There is a lot of misinformation about Juicing. Is juicing Good or Bad for you? What about the fiber? And the Sugar? Here is what you need to know.
Is juicing actually good for you?
Although there's no scientific backing suggesting that extracted juices are healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables, it is widely accepted that juicing is a great way to get your fair share of vitamins efficiently and fastly—first thing in the morning, period.
The vast majority of the population that do not consume the nutrients they should as a result of a poor lifestyle or lack of time or knowledge can actually enjoy greatly enjoy the benefits of fresh juice.
The reason why is juicing good for you is that it would be challenging to get all the nutrients of these products in the morning chewing celery, apple, carrots, spinach, kale, ginger, and all the vast array of natural products that you can put in a juicer and get the job done in seconds.
Health Benefits of Juicing
A juice and vegetable juicer will extract the juice from fresh fruits or vegetables in a couple of seconds. That liquid contains most of the vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) found in the fruit.
Yes, you could have a multi-vitamin, but studies suggest that the quality of artificial supplements is doubtful and doesn't nearly compare to the one present in naturally grown food.
The health benefits of juicing vs. eating whole fruits and vegetables rely on the fact that your body can absorb the nutrients better and more rapidly, and it gives your digestive system a rest from digesting fiber.
Our body does not need to be continually digesting solid foods, another misconception.
Juicing the whole right products can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight. Our body thanks and needs good quality vitamins and minerals.
Why aren't we getting enough vitamins if we are eating that much?
Today, even without noticing, we have ended up eating a lot of processed food, that even if they are healthy, they have been processed and have lost a lot of the quality of its nutrients. Think tofu, made from soybeans.
We used to get all our vitamins and minerals some years ago, simply by eating. Without a doubt! But we also used to eat foods that were closer to their sources.
Some say juicing is bad. That is nonsense. Think about it, why would having pure vitamins and minerals freshly extracted from your vegetables and fruits would be wrong?
The Two Factors that fed the miss-conception that Juicing is Actually Bad for you: Sugar and Fiber
- Sugar: yes, if you juice five to ten fruits in your morning individual glass, you are probably getting way more sugar than what your body needs, especially if you are living with diabetes. Instead, try adding two fruits to your juice combined with vegetables such as celery, kale, and spinach.
- Fiber: yes, we need fiber and having it from our veggies is a great way to stay healthy and aid our digestive tract's health. Juicing does not replace other meals of your day, which should always include a fair amount of fiber to facilitate your bowel movements, amongst other functions.
What fruit juice is good for you
We should always watch out the amount of sugar we introduce to our body, whatever the source is. Fruit is no exception. That is one of the reasons we balance our juice glass with vegetables that are lower in calories and sugars and high in minerals.
As a rule of thumb, we use one fruit for every two to three vegetables.
Our favorite fruit for juicing are: apples, lemons, kiwis, pineapple, clementines, tangerines and oranges.
Vegetables Good For Juicing
- Celery: great detoxifier. Purifies your body and has virtually no calories.
- Spinach: great source of protein, green power, beta carotenes, and chlorophyll. It Will does not change the flavor of your juice.
- Kale: also packed with protein and a great superfood.
- Carrot: great source of beta-carotene and brings some sweetness to your juice.
- Cucumber: bring lots of water, great hydrating powers, and nurturing minerals.
- Ginger: not a vegetable but a root. Not a fruit either. It adds great flavor and superpowers to your juice such as reducing inflammation and aiding digestion.
- Beetroot: adds sweetness and is a great source of folates. Great source of nutrients to aid your pre and post-workout routine. Juicing after workout is a great way to replenish all the minerals lost while sweating!
The Bottom Line: Is Juicing Healthy for you?
If you don't have the time or will to eat all these fruits and vegetables in the morning and don't want to rely on poorly processed chemicals on supplements, juicing may be an excellent way to add them to your diet.
We are big fans of juicing since we really have experimented changes in our overall wellbeing and health. We start the day clean while nurturing our bodies and minds.
The whole juicing routine is beautiful, takes minutes, and wellbeing not only comes from the nutrients themselves but from rewarding your mind and body with a daily ritual.
Nothing but healthy and self-love and self-care in a glass!
Also, juicing is a great way to add fruits and vegetables you might not eat. Think Ginger, Kale, Beetroots, and Celery, great for boosting your immune system and contributing to anti-inflammation, but hard to eat the quantity needed to get those benefits.
You can virtually throw everything into a juicer, even the vegetables you dislike and quickly make everything tastes good adding an apple, a tangerine, a kiwi or any other sweet fruit.
I am not a fan of Beetroots but I love my Beetroot, Apple and Celery Juice which is perfect for pre and post workouts.
These are favorite Healthy and Simple Juices
- Carrot, Apple and Celery Juice and its Benefits
- Morning Green Juice: the Ultimate ant-inflammatory and Weight Loss Celery Juice
- Beetroot and Celery Juice: the Ultimate Pre and Post-workout drink
What is the Best Juicer?
How to choose a juicer can be tricky if you don't know what you are looking for or the differences between the ones available in the market.
Getting a proper juicer was something truly pivotal in our approach to our days. You can find two kinds of Juicers in the market. The ones that centrifugate the food and cold-pressed ones. We have tried both.
The main difference is that a cheaper version juicer will centrifugate the veggies and fruits at high-speed, creating some heat which is not the best for preserving the nutrients in your food (it is not that bad, this is actually the one we currently have). Also, I have found that when it overheats a little, that funny smell gets into your juice. It has only happened to me a couple of times, but it happens.
This Cold-Press Juicer uses a different and simpler technology. It just smashes the fruits and veggies, meaning it is slower. Cold-pressed juices give you the maximum nutrient potential. If you don't mind spending a little more, I would buy this one; your juicing routine will be two minutes longer. No funny overheating smells in your juice.
We used the cold-pressed juicer for three weeks while living in a friend's house in Rome; we loved it. One year before, we had bought the cheaper when we still ignored the differences. We are planning to upgrade our juicer soon to the cold-pressed version.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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