The Many Benefits of Juicing - From Weight Loss to Fighting Depression
Learn about the countless benefits of juicing to find out why is it worth devoting time to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices regularly.
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Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, enzymes and a range of other nutrients that are paly important part in preserving ones physical and mental health as well as preventing illnesses and diseases including cancer.
According to dietary experts one should eat at least five servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day to help maintain one's health. A fruit and veggie rich diet provides for the recommended daily vitamin and other nutrient intake in natural form which is much benefitial than taking nutrient supplements. |
But how can one achieve eating several servings of vegetables and fruits a day regularly?
Juicing is one of the best ways to incorporate healthy natural food in one's diet. With a bit of practice and patience juicing will become a daily task that will contribute to your and your family's health and well-being tremendously.
Health Benefits of Juicing
Juices Provide for Vitamin, Mineral, Trace Mineral and other Nutrient Intake
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Scientits have revealed that biochemical substances (called phytochemicals) contained in fruits and vegetables are cure for many ailments like heart diseases, diabetes, asthma, allergy as well as diseases of the digestive system. Furthermore, these phytochemicals, if consummed regularly in form of fresh, raw vegetables and fruits, prevent and help fight many types of cancer.
Chlorophyl found in green vegetables like spinach, lettuce, cabbage, wheatgrass, barley grass and sprouts have similar properties to taht of the hemoglobin and it is thought to increase effectiveness of oxygen transport in blood.
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Apart from vitamins raw vegatbles and fruits contain various enzymes (play important part in metabolic processes), minerals and trace minerals that processed foods lack. Cooking will destroy much of these nutrients so it is important to eat vegetables and fruits in raw form.
Eating five servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits a day to provide for the recommeded nutrients is a lot and few of us can achieve it in the long run. One of the greatest benefits of juicing is that an 8-ounce glass of freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juice contains cc. 1/3 of the recommended daily nutrient quota.
Our body benefits the most if the nutrients are taken in live form. Fresh natural juices are full of live enzymes and other nutrients most of which is destroyed during cooking. Cold press juicers (e. g. masticating-style auger juicers, twin-gear juice extarctors) are the best in extracting live juice of fruits and vegetables because these machines operate at low speed preventing heat build up and oxidation.
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The human body is around 75% water and for proper bodily functions (digestion, detoxification) the recoommended daily water intake is around 2-2.5 liters water (this equals to drinking 8 ounce-glass (1 ounce=240 ml) of water eight times a day).
Due to the high water content of juices drinking a couple of glasses of them helps to keep up your water intake. |
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Why Juice Fruits and Vegetables Together?
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Most people tend to juice only fruits due to the natural sweetness and pleasant taste of freshly made fruit juices.
Although it is good if one drinks natural fruit juices regularly, but consumming vegetable juices or a combination of fruit and veggie juices has far more benefits.
Drinking only fruit juices can increase the blood sugar level drastically that's why it is recommended to have fruit juices in the morning to provide the energy boost necessary for starting a day.
Juice made from a variety of vegetables or a combination of fruits and veggies (orange, apple, carrots, beetroot, cucumber, celery) raises the sugar level more evenly and it has a more diverse nutrient content (including chorophyl found exclusively in greens) than juice extracted only from fruits.
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Drinking Juices vs Eating Fruits and Vegetables
Why consuming the juice of various produce is better than eating them? Why should one buy a juicer and spend time on juicing when it is more simple to just eat a few servings of fresh fruits and greens in from of salads or just on their own? You might think that much of the buzz about the health benefits of juicing is hype and it serves only to increase sales of juicers.
According to dietary experts the juice of vegetables and fruits is absorbed more efficently by the digestive system. Some vitamins, enzymes and other nutrients are trapped in the indigestible fiber of produce which slows down the assimiliation of them.
