First off, before we go any further, let’s just clear one thing up and that is that the juicing we’re going to be talking about here is actually to do with juicing foods, as in extracting the juices from them. Some of you may be aware that “juicing” is also a slang term used to describe the process of taking anabolic steroids for physique and performance enhancing purposes. We’re not going to get into an ethical debate about steroid use so thought it best to clear things up before we proceed any further. So, now that that’s cleared up, let’s talk juicing.
Ever since the global release of the now critically acclaimed documentary ‘Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead’, the world has gone juice mad. If you haven’t yet seen the documentary then do yourself a favour and watch it because honestly, after watching, if you aren’t even in the slightest little bit tempted to try juicing for yourself, we’ll be truly amazed. The documentary follows Australian business entrepreneur Joe Cross, as he travels overseas to the USA in a bid to get America eating (or drinking) healthier. Joe was extremely overweight, he regularly used to binge eat and feast on beer and processed junk, and he suffered from a autoimmune disease which required him to swallow dozens upon dozens of prescription pills every single day. Joe decided to go for 60 straight days consuming nothing but pure fruit and vegetable juice, in a bid to not only lose weight, but to also get fitter and healthier. The results were extremely impressive as he lost close to 80 pounds of body fat. He also inspired others on his journey, including a morbidly obese truck driver named Phil, who gave Joe’s program a shot, and lost over 200lbs in less than 12 months! The documentary saw juice machine sales sky rocket, and juicing is now more popular than ever before. If you’d like to give juicing a shot for yourself, here we’ll be looking at a few of the health benefits of juicing, as well as providing a few handy tips as well.
So, what are the benefits of juicing?
There are countless benefits associated with juicing, and to list them all would take us all day, so instead we’ll be taking a look at some of the more prominent benefits instead.
Maximum nutrient content – We all know that when it comes to healthy produce, fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the healthiest and most beneficial food sources you could ever hope for. Once these foods are cooked however, a portion of their nutrient content is destroyed during the heating process, meaning we don’t quite get as many nutrients as we should. Obviously we still get the nutrients, but we don’t get ALL of the nutrients. Juicing however, allows for maximum nutrient content because the fruits and vegetables used are in their raw state.
It boosts the immune system dramatically – Think about it, when you have a cold or an illness or feel a little under the weather, one of the first things people will recommend you do is consume vitamin C, often in supplement form. Where do you think vitamin C, and countless other vitamins and antioxidants for that matter, come from? Yes, you guessed it, from fruits and vegetables. Each juice you consume will be packed full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will strengthen and boost the immune system like never before. The stronger it is, the less likely you will be to suffer from illness and disease.
Juicing is great for the skin – Another great benefit of juicing is the fact that due to all of the natural goodness you’re putting into your body, every aspect of your health improves, including your skin. Look at the labels of any anti-aging cream or moisturiser and you’ll see ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Guess what? Yep, these juices are packed full of all of the above, plus more besides and as a result, your skin looks healthier, firmer, and younger than ever before. The skin almost literally glows, it has a healthy pink colour, it’s smooth, it’s hydrated, and it quickly becomes clear of spots and blemishes.
It’s convenient – The convenience factor is another part of juicing that has proved so effective and beneficial over the years. One single juice can provide around 3 times the recommended daily intake of fruit and veg, and that’s just one juice! If you were to eat that amount of fruit and veg, you’d literally be there all day, but one juice concentrates all of the natural goodness into one delicious beverage.
Bonus juicing tips
Now that we know about a few of the benefits of juicing, if you’re feeling even more inspired, before you get started, take a look at these handy bonus tips to really ensure you get the most out of your juice experience.
Emphasize veggies rather than fruits – The idea behind juicing is that you can combine fruits and vegetables together into delicious juice recipes, but the thing to remember is that each juice should contain more vegetables than fruits. The reason for this is that though incredibly healthy, most fruits do still contain high amounts of natural fructose sugars, which can damage the teeth, boost calorie content, and hinder weight loss. If you do insist on a pure fruit juice, get it early in the morning as the body will metabolise it quicker throughout the day.
Juice in bulk and store in air tight containers – To make life really easy, in a morning, why not create all of the juices you require for the day, then simply store them in airtight bottles and store them in the fridge. The bottles must be sterile and airtight because if oxygen is able to get to them, oxidation will occur and they will lose some of the nutrient profile. When we have apples, they keep fine at room temperate for days, even weeks, yet as soon as we cut into them, within hours they turn brown, which is due to oxidation. Keeping them in sterile airtight bottles will keep them fresh and will maintain their nutrient quality and quantity.
Lemon is your best friend – Many juice recipes include vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, celery, courgette, lettuce, water cress, and much more on top of that. The thought of drinking broccoli juice is probably not very appealing, but the trick is to ensure you add a generous chunk of lemon to each juice. The lemon is so overpowering (and delicious) that it completely hides the tastes of the veggies, so you get all of the health benefits, plus a delicious beverage in the process.
You can’t drink your juice until you’ve cleaned your juicer – This is an unwritten law amongst juicers, and it is one you must abide by. Once you’ve made your juice, before you can enjoy it, you must first clean the various components of your juicer then set them aside to dry before you reassemble it a little later on. Not only is this practical, it is also hygienic because if you allow fruit and vegetable pulp to dry on your machine, cleaning it will be much more difficult.
