I have just pulled out my good old Jack LaLanne juicer.. Thank heavens, the Farmer's Markets are open again!  There is no  better or fresher juice than that you prepare yourself. Good old Jack stopped doing  jumpin' jacks long enough to produce a mighty fine juicer. I bought mine online, purchased a rebuilt one, and I couldn't love it more! 
Several summers ago, we had a family reunion in North Carolina, right on the beach. It was scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of my sister and brother-in-law. There were over 40 of us and all stayed in a 4 story house, right on the beach at Topsail Island. The Atlantic was at the front of the house, a pool at the back.  We could seat 50 for dinner! There were 4 King Suites,  4 Queen Suites, 2 bunk rooms, each sleeping 6 children, and several just regular bedrooms, if I remember correctly.  It had, thank heavens, an elevator because hauling the food in for that many people was quite a job, and the kitchen was on the top floor! Great view!

We had our own chef there, Chef Toy. He was wonderful and he is the one that introduced me to Jack's juicer.  Chef Toy made wonderful juices for me each and every day.....my favorites were his Bloody Mary mix made with wonderful red ripe tomatoes and his own secret seasonings! Then there was his cantaloupe juice! Heavenly! did you know that studies have found that regularly eating cantaloupe or drinking cantaloupe juice can help to protect your body from free radicals, support a healthy immune system and, specifically, keep your lungs as healthy as possible. In addition to all of this, the high amount of potassium in cantaloupe can potentially help to relieve stress.
When making cantaloupe juice recipes, it is important to wash the fruit first before cutting into it to prevent contaminating the flesh (cantaloupe rind is considered one of the dirtiest in the produce aisle, even if it’s organic), and to use a sharp knife.

As you trim the cantaloupe, removing the skin and seeds and cutting it up for the juicer, try to leave some of the green from the rind behind. This contains chlorophyll, which can help your body to digest the other nutrients in the cantaloupe more easily.
His carrot juice was so good! He put an apple through the juicer along with the carrots. Apples are used a lot along with other fruits and veggies.

I came home after a week of being totally spoiled and knew I had to have my very own juicer.

Honestly, the first few times I used it I thought the cleanup was pretty tedious, but I became so addicted to the fresh juice that I decided cleanup was well worth  it. Now,everything goes smoothly;practice makes perfect!  
If you are interested in checking out a juicer, go to www.jacklalanne.com
Also online, you will find lots of recipes and ideas for wonderful juices and smoothies.  All of that wonderful juice whirled in the blender with a little ice and yogurt sure makes a great treat! I am the farthest thing from a health food nut, but I suggest you check into adding protein powder and flax seed to your smoothies. After all, why can't they be healthy as well as delicious.  



Beet and Apple Juice

I've tried some of  the veggie juices also. I love the tomato, of course, but I find it scary when I throw in a handful of fresh spinach or kale.....I am afraid that strange colored drink will taste bad, but it never does! For some reason, I am thinking about trying beet juice! Can you believe it?  I'll report back on that....soon. I have a little more thinking about it to do.