanted a whole body cleanse), and this is the juicer that they use/recommend for their cancer patients and patients with chronic diseases. It is really awesome. It makes more than just juice. It can make nut butters, sorbet, and baby food.
I like it because it first grinds the vegetables into mush and into a bag. After that, you put it in a tray and start the motor. It will lift upwards and apply 2,000 lbs of pressure squeezing out ALL of the pulp (juice) from the fibers.
Cold Press Juicer vs. Centrifugal Juicer
You need to find a juicer that will give you the maximum amount of juice for what you are juicing. I have used several different kinds of juicers, and now we have invested in a Norwalk Juicer.
There are two types of juicers that I have used. A Cold Press and a Centrifugal Juicer. There are pros and cons to each of them.
These are very popular and can be found in most retail stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
1. Quick Juicing Process
2. Quick to Clean
3. Juices very quickly
4. Pretty cheap to own (you can buy them used for $10 or new for $50 +)
1. Heats up the veggies, which kills some of the nutrients.
2. Lose juice because the machine doesn't get all of it out - fibers come out wet - so you don't get the best bang for your buck per vegetable/fruit.
Cold Press Juicer:
These are used for cancer and patients with chronic diseases. They are an investment and are very well built.
1. Doesn't heat the vegetables/fruit, so you get the maximum amount of nutrition (the colors of the juice is super rich and dark).
2. Used by natural cancer fighting and chronic disease professionals.
3. Can make other things like nut butters, baby food, etc. (More than just a juicer)
4. Made out of steel - it's going to last.
5. Has a great re-sale value.
6. Fibers are squeezed to the maximum, so you get more juice out of each vegetable/fruit - there is no liquid left in them.
1. Takes longer to juice each time (but, it the longer it takes the more nutrition/juice you get).
2. Clean up takes slightly longer (you have to wash with water the blade, holder, filter, tray, and bags).
3. Cost - this will be the only machine you will buy (most likely), so it costs $2500. You can also find them used for slightly less, but remember they have been used, so try to find a used one that has been well taken care of. Be careful of getting one that hasn't been used in a while.