Once considered the drink of drop-outs and hippies, confined to earthy-smelling health food shops and co-ops, the juice revolution has swept the nation. Now available at such trendy places as Jamba Juice and even sold in pedestrian grocery stores, the fresh vegetable and fruit juice movement is now a common part of American life. Read on for tips to learn how to be a part of this healthy revolution.
Peel citrus fruits before you put them in your juicer. The thick peels of citrus fruits will make your juice taste unpleasant, provide no real health benefit, and can even be harmful. The greatest benefit from citrus fruits comes from the white pith just below the peel, so be sure to retain that when juicing.
Drink your juice on an empty stomach, such as first thing in the morning or about half an hour before a meal. This allows your system to better absorb the nutrients in your juice, without the interference of other foods. Juice drunk on an empty stomach can enter your system in as quickly as thirty minutes.
If storing your juice, use only air tight containers to avoid the damage from oxidation. Refrigerate your juice and as a little helper, add in just a little bit of lemon juice to help keep your juice as fresh as possible. Following these steps should lead you to still have tasty, healthy juice even hours after you did the juicing.
When preparing for a juice diet, make sure to stock a LOT of fresh fruits and vegetables! On average, it takes 4.4 pounds of raw fruits and vegetables to make just a single quart of juice, so you’ll need lots. Also make sure to get a large variety of ingredients so that you don’t get bored with the same old juice.
Be consistent and do a little juicing everyday. The more you do, the more you’ll want to juice and gradually, you’ll make juicing a bigger part of your day. If you make juicing an infrequent occurrence, not only will you get less nutritional benefit but you’ll also lose the will to keep going.
Leaving a piece of fruit on the counter to rot will show you what will happen to your body if you stop eating healthy raw foods. That is exactly what happens to your organs when you eat nothing but processed garbage! If you’re feeling unmotivated, look at that fruit and remember why you’ve chosen to juice.
Juicing is a great way to drink all the nutrients you need for the day, but you also have to be conscious of the amount of sugars you’re taking in. If you’re having a drink with a lot of fruit or high-glycemic vegetables, drink less than you would if it were mostly low-glycemic items.
Substitute meals on occasion with your juicing. There are multiple servings of fruit and vegetables going into your mix and this can equate to a very healthy meal. Occasionally substituting a juice blend for a meal will reduce the amount of nontraditional ingredients you are consuming from processed foods and you will get more than enough nutrition.
Fats are still important while juicing. Nuts and seeds contain not only necessary fats but proteins as well. Blending nuts and seeds with your juices will give the juice extra protein, necessary amino acids which help the immune system and the brain and the good types of fat your body needs.
When it comes to juicing, one thing that you want to keep in mind is that you should build your entire healthy lifestyle around it. This is important because it is an enjoyable way to get your body all of the nutrients that it needs and with a healthy diet, you will be motivated to make healthy choices in other areas of your life.
To make sure that your juices pack the most nutritional punch, always choose organic ingredients if they are available. Organic produce has a higher nutritional content than conventionally grown produce and it also usually tastes better. You’ll also avoid any possible toxic chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers that are used in conventional agriculture.
Juicing is a great way to get delicious, fresh juice and also many important nutrients. If you need to store the juice you have made, be sure to store it in an airtight container that is opaque. It is important to be sure that there is no extra air in the container and that the juice is stored for no more than twenty four hours.
Sugar is bad for your teeth, and so is chewing on sugar cane, but did you know that sugar cane JUICE is actually GOOD for your teeth? Add it to any vegetable juice you’d like sweetened and it can help prevent tooth decay while tasting absolutely great in the resulting product!
If you want to juice while pregnant, ask your doctor about the fruit, vegetables, and other spices and additives you use to ensure they’re all healthy for your baby, too. For example, there are some herbs that are often found in teas which can lead to spontaneous abortion! Double check to make sure that what you ingest is okay.
Why not try using some seeds in your juices? Shelled unsalted sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds are excellent options to try. You can even used cooked grains, but just remember to clean your juicer out well afterward as they may leave behind a lot of gunk.
The juicing movement is on the rise but it hasn’t come far enough. The undeniable benefits of the raw juice of fruit and vegetables are essential to improving the overall health of the American public. With the increase of home juicers and the information coming out from National Cancer Institute’s about the benefits to long-term health from fruit and vegetables we will start to see more people join the juicing movement.
