Juicing for Health & Healing
More and more of us understand the importance of eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, but if you’d like to try an alternative way of getting your vitamins and minerals, why not try juicing? Are you aware of the wonders of juicing and the health benefits you can receive from doing so? There are lots of fantastic recipes and creations that you can put together to suit all tastes, and you can even get the kids involved too! Here are ten very good reasons to try juicing…
- Stock Up On Enzymes – Juices are very rich in enzymes that help digest your food. A shortage of enzymes means we cannot convert foods into energy or transform carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals into what we need for healthy tissue such as muscle, bone, skin, and so on.
- Load Up On Essential Nutrients – Vitamins and minerals are essential for good health. Vitamins fall in to two categories, water-soluble (Vitamin B & C) and fat-soluble (Vitamins A, D & E.) Many factors affect our vitamin status including inadequate diet, digestion problems, over-cooking, canned and processed foods, storage and irradiation. Fresh juicing supplies the vitamins and minerals we need in abundance.
- Boost Your Vitality – Juicing is a high vitality ‘food’ that’s very nourishing and revitalising to the cells. Dr Max Gerson, founder of the Institute for Cancer Treatments, found that his patients tended to recover from degenerative illnesses more quickly when put on a diet made largely from fresh raw juices.
- Eliminate Toxins – Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are a must for all detox diets. Some juices have the ability to rid the body of waste and bacteria, and to deep-cleanse the body.
- Get Plenty Of Chlorophyll – Chlorophyll can be found in abundance in all green plants. It cleanses your digestive system and builds blood cells – making it an all-round great tonic. Alfalfa, wheatgrass, watercress and leafy greens are all high in chlorophyll and are fantastic in juices.
- Reduce Your Risk of Premature Disease – this can be aided by the antioxidants contained in juices. Beauty, like health, comes from within so what we eat plays a vital role. Antioxidants are thought to be the secret to living longer and looking younger as they ‘mop up’ harmful molecules known as ‘free-radicals’.
- Get Your Essential Amino Acids – These are the building blocks of protein and are vital in the process of digestion and assimilation of food. Fresh raw juices are rich in amino acids and are in an easily digestible form.
- Balance Acid/Alkaline Levels – Western diets tend to high in animal protein, refined sugar and artificial additives and drugs. All of these cause acidity in the cells, which, in turn, can lead to disease. It is well documented that cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment.
- Aid Weight Reduction – juices are both ‘filling’ and yet low in calories. They help curb the appetite and are, therefore, an important part of many weight loss programmes.
Enjoy All The Tastes! – Try to be creative and try some of the recipes below. They all taste great and will awaken the taste-buds…..so why not get juicing!?
Here are some fantastic juicing recipes that will awaken your taste buds.
Apple, Carrot & Beetroot
1 carrot (unpeeled, topped & tailed) 1 red apple (Gala or Cox) 1 beetroot (skinned and washed but leave the roots & tops on) This juice will be high in Vitamin A, C, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.
Lemonade
¼ wedge lemon (unwaxed) 2-3 golden delicious apples. Juice and serve over crushed ice. This will be a good cleanser and the lemons will have an alkalizing effect
Popeye Special
1 apple, 1 stick of celery (with the leaves) 3ozs spinach (fresh young leaves) 1 small bunch watercress, 1 small bunch of wheatgrass (if desired) This will be rich in Vitamins A, C, folic acid and Riboflavin (B2)
Red Delight
4 large tomatoes, 1 carrot (topped & tailed) 1 stick of celery (with the leaves), 1 handful of basil. Add the juice of ½ a squeezed lemon at the end. This juice will be rich in iron, magnesium & lycopene.
True Blue
4ozs blueberries, 1 mango (peeled & stoned) 1 pear, 4ozs red grapes. This juice will be high in antioxidants and chase away the blues!
So now you know the benefits you will receive from juicing and some ideas of what to put in your juice.
Barbara Cox - top nutritionist at Nutrichef in the UK is passionate about the benefits people get from eating a healthy, well balanced diet.