Juicing has become a staple of the integrative, holistic lifestyle and it’s easy to see why. Juice is referred to as “living broth” as it is filled with nutrients and enzymes that absorb easily and quickly to heal our bodies. You would be pressed to find a holistic health coach who didn’t promote juicing!
Note: the trend of juice cleanses (3 or 5 days with no food and only juice) isn’t a replacement to a nutrient dense, whole-food diet. Juicing should be a supplement to your cleansing lifestyle and is one component of many that lead to what I call a “cancer free life”.
Science and reasoning that supports the benefits of juicing.
- Juices are filled with plant-based nutrients. Imagine eating 3-4 pounds of vegetables a day! With juicing you can easily consume more than half that amount for breakfast alone.
- Juicing allows us to absorb plant DNA, cytoplasm, ribosomes, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, mitochondria, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates that reside only in raw fruits and vegetables.
- In its raw form, nutrients remain “alive” in juice for maximal benefit and absorption.
- Nutrients in juice protect our cardiovascular system and heart health, fight off inflammation and prevent cancer.
- Juice is packed with enzymes, which are responsible for converting nutrients into energy.
- Juice is full of antioxidants, which detoxify our bodies from environmental toxins we absorb over time, and flush them from the body. The waste and toxins we harbor within our intestines inhibit our healthy cell function, which affects our organ functioning.
- Juicing boosts the micro-electric possibility in our cells, which improves how we utilize oxygen, bringing new life into our brain.
- Anthocyanins and flavonoids found in juice protect our cells against oxidation.
- Juicing contributes to better sleep and improved digestion over time. I have heard women claim that their PMS symptoms drastically decreased after converting to a juicing lifestyle.
- Juicing leads to clearer skin and brighter eyes overtime. Get that glow!
- Juicing provides support against allergies and decreased effects from chronic illness, even for those with a long history of illness.
- Juicing increases concentration and mental alertness as nutrients are absorbed much quicker than conventional eating.
- Juicing is a game changing option for people who have had difficulties losing weight. Juice flushes out stored toxins in our bodies that create roadblocks to weight loss.
Are you ready to move forward with juicing as a lifestyle? Remember the golden rules:
1. More veggies than fruit! Fruit is still sugar and doesn’t have the fiber needed to help digest the sugars. Make your vegetable sources the bulk of your juice makeup, in particular, organic, green vegetables.
If juicing is a new thing for you, assimilating to the flavors of green juice will take time. Start with gentler vegetables, such as cucumber, celery, and add lemon or lime to cut. Slowly add dark leafy greens, such as dandelion greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, asparagus, spinach, watercress. You may choose to add roots (ginger, turmeric, horseradish) and branch out with herbs (parsley, cilantro) and more colorful vegetables (carrot, beet, radish, sweet potatoes). My rule is 1 fruit to every 4 veggies.
2. Juicing needs to be incorporated with a balanced, whole-foods diet to get the fiber and additional protein that juicing does not provide.
Be sure to peak at the recipe section of my website for some of my favorite juice blends and if you’re ready to take your health to the next level, I highly recommend seeking out a certified holistic health coach to support you along the way!
Benefits of juicing
One: Juicing gives you more energy.
When your body isn’t forced to spend so much time and energy processing the fibers contained in fruits and vegetables, it is better able to absorb these key nutrients – which can help lower your risk of cancer, detoxify your body, promote healthy digestion, stimulate your immune system, and aid with weight loss.
Juicing can help boost your metabolism, encouraging your body to work effectively and efficiently. It also increases your fluid intake, and staying hydrated is a great way to get your energy up. However, be sure you are also drinking enough water – no matter how nutrient-rich it is, juice is not a replacement for water, which is responsible for the delivery of all these nutrients to the other parts of your body.
Two: Juicing aids digestion.
The amount of fiber in fruits and vegetables can make it difficult to eat large quantities of these foods, and juicing them can make it much easier to incorporate them into your regular diet. Two cups of fresh pressed juice contains the same number of vitamins and enzymes as eating two pounds of carrots, eight pounds of spinach, or almost twelve apples – it just isn’t possible!
Juicing is also a great option for people who don’t normally eat fruits and vegetables, because they don’t enjoy the taste of the texture. With tons of different juice recipes available, it’s easy for anyone to find a healthy and delicious way of ensuring your diet contains all of the nutrients you might miss out on if you don’t eat enough produce. It can also help you incorporate some new types of produce into your diet, which is helpful since often, we end up eating the same familiar foods every day.
Three: Juicing gives you tons of antioxidants.
Studies have shown that when people eat more fruits and vegetables, they end up feeling happier, calmer, and more energetic than when their diets contain more starches, breads, and processed foods. Many researchers attribute this boost in mental well-being to the amount of antioxidants contained in produce – and it’s easy to add more antioxidants to your diet by juicing. High amounts of antioxidants are found in kale, spinach, pomegranates, concord grapes and blueberries.
Antioxidants can limit or prevent the oxidation of molecules, and counteract some of the damaging effects of free radicals in the body – which can contribute to a range of illnesses and diseases.
There are tons of antioxidants in food sources, and each antioxidant provides different benefits to impact various parts of the body. It’s important to get a wide variety of these antioxidants in your diet to protect against eye problems, memory issues, compromised immune system, heart concerns, and even mood disorders.
Four: Juicing detoxifies your body.
Toxins in your body can impact your ability to burn fat, fight infection, and think clearly – and drinking fresh juice is a great way to help your body in the natural detoxifying process. As an additional perk, clearing these toxins will improve your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, which will ensure that you are making the most out of every glass of juice.