According to studies if you eat a raw carrot your body would only be able to assimilate 1-2 % of its vitamin A content, while if you drink carrot juice your body would be able to absorb 90% of vitamins andother nutrients. |
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A good juicer (low-RPM, cold press units like single gear or twin gear juice machines) will obtain nutirents from the produce's fiber as well, making a vitamin-, enzyme- and mineral-rich beverage that can be assimilated into the body quickly.
Note: other experts, however argue that drinking clean, pulp-free juice reduces fiber intake. Most people's diet doesn't contain enough fiber anyway, which can cause digestive problems (constipation). In my opinion leaving some pulp in the juice won't hinder nutrition assimilation substantially, while its fiber content will contribute to probelm-free digestion and helps prevent colon cancer.
TIP: As with anything in life, it's a good idea to mainatin balance in diet: drink a couple of glasses (or 1 large glass in the morning) fresh vegetable and fruit juice and eat salads, vegetable dishes, and whole fruit a day to provide for the necessary fiber.
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One of the best known benefits of juicing is that incorporating natural fruit and vegetable juices a few times in one's daily diet in place of processed foods helps loosing weight. Fruit juices are healthy, low-calory substitutes for sweets. For more dieteray benefits and more effective weight loss try to drink natural vegetable juices on their own, or if you find the taste a bit harsh try a combo of fruit and vegetable juices. Adding fruits will dampen the slightly unpleasant taste of raw veggies. |
Juices Strenghen Your Immune System and Help You Fighting Against Swine Flu
A couple of glasses of freshly-made home juice will make you feel full lessening the craving of fattening meals. In addition to help you lose weight, drinking fresh juice bevearges will boost your immune system making you more resistant against diseases. Juicing on a daily basis is also one of the best natural ways of fighting against swine flu an dmaking the symptoms less severe.
Detoxification, Cleansing
Natural fruit and vegetable juices contain lots of antioxidants (Vitamin C, Vitamin A, bioflavins) that cleanse your body helping to get rid off all the preservatives, other chemicals and toxins that get into the body by eating too much processed food and through environmnetal pollution.
Drinking the juice of dark red and blue fruits (blackberry, blueberry, acai berry, blackcurrant) beetroot and dark green veggies is highly recommended for detoxification purpose.
Certain chemicals are turned into free radicals through oxidation processes in the body that can cause damages to cells and cause cancer and other diseases.
Antioxidants neutralize the damage caused by free radicals making the cells and the immune system stronger. |
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Juice fasting is a well-known detox diet during which one consumes only fruit and vegetable juices to purify the body of toxins. If you've never fasted before make sure consult your physician before you start fasting because it is a drastic change in diet that, besides its numerous health benefits, can have some unwanted results especially in connection with some health problems.
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Further Benefits of Juicing
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Many children don't like to eat vegetables and they can be very picky even with fruits, so making them sweet fruit-veggie juices is a good way to provide for their daily vitamin and fiber (leave some pulp in the juice) intake.
Try to experiment with different fruit and vegetable combinations but make sure that the juice tastes pleasant (most vegetables add a harsh taste to fruit juice).
Juice a few apples with oranges or other citrus fruits, add a carrot, perhaps half a celery or 1 small beetroot to make a vitamin-packed natural drink. |
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Good for Depression
A rarely known benefits of juicing that it lessens the sypmtoms of depression. Deficiency of certain minerals and trace minerals (magnesium, potasion, iron) as well as folic acid are thought to incresae the chance of developing depression. Fresh fruit and vegeatble juices are high in these nutrients so consuming them regularly helps fight against depression.
Summary of Benefits of Juicing
- Perfect source of live nutrients - All natural fresh juice is packed with live enzymes and other nutrients that are the no preservatices, colorings, or excess sugar added
- Enhanced immune system, better physical and mental condition are common benefits of drinking fresh juice regularly.
- Beuatiful skin, hair and nails are other benefits one would gain when incorporating juicing in her/his leifestyle.
- Helps fighting cancer, heart diseases and other illnesses
- Increased lifespan - all these benefits of juicing help to reach disease-free old age.
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