About 95% of all the vitamins and enzymes that our body needs can be found in vegetables and fruits. However because of the busy lives we lead we can struggle to get in the body’s required nutrients. This is where juicing comes in to help! Juicing is a fast and effective way to get in your daily intake of fresh vegetables and fruits.
Juicing can also aid in weight loss, energy gain, immunity boosting, detoxification, alkalization and nourishment. Some combinations of juices can also battle illnesses like eczema or anxiety or even high blood pressure. You can get all this in just one call of pure goodness! Did you know that 500ml of juice is equivalent to 4 apples, 2 bananas, 500g spinach, 1kg celery. Plus it takes only 15 seconds to juice and no more than 30 seconds to drink it. So getting in those daily nutrients is really easy with juicing. The benefits, combinations and varieties are really endless.
There are some things to take note of before juicing. Juicing alone is not a diet, it is an add-in and should always be used with a balanced diet. As well as this, fruits and vegetables cannot give you some nutrients, like proteins and fats. So it’s very important to eat a wide variety of foods as well as fresh juices.
The Pros:
- If you struggle to find time to eat a full meal or find it hard to get in your fruits and vegetables, then juicing can really benefit you.
- It has been said that juicing gives the digestive system a break so that the cells can repair themselves.
- A glass of juice keeps you full for longer and the nutrients you receive can help you to lose weight.
- It is said that the antioxidants, vitamins and enzymes in juice can help reduce the risk of illnesses like eczema, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer etc.
- Juicing can prevent dehydration and improve heart and cardiovascular health.
- Some combinations can improve joint health, brain function, eye health, hair, nail and skin repair.
The Cons:
- Diarrhea, gas or bloating can occur when you first start juicing. However once the body gets use to it, it will go back to normal.
- Juicing extracts the pulp from the fruits and vegetables, which is the fiber.
- Juicers can range anywhere between $40 and $300.
- Pregnant women should not drink unpasteurized juice.
You MUST wash your fruits and veggies
Always wash your fruits and vegetables in fresh water before juicing. According to the Food and Drug Administration juicing can cause foodborne illness in rare cases. When you leave freshly made juice out or in the fridge for too long, foodborne bacteria begins to grow because the fruits or veg has been exposed to the air for too long. So washing your fruits and vegetables and drinking the juice straight away after it is made will decrease this risk. Especially pregnant women should not drink unpasteurized juice.
Here is a favourite recipe of ours that you can try at home with a blender or a juicer:
Alkaline Booster
300g Baby Spinach
1 Broccoli
1/2 lemon
2 Green Apple
2 Celery Stalks inc leaves