Thinking About Juicing

I have been seriously considering getting into juicing for a good while. I could go on and on about why juicing is good for you here, but instead I am just going to keep it short and sweet. Basically, fresh juice is a raw, live food that’s high in enzymes, and it’s absolutely brimming with nutrients that are well absorbed by the body. The juicer does all the work if breaking down the fruits and veggies, so juicing is excellent for anyone with any sort of digestive issue. Juicing fruits and vegetables is a wonderful way to increase the amount of nutrients from raw foods in your diet, and fresh juice is super high in minerals that can be used by the body to reduce inflammation and potentially heal numerous ailments. Juicing helps the body rid itself of toxins so it can be a valuable addition to a weight loss program…it can also help improve the condition of your skin and hair. If you want to read more about the health benefits of juicing, I think the website of cancer survivor Kris Carr is a great resource.

Be aware that even though fresh juice is fabulous for you, it does not have any fiber. So please don’t give up on eating your fruits and veggies whole. Also, as you get into juicing, it’s best not to only juice sweet fruits and/or carrots and beets. These are quite high in natural sugars and you don’t want to consume large amounts of them juiced: you may throw your blood sugar out of whack. Balance is key, so make sure to add low-glycemic, high nutrient greens to your juices, as well. Organic produce is recommended for juicing; if you can’t buy organic, make sure to wash your fruits and veggies with an all natural produce rinse to remove any pesticide or other chemical residue.

Fresh juice should be consumed right after you make it (store-bought, packaged juices honestly don’t have a lot of value in terms of nutrients and/or healing properties), and I’ve always heard it’s best for your digestion to drink fresh juice 20-30 minutes before a meal. I’ve also always heard it’s best not to suck the juice down quickly, but to drink it slowly, and to sort of “chew” every mouthful. Yes, pretty much every source states how it’s a bit of a pain to clean the juicer but think about how much good you are doing your body by incorporating the practice of juicing into your life.

But there's no sound scientific evidence yet that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing may be a fun way to add them to your diet or to try fruits and vegetables you normally wouldn't eat. Particularly for kids!! You can find many juicing recipes online or mix up your own combinations of fruits and vegetables to suit your taste.