Juice your way to better health

Two and a half years ago, Lacey Rentschler purchased a $100 juicer from Bed, Bath and Beyond, and says since then, her life has changed for the better. The new mom discovered juicing vegetables and fruits on a regular basis not only helped her skin glow and gave her more energy, but also has helped her get some of the best sleep of her life.

Today, Rentschler owns Sunstone Health and Wellness in Indianapolis and Greenwood, where she offers traditional clinical counseling to her patients as well as tips on living a healthier lifestyle.

“I find a lot of people are resistant to fruits and vegetables, and what I found with juicing, it is an easy way to get more green and leafy vegetables in,” said Rentschler. “It’s easy to introduce those things to people through juice, as it’s more of a psychological experience.”

Her juicing journey began after participating in a health-related class, where she was first exposed to the film, “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.” The documentary, now on Netflix, follows a morbidly obese man with endeavors to drink only fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days in an effort to lose weight and reclaim his health.

Once she became pregnant, Rentschler began incorporating ginger into her juices to combat nausea.

“It really does fill me up, and I feel as if I’m getting enough nutrition,” said Rentschler, who admits using a juicer for the first time can be intimidating.

Manuel Villacorta, founder of Eating Free, a weight management program, warns juicers should also remember juicing should not replace eating fruits and vegetables altogether. Also, it is important not to incorporate too many fruits into the process due to the high amounts of sugar and calories.

“You could be taking up to four fruits, and now the calories start adding up. If you use vegetables to juice, the calories are a lot less. If they use mainly vegetables, add an apple or kiwi for flavor. Calories are a concern if it’s pure fruit juice,” said Villacorta.

One of the reasons juicing has become so popular is due to the belief that it can help one lose weight. Natural Born Juicers, a local juice bar located on Massachusetts Avenue, offers several juice cleansing programs.

Nutritionist Jennifer Barr said consuming only juice for extended periods of time could backfire.

“If you’re doing a juicing diet, you’ll be so tempted to eat something like a cake or doughnut because you’ve restricted yourself,” said Barr.

Rentschler believes those who consume strictly juice only for five days or more should be supervised under the care of a doctor.

“Juicing is really easy and you can get creative. If you make something and you don’t like it, simply add in something that you do like, because you have that flexibility,” mentioned Rentschler.

Juicers on the shelves

Black and Decker 400-watt Juice Extractor ($34.99)

Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite Juicer ($299)

Breville JE900 Juice Fountain Professional Juice Extractor ($129)

Hamilton Beach Juice Extractor 67602 ($50)

Oklife Okl6063 Stainless Steel Juicer ($170)

√Omega J8004 Juicer ($259)

Sunpentown Juicer ($95)

Places to find fresh juices in Indy

Le Nectar

1228 W. 86th St.

Indianapolis, IN 46260

Natural Born Juicers

865 Massachusetts Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Raw Juice

5025 E. 82nd St.

Indianapolis, IN 46250

The Garden Table

908 E. Westfield Blvd.

Indianapolis, IN 46220

Twenty Two Juicery & Smoothie Bar

(Inside City Market)

222 E. Market St.

Indianapolis, IN 46204