Are Welch's fruit juices raw?

[mikeshafer]

Here at work my raw options for drinking during the day are:

Water
Green tea (ok it's heated, but it's pretty damn healthy and it's just heated tea leaves)
Welch's Juices (orange, grape, grapefruit, apple -- all "100% juice")

forbidden:
Sodas galore (diet included)
Coffee
Hot Chocolate

Obviously I would never touch the sodas anymore and the taste of them is pretty nasty to me nowadays (I had a regular mountain dew a few days after having been non-raw and it tasted like I was drinking tablespoons of sugar straight up). But are Welch's drinks bad? They are from concentrate and they have "ascorbic acid (vitamin C)" in the ingredients list.

[Veganforlife]

No. Welches has been processed. Rule of thumb? Unless it says raw somewhere on the packaging? It's not. Usually anything in a can or jar is not raw. Some exceptions - raw olives.

[mikeshafer]

Damn! I guess it's green tea and water for me. I just hate feeling sooooooo tired all the time during my raw days.

[Veganforlife]

Awwwww - how long have you been raw?
Why not make your own juice?

[Veganforlife]

I bet if you start drinking green smoothies - I bet 'cha in a week's time you will start to have tons of energy!!!
I'll bet 'cha a buck!!! A whole buck!
Seriously - GS's are the way to go!

[mikeshafer]

I can't drink green smoothies.... I can't have a juicer in my place (gf won't let me). I'm moving out this month and a nice juicer is #1 on my list.

[Veganforlife]

Dude! Wha???? Whadda ya mean SHE WON'T LET ME? Oh my! Listen up dawg!!! You get a damn juicer and/or blender and start drinking raw drinks! That's bull!!!
sorry, but that's just silly. Someone won't LET someone have an applicance. Give me a break!

[Damzlfly]

lol that could be why he's moving out?! Is there an X b4 the gf? :p

[mikeshafer]

Let me elaborate. It's HER place and it's only 550 sq ft for two of us and two pets -- NOT a lot of room.

I blended smoothies every morning (bananas and strawberries) but it was just so hard to get greens into my diet other than my salad at lunch. She said the juicers are huge and take up way too much real estate on the kitchen top, which is already overflowing.

I'm moving out because we need more space, and again the first purchase in my new place is a juicer so I can actually make green smoothies. From what I've read, ALL raw dieters MUST have green smoothies/lemonade in some form or another. This may be the reason my raw diet failed to produce energy?

[Veganforlife]

Yep - you got it! Now I understand more clearly. Thanks...

[Solace]

+ Juice should be drank asap, idealy within 15 min. Any juice you buy in a carton or freezer is not good ever. Sometimes you can get organic local juices in the fruit and veggie area of a store but even those have been sitting and the vitamins are diminished. Fresh is always best if you want Raw to work for you.:)

[Veganforlife]

ALL raw dieters MUST have green smoothies/lemonade in some form or another. This may be the reason my raw diet failed to produce energy?

You will learn Grasshopper!!!

[tweety]

Hi Mike,
If you are looking for a raw beverage on the go, try looking up Kombucha or Synergy drinks.
They are raw and superbly delicious!

http://www.gtskombucha.com/

also, what i do to have a green smoothie during the day...
I put all my contents in the blender and store in the fridge over night.
Then in the morning I blend it. I dont have time to pull out the spinach and avocado and celery to make my smoothie everyday in the morning, so i just set it up overnight.

As for juice... I know some say you have to drink within 15 minutes, but i was juicing for 2 weeks and made the juice at night, stored in a plastic chug container and drank first thing int he morning .

Hey... with life on the go... there has to be some compromise somewhere.
Our society is not supportive of our lifestyle so you have to make it work for you.

Tweety

[Sharon in Colorado]

From what I've read, ALL raw dieters MUST have green smoothies/lemonade in some form or another.

Not so. If you get plenty of greens with your fruit, you'll get the same effect. You can do the same by throwing greens in like spinach, parsley, celery, etc. into your blender right now. You don't have to juice anything if you don't want to. I use orange juice, this can be done with a small citrus reamer that fits in a drawer but you can also use water as a liquid base for your smoothie.

There are many, many people who do great without green smoothies, because they are eating large amounts of green vegetables, salads, celery, etc. So it is not mandatory to make green smoothies. I do make them daily for my family, but others get by with different methods of getting their green intake.

It is totally unnecessary to juice greens, again, just throw them in the blender whole with your fruit.

I'm editing in my recipe for you:

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (you can use any fresh juice, coconut water or filtered water as the base)
4 ripe *spotted* bananas
Big handful greens - spinach, parsley, kale, celery, etc.
~blend down on low~
Add in frozen fruit - I like frozen mangoes, strawberries, peaches etc. I usually use about 2 cups of frozen fruit. You can use fresh fruit here too.
~blend, or pulse on high until smooth~

This will make between 4-6 cups of smoothie for you. I put mine in a quart jar with a plastic screw on lid and drink it after working out. You can take this to work with you and whatever's left give to the ex-GF or pets.

[mikeshafer]

I read in another raw book that blending and juicing produce different results: the blender obviously blends everything up into one soup, while the juicer separates the fiber out and leaves only the more liquid juice. From all the work I've read, it really does appear that greens are so essential to the diet, and juicing happens to be an easy way to deliver them. I guess the question for me is how much green?

