I will start by saying that nothing can replace the nutritional value that eating whole raw fruits and vegetables offers. But I know so many people who do not like to eat vegetables. Maybe juicing can be an alternative. If you don't enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing may be a fun way to add them to your diet. You can find many juicing recipes online or mix up your own combinations of fruits and vegetables to suit your taste. 2Juicing has many benefits including:
- Vegetable juice is very nutrient-dense. This concentration acts to supercharge the system. Juicing can contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals, antioxidants and vitamins, substances that fight cancer, and substances that reduce inflammation and pain.1
- Greens are the most alkalizing, mineralizing and healthiest foods. But not always the most palatable. By juicing vegetables you can mix with apples or carrots for better taste.4
- The body easily absorbs natural fruit and vegetable juices. There is hardly any digestive work needed to process raw, enzymatically active liquid.
- Juicing helps detoxify the liver. Liver detoxification is so important, and nothing comes close to it like the juice of raw vegetables.3
- Juices help the immune system to fight diseases.
- Juicing helps the body heal and improves its overall function.
- Vegetable and fruit juicing is also well suited for our fast moving lifestyle. It makes it possible for busy people to add more healing foods into their diets with minimal effort.
Green leafy vegetables are the best to use in your vegetable juicing program.6 Any of the following foods work well when juicing.It is very important to not juice the same vegetables every day. Variety is the key. Common Juicing Foods Include:
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Cucumber
Collards
Fennel
Garlic
Ginger Root
Kale
Lettuce
Onions
Parsley
Peppers
Radishes
Spinach
SweetPotatoAppleApricotCantaloupeCherryCranberryGrapeGrapefruitHoneydewKiwiLemonLimeMangoOrangePapayaPeachPearPineapplePomegranateStrawberryTangerineWatermelon
A balanced diet is important. If you are neglecting to eat vegetables and fruit it is likely your body is very deficient in many nutrients. As mentioned before juicing can be an alternative to eating vegetables. Give juicing a try. Remember juicing will not replace raw vegetables and fruits but it can be the next best thing.
Keith Payne CSN, CFT, YFSFunctional Strength Systems
References:1. http://en.wikipedia.org2. http://whatscookingamerica.net3. http://macrobiotics.co.uk/4. http://www.thebestofrawfood.com5. http://www.juicefasting.org6. http://www.healingdaily.com7. http://www.anyvitamins.com/
Vemma is quite possibly the world’s most powerful liquid antioxidant.
