Juicing is a process that extracts the juices from fruits and vegetables by separating it from the solid matter, like seeds and pulp.
Most people and health professionals agree that green juices are a quick and convenient way to intake all the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that many people are lacking. There is no debating that. Juice is already in an easily digestible form, the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients go straight to your bloodstream, almost like receiving an intravenous injection. However, even though green juices have an enormous amount of benefits that outweigh the concerns, I think it is important to note that not all green juices are created equal, and therefore not all of them are good for you.
There are many reasons why drinking green juice is an amazing health habit. The main reason is that it is an easy way to absorb a lot of nutrients, and studies have shown that most people don’t get enough nutrients from their diet alone. A review of 22 studies proved that adding green juice to the diet improved the levels of beta-carotene, vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and folate.
Most nutrition health organizations recommend that we intake 6 to 8 servings of vegetables per day and juicing actually helps us reach this goal. Also, it allows us to try more vegetables that we wouldn’t otherwise consume. More types of vegetables means a wider variety of nutrients.
Juicing may also help promote weight loss. As mentioned by Dr. Mercola, in one study, adults who drank at least 8 ounces of vegetable juice per day lost 4 pounds in 12 weeks, on the other hand, those who did not drink vegetable juice but followed the same diet, only lost 1 pound.
Drinking green juice also boots the immune system by supercharging our body with an enormous amount of phytochemicals and alkalinizing the body, which prevents infection and diseases. It also increases our energy level within as little as 20 minutes after you drink it. Moreover, according to the Kame project, people who drank green juices 3 times per week were 76 percent less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
On the other hand, while many professionals support the benefits of drinking green juice, there are many concerns as well. By no means should green juice supplement eating fruits and vegetables. Since the fiber is removed from green juices, nutrients are more easily absorbed but you actually need the fiber to enjoy many of the health benefits.
There are pointers you can follow to prevent green juice from becoming a double-edged sword and actually be harmful for you. The main rule is to focus on the green vegetables and not on the fruit. The bulk of the juice should be green vegetables like kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, wheatgrass, swiss chard, romaine lettuce, bok choi, parsley, among others. Adding too much fruit to the green juice can result in a higher amount of calories and sugar (fructose). Some “green” juices can have as much as 43 grams of sugar, which is more than a can of soda. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum amount of sugars added in a day to be 37 gr for men and 25 gr for women. You could say that the sugar is good because it comes from natural sources, but without the fiber present it can cause high blood sugar in your bloodstream. Research confirms that too much fructose is associated with weight gain and risk of type 2 diabetes. This is especially important if you are trying to loose weight or if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic.
If you are only starting to drink green juice, my personal recommendation is to add only 1 small piece of fruit per every 4 vegetables. For example, you can add half of a green apple or a small slice of pineapple to give it a little sweetness. For this reason you should be very critical when drinking green juice that was not made by you. It only takes a few leaves of spinach to make an apple juice green, which means that you may think that you are drinking a green juice when in fact it’s apple juice with 3 leaves of spinach. Making your own allows you to control the exact amount of ingredients.
Another rule is to gradually add less fruit to the juice. One great way to eliminate the fruit is to add lime and fresh ginger, which can give it a good flavor without adding any excess sugar. Also, adding a lot of cucumber and celery, might make the juice less bitter than adding a lot of spinach for example. Once you get comfortable with this you can experiment with adding extra ingredients that make it a super green juice, such as spirulina, moringa, wheatgrass, maca, and cacao nibs.
Green juice is oxidized very quickly, for this reason it is recommended that you drink it as soon as you make it so that you enjoy all the benefits. If you wait days before drinking it, you are basically drinking calories and sugar without any vitamins and minerals, which is not ideal. Moreover, to increase absorption, the best time to drink the juice is in the morning on an empty stomach. This will increase the absorption of nutrients. The health benefits will be directly injected to your bloodstream because the absorption will not compete with the absorption of other foods. Your body will thank you for this.
Restaurant and store bought green juices all look the same on the outside. For this reason, be very skeptical when buying them. In a restaurant always ask the amount of each ingredient they add and ask that they add very little fruit. Also, ask if the juice is previously made or if it’s fresh made.
Green juices contain important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that might be hard to intake from a regular diet. However, the lack of fiber and high sugar content when too many fruits are added, can make green juices a double edged sword. Be mindful when drinking green juice and make it a freshly made vegetable green juice, not a sugary fruit juice. Finally, remember that fruits and vegetables are always best consumed whole.
Stay Happy and Healthy <3
Nati
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