I am wondering if anyone has used this method, for let's say, romaine, celery, or any other item.

How efficient is it compared to an omega or greenstar?

Do you need to add fluid for the juicing effect, if the blender works dry?? (I hear even the vitamix wet container will do fine dry).

How easy, time consuming, etc would it be?

Would be good to know....

Blend super fine, put in bag, and squeeze out into a bowl or pitcher... The question is how much can you get out before you are just squeezing the juice back into other sections of pulp, obviously a press would be the best but I am speaking about hands/whatever is lying around (any ideas?)

When I had a Norwalk Press Juicer, I always had
problems squeezing the juice through a nylon bag, even though
it was Food grade. It still put a funny taste into the juice.
I imagine blending and squeezing would be much the same...not
the best quality juice....WY

I've done it before, and I'm doing it right now on my fast--I have a real emergency in my body to take care of and have no juicer. I always add some water to the blender, which I've read is good to do anyway, especially for very sweet juices. I've used some nutmilk bags, but also some old cotton cloth for straining - generally your patience decides how wet the remaining pulp will be. I know that angela stokes at rawreform used the blender/nutmilk bag thing for her entire 92 day juice feast, so I don't think it is that uncommon.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/10/2009 05:57AM by wild-aloe.

Geez, I dont have the patience for that nutmilk thing. I get cramps in my hand and barely any juice. We have a hydraulic press, which doesnt do the greatest job with most smoothies either. I really commend you for doing it this way, aloe. While I juice I try to load the juice up with good energies. When squeezing that bag you can do that even more directly!!

Heal up quickly and no pain!

Thanks cocoa, you're right that squeezing it out can be a meditative process, a time to think while I squeeze out the juice, and I think it has been a peaceful experience - one where I'm not thinking so much about how my body feels. I'm finding pineapple juice (thankfully they are local and thus cheap) helps make me pretty much pain-free and able to live, though my strange (the doctors have know idea what is wrong and just point out that I seem to be very healthy in all their tests) condition may require me to try eating something, too. Good luck with your fast; I see you've made it to 36 days, which is wonderful!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2009 08:36AM by wild-aloe.

Thanks for the responses, WY, coco, and wild-aloe, they are much appreciated.

I too have mysterious health issues, well, semi-mysterious, and no clear answers, but I have some labels, hypotheses, and theories.

80-10-10 with green juices seems to be doing the best, and perhaps carrot if it was mixed with enough fiber to not absorb too fast. There is the science behind the absorption of sugars, and not as much behind fiber blocking absorption of nutrients. I have not tried long term juice fasts, but am looking forward to a water fast when I can. I am experimenting to let experience show me. Do you sip sweet juices slowly? How much fluid do you consume at once?

I am perhaps interested in the omega 8006, someone in need has my greenstar, I have a centrifugal, and a vita-mix.

I have put items through the centrifugal, and then into a nut milk bag, and this seems to work well, I did not notice any strange taste but have not done this extensively. I would like to test it with the vita-mix, some say it has a similar time requirement overall as a juicer. I could try to put the carrot pulp in, which comes out a slight amount moister of my centrifugal, but when I squeeze in my hand, very hard, a single drop may fall but most remains on my hand. As far as romaine, I did get about half a cup extra, out of 3-4 cups or so total. I am not sure if the vitamix would have a better outcome, I imagine it would chop finer, and more thoroughly, and adding water would increase the efficiency as well since any leftover fluid would be a mixture. It would dilute the juice however. Indeed, if one has athritis or hand problems, it may be more of a problem, how well does the manual press work? I figured this might be a great alternative, if you blend, put in a bag, and press, cleaning the bag has been easy for me, and I have a 1 dollar paint strainer, though would upgrade if I stuck to this process, though I am more heavily considering the omega 8006. There are videos of some using the blender and nut milk bag with apparent great results, even for wheatgrass. They do add water, except for the wheat grass vid. Kevin Gianni, the only vid of his I've seen, juices a whole ton of stuff; blind guru, juices the wheatgrass.

Perhaps I will go try this now.

I even though of getting a manual, but I like to juice a couple lbs of romaine, sometimes other greens, celery, and sometimes carrots though I still have concerns with sweet juices.

Health to you all,

Ebhak



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2009 05:38PM by Ebhak.

I'm glad the 80-10-10 and green juices seems to be helping you against those mysteries. I'm of the opinion now that I just had an IBS flareup from relapsing into overeating extremely fatty/salty/acidic raw salads. Anyway, when I juice, I think it is about 24 ounces of fluid at a time - it could be more, and I think I did drink too much/too fast of a cucumber ginger juice today. I do try not to drink sweet juices too quickly, except for pineapple, because Dr. Flora advised everyone years ago on this board to drink it quickly because it turns to pure acid within five minutes or so of juicing.

Good Luck.

I spent quite some time yesterday, I tried the centrifugal, and it seemed to get a good amount of the romaine juiced, but some wasn't chopped finely, and there were larger pieces. I put it in the vitamix, and it wouldn't blend without adding water. I wonder if it is bad for the blender when it is spinning but not "engaging". This happens when blending frozen items too, I have to use the tamper or add water esp in the case of the greens, or a mixture depending. Anyone know? When I squeeze it out, i had to use a lot of one hand squeezing on individual handfuls to get it actually "dry", and the juice was watered down.

Glad I ordered the omega.