Home Clean Eating Boot Camp The Case Against… Juice?

The Case Against… Juice?

by Erika Nicole Kendall

I acknowledge that I’m not going to make any friends with this post. It’s probably going to piss a few people off, turn a few people off, frustrate a few people, annoy a few people… but at least I’m being honest.

I don’t drink juice. Orange juice, apple juice, rooty rooty fresh and fruity juice, whatever. I don’t drink it.

I have my reasons, though.

A while back, I wrote this:

To be honest, I don’t know whether there’s much purpose to a “reasons to forgo food with added sugar” rant, simply because it breaks down to an understanding of “natural sugar” against “processed sugar.”

Okay, here goes.

In nature, the primary place you find sugar is in fruit (there’s also honey, but we’ll save that for another day.) The sugar in fruit is… fructose.

Sidebar: This, I presume, is why people always ask if they should “stop eating fruit,” mixing the anti-high fructose corn syrup message up with the understanding that fructose is a “natural sugar found in fruit.” There’s a big difference between the two.

Whenever you find fruit in nature, it is paired with two things: nutrients and fiber. Emphasis on the fiber. The fiber within the fruit blunts the impact of the sugar on your system and helps cleanse your insides out at the same time.

Excerpted from: Q&A Wednesday: High Fructose Corn Syrup vs. Table Sugar | A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss

The further we take sugar out of its natural context – meaning, the further we take sugar from its origins… granulated sugar and sucanat from sugar cane, beet sugar, etc – the more problematic it becomes. Why? Because there’s no fiber. There’s very little in pure sugar that can fill us up, and since our body is always sifting through the food we’ve ingested and looking for nutrients, you’d be eating a sugary snack for quite a while before you became full. Not like there’s anything nourishing in it to fill you up.

Click here to read reviews of simple juicers to add flavor to your water.

This, I believe, is why the soft drink industry is always talking about how “soft drinks are no different from fruit juice.” They’re both sugary drinks taken out of the context in which they’re originally found. They’re both sugary substances with no fiber and limited nutrients. By applying that logic, both should be avoided.

Don’t get me wrong – on a scale of “bad” to “OMG HORRIBLE DEATH LIQUID,” a juice that comes directly from squeezed fruit isn’t on the “death liquid” side. Soda pop, however…. I’m sayin. It can clean the rust off a penny. Juices with artificial flavoring AND artificial coloring? It’s a chemistry experiment with salt (check that out next time you drink it… they almost all have salt.) Juices from concentrate… a little better, but not quite as nutritious as their non-concentrated counterparts.

(What does “from concentrate mean?” It means a fruit juice was taken, had the water extracted from it (?!), and stored away so that it could have the water added back at a later date. Sometimes you can purchase the “concentrate” in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. Sometimes, you can buy a “fruit juice” that says “from concentrate” on the label. Juices from concentrate are often cheaper, though not by much.)

For me, it was also about a lot more than just nutrition and keeping a flat tummy. I was using juices to further my addiction to sugar. Taking in a substance that had “everything meant to fill me up” removed from it, especially when that substance is full of sugar, only allowed me to gorge myself on the sweet stuff. And let’s face it – when you have a full on sugar addiction, anything sweet will suffice.

Like I wrote before:

Having said all of that, I cringe a little on the inside when people talk about how they “can’t give up” or “can’t live without” or justify use of a certain food… because that is addiction talk. I know… it’s not cocaine, it’s not alcohol, it’s not heroin. I get it. But I’m not certain that it’s that different. In fact, science has long said that the reaction that sugar causes in the brain is equal to that of heroin or cocaine, and causes us to crave it for the high… crash when it’s low. Wash, rinse, repeat. It’s a vicious cycle… and every time I give in it, it makes it that much more difficult to say “no” the next time I encounter the opportunity to give in.