However, it is important to note that there is no scientific evidence to support going on a juice cleanse as a way to boost your health. Juice is not a substitute for food or water – it’s a supplement, to help you get the minerals and vitamins you need to keep your body functioning efficiently.
The weight you may lose as the result of a juice cleanse will likely come back as soon as you resume your regular diet – but supplementing your diet with fresh juice can help support healthy weight loss, if done correctly.
Five: Juicing can help you lose weight.
Since juicing helps stimulate your metabolism and remove toxins from your fat cells, it’s no secret that drinking juice can help you lose weight, too. Having a glass of fresh juice instead of snacking on empty calories is a great way to stay on track and ensure that you’re fueling your body in an effective way.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are still calories in juice – and many fruit juices not only contain lots of calories, but also a lot of sugar. These can raise your blood sugar levels and contribute to weight gain if you aren’t careful. The more fruit juices you use, the higher the calorie count of your juice.
If cutting calories is a priority for you, focus on juicing vegetables and use just one or two pieces of flavourful fruit to add a sweeter taste. Beets, carrots, and red cabbage also have some great natural sweetness that you can take advantage of when you’re juicing.
Six: Juicing saves you time.
Depending on the type of juicer you use, it can take just minutes to extract the juice from your produce and enjoy a glass of fresh, nutrient-rich liquid. Even if you need to do a little prep by chopping vegetables and removing cores and pits from your fruits, it’s nothing compared to the amount of time you would spend cooking and eating the same amount of produce – and juicing them means you can preserve some of the nutrients that are lost when these foods are processed.
You can save even more time by doing some advance prep on the weekend. Figure out which juices you want to make, and after you’ve purchased the ingredients, wash and prep them for juicing. Store them in containers or bags to make them super easy to toss into the juicer whenever you’re ready.
Seven: Juicing can lower your bad cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol is an important part of keeping your body functioning well, but too much cholesterol can lead to cardiac health concerns. Juicing with vegetables that have plenty of beta carotene, like carrots, peaches, spinach, broccoli, and cantaloupes, and that are rich in sterols can help maintain a healthy blood cholesterol level. You can avoid taking medication to treat your high cholesterol by managing this condition with diet and exercise – and juicing is a great way to get started.
Eight: Juicing helps regulate blood sugar levels.
While drinking more fresh fruit and vegetable juice helps provide your body with the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients it needs to help keep your blood sugar levels under control, mixing in a bit of the extracted pulp can give you the fiber you need to make sure these levels remain steady and balanced. Naturally stabilize your blood sugar levels by juicing with pomegranates, apples, spinach, kale, nuts, and legumes.
Nine: Juicing gives you clearer skin.
Many of the vitamins you can easily absorb through fresh juice can help keep your skin looking great. Depending on the ingredients you use, your juice can help balance hormones, repair and strengthen collagen, reduce the appearance of acne scars, ease stress, and stimulate circulation. Look for fruits and vegetables that produce red, blue, purple, orange, and green juice to maximize these benefits.
Ten: Juicing can boost your athletic performance.
The potassium and nitrates found in some fruit and vegetable juices can aid your body in recovering after a workout – helping you build stronger muscles and repair damaged tissues. Bananas, tart cherries, and beets are some of the produce you can juice to help prevent prolonged inflammation following a workout and ensure you can return to your activity sooner.
You can also add extra protein to your fresh juice to make sure your post-workout drink has an appropriate balance of calories by throwing in ingredients like nuts, almond milk, peanut butter, seeds (like hemp or chia), or Greek yogurt.
Eleven: Juicing can help you achieve a healthy pH balance.
The ideal pH level for a healthy body is between 7.0 and 8.0 – slightly alkaline. An unbalanced pH can lead to health issues like kidney disease, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, fatigue, osteoporosis, and even mental health concerns. Fortunately, this is easy to prevent by supplementing your diet with alkaline-forming foods like fruits and vegetables. To balance your system, fortify your juice with citrus fruits and berries.
Twelve: Juicing will improve the quality of your sleep.
A healthy diet can be a valuable tool when it comes to battling insomnia, and the nutrients found in fruit and vegetable juices are key in achieving a solid dietary balance. Sleeping less than the recommended amount can contribute to a wide variety of health concerns, as sleep is necessary to help maintain important systems within your body – your immune system, nervous system, muscular system, and skeletal system. Supplementing your diet with juice and incorporating some other tips like avoiding screens before bed, eating a smaller evening meal, and keeping to a regular schedule will help you ensure you’re getting the sleep you need to stay healthy.
Thirteen: Juicing puts you in a better mood.
Antioxidants aren’t just important for your physical health – they’re great for your mental health, too. The antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables can boost dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin levels, which all work together to give you a natural way to improve your mood. Usually, we will indulge in sweet carbohydrates to raise these levels, but by balancing your hormonal system with fresh, healthy juice, you can avoid these harmful cravings and keep to a nutritious diet.
Fourteen: Juicing supports your brain health.
There are several nutrients found in vegetable juices that have been proven to promote healthy brain function – so take advantage of it and include these in your regular diet. Potassium, lycopene, vitamin K, and vitamin C can help prevent damage to your DNA, brain cells, lipids, and proteins. High levels of these nutrients have proven to reduce the risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and even seizures.
Fifteen: Juicing can help you live longer.
All of these health benefits contribute to one ultimate goal – longevity. Drinking fresh juice, and getting all the important nutrients found in fruits and vegetables, can keep your body functioning effectively and efficiently for years into the future. Some of the earliest proponents of juicing as a healthy dietary supplement lived exceptionally long lives – in fact, the inventor of the first hydraulic press-style juicer, Dr. Norman Walker, died in 1985 at the age of 99.
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