About juicing
To start, juice is the liquid portion of fresh fruits and vegetables that has been separated from the fibrous portion (pulp). Juicing is a practice for absorbing exceptionally nutritious foods used by those engaging in a living and raw foods diet, as well as those trying to pursue a more healthy way of living. This post will provide you with information on why consuming fresh juice is beneficial to everyone, juicing and consumption guidelines, a focus on green juices, and questions answered that are commonly associated with juicing.
Juicing Benefits:
- Nutrients are immediately absorbed (within 20-30 minutes)
- Juice allows the body to take a break from digesting solid food; nutrients are not used up to feed the digestion stage instead are used to fuel the metabolism
- Hydrating
- The juice of fresh fruits and vegetables is the most nutritious whole food source of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and oxygen
- Healthy evacuation of bodily wastes and toxins built up in the body
- Immune boosting; speeds of the restoration of health in tired and sick bodies
- Fast way to get a powerful amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet
- Add a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet that you may not normally eat whole
- Anti-aging
- Boosts energy levels
- Repairs and heals tissue of the body
Juicing and Consumption Guidelines:
- Always wash your produce before juicing it and try to use only fresh and organic produce. If you must use non-organic produce be sure to peel all the skins off
- Drink freshly made juices on an empty stomach and wait 20 minutes before consuming any food. This is due to two different reasons; first, mixing food with juice slows the digestion of the juice and causes the nutrients to not be absorbed properly in the body. Second, the juice can ferment in your stomach and can cause your stomach to get upset
- Always drink freshly made juices within 15 minutes after making them for optimal health benefits due to nutrient loss caused by oxidation that occurs naturally in fresh fruit and vegetables when they are chopped/juiced
- Juices can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge, however, most nutrients are lost after 15 minutes from juicing so try to juice just the amount you are able to consume
- You can consume as much juice you wish! There is no maximum or minimum amount, although I aim for at least 2 cups of juice a day.
- Be sure to limit or omit the amount of fruit and carrot juice. Fruit and carrots contain large quantities of natural sugar into the body’s bloodstream and can cause an imbalance. To help with the sugar content you can dilute the juices with 50% water
- Be sure to eat a fiber rich diet in addition to consuming juices. Although restricting yourself to only consuming juice i.e. for a juice fast, can be healing and cleansing, only do so with proper guidance
- Be sure to clean your juicer promptly after using it because it is easier to clean and ensures your juicer stays in tip-top shape
Green Juices:
Green juices are my medicine. I believe that green juices can prevent and heal the body of any illness. Green juices cleanse and reestablish the entire body’s composition; they rid the body of toxins and waste and reduce inflammation by replenishing every cell in the body. What makes green juices green is chlorophyll, which is almost equivalent to hemoglobin, which restores and supplements the body’s blood with nourishment.
When I discuss green juices I do not mean any beverage that is the colour green. Yes green juices are in fact the colour green, however, I am referring to specifically green vegetable juices. Green juices usually have a base of celery and cucumber and limited fruit, apples can be added to make them taste better. Other green ingredients can also be added to them such as, kale, spinach, basil, parsley, mint, romaine, watercress, broccoli, chard, beans and any other green vegetable or herb.
Green juices are also very alkalizing to the body and help to balance blood sugar. Try my alkalizing green juice recipe here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Don’t we need the fiber from the fruits and vegetables?
A: Yes! We do need fiber and lots of it to maintain a healthy body. However, if you consume an array of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds then you are already getting enough fiber. Juicing is just an addition to a whole foods diet that already persists of fiber. Juicing is like a vitamin supplement (though more powerful then any vitamin on the market) that is added to a diet to nourish the body with vitamins and minerals using the least amount of digestive energy for optimal absorption of the nutrients.
Q: What about all the sugar from juices going into the bloodstream?
A: First off, there are tonnes of juice recipes that are perfectly suitable for diabetics and hyperglycemic people. If you are worried about the sugar content then try only adding none to one serving of fruit to your juice, limit the amount of carrots you use, if any, and if you make fruit juice add 50% water to it.
Resources
Whether you’re a juicing veteran or just beginning to explore your options, the best juicer should be easy to assemble, use and clean. Check out this helpful resource that consulted with nutritionists and kitchen experts who looked at quality juicers to help those who might not know where to start or are looking for a new juicer. View the guide here: https://www.reviews.com/juicer/