It’s even more strange when people acknowledge that they go through “withdrawals” when they don’t get their “daily fix,” but don’t acknowledge that cycle as an addiction. That is particularly strange. Perhaps that’s because so much of society is addicted to sugar and exhibits the same behaviors, that it seems so common. That’s the only reason I can guess.

That’s a big part of why emotional eating exists – because sugar (in proper conjunction with fat and/or salt) provides a high that is comparable to that of any other narcotic. And because we become used to the high, it causes us to eventually crave more and more… and more… and before we’ve even noticed it we’re gaining weight and suffering from illnesses we’ve never dealt with before.

Excerpted from: What Is Sugar Addiction? | A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss

And, because of all that, I say no to juices. I used to give myself an allowance for whenever I was sick. That was my green light to drink all the OJ I needed… but would it lean me back toward my sugar addiction once the “sick” was gone? I no longer wish to risk it. Besides, I’m not interested in drinking my calories. If I become sick (which, I have to admit, is a rarity lately), I’ll eat my oranges.

I believe, in my heart of hearts, that this was the most important part of my success. Being able to get away from my sugar addiction meant not only that I could regain control of my emotions (I wasn’t high off sugar, and then miserable and moody once the high came down), but that I could regain my ability to say no.I can say no, not because I’m “watching my figure,” but because I’m protecting myself from falling back down the rabbit hole.

I’ll keep it funky, though – I do want to watch my figure, too. All my hard work doesn’t need to go down the toilet because the fruit punch tastes yummy. And by hard work, I mean both building my body and kicking my unhealthy mental attachments to food. It’s not worth setting myself back physically or mentally.

I say all that to say… I had to spend a lot of time considering what I was drinking. I drank a lot of calories, a lot of sugar and a lot of money (because properly made juices are not cheap) unnecessarily. I wasn’t getting any fiber. It was a lot to waste on something that wasn’t even filling me up. I made the decision to let go of the juice and simply eat the fruit (and if the juice doesn’t come from an identifiable fruit, well…) and I’ve been happier for it.

Am I the only one?

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53 comments

ChellBellz November 22, 2010 - 11:20 AM

I gave up my juice, Orange Juice, Sweet Tea…and I feel so much better. I actually get better enjoyment out of squeezing the juice out of a Orange Slice while eating it. Trust me it’s been like 4 months since I’ve had Orange Juice…and I swear i had to have about 2 glasses before going to work. I use to wake up in the middle of the night. 3 Cartoons a week easy.

Tabitha November 22, 2010 - 11:45 AM

Erika – first of all sis, I luv ya.

second, you are absolutely not the only one. All that sugar PLUS the fact that it’s a waste of calories! People don’t even realize how many calories you can DRINK in a day if you aren’t careful….

This may sound crazy but when I do allow myself to drink juice, I think of it as “liquid candy” and not something that my body supposedly needs. When I think of juice as a treat then it drives it home that I’m not really supposed to be drinking it…..and it gets harder to justify drinking commercial juices…..and that’s how I weaned myself off juice. To me a carton of Dole Fruit Punch no longer looks like a healthy staple of a diet….it looks to me like a big ass Jolly Rancher or somethin lol.

Love yur blog…I lurk a lot but I’m ready to join and put my input in! (that sentence sounded weird & a little redundant but whatever lol)

Tabitha November 22, 2010 - 11:50 AM

ooops sorry for the “A word” I said uptop! I’ll be more carefule

Sandra November 22, 2010 - 12:24 PM

I gave up juice a long time ago!! People don’t realize just as soda or coffee can be addicting so can your juice. The only beverage I drink and prefer is WATER 🙂

Stephanie August 18, 2013 - 11:03 PM

Coffee can be dehydrating, but coffee really isn’t that bad if you don’t load it up with cream and sugar.

Soon as I cut out putting creamer and sugar in my coffee, I lost a couple of pounds easily. I’d try buying a light or medium roast and brew it using a French press. It’s a lot less bitter that way.