I remember also reading that the optimal raw diet was somewhere around 70% fruit, 25% greens and 5% nuts. While I understand the nuts being low, I don't know how the figures for the 70-25 fruit:green percentages were determined.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I don't personally juice greens, I feel it is a waste of the food. I do juice citrus, and my husband juices carrots and apples, which yields a lot of juice.

I just don't think juicing greens is necessary. Some people will do stuff like wheat grass juice, but that is a whole different thing. There really is little need to be juicing greens, celery and lettuces when you should be eating them whole.

And it's funny too, cause some people end up using the pulp in recipes later on - HUH? :confused: Why not eat the whole thing now, and then you don't have to find a use for the pulp later.

[Sharon in Colorado]

I remember also reading that the optimal raw diet was somewhere around 70% fruit, 25% greens and 5% nuts. While I understand the nuts being low, I don't know how the figures for the 70-25 fruit:green percentages were determined.

It is probably determined calorically. But the greens sound awefully high if that is the case. If you are getting in 4-6% greens in your diet calorically, you'd be eating 1-2 heads of lettuce per 2000 calories, thereabouts.

[mikeshafer]

OK, I'm very interested in green smoothies but perhaps I'm not making them in the right proportions or I'm not having enough of them. One of the green blends I made was kale + bananas, and I also added pear to this blend. It was pretty good but of course the little pieces of kale got into my braces and were hard to get out. What other green smoothies are easy to make in a blender?

How often would you have the smoothies? I would usually have 1 for breakfast and then I'd have a salad at lunch. Around 2 or 3 PM I'd want to take a nap because I was so tired. I could probably prepare a green smoothie and bring it to work and store it in the fridge for a few hours, but I felt a lot WEAKER on this diet which was the reason I throttled back from 100% down to maybe 50 or 60%.

[Veganforlife]

I read in another raw book that blending and juicing produce different results: the blender obviously blends everything up into one soup, while the juicer separates the fiber out and leaves only the more liquid juice. From all the work I've read, it really does appear that greens are so essential to the diet, and juicing happens to be an easy way to deliver them. I guess the question for me is how much green?

I remember also reading that the optimal raw diet was somewhere around 70% fruit, 25% greens and 5% nuts. While I understand the nuts being low, I don't know how the figures for the 70-25 fruit:green percentages were determined.

You know? I don't worry about counting numbers or percentages of this or that anymore. I feel I am eating so much better then I did before and my variety is awesome. I was Vegetarian for 26 years, Vegan for 2 and now raw for 10 months. The days of worry if I'm getting enough percentage of fruits versus greens, versus nuts is over. I eat a huge, wide variety and have never, ever felt this good. My migraines have been cured and my thyroid has reversed from being hypOthyroid to hypERthyroid, although I don't have any of the symptoms of being hyper. I have some nuts (in some form) every day. I have lots of fruits (in some form) every day. I have lots of greens (in some form) every day.
I feel good.
I feel alive.
I sleep well.
I think well.
I am well.

[Conscious Midwife]

I DItto Sharon

I always jsut beldn my greens.

My juicer is a $40 version from Kmart so it's best for apples and carrots and celery. I haven't even tried juicing greens in it.

I even just blend my wheat grass, though I know some folks have said not to ingest the actual grass. I just drink it down anyway.

Even on SAD days in the past;) I would blend wheat grass and feel prety good especially with a grass, banana and OJ combo.

[andypdx]

No. Welches has been processed. Rule of thumb? Unless it says raw somewhere on the packaging? It's not.
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1529/whawr4.jpg

Well, sadly, we cannot even take wording like this for granted either. When a company says raw, what they really mean is...well whatever they want really. Although I definitely disagree with this practice, it seems that most companies will do whatever it takes to have you hand over the cash. BUYER BEWARE!

[spicyfull]

I carry a Thermal Lunch Box with me, keeping my drink and food handy.........

[luckitri]

Where I work there are about 10 microwaves in the lunchroom. For a minute I had a raw co-worker and she wanted to make her green juices for lunch. They threw a fit and would not allow it. We have a huge lunchroom since hundreds of people work there on staggered shifts but SAD electrical use is condoned. RAW electrical use is not.

I have taken to munching on my greens while at work. However I have learned that these days they do get stuck in my teeth so that means I have to bring the floss as well. I don't like smoothies and my green juices were not staying fresh. I had good luck blending fresh orange juice with a banana - that would seem to stay fresh the longest. . . but right now it is too high in sugar for me.

[Veganforlife]

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/1529/whawr4.jpg

Well, sadly, we cannot even take wording like this for granted either. When a company says raw, what they really mean is...well whatever they want really. Although I definitely disagree with this practice, it seems that most companies will do whatever it takes to have you hand over the cash. BUYER BEWARE!

You are right - I retrack that statement. My bad. I guess I'm from the "old school", you knowing trusting people, companies, and foolish things like that.

New rule of thumb - when in doubt - CALL THE COMPANY and even THAT won't get you a totally truthful answer.

Newest rule of thumb - grow your own...

[Veganforlife]

Where I work there are about 10 microwaves in the lunchroom. For a minute I had a raw co-worker and she wanted to make her green juices for lunch. They threw a fit and would not allow it. We have a huge lunchroom since hundreds of people work there on staggered shifts but SAD electrical use is condoned. RAW electrical use is not.

HUH? Who do you work for - the government?