We’re in love with Megan Markey’s adorable food blog, Whole Family Fare. Finding your way through the blogosphere can, at times, be as daunting  as a Barney’s warehouse sale – so much hunting, so few treasures. We love doing some of that hunting for you by bringing you stories from a few of our own favorite bloggers. Whole Family Fare is an intimate little site by a mother and home cook who whips up raw and vegan treats that are simple, seasonal and accessible. Here are Megan’s insights and recipes on juicing for a fresh and clean New Year.

If you’re new to juicing, incorporating it into your everyday life can seem a bit daunting. With the holidays behind you and 2013 just beginning, now is the perfect time for a fresh start. Here are just a few reasons you should consider drinking raw juice daily:

Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from fruits and vegetables. You’ve probably heard that juice goes directly to your bloodstream because it lacks fiber to slow its digestion. This is true, but that’s also precisely the reason it can be a healthful part of your diet – it’s quick, pre-digested energy and nutrients for you body. In other words, your body doesn’t have to work to digest the fiber of the fruits and vegetables, so you’ll get the maximum nutrition, without any waste.

It’s satisfying. Since it’s bursting with nutrients and enzymes your body craves, it will keep you satisfied longer. The typical diet is full of empty carbohydrates and sugars, which have very little nutrition. When you drink vegetable juice, it provides your body with the fuel it needs, which in turn keeps you feeling full longer.

It’s easier than you think. Most people are pleasantly surprised by how easy juicing actually is. Yes, juicers are notoriously painful to clean and they can make quite a mess, but it doesn’t have to be that way. It usually takes me about 30 minutes (from start to finish) to make my daily juice and clean my juicer. Just 30 minutes. Once you start, I think you’ll find that the benefit far outweighs the cost.

These three juice recipes are great for beginners, because the taste is more mild and palatable than the vegetable juice you may have tried in the past. Once you’ve become accustomed to the taste, try reducing the sweeter fruits, like apples, and focusing more on veggies and low-sugar fruits such as lemons and limes.

Cheers to your health!

Ultimate Green Juice

I drink this juice daily, and with good reason. The base is celery, which is a little known nutritional powerhouse. It’s loaded with potassium, folic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and essential amino acids. On top of all that, it’s one of the most alkalinizing things you can put in your body. To the celery, I add kale, green apple, parsley, lime, lemon and ginger, creating an extremely potent, detoxifying cocktail.

1 bunch celery
4-5 kale leaves (preferably lacinato)
1 green apple
one big handful of flat leaf parsley leaves
1 lime
1 lemon
1 inch of fresh ginger

Beet, Apple and Blackberry Juice

Beet juice is a powerful cleanser of the blood, and highly nutritious. It’s full of folate, manganese potassium, iron and Vitamin C. To the beets, I add apples, blackberries and ginger, creating a deep red and delicious elixir.

3 small beets
2-3 apples
8 oz. blackberries
1/2 inch fresh ginger

Carrot, Golden Beet and Orange Juice

Carrot juice is full of vitamins E and B, beta carotene and various minerals. Oranges are bursting with vitamin C, which is oh-so important in these winter months. Golden beets are rich in potassium and calcium, two vital minerals.

4 carrots
2 golden beets
3 cara cara navels
1/2 inch of fresh ginger