*gets off coffee soapbox*

Belinda November 22, 2010 - 12:33 PM

I agree that juice has been a downfall for my workouts. I decided to stop drinking juice about two months ago. I lost about 4 pounds during this time. Of course, that also meant I increased my water intake. And I never stopped working out. I definitely look at it differently.

Amber November 22, 2010 - 2:13 PM

Hi- My name is Amber and I’m a sugar addict! Thanks so much for this post Erika! I am not so much of a juice drinker, but I love hot teas with honey…and chewy candy. I tend to eat fruit as a replacement for the candy and have started juicing as well. I know that I still get sugar from whole fruit juices so this post reminds me that I need to cut back on the amount of fresh juice and up the water intake. Just wanted to chime in and say thanks!

Lucy November 22, 2010 - 2:34 PM

Defiantly something I need to do and am working on. For instance, last night I got a 400 cal gallon of limeade, mostly from concentrate and drank it in about two hours. It was from the local co-op/healthy place , a total waste. Also, given up all the drinks with HFCS so far and can defiantly see the difference and have started to appreciate the actual taste of tea lately.
For instance, that same store also sells a brand of tea that doesn’t use HFCS, uses organic leaves and no artificial ingrediants. When I dine in I often get a bottle. I was reading one of the little stories they have and it explained that they applied marginal utility to their product “one spoon of sugar takes away bitterness and another adds a little sweetness, past that, the sugar adds nothing and at one point becomes liquid candy.” The first time I tried one of their teas I thought it was bitter because they either use mint leaves or a a very small amount of sugar in them. Now I have actually learned to appreciate the taste of tea and not that of sugar and when I make my on tea I often drink it without even ading honey let alone sugar. I have really been forced to see just how much sugar I was drinking when consuming sodas and most bottled teas. Not only was I fueling an addiction but I was completely missing out on the taste of actualy tea.

Trina November 22, 2010 - 2:34 PM

I don’t drink the juice either and it’s funny, I thought that I would miss it but I don’t. I just have fruit or something else. But my main issue hasn’t really been sweets, until lately, which I have to up the fruit intake more to soothe that, but salt. I know this has nothing to do with this post, but what do you do about that kind of craving?

Denise November 22, 2010 - 3:39 PM

This is precisely why I don’t drink much else besides water. We don’t keep fruit juices in our house regularly and my daughter at 2-years-old is already in the habit of asking for WATER when she’s thirsty. Nothing is wrong with it in moderation, of course, but the best hydration we can get is from pure, old-fashioned water. People are constantly looking to juices and flavored drinks to quench their thirsts and then wondering why their pants are getting tighter.

Danielle June 4, 2011 - 2:54 PM

Ahh! You said the ‘M’ word lol !! (moderation)

Kimvannie November 22, 2010 - 5:00 PM

totally agree, great post. That’s why I drink unsweetened herb tea and/or water. I still have the occasional drink working on not wasting my daily caloric intake.

Jasmine November 22, 2010 - 5:43 PM

I fell off the juice bandwagon even before I started losing weight, it just didn’t seem like a healthy alternative to actual fruit. I do drink fruit juice occasionally as a mixer w/ cocktails but its not a product that I buy or would claim an addiction to. I used to have cravings for ‘something sweet’ when I first started losing weight, luckily, I also kept a food journal so I was able to track the times that the cravings would occur and adjust my diet accordingly. I rarely get cravings anymore but when i do, kiwi or an orange usually satisfies. I will admit that OJ is in the fridge this week because a few family members will be staying with me for the holiday. My friend gave me a list of ‘normal people food’ (her words, not mine) to buy for the week that they’re here. She says that I don’t have food, i have ingredients. Does that even make sense?!

AJ November 22, 2010 - 6:54 PM

I drank orange juice for the first time in several months. I just don’t drink the stuff. As someone who is insulin tolerant, I need to stay away from as many sugars that don’t have fiber as possible.

