Juicing craze hits St. Augustine

By Allison Dickey | gargoyle@flagler.edu

Raw fruits and vegetables like kale, beets and spinach are not typical foods one would associate with a college diet. But as juicing has become popular around the nation, it has also started finding its way to St. Augustine, too.

Juicing — extracting juices from fruits and vegetables usually with a machine — is an excellent way to get the recommended daily value of fruits and vegetables because it is much easier to juice three stalks of celery and two apples than it is to eat them in one sitting. It comes with numerous health benefits. The American Cancer Society says that a diet high in fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Where should students go to get in on this juicing craze?

Smoothie Fresh is an organic, fresh café that sells smoothies, breakfast and lunch items, and juice by the quart or gallon in a shopping center on the corner of U.S. 1 South and State Road 312.

Store manager Tony Davis believes that fresh juice is the most beneficial of foods.

“I’ve been juicing for 23 years now,” he said. “Personally, I love combining seven to eight fruits and vegetables into one juice — carrot, kale, parsley, tomato, cucumber and lemon are my favorite.”

If this talk of vegetable juice seems a little intimidating, try incorporating one vegetable at a time with your favorite fruit juice. It is very easy to mask the taste of the vegetables with a citrus fruit or the sweetness of an apple.

The local Farmer’s Market held near the St. Augustine Amphitheatre every Saturday is always bustling with business, especially for Chris Faunce, the owner of Creative Juices in St. Augustine.

Creative Juices is an alternative restaurant complete with a selection of vegetarian, gluten-free and healthy-conscious items for individuals.

Faunce has decided to make the juicing process even easier for those who are interested — he sells a weeks worth of pre-juiced produce and detox drinks like green tea for approximately $20. He said this gives committed participants a smooth transition into their juicing cleanse and delicious juices that come right out of their fridge without the cleanup. Also, it can be a good idea for those who are unsure about buying an expensive piece of equipment or want to see how they like the taste of the juices.

It should be noted that juicing can cause problems for diabetics because of the high content of sugar in fruit juice. Also, the Food and Drug Administration warns that produce that has not been washed or treated for bacteria properly can be harmful and lead to food borne illnesses.