Cold-Pressed Juicing for Migraines – Spotlight Juicer, Nicole Boyle

In today’s blog, I get to highlight my favorite aspect of working at PURE Juicer, and that is seeing people’s transformations and witnessing how juicing changes lives for the better. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Boyle who tells her story about getting started with juicing, improving her migraines, and sharing her passion for wellness with loved ones. In this conversation, Nicole takes us through her juicing journey, while debunking misconceptions, exploring new recipes, and discovering great improvements to her health. We’ll learn how Nicole seamlessly incorporates juicing into her weekly routine, reaping the amazing health benefits, and sharing these joyful moments with her precious daughter!

Link to YouTube Video Interview: https://youtu.be/YIg_bcX4NbA

– Hello everybody. Jen Longtin here from PURE Juicer. I am so excited to have Nicole Boyle with us today. She is the co-founder of The Social Headquarters out on the east coast. She has a daughter, and an amazing story about juicing and it’s help with her migraines. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Nicole for close to two years now. Welcome, Nicole!

NB

– Yes! I’m excited to be here and to talk about juicing and everything. It’s definitely been a fun thing to do with my daughter, Olivia. It’s a fun way for us to bond as well as all the health benefits. So, I’m excited!

JL

People aren’t here to listen to me. They want to hear your story. So, if you could share your story about juicing and what it was like before and now that you’re juicing and what you’ve noticed since you’ve started. I think that would be perfect.

NB

Yeah, definitely. So I got started juicing consistently over this past winter. When we were having a conversation, I was telling you about how I was getting a ton of migraines and they were getting so bad, to the point where I would just be done for the day and nothing really worked for it. So I started juicing and I made it more of a consistent thing. In the beginning it was a few times per week and now I’m at the point where I try to, at least Monday through Friday, always have like one to two cold-pressed juices each day. And I know it’s getting better, it’s really good!  I feel like over these past few months I’ve seen so many different changes. So when I first started I was the type of person that would go to Starbucks every morning, grab my refresher or a coffee and start my day. And now it’s become grabbing the juice out of my fridge. I feel like that benefit has been huge and my headaches have been starting to get better and things like that. I feel like it’s helping on that side as well. It’s definitely been awesome!

JL

That’s amazing. What I love too is that you were somewhat reluctant in the beginning. Pain motivates us all. I’m so glad that it turned into a positive. There’s something that’s interesting too is that when I started juicing, I was not vegan. But when I started to juice, I lost all interest in meat. Like I did not crave it. And when I smelled it, I did not want it. And the only thing that was different was juicing.

So it doesn’t surprise me at all that, you know, for you with the caffeine, that your body just doesn’t want it anymore. I also love that you listen to your body and that it’s like, I’m good.

NB

Right. Especially ’cause once you get started into juicing, you learn about all the health benefits of fruits, vegetables, and all these things. So you’re like, I could have this in the morning and start my day off good, as opposed to like a coffee or something that’s loaded with sugar and stuff like that. So yeah, it’s definitely been something that I’m trying to stay consistent with.

JL

What juices are you making these days? What are your go-tos or your favorite?

NB

I’ll say my go-to one is definitely always beet, pineapple and ginger. It’s just one of the ones that I liked from the get-go. I think previously I thought juicing had to taste gross and like it was your typical cold-pressed green juice. It was never something that I thought would be good. So I first had pineapple juice, beet juice and ginger and I just love it. I make that religiously, every single week just because for me, with being so busy, just having my go-to one, you learn how to make it, it’s quick, it’s fast. But then I sometimes add in celery, lemon, limes or carrot and apples is another big one that I do. So those would kind of be my go-to, it’s really good.

JL

Then Olivia, your daughter who’s three, loves to juice. I have the cutest video of you guys, like the pineapple. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen because she snuck it, right?

NB

Yeah, literally. So I record myself juicing and I was rewatching one of the times we did it and her new thing is now licking the pineapple ’cause she loves to, when we have all the beets and everything all grinded up, she likes to be the one to put it on top of the pineapple before we wrap it up. And so I was doing something over on the press and I re-watched the video and she’s licking all the pineapples! So if you ever get juice made from us…😂

 Her favorite is definitely pineapple strawberry. Of course, being a kid that’s kind of like her go-to. But I’ve taken that pineapple strawberry and turned it into freeze pops for her.

JL

That’s amazing. I bet if you throw some greens into it, even some softer ones like spinach or romaine – it’s so light and watery that it’s a great one to add in there. If you can add celery or romaine to that I think that would be wonderful.

And it’s really good, it’s got a high level of  protein. Mimi Kirk in her book says that it’s got one of the highest levels of protein of any green.

NB

Yeah. So I’ll have to do that next. We just juiced this morning and as soon as she knows I take the bags out of the freezer she instantly pulls up her stool to the counter and gets ready to juice. She has to be the one to fold it and do everything. It’s definitely become a good way for us to bond which is awesome because I never anticipated her being interested in the thing. So yeah, it’s really cool!

JL

You can get comfortable juicing with a PURE Juicer because it looks complicated, but…What was the learning curve like for you?