JoAnna November 23, 2010 - 3:08 AM

I used to own a juicer. I made daily glasses of carrot, apple ginger cocktails to help de-tox my body… And threw away the fiber. That 7 month exercise turned me off packaged juices. They don’t taste right, and that’s ’cause they aren’t fresh. I prefer to “eat” my juices as fresh fruits and salads. But I’m looking to purchase an emulsifier like the over priced “vitamix” or Montel’s Health Mixer, just ’cause I do miss the ‘zing’ of that fresh carrot-apple-ginger cocktail!

Candace November 23, 2010 - 1:09 PM

I have to agree with you as far as food and drink are concerned I am pretty picky so I was always drinking a lot of calories from 100% natural/not from concentrate juices.
The thruth is they are a lot of calories in these even when organic/100% natural/unsweetened/blablabla juices.
To abuse of them is not good because it’s much more easier to drink 600 calories of orange juice than to eat 600 calories worth of oranges.
The equivalent is the relation between eating 12 oranges and drinking less than 4 little bottles of tropicana.
I think that the heart of the matter is being able to control your calorie intake better by eating rather than drinking…not to mention the additionnal nutriments you get.
I stick to one juice a day now and I like being able to see all these juices in my fridge without feeling obliged to drink them all now and drinking a lot of water instead. Thruth be told I drink them less an less everyday.
At the beginning it was hard though so I was cutting one part juice with two parts water and I started drinking more and more water or unsweetened hot cacao (not hot chocolate) or tea and tisanes … yes sugar is like a drug especially for the emotional eater I was (I hope it’s all in the past but we never now) and yes I was in rehab 🙂
I do not intend to erase juices of anything else from my diet but I do intend on them all losing completely their power over me. I find that by eating less of them you are as well able to enjoy them even more.
But I still have a long way to go..

Gem November 24, 2010 - 1:24 AM

I also treat juice as a treat, and then only 100% juice. Old Orchard has a Berry Blend that had a low sugar count from what I remember, but then my HEB stopped selling it. 🙁 The other night I had some juice with my food and not even an hour later I was so thirsty like I hadn’t had anything to drink all day. I pictured a glass of water with ice and almost closed my eyes in anticipation. Poured it, drank it, was satisfied. This is from someone who hated drinking water, now I can’t even handle “juice” like Capri Sun, Ocean Spray, Dole, etc. It just doesn’t taste right.

AkephalonMuse February 26, 2013 - 6:11 AM

I like the Old Orchard juice concentrates. I use half the recommended amount in a 10-oz glass of seltzer when I need to give my blood sugar levels a little boot in mid-afternoon and after a long burst of activity.

But I keep it to a minimum if there’s no time to eat anything with it. If there is time, I chase it with almonds or pistachios. One glass of that juice-soda and a handful of pistachios and I’m good for at least the four hours it takes to get to the next meal.

Kitty November 25, 2010 - 3:31 PM

I still drink juice, but not enough to put a dent in anything. I like the OCASSIONAL orange juice, hot apple cider, etc… For example, when I go out for breakfast or going to the farm in the fall. Have a little, not like a ginormous glass. XD I honestly prefer water above all else. But its not an everyday thing.

My sugar problem comes from baked goods. *facepalm* Working on that LoL. Right now I’m trying to wean myself off. Reducing the frequency of them and especially the portion size until eventually baked goods are a rare treat. I found I lost more weight allowing my self a little instead of outright banning foods. And if I eat a little, I really have to work it off with exercise. I don’t treat myself unless I treat myself to some exercise too (which I like to do). Its a mental thing. So far I’ve lost 10 lbs that way.

I like smoothies made of whole fruit and yogurt to get my fruit drink/sweet fix. Plus its fun to make them. ^_^

BTW, Thanks so much for this site. I’m finding so much more help for my own health journey. 🙂

Kitty November 25, 2010 - 3:32 PM

*juice is not an everyday thing. Water is.

