By Landry Mony

We all know, as college students, how hard it is to find the time and money to do the simple things that can keep us looking and feeling our best. Juicing, the process of extracting juice from fruits and vegetables, might not get you rock hard abs, but it can be beneficial in many other ways.

Why juicing you ask? Not only is juicing a great way to get the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes our bodies need to be healthy, but it can also be done affordably if you know the right places to go. According to LivingGreensJuice.com, juicing will facilitate weight loss, increase energy levels, and strengthen immunity. Veronica Kazanowski, 24, a student at SPC, says that her favorite thing about juicing is that, “honestly it just tastes good.” She’s a server and since she usually works through dinner, it’s hard for her to want to eat when she’s done working. Juicing makes it easy to still enjoy something late at night while getting the nutrients her body needs.

As a college student always on the go, it is hard to find the time to prepare meals that would have the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables that are needed for good health. Since time is limited for college students, the greatest perk in juicing is that daily juices can be prepared in about 10-20 minutes.

Buying fruits and vegetables can be expensive if bought from grocery stores. A weekly average for fruits and vegetables at a store can cost around $50. The trick is learning where to find affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Buying these items at a local market can lower your weekly budget down to about $30, or even less depending on where you shop.  Many people do not know that there are many local markets in our area that sell not only fresh, but also organic vegetables and fruits that can be purchased at an incredibly affordable price. Here is a list of markets that can be found in our area:

• John’s Fresh Produce Market on Belcher
• The Fresh Market on U.S 19
• Tommy’s Fresh Produce on North Belcher
• Lin Farmers Market on 16^th Street North
• Saint Pete Beach Produce and Deli
• City Produce on 4^th Street North
• Graham’s Produce Market on 54^th Avenue North
• Stan’s Fresh Produce on Central
• Pasadena Produce and Deli
• Country Loving Produce on Seminole Boulevard

Izabella Camlet’s family owns Stan’s Fresh Market on Central. She said that shopping at a produce market can help save, on average, about 40 percent of what one would spend at a local grocery store. She also said another added benefit is “since produce markets are usually locally owned, it gives room for negation. At our store if someone comes in and wants to buy a few boxes of carrots and asks if they can get a box half off, we’ll usually work out some sort of deal with them. You can’t go into Publix and do that.”

Another factor to juicing is the juicer itself. Many fear that they have to spend hundreds of dollars in order to get a good juicer, but that is not true. There are many affordable juicers out there under $100. Here is a list of just a few of them:

• Dash Citrus Juicer- 29.95
• Black & Decker Juice Extractor- 29.99
• Bella High Power Juice Extractor- 49.99
• Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor- 59.99
• Breville Compact Juicer- 99.99

If you’re interested in getting some great juice ideas check out juicerecipes.com. They have amazingly delicious juice recipes for those who wish to lose weight, or those who just want to live a healthy lifestyle. If you’re anything like Veronica Kazanowski and like to keep things simple, she said that her favorite recipe is mixing together carrots, apples, and celery.

For more tips/recipes, read here: https://www.jenreviews.com/juicing/

Header photo by burtholf (flickr creative commons license).