If you’re wondering what the benefits of juicing are, compared to eating the whole fruit or vegetable, you’ll find that there actually aren’t any. In fact, when you juice, you actually lose the benefit of much of the fiber. There are some indirect benefits, meaning that there’s nothing magic about the juice, but by juicing, you’ll make changes in your diet of fresh fruits and vegetables that provide a benefit. For instance, you’ll probably drink more fruits and vegetables than you could ever eat if they were whole. According to science, there’s no evidence that if you drink the juice of a fruit, it’s healthier than eating the fruit.
Some feel you get more nutrients from juicing, since there’s no fiber to get in the way.
While that statement immediately rings false, since the fiber doesn’t affect the absorption and even aids digestion. Fiber is also important to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. However, if you remove the fiber from a fruit or vegetable, the volume decreases. That means you’ll be able to consume far more each day if you’re juicing and therefore get more nutrients.
You’ll be able to broaden your selection of fruits and vegetables.
Let’s face it, everyone has that “one veggie” they can’t stand. When you juice, you’ll be able to include a wider variety of fruits and vegetables than you’d normally eat at a meal. Even if you love veggies and eat a lot, like four servings at a meal, you’ll get about 7 to 10 when you juice. The more variety you have, the more potential you have to get all the nutrients you need daily. Dark greens might give a bitter taste to your juice and to hide that, mix in a bit of fructose or add an apple.
The increased fruits and vegetables in your diet can help fight a number of diseases.
You don’t have to juice every day if you don’t want to do that. Some people juice once a week to give their digestion a rest. However, if you juice one meal a day you could add enough extra vegetables and fruits in your diet to help lower blood sugar levels, prevent cancer, lower cholesterol levels and improve your overall good health. It’s even good for your skin.
- If you want the full benefit of a fruit or vegetable, consider blending and making a smoothie. You’ll get all the fruit or vegetable, plus more fiber and more phytonutrients contained in the skin.
- If you juice, make only the amount you intend to drink immediately. Freshly squeezed juice can become a petri dish for bacteria quickly.
- A good recipe for a health juice is 80% vegetables and 20% fruit. Fruits higher in fructose should be limited, such as mangoes. If you choose berries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are lower than blackberries.
- You can add herbs and spices to juices to increase the flavor and the health benefits. For instance, adding a bit of ginger, holy basil, parsley or other herb can bring even more benefits.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