I think I worded that sentence wrong. LOL

aisha November 29, 2010 - 11:12 AM

I just went through this whole issue with my SO. As teen I drank a lot of juice and gave it up in my mid twenties. But recently I found another juice I loved. I had some beet lemonade over the summer that was so delicious and refreshing. I was hell bent on recreating it at home. I bought some bottled beet juice and it was not that great. That involved me dusting off the juicer to make beet juice but that cheap juicer was hella messy.

So that meant he could get a new kitchen toy, a heavy duty juicer. I was juicing my hear out. My issue was with all of the fiber that at first I was throwing away. That seemed so wasteful. Now I use the fiber in my oatmeal, soups or baked good. But the rule is if I want juice I have to juice it myself, clean up the juicer and have a plan for the fiber. So I really have to want it.

i digress.. and i totally forgot why i was typing this all out…

Carriece January 6, 2011 - 3:51 PM

Hi Erika,

Years ago I used to drink a lot of juice and soda but very little water. Now since I drink 60+ ounces of water daily, I have very little taste for either of the two. The other day was the first time in months that I had juice.

manda February 10, 2011 - 9:55 AM

I have an issue with Starbucks. I love all things Starbucks, I am not really a juice drinker. I occasionally drink the Minute Maid Pomegranate juice. While I am not drinking the amount of water I am supposed to a day, that is all I drink 99% of the time.

rissa February 10, 2011 - 11:43 AM

i’m alot like kitty. my sugar addiction is basically baked goods and some candy. oh and the fake juices like capri suns. i can completely control myself when it comes to real juice and fruits. for instance, i probably drink a total of about 6 oz of juice for the week, max. i only drink juice when i have to swallow something whose taste needs a little camoflouage. i drink a swig which is roughly about an oz and i’m good to go. plus the sugar in juice (natural or not) makes me thirsty and i have to chase it with water.

Kc February 10, 2011 - 12:05 PM

This is so true! Juice is nothing more than liquid sugar masked and marketed as a health food. I haven’t had juice in years. I can remember buying an orange juice from a vending machine my freshman year in college because I was thirsty (this was before my love affair with water). I vividly recall downing that bottle in a few swigs and thinking, “Wow, that didn’t quench my thirst at all. How strange!” Now that I realize just how much sodium is in those juices, it only makes sense that I was still so thirsty afterwards.

Fast forward all these years, I have a child of my own now. It has NEVER occured to me to have juice in the house for my son….that’s just not how I roll. We’re strictly milk and water. I figure he’s never had juice, so he doesn’t know what he’s missing. One day, not long ago, a friend and her children came over for a play date. They brought a big bag of snacks and toys to share with us. Mom reached in and brought out this huge bottle of “100% apple juice”, filled her sippy’s to the top and offered some to my son as well. I thought, ok let’s see how Max reacts to this sugar (the only sugar Max has ever had is in the form of fruit, which he loves….aside from the occassional treat from a Grandparent, of course. I made a conscious decision to keep sugary snacks out of the house a long time ago b/c I, like you, have an obvious sugar addiction). Much to my delight, Max took a big swig of the juice (watered down even, at my request) and he looked up at me like, “what is this crap?!?” and threw his sippy on the floor and demanded “wa wa”…water. It was one my prouder moments as a parent…my child didn’t want the hfcs being offered to him and not only that, it seemed he knew the difference between real fruit “sweet” and artificial sugar “sweet”. I’m really not trying toot my own horn here, b/c parenting is a difficult job and I admittedly make my own mistakes…but that day, I kinda felt like a super mom.

RL February 13, 2011 - 8:21 AM

Great post. More than 8 years ago, I dropped nearly 70 pounds and though diet and excercise is what got me there, I believe that cutting out juice (from Minute Maid to cranberry) is what helped me maintain my weight in years since even in times when my fitness routine lapsed. I don’t think many people realize how easy it is to consume and extra three or four hundred calories a day just by having a glass of juice with every meal. That’s like an entire aerobics class. Wasted. Much better to grab an apple or banana and a glass of water that will at least keep me satiated.

