Last month I told you about the new Hurom Slow Juicer. Well, Omega has also produced their version of the upright slow juicer called the Omega Vrt330 (or Vert) Juicer. It was also released this summer.

This juicer machine extracts juice from wheatgrass, apples, carrots, citrus, and more, so it is very versatile. The two stage process first crushes the food with its single auger mechanism. Then the juice is squeezed through a grater, no grinding or cutting. Silicone brushes outside the grater clean the grating screen while you’re juicing. Like the Hurom Juicer, you can pour water into the machine between juicing to further clean the mechanisms. The low speed of 70 RPMs means that your fruits and vegetables are not being heated up by the juicer, and thus does not damage the quality of the juice. Output of juice on this machine is reportedly higher than the average juicer, which can be an important factor for you to consider.

A 10 year manufacturer’s warranty backs up the value and quality of this product. Watch the following video and see for yourself.

Related posts:

1. Juicer Machine Guide
2. Hurom Slow Juicer

Juice cleansing really isn’t something you should decide to do today and start the very next day. Your body, your mind, and your refrigerator need some preparation. Here are a few things to remember when planning your juice cleanse:

Set the date – Plan to do a cleanse on the weekend or during a period of low stress.  Set this date to begin about a week or more in the future to allow yourself enough time to get used to the idea and follow through with the steps below.

Get rid of toxins – You might think that by juicing you’re removing all toxins, but think again.  Do you consume alcohol, caffeine, red meat or dairy?  These are sources of toxins and if you continue to eat these, you’ll hinder your cleansing process. To help your body cleanse, begin eliminating these things from your diet a week before the cleanse.

The mental zone – Your state of mind can either make or break your success with a juice cleanse.  During your cleanse, once your hunger has subsided, your mind may still think it needs food.  Prepare for this possibility with daily affirmations.  Have faith that you will be able to finish the cleanse.

Equipment and recipes – You will need a juice machine to make the juice.  This is different from a blender.  A juice machine separates the juice from the fiber.  If this is your first cleanse, you may be wondering about recipes.  You can find some recipes on my site here, or consider purchasing a book of recipes.  The one I recommend is called The Juicing Bible.

Prepare your fruits and vegetables – It’s best to shop for your produce a day or so in advance.  You can wash the vegetables and cut most of them so they’ll be ready to make juice on the spot.  Remember to cut them into sizes that will fit into your juicer.

Recently ABC News aired a short report on the dos and don’ts of detox. Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder highlighted the fad detox methods such as the Master Cleanse, Oprah’s cleanse, and detox foot pads claiming that each of them are shocks to the system which stir up surface level toxins but don’t eliminate them. Kimberly recommends (as I do), to drink one green juice or green smoothie every day. If you think of the word cleanse as a verb it helps you remember that detoxing is an ongoing process. Here’s Kimberly’s recipe followed by the video.

Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups water
1 head romaine
4 stalks celery
1/3 bunch cilantro
1/3 bunch parsley
1/2 lemon, peeled
2 apples
2 pears
1 banana

Put all in a blender and mix. This recipe may be halved for 1-2 servings.

Note: To prepare this drink in the juicer, eliminate the water and banana.

Video source: ABC Detox Report

For more great juice recipes check out one of my favorite books, The Juicing Bible

Summer is a good time to do a single food cleanse.  There are so many great fruits available in the summer.  In this video Dr. Mark Brinson explains how to do a watermelon juice cleanse for a short period of 24-48 hours.
Watermelon has many benefits and contains lots of antioxidants – vitamin c, beta carotene, vitamin a and lycopene.  It also acts as a diuretic to help cleanse the kidneys and as an anti-inflammatory.  It is not necessary to put the watermelon into the juicer machine.  Simply eat the melon when you feel hungry and continue to drink water throughout the cleansing process.