Juicing is the latest organic craze to hit the state. Each week, the steel-plated Miracle Juicer 800 at the Health Shoppe in Morristown (66 Morris St, 937-538-9131) hacks through 16 cases of green vegetables, 125 pounds of carrots, and 25 pounds of beets. The multihued potions promise to nourish, energize, and detoxify with their heavy concentrations of free-radical-fighting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes.
Deli manager Eva Marie Pitigliano is the store’s green queen. “She’s an artist,” says customer Bernie Mheiny, 39, as Pitigliano throws in an extra pinch of cayenne pepper to top off his Elements energy puree. “That’ll light you up,” he says.
Mheiny has made juicing part of his daily ritual and says the drink enables him to sidestep the 3 pm post-lunch lull: “It’s like drinking coffee but without the jitters.”
After six months of juicing, Pitigliano says people come in looking younger with clearer skin and a sparkle in their eyes. Juicers claim less rheumatism pain, fewer migraines, and decreased constipation, she says.
But do these vibrant concoctions really yield results?
“They take a scientific tidbit and turn it into a claim to sell their product,” says Red Bank dietician Donna Gallagher. Some drinks are beneficial, but an instant surge of antioxidants into the bloodstream may cause nausea. Call your doctor if you develop a rash or heart rate increase.
Dr. Jacques F. Tohme, a Ridgewood endocrinologist, cautions that juice bars don’t require FDA approval, so no research supports claims of improved health. “It’s all in people’s heads,” he says, likening benefits to an “old wives’ tale.” Dr. Tohme suggests sleeping well, eating fruits and vegetables, and spending 30 minutes a day in the sun.
The medical jury is still out, but if you’re feeling adventurous, start slowly. Even Pitigliano agrees, “Moderation is key.” But just in case, don’t stray too far from the bathroom after your first juicing. It’s a doozy.
Everything Green
Organics Inc., Vineland
(1370 S. Main Rd, 856-205-9700)
Ingredients: parsley, celery, kale, collard greens, spinach, lettuce. Claim: Helps boost iron levels.
Flavor: Liquefied salad, sans dressing.
Tip: Hold your nose.
Dr. Detox
The Health Shoppe, Morristown (66 Morris St, 937-538-9131)
Ingredients: carrots, beets, ginger, aloe, lemons, dandelion.
Claim: Hangover cure.
Flavor: Bitter.
Tip: Anyone seriously hungover might have trouble keeping this sour concoction down.
Wheatgrass
Nature’s Corner, Spring Lake
(2407 Highway 71, 732-449-4950)
Ingredients: wheatgrass.
Claim: 30 ml. (one shot) is equal to 1 kg. of green vegetables.
Flavor: Sweet yet intensely grassy.
Tip: One a day is enough. Beware post-grass nausea.
Elements
The Health Shoppe, Morristown
Ingredients: carrots, apples, lemons, ginger, cayenne pepper.
Claim: Digestive cleanser, overall energizer, and detoxifier.
Flavor: Sweet with a kick.
Tip: Don’t drink this before your morning commute.
Blue Lightning
The Fig Tree, Somerville
(194 W. Main St, 908-725-7716)
Ingredients: fresh blueberries, one shot of Source of Life® Blue Lightning™ Antioxidant Energy Drink, one shot of Jay Robb’s Vanilla Protein Powder.
Claim: Supports healthy aging, memory function, and immune response.
Flavor: Blueberry with a hint of vanilla.
Tip: Skip the protein powder if chalky smoothies turn you off.