Nicole May 9, 2011 - 4:44 PM

what about juice with pulp. When I run to the store for some OJ I always get the one with lots of pulp. Shouldn’t that still have fiber in it? What about Jamba juice? The have some recipes that blend the fruit not just juice them. For instance, peaches, bananas, and various berries are not juiced, they are blended into the drinks so that should contain fiber too right? Also you don’t have to get these with the sugary, milky creamy stuff added to the drink either. I was just wondering.

Erika Nicole Kendall May 9, 2011 - 5:10 PM

IMO, It’s only mildly better with pulp… and I still can’t understand why drinking the juice is better than just eating the fruit. You don’t even have to peel it – you can cut it into four pieces and eat the insides that way.

milaxx May 9, 2011 - 4:53 PM

I can’t say I don’t drink juice. I do. What I don’t do is buy juice from the market. I have a juicer and on occasion I juice my own veggies. When I do (probably about once a month), I usually add flaxseed powder and spirulina to it before I drink it or if it’s just apples which I can’t chew due to a health issue, I mix it with vegan protein powder as a after gym snack.

IntegratedMemoirs May 9, 2011 - 6:11 PM

I have a juicer, so I make my own juices, and I make my juices with a combination of fruits and vegetables. If you make your own juices, I don’t see anything wrong with consuming juices. It’s healthy, contains the vital nutrients, and you it’s not processed.

In conjunction with processed juice, soda, and other drinks, I would add cow’s milk to that list as another drink that is bad for you. A vast majority of ethnic groups are lactose intolerant, it’s really not nutrious due to the heavy process it goes through, and with a plethora of antibiotics and hormones being pumped into cow’s these days, I’d say coming off it is a good idea.

Eva June 3, 2011 - 9:01 AM

Wow, I knew there was a reason I haven’t had any fruit juice in years. I’d rather eat an orange than drink orange juice, primarily I drink water.

lph1908 June 3, 2011 - 2:06 PM

This post speaks to me. Not because of juice (I drink a very small amount with my meds in the morning), but because of sweet tea. I moved back to the south almost a year ago and the availability of sweet tea EVERYWHERE has made me into a fiend. I gained weight around my mid-section and could not figure out why, until I realized that I have been drinking entirely too many calories through sweet tea. I would even go to McDonalds, not to order any food, but to just get a $1 sweet tea!

Once I realized this, I decided to cut it out of my diet. And, I have to tell you that it has been really hard! And, the main reason is I think I have developed a sugar addiction. I drink water all day, every day, but after I cut the sweet tea out, I found myself craving any kind of sugar. And, that is frightening!!

So, I am a work in progress. . . .but, I am excited to start this process.

Jem June 3, 2011 - 3:35 PM

I bought OJ for the first time in months recently to make smoothies. Now I feel guilty as hell. And it was from concentrate.

But you’re not telling me anything my dietician didn’t already say. I know better.

Danielle June 4, 2011 - 2:59 PM

this is such a good post that I needed to read.
Now that it’s summer, I’m being tempted by Simply Lemonade which has that combo of tart and sweet that I love (along with sugar heh!)

Shelita Williams June 11, 2011 - 4:56 PM

No pretty lady Erika, you are not the only one! I totally agree with you on the juice. I try to teach my patients and clients not to drink up all their calories. Many people don’t realize how many sugars and calories are in these so called “fruit Juices”. Thanks for this article, you are a blessing!

LaDonna July 14, 2011 - 1:48 PM

I’m slightly confused on some of this and am wondering if you can clarify. Reading some of your other blogs I’ve seen you discuss eating a piece of cake every now and then…rarely I’m sure. That said…when and how often do you take in sugar and what kind?

