Should you Suja?

If you haven’t noticed, Suja organic juices are everywhere…I’ve been seeing them in the refrigerated section at Target and more and more grocery stores.  And it’s no wonder. Suja is the fastest growing organic, cold pressured beverage company in the US.

So, should you Suja?

Or should you just make your own green drink?

Really, they’re both good options!  Suja is cold-pressured, a method of production that does not require heat.  The beneficial enzymes. vitamins and minerals of the fresh, raw veggies and fruits are preserved.   The Suja products that I have seen on store shelves are all juices, meaning the fiber is removed.

The benefit of this is that the nutrients are absorbed very quickly into the body.  The drawback is that you are missing out on the fiber, which helps your digestive system and also slows down the absorption of the sugars in the juice.

Even though I love making my own green drinks, I had to try a Suja!  I bought several bottles of Uber Greens, described as a “delicious combination of nutrient dense leafy greens, tangy citrus and revitalizing mint tea.”   Specifically, Uber Greens contains the juices of cucumber, celery, grapefruit, green chard, green leaf lettuce, lemon, kale, spinach and parsley, along with peppermint and spearmint tea.  Damn…that’s a lot of veggies!

The sweetest thing in this is the tiny bit of grapefruit juice.  I personally enjoyed the taste, but I am used to drinking things pretty green!  The mint tea added a nice touch, and that is something I might try in my smoothies at home (or maybe fresh mint…even better!)

The other drink in my hand is my own smoothie, made in my Vitamix.  The ingredients are a whole lime with just the outer peel removed, a hunk of fresh ginger (didn’t even peel it!) and several generous handfuls of organic arugula.  I added a big splash of water and blended until it was totally smooth.  Also very green and tart, but I love it.

So, back to my question…should you Suja?

I think there is something to be said for making your own fresh green drinks.  And I don’t need a million different ingredients.  I usually throw three or four things in the Vitamix and call it a day.  I vary the greens every few days…I’ll use up a pack of arugula, and move on to baby kale, then maybe spinach or watercress.  When I make them in my Vitamix I’m retaining all the fiber.  I’ll make a really big one in the am, and sip it while I am getting ready for the day.  (Along with my magical coffee blended with Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides and Nutiva Coconut Oil.)  I usually set some aside in a mason jar in the fridge and drink it later in the day.

But maybe you don’t feel like doing all this.  Or maybe you’re traveling.  I think there is definitely a place for Suja.  I love the idea that an organic, cold pressed juice is so readily available.  It’s definitely less expensive to make your own green drinks.  A bottle of Suja retails for around $4.  But it’s a much better choice than many other things you could be drinking.

Just be sure to read the label…the Uber greens had only 6 grams of sugar.  Some of the others, like Sweet Beets, are much higher.  Without the fiber and some high quality fat to slow things down, this could be too much sugar for some people, even though it is made with highly nutritious ingredients.

Oh, and one more benefit that I have noticed with green drinks.  Sounds crazy, but the more I drink of these, even the pretty bitter ones, the less I crave sweets.  That’s why it’s great to have one in the fridge for later in the afternoon, when those sugar cravings seem to hit.

So, can Suja help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  I think all fresh green drinks can!  You will be happy with a refreshing drink that you know is doing something great for your body.  As far as healthy, when you blend or juice greens, you end up consuming a greater quantity than you would if you had to chew them.  So you are getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to support your health.  And they are bursting with vitamin C and chlorophyll, both of which support skin health.  If you replace some heavy meals or snacks with a green drink, you might even lose some weight.  And that glowing skin and gorgeous body…well that’s very hot!

I always love hearing from my happy, healthy and hot friends!  Are you drinking anything green?