I never knew the general sense of wellness and well-being that I could experience before receiving my very own juicing machine. I think it’s mainly due to two factors. The first is the improved physical health that drinking freshly made vegetable juices has given to me. In addition, it’s also caused an extreme and noticeable lessening of mental stress and anxiety which I’d experienced prior to using it. That is, the mental stress bought on by departing with my well earned money to buy the ever more expensive fresh juices in restaurants, health stores, and juice bars.

I started using my juicer to create my own interesting and sometimes weird concoctions and combinations. Wheatgrass and ginger to cleanse the lymph system and build up the blood. Barley grass and tomatoes for their high anti-oxidant values. My own original beet, celery, and ginger combination. And many more.

Prior to purchasing the juicing machine, I was really beginning to feel exploited by the local juicing bars charging as much as 5 and 7 dollars for a few carrots, a stalk of celery, a slice or two of apples, and some honey through their industrial juicer. Another choice was to buy pre-bottled juices from companies such as Fruta Vida International and others and Life Dynamics Acai.

In a number of way, I’m not really the most health-conscious of people. But one thing that I really do love is the taste of freshly squeezed juice such as acai pulp and fruit juice. I grew up without a juicing machine, and I remember that many of the bottled drinks at the time advertised that they were “made with real fruit juice”, but in reality they were sugar water with only enough “real fruit juice” in them to give the drinks a hint of the taste of the original fruit.

In addition, I wasn’t the healthiest of kids in my neighborhood. I suffered from asthma and always had a shortness of breath. I was sullen, distracted, and I had real problems with attention and concentration. When I finally reached puberty, my skin condition went from bad to worse. I had pock marks, pimples, and acne and was often embarrassed to go out.

It was in my early 20’s that I really became aware of “real juice”. It was then that I started to pay attention to what I ate and how much I ate and drank, and how it affected my over all health. My girlfriend at the time was a health addict and, if I remember correctly, owned a “Jack Lallane” juice machine which she used conscientiously every day, almost without fail. And through her own persistence, she got me hooked on juicing as well.

Not being used to some of the “interesting” concoctions that she came up with, It took me a bit of time to get used to the taste and concentrations of some of the drinks. But I noticed almost immediately, within a two-week period, the drastic difference in my energy levels and the clearness of my skin.

And now, many years later, although I now own a couple of juicing machines, I no longer juice every day, as my schedule doesn’t permit it. But I do it as often as I can. I just wish I had started sooner.