Benefits of Juicing

My ten year old juicer was making a death rattle so I did some research into what’s going on in the world of juicers. First, I thought I should probably talk about the benefits of juicing and why not eat just eat your veggies instead of juicing?

Well, you shouldn’t forsake eating your vegetables in lieu of juicing them; however, there are many nutrients trapped in the fiber of vegetables. Since fiber is not digestible, a good juicer will separate the fiber from the nutrients so your body can make use of it. When you eat vegetables, it takes your body hours to make use of the nutrients. With properly juiced vegetables, your body can make use of those nutrients in minutes.

In my research I found there are two types of juicers–centrifugal and masticating. As more juice is extracted from a masticating juicer, it’s the better choice. You’re wasting your money in produce otherwise. The nutritional value in vegetables is in the fiber and pigments that are extracted. I settled on the Champion juicer and right away I noticed it prepared darker and richer juice when compared to my old centrifugal-type juicer. The pulp in the Champion juicer is pale in color because it has all gone in the juice.

Freshly made juice is rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. It’s a great shortcut to give your body what it needs and to keep it working at its optimum. You may be wondering whether you can buy natural juice instead of making it.

The truth is that oxidation starts immediately so the sooner you consume the juice, the more nutritional benefit it has. You can store fresh juice for up to 24 hours if you keep it in an airtight container. Add a few drops of lemon juice. The vitamin C will slow down oxidation. With commercial juice, you’re looking at a much longer shelf life and therefore chemical preservatives which defeat the point of fresh juice.

Another benefit is that you can consume much more live foods through juicing. It takes approximately one pound of carrots to make a glass of juice. Most people cannot eat this many carrots. However, drinking a glass of juice is something that everyone can do. Yet another good reason to juice is that raw juice contains more than just vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes.

For example, string beans contain insulin-like properties. Cucumber and onion juice contain hormones needed by the pancreas. In addition, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and radishes contain antibacterial properties. Think of all the herbs that you could add to a glass of juice–ginger, parsley, peppermint, etc.

If you’re thinking of doing a fast, you could do a juicing fast a few times a month. Juice fasts take place over a day or sometimes several days. You’ll do nothing but drink fresh, natural juice. It’s a great way to kick start your healing and rid your body of all of the junk that you’ve been putting into it.

Below are some examples of juices you can make at home to help you get started juicing and their benefits.

Carrot Juice — it has a cleansing effect and carrots are the base for many juice combinations.

• Thoroughly wash about one pound of carrots
• Do not peel; feed into the juicer one at a time

Celery Juice — Celery has diuretic properties and helps to maintain proper sodium levels.

• Cut a stalk of celery into two or three pieces
• Feed the celery one piece at a time

Apple Juice — Apples are high in phenolics which have anti-aging properties and help protect against cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

• Wash and core three or four apples and cut them into sections
• Do not peel
• Feed into the juicer one at a time

Of course these are just a few examples of juices you can make. There are endless juice combinations to treat numerous conditions. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are some differences between fruit and vegetable juice. Fruit juices are beneficial for cleansing and detoxifying the body, while vegetable juice is conducive to rejuvenating and repairing the body.

Resources: Juicing for Life: A Guide to the Benefits of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable JuicingDoes this help or do you have a problem with this?