Get Your Juice On

Image courtesy of Lominore

We are all aware that we should aim to consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day for optimum health. That’s not such an easy task though given busy schedules, stress and temptations — not to mention a preference for alcoholic cocktails over healthy juice. Instead of popping vitamin tablets as the easy, quick-fix answer, how about juicing your own fruits and vegetables? The idea of drinking a broccoli/beet juice probably doesn’t appeal to your taste buds as much as say, a store-bought apple juice, but nutritionally wise you could be consuming all five servings in one homemade juice. You’ll also be cleansing your body of impurities and incredibly, losing weight. This simple process provides your body with valuable fuel, and if indulged in first thing in the morning, will help you start the day feeling noticeably energized (and even full).

There are many obvious advantages to juicing, aside from the fact that fruits and vegetables are among the cheapest foods to put in your shopping cart. In terms of their nutritional value, the antioxidants found in these foods are essential for younger, healthier-looking skin. By juicing several fruits and vegetables into one concoction you can dramatically increase the vitamin and folic acid content, than if you ate just one apple. Many people tend to eat the same vegetable and salads everyday, however with juicing, you can juice a variety of vegetables that you may not normally enjoy eating whole. Basic ingredients such as spinach, beet, carrots, apples and pears can form to make a delicious and healthy juice. To spice it up you could add ginger, lemon, herbs such as mint or even chili. Basically you can juice almost any food (with the exception of bananas and avocados) and you will receive nutritional benefits from all of them. For example, apples are an anti-cancer health promoter, blueberries destroy free radicals, beets cleanse the liver and cucumber is an excellent diuretic (a fantastic de-bloating tip), while ginger is a natural antibiotic.

With regards to weight loss, juicing is an incredibly effective and easy choice. Most of the liquids found in fruit is actually water (another diuretic), while the majority of fruits and vegetables are extremely low in fat, calories, sugar and cholesterol. And if a juice is consumed at breakfast it will keep you satisfied due to the fibrous content and mixture of the fruits and vegetables.

Just give it a try. Invest in a juicer (purchase a good quality one like Breville, one of the most favored), and invest in your health!

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