Erika Nicole Kendall July 14, 2011 - 1:55 PM

Cake? I rarely – rarely eat cake. “Every now and again” isn’t even “monthly” for me, it’s twice a year. LOL

I don’t do sugar outside of the context of nature more than, maybe, one occasion a week. Everything else is pretty much fruit.

Danielle September 20, 2011 - 5:19 AM

I like juice but I usually add sparkling water and split it 1/2 and 1/2 or I drink sparkling water and add a splash of juice. I also think sparkling water is a good refreshing beverage. But I also agree about drinking up all your calories. . . I used to do that also.

dvaaunaturel September 20, 2011 - 6:48 PM

This post was right on time. I am battling this right now. Had weaned myself off sugary stuff, juices, jams, etc. and thoight I was doing good. Had a sip of juice one day and it was like I had crack. Lol…seriously I have been craving all things sweet now. Luckily for me I bake my goodies but still so. I.must.stop! So, I am going back to basics. No more sweet drink anything, orgnic orange juice, apple, etc. I know that is a trigger and throws me off track. Back to my water with fruit slices.

Cherished October 6, 2011 - 11:24 AM

Thanks for posting this. I just starting cutting out pop and juice and lowering sugar teaspoons in coffee or tea. Everytime I do this and just this alone I begin to loose weight. If I say oh I lost some weight let me have a pop (or sweet tea) with my lunch than I’m back on the bandwagon, I now crave all of the sweets I cut out, candy bars, cakes, more juice, pop, etc and within a couple of weeks the weight is back and it seems to come back and concentrate in my mid-area. I don’t need to read a lot of literature on this to be convinced that substituing water for pop and juice needs to be a lifestyle change. Add in exercise, fiber, fruits and veggies along with protein and we are only going up and the fat is going down.

p.s. I recently bought some kiwi juice (Aldi) and read that 8 ounces has 28 grams of sugar!!! 8 ounces has 28 grams of sugar. If we run out of juice in the house my children are screaming mad. Now I understand way…withdrawal.

Holly December 12, 2011 - 12:13 PM

I don’t drink commercial juices because even when there is “no sugar added” they are pasteurized which means there are no vitamins or living enzymes in it so what’s the point? I have a juicer and I juice what I call my “green lemonade” every day – the greens vary but mostly it’s spinach, romaine, celery, ginger, turmeric, small piece of beet, lemon and a green apple. It is yummy and fills me with living enzymes, vitamins and minerals without kickstarting my digestive system. After my juice it’s whole fuit only until lunchtime.

Kelley January 3, 2012 - 12:48 PM

Love the information in this post. This is a post that I need to pass on to my husband because he has an addiction and does not notice it. Everything that is not loaded in sugar tastes horrible to him. And he is my biggest temptation because he loves to bring soda and juices with high fructose corn syrup into the house. Thanks so much for posting this. I have known that many fruit juices were bad but had no idea what ‘from concentrate’ meant. And I also did not know how important fiber was in fruits. Thank you thank you thank you!!

Michelle January 4, 2012 - 4:26 PM

Thanks, Erika! I also just finished reading your blog about soda. I assume that includes diet soda as well. I am going to take the challenge and buy oranges or other citrus fruit and give up OJ. I have convinced myself that I need this daily as I rarely get sick. LOL! It will at least save me 75 cents a day from my work cafeteria!

Michelle January 5, 2012 - 10:03 AM

Okies..So I am eating a tangerine instead of drinking my daily orange juice. Not bad at all. Also, I saved myself a ton of calories in the process. Thanks so much for this blog!

Cheryl January 7, 2012 - 7:09 PM

I was on a special diet where they told me not to drink juices because they add a lot of hidden sugars to sweeten the juice. So in addition to the ingredients (even if it’s “pure juice” ) on the label, you get added sugar and added calories they don’t tell you about on the label. The only one they told me was “safe” to drink was Welches Grape Juice, and even then, it was suggested I dilute the juice with one part/two parts water to lower the sugar content.