NB

Yeah, I want to say it’s a lot more intimidating at first and then maybe a week or so into it you get more comfortable. You get more comfortable with the dial when you turn it up to press and just know what to do at first. So I would say probably within the first month it just became faster and second nature.

But that’s also why in the beginning I stuck with like a few recipes just to get familiar with doing those. So it became faster, especially with juicing in the morning. I just want to make sure it’s fast and things go well.

JL

Yeah, good for you! That’s about right. And everything can be done the same or it can be done differently depending on how you like to do it. I mean I like to have the best experience for each thing so I like to switch it up and adjust based on that. But it also doesn’t have to be like that either. You can stick with your 10 grid or whichever one you like the best.

NB

Yeah I think that’s one of the other misconceptions that I had before which was that there were set instructions you had to follow. But it’s not the case. Like you said, the juicer’s so good in the sense that you can find what works for you. Of course there are the guidelines and things like that but it makes it so simple. Sometimes I just see what’s left in my fridge and put things together and again you get familiar with either the bags or the clothes and you find what works. I feel it’s a lot easier than what I thought beforehand. It’s not a set plan or anything that you have to follow too much, which makes it easy.

JL

For anyone getting started and I would say with juicing in general, because you were new to juicing as well as new to PURE. What did you learn or what would you tell yourself before PURE Juicer and before you started juicing, about getting started and to get yourself started sooner or to take the fear away from it?

NB

I think that it isn’t going to take as much time as you think. It can easily flow in my schedule. Especially with having Olivia getting out the door fast in the morning. Especially with owning a business, it can fit right into my schedule easily. Typically on Sundays I’ll make cold-pressed juice for the first half of the week and then Wednesdays or Thursdays making juice for the second half. And it’s just what works. Honestly, just get started finding a recipe or two in the beginning. I think another important thing is to just try a bunch of different things until you find something that you like. I remember one of the first recipes I did when I first made the beet ginger and pineapple juice, I put too much beet and it was just way too much. But you learn as you go and figure out the amounts you need. I like to taste-test as I go. So that’s what works best.

JL

Tasting changes over time too, because what you taste a lot you get used to and then you can take a little bit more especially with beets. Beets and ginger, right? Starting off small, you’re like, ooh, I kind of like that bite. Or I like that extra earthy flavor or something.

NB

And the other thing that’s changed, that I didn’t anticipate changing, I was never one to add beets or ginger to anything. And now ‘cause of the health benefits, I remember learning from you, to have beets more often. So I think that was a big motivator. But now I actually, like you said, enjoy the taste and I look forward to the ginger. When I run outta ginger I’m like, ugh, this juice isn’t going to be as good!

JL

Right and you think about nitric oxide, which is really high in beets and how that helps open your blood vessels. And that’s known mainly for cardiovascular but also for all of the vasculature in your brain as well. So if you can do anything to naturally give your body some relief in the pressure as well as the anti-inflammatories of the ginger. I mean, what a great combination. And I love that you intuitively created that and that’s your go-to cold pressed juice. I love that. And I absolutely believe that our bodies know what we need. And that’s such a great suggestion to just try a bunch of things too. ’cause you don’t know what you need until you try it.

NB

Yeah, exactly. And you just kind of find something that you like the taste of and you just kind of, again, just keep making it and keep going. And of course, PURE’s Instagram page is huge, it comes with a little cookbook of recipes and things like that. So that’s also super helpful, especially when coming up with different ideas. 

JL

You’ll have to try some of the mocktails. I don’t remember if we put beet in any of them but we did one with cherries, fig and pears. So when you have your next social HQ event or a retreat or something, you can make a bunch of that and sip on it. It’s got such great flavor. You don’t even need spices or anything but you certainly can if you want to.

NB

I’ll definitely try that! I know sometimes when I go to meet my mom in the morning…She watches Olivia during the day and I’ll make her juice. I think the other fun part is getting to make other people stuff. I wouldn’t say I do that too often but definitely when I get to, it’s awesome.

JL

Yeah, those are all my favorite things. Like when you get to do it with your kids, share it with the people that you love. I started juicing for my parents too and now they’re eating more vegetables and fruits than ever before. And that’s just amazing when we as women put our health first all of a sudden it starts to extend to all of the people that we care about.

NB

It’s so true. And that’s also something I wanted Olivia to see me prioritizing some of these things. It just seemed like such a fluid way to do it by including her in and getting to go through kind of all of this. It’s definitely kick-started a wellness journey too, which is really cool.

JL

So cool. I’m so happy for you! Were there any surprises about PURE Juicer that you had a conception as, maybe it was too complicated, it would be too messy, or anything in your mind that surprised you now that you juice as often as you do?

NB

Yes, I would say in the beginning when I first got it, I remember thinking cleaning it was going to be hard.  But now it’s honestly so quick. You just take the different parts off, quickly rinse them, and it’s so fast. It doesn’t take long at all, just a few minutes. That was definitely something I was like, “Wow this is a lot easier and not as time consuming as I was thinking it would be.” Which is awesome. And the other thing I still feel surprised at after all these months is how much juice comes out!  When you use the PURE and for pineapples as you know, you put it in the cloth and fold it and then you keep folding it. Olivia and I are just like, “oh my God, look, more juice!”  That’s another huge benefit is how strong the press is.

