Benefits of juicing

Did you know that two-thirds of all deaths in the US are directly related to nutritional deficiencies? Though adopting a vegan diet is certainly one way to improve your family’s eating habits, even the best diets can lack essential nutrients, especially if your family is relying on processed vegan foods. Juicing is a simple and delicious way to ensure you’re getting your daily quota of fruits, vegetables, and key nutrients that will truly boost your health. Here’s why you should be juicing.
Did you know that two-thirds of all deaths in the US are directly related to nutritional deficiencies? Though adopting a vegan diet is certainly one way to improve your family’s eating habits, even the best diets can lack essential nutrients, especially if your family is relying on processed vegan foods. Juicing is a simple and delicious way to ensure you’re getting your daily quota of fruits, vegetables, and key nutrients that will truly boost your health. Here’s why you should be juicing.

Juicing isn’t a new trend

According to The Everything Juicing Book (Adams Media, 2010), by Carole Jacobs, Chef Patrice Johnson, and Nicole Cormier, juicing has been around since Biblical times — the Dead Sea Scrolls describe how a desert tribe in ancient Israel pounded fruit that provided the people strength and form. Since then, fruits and vegetables have been highly recommended by health experts — get your daily 5 to 9 servings — to provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses and aid in weight management.

Big benefits of juicing

1. Nutrition

The authors of The Everything Juicing Book state, “Ninety percent of the antioxidant action in produce is in the fruit, not the fiber…juicing removes the fiber, allowing the body to more quickly absorb and assimilate nutrients.” Fiber is also a crucial nutrient for health, but including fresh fruit and vegetable juices in your diet will guarantee you get a health-promoting bounty of vitamins and minerals.

2. Hydration

What better way to hydrate your body than with a delicious, nutritious glass or two of fresh juice? The average body needs eight (8-ounce) glasses of liquid daily. Making part of your daily hydration a fruit and vegetable juice delivers nutrients you won’t find in a glass of water.

3. Digestive enzymes

“Fresh juice contains tons of enzymes…fruits and vegetables have digestive enzymes that help the body digest carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and proteins, and convert large food chemicals into smaller ones that are more easily absorbed and used by the body,” say the juicing experts.

4. Anti-aging

The plethora of anti-aging antioxidants and phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables are concentrated when you consume them in a fresh juice. Just think: With every sip, you’re warding off age-related disease as well as the obvious signs of aging, such as wrinkles and sagging skin, caused by free radical damage.

5. Weight loss

Don’t be fooled into thinking you can drink fresh juices with abandon — though they are super healthy, they still contain calories. Budget juices into your diet, replacing high-calorie junk drinks and food, and juicing can actually help you lose weight. The nutrients in fruit and vegetables juices also play an important role in keeping your metabolism running at its best.

How to get started on juicing

The authors of The Everything Juicing Book recommend getting a juicer, which is different from a blender, to optimally extract juice from fruits and vegetables. Do your research before purchasing — you usually get what you pay for, and you want a juicer that will provide your family with healthy, delicious juices for a long time. And if you’re wondering how to keep juicing from boring your family, check out The Everything Juicing Book — it’s packed with juicing information and 150 tasty juicing recipes.

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