First, juicing was considered to be a staple of a healthy diet. Now, fruit, fructose, sugar and carbs are invalidated as being nothing more than a whole lot of sugar. However, today I am here to defend juice and point out some of the commonly overlooked benefits of consuming freshly made juice.
5 Overlooked Benefits of Juicing
- NUTRIENT-RICH CALORIES: Your body has a high affinity to calories, especially nutrient-dense calories. While calories seem to be more demonized than admired, the fact of the matter is, calories are energy and our bodies need energy to perform all of its cellular functions. Calories support the metabolism and therefore assist in the healthy development, regeneration, and renewal of cells and tissues. Calories provide the basic energy your body needs to do all that it does!A lack of calories; on the other hand, creates an energy deficit, which is very harmful for your health. An energy deficit will cause your body to down regulate its energy output, also known as, hypothyroid or a hypo-metabolic state. A lack of calories, especially in combination with stress will put your body into a hypo-metabolic condition, lowing your body temperature (cold intolerance), down regulating the thyroid (fatigue and low energy), weaken digestion, slow hormone synthesis and methylation, and decrease sex hormone production, all in as a survival mechanism, in attempt to keep your alive longer on less energy.In conclusion, restricting calories or dieting is not part of a healthy lifestyle or smart strategy for longevity, optimal health or happiness. Calories are your friend, especially nutrient dense calories, which are easily obtainable in delicious, fresh juice, best achieved with the help of a high-quality masticating juicer. I personally use the Champion 4000 and I love it.
- BETTER THAN SUPPLEMENTS: As briefly mentioned, fresh juice is a rich source of micro-nutrients, something most everyone can benefit from. Most people seek to fill these nutritional gaps with supplements. However, most supplements do more harm than good, many of them are known gut allergens and irritants, and few supplements are actually bioavailable. Rather than running the risk of taking a possibly wasting money on a supplement that does little good, you can gather those missing nutrients from real fruit and vegetable juices. Fresh squeezed orange juice, for example, is a very refreshing and delicious way to acquire the vitamin C necessary to support the adrenals and collagen production. It is also rich in magnesium, folate, potassium and carotenoid vitamin A. Fresh fruit juices are high in salicylates, an organic aspirin like substances with potent anti-inflammatory action in the body. Orange juice specifically is also rich in apigenin, a powerful anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammation flavonoid. The micro-nutrients, calories, healthy sugars and other compounds in fresh juice make them great for supporting the thyroid, metabolism and healthy weight loss.
- EASY-TO-DIGEST: Digestive impairment is at the root of most healthy problems. Poor digestion directly leads to hypo-metabolic states, considering we need to be able to breakdown our macronutrients to provide the basic substrates for metabolism. When digestive function is weak, there is a decrease in enzyme activity in the small intestines, which leads to bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), chronic bloat, discomfort & fatigue. When digestive juices are insufficient, complex carbohydrates are poorly broken down, leading to the aforementioned issues. Therefore, it is especially smart to eat very easy-to-digest foods while your gut is being repaired. Fresh fruit juice provides incredibly easiy-to-digest carbohydrates, which are essential for liver function and thyroid function. Other complex carbs (disaccharides and polysaccharide) have difficult to break down chemical bonds. Monosaccharides; on the other hand, require little digestive enzyme activity and are absorbed very easily in the small intestines.
- HEALTHY FAST-FOOD: One of the major reasons people opt-out of “healthy eating” is because of the time it takes to learn what to eat, how to make it and actually eat it. However, fresh juice can be easily prepared ahead of time with a good juicer and is so incredibly easy to drink on the go! You can even make a meal of your juice by adding some pastured egg yolks, MCT oil, collagen, and blending it. It is actually quiet delicious, very easy to digest and supports healthy blood sugar levels!
- RICH IN “CLEAN PROTEIN”: Something not many people know, is that many fruits and even potatoes contain “clean proteins” known as keto acids. Keto acids or ketoacids are organic compounds that contain a carboxylic acid group and a ketone group. These compounds can recycle nitrogen and are easily converted into amino acids. While they cannot necessarily replace proteins, they do provide easily metabolized amino acids, without the metabolic wastes of protein digestion (i.e. ammonia). Also, keto acids are helpful in eliminating excess ammonia from the body, which is directly related to aging. Fresh potato juice is especially rich in keto acids and can be easily made with a Champion Juicer.
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Fun Fact: Did you know that fructose (fruit sugar) stimulates the detoxification of the ethyl alcohol from the body? Perhaps that is why fresh orange juice is so satisfying after a night of drinking!
PRO TIPS ON JUICING
Before you hit the juice, keep in mind that not all juice is created equally. Here are a few pro juicing tips to get you started in the right direction…
- When you juice fruit or veggies, you are concentrating the nutrients, but also, any potential pesticides, herbicides or other “toxins”. So, always go with organic produce when making your own, and/or 100% juice without added vitamins and chemicals.
- Juice your own! When you juice produce, you run the risk of oxidation and heat damage. Because of this, most store bought juices are likely to contain less enzymes and other nutrients, so its really best to juice your own. Also, while on the subject, this is why I chose the Champion 4000, it is a slow masticating juicer that produces very little heat and therefore most of the nutrients and enzymes are fully intact. These particular juicers also have a high yield, they really squeeze the last drop out. Not to mention, nothing tastes better than fresh juice!
- For weak digestion, remove the pulp and citrus. Food sensitivities are common in those with digestive weakness, and citrus commonly triggers histamine release in those with poor digestion. While you work on optimizing your digestive system, opt for fresh pineapple, apple juice or raw coconut water for less allergenic options.