JL

Oh my gosh, I can’t wait. I’ve got a huge watermelon that I’m about to press and it’s just going to be a continuum. 

Yes.

More, there’s more.

NB

Yeah you literally just want to get every last little bit. It becomes like this prized possession and you don’t want to waste anything.

JL

You don’t, because you don’t have to. You get to do it as many times as you want. If you’re too busy you don’t have to and you’re still ahead. So that’s what I always tell myself.

 Is there anything else that you want to share about juicing, health, your experience, PURE Juicer, anything else? This has been so helpful and so interesting.

NB

I know the time has flown by! I would just say one other little tip – if you’re just getting started, have the periodic table chart. I feel like that became my best friend in the beginning just to look up, if I want to add lemon, what grid do I need to use? What’s the best way to do it? That honestly saved so much time. I feel for me, who wants to do things like I said by a set plan, just made it so easy to do so.

JL

I’ve been using the periodic table more and more and I really love the change that we had. We just added sexual health, and I feel like for the younger generations where there’s just so much change that’s happened that it’s not just for performance but it’s for reproductive health. I’m really, really excited to have that on there. I’m thrilled to have watermelon in there and beets.

Beets are so good together. I also love that we’ve shifted away from sort of cancer prevention and more focused on full body health.

Much more of a mentality for me, a more positive focus. Full body health is the same idea of getting rid of the things that no longer serve your body. I would’ve never, so jackfruit is in there which should really only be turned into ice cream but I never would’ve juiced asparagus, and let’s be real I’m not going to juice asparagus probably ever again. But I could if I wanted to if I wanted to show people that I could. So yeah, I love that suggestion and I really, really am grateful that David and Dr. Ruhoy put that together. And thanks for bringing that up

NB

Yeah I literally made a special spot in the cabinet with all my stuff now and it’s pinned there so it’s easy anytime I’m creating something new, I just reference it.

JL

Wonderful, this was amazing. I hope everyone here enjoyed this interview. I hope you got some tips. If you have any questions or want to know more about Nicole’s recipes, we’ll make sure and get those posted so that if you want to try them especially with your young ones too, now that we know that they’ve been taste-tested and kid approved! Thank you again, Nicole. I’m so grateful that you’re part of the PURE Juicer community and part of our lives.

NB

Yes, thank you, Jen.

As Nicole has shared, your introduction to the world of PURE Juicer doesn’t have to be intimidating and it doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Enjoy the process of experimenting with new recipes and trying them out with friends and family. From dispelling misconceptions to embracing healthy habits, Nicole’s story showcases the true magic of incorporating juicing into our daily routines. The health improvements she experienced serve as a testament to the life-altering potential of this wellness practice. Specifically, how cold-pressed juice helped to heal her chronic migraines. When Nicole began consistently juicing, she cut out caffeine from her morning routine. Caffeinated beverages act as diuretics, which are substances that cause an increase in urine production. When we don’t compensate for this effect with adequate hydration, it causes us to become dehydrated, making them a prime contributor to headaches. Juices, on the other hand, are composed of hydrating fruits and vegetables, many of which are made of 80% water or more! Hence, this healthy switch to start the day made a tremendous difference in Nicole’s migraines.

Benefits:

• Leafy Greens: high in magnesium, potassium and calcium which have a nerve and muscle relaxing effect thus reducing inflammation and tension headaches
• Celery: Celery has a high water content, which helps keep you hydrated
• Pineapple: has anti-inflammatory effects via compounds such as bromelain, which can help to relieve headaches
• Cucumber: high water content, helpful in preventing or easing headaches caused by dehydration
• Lemons: lemons are acidic in nature, but they have an alkalizing effect on the body when metabolized. Some headaches may be associated with increased acidity, and consuming alkalizing foods like lemons may help balance the body’s pH levels.
• Ginger: ginger has natural pain-relieving properties. Some migraines are triggered by the activation of pain pathways in the brain, and ginger may help alleviate headache pain by blocking these pain signals.

Sources:

• Mayo Clinic “Caffeine: Is it dehydrating?”

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965#:~:text=As%20a%20chemical%2C%20caffeine%20increases,of%20urine%20the%20body%20makes. 

• Cleveland Clinic: “Dehydration Headache”

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21517-dehydration-headache#:~:text=People%20who%20aren’t%20hydrated,you%20prevent%20a%20migraine%20attack.

• Harvard Health: “Can dehydration cause headaches?”

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/can-dehydration-cause-headaches

• Harvard Health: “Fresh juice”

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/fresh-juice-drinks-healthy-seem-2016072910044

• MyFood Data: “17 Fruits Highest in Water”

https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/fruits-high-in-water.php

Medical Disclaimer

PURE Juicer is a juicing company. We are not doctors or medical experts. All content and information on this blog and website is for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and does not establish any patient-client relationship by using this website.

Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for professional advice. You should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in your area for your health questions and concerns before making any professional, legal, medical, financial, or tax-related decisions.