ZenLizze March 2, 2012 - 10:33 AM

I have kind of a juice phobia. I grew up in a house that had no sugar drinks, because as an overweight child, the doctor’s only real advice to my mom was to cut out the juice and switch to skim milk. Now the only time I have fruit juice is in a vodka cranberry and even THAT is rare. I don’t like the idea of drinking my calories, because after the drink is gone, I’m still hungry. I’d rather just eat something real and drink water.

I am currently working on a project with elementary aged students, and I hate seeing nutrition advice for them that seems to equate drinking juice with eating fruit. I think juices tend to strengthen our desire for sugary sweetness, and the food industry pushes juice as being a healthy alternative. I’m highly suspicious of the food industry trying to convince me that anything is healthy.

Khadine September 10, 2012 - 12:41 PM

You will never catch me buying juice at the supermarket. I’ve been in the habit of drinking water with everything since I was a kid (I was chubby and wanted to lose weight). Occasionally I’ll buy ginger ale when my stomach feels upset…but for the most part, it’s water all the way…it has become a part of me. Plus, I’m a foodie…I’d rather EAT than drink my calories! 🙂

Hrsparks December 16, 2012 - 3:15 PM

I too have stopped buying juice. After I heard about the process orange juice goes through and the arsenic in apple and grape juices, I felt it wasn’t worth putting into my children’s bodies anymore. If we go somewhere and they have juice, I don’t restrict them, but they definitely aren’t as exposed to it as they once were. I just use a water filter and occasionally buy milk. I just figure if they want juice we can juice ourself or they can eat the fruit.

Naylahknee December 17, 2012 - 4:11 PM

Yep, Im a sugar addict. All week last week, I only had sugar from fruits, then as soon as a drunk some freaking orange juice because my Prenisone has me feeling like stir fried crap, I start craving all these sweets!!!! Ok, that’s it! I’m done with you sugar and eloping with water only.

Stephanie December 18, 2012 - 3:38 PM

I 100% agree! When I’m diligently tracking my calories, it is a huge bummer to wash a whole ton of them down my throat with a glass of “healthy” juice! No thanks! I’d rather eat!

Melissa April 20, 2013 - 10:57 AM

This one truly hits home! I drink mostly water now, but I’m definitely a recovering sugary-drink-aholic. Juices were easier to let go of, soda a little harder, but Starbucks tea was a PROBLEM! Believe it or not, math helped me begin to kick it. If there are about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon on sugar, then the drink I was hooked on had almost 1/4 of a cup of sugar in it!! That was only the medium sized one. Imagine the largest! Everytime I have a craving for it, I imagine myself filling up a measuring cup and eating that much sugar bite by bite. That grosses me out enough that I don’t even want the drink anymore. I don’t want to do that to my body. It’s abusive to my system and I deserve better treatment. Blessings on your journey to better health everyone!!

Tonya May 17, 2013 - 9:49 PM

I hate “fruit” juice and soda. But when it comes to tea..chile….

My Starbucks “habit” is a venti, iced green tea, light water 7, yes 7 pumps of classic. I’ll have this twice a day sometimes. Thank goodness I like tea a LOT with or without sugar. Especially the Zen tea…with the spearmint, lemon verbana flavors.

Water is the only liquid that can hydrate you, when you are thirsty your body needs WATER, not juice, soda or tea.

Ericka June 6, 2013 - 4:59 AM

Well, Ive recently gotten fed up with being 100 pounds heavier than my normal weight and said Im done with all sweets, juice, and pop. I dont miss it. However this morning (my second day into it) I woke up with the worse headache and the shakes. I went back to sleep and woke up the same. I drank water and ate a lil something. Then I thought maybe my sugar was low or something. So I made a glass of tang to take with an excedrin and whadaya know, my shakes and headached began going away. This has made it clear to me that I need to stay away from sugar that isnt straight from fruit or vegetables. Im done with juice as well. I dont need it. Reading this made me firmer upon my decision. Thanx

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