As I think of topics to write I always aim to do one thing, and that is to provide you with information to help you make your own decisions. We are all under the assumption that nutritional guidelines can be applied on anyone, not realizing that food is not a one-size-fits-all deal. Many things that work with one person might not necessarily work for you, we all have different bodies, different lifestyles, and different needs. Today I want to give you some information to help you decide whether or not juicing is for you!
Let’s take a look at the facts:
I know many of you think of juicing as a way to cleanse the body (detox), but I only think of it as a great way to supplement with fruits and vegetables if and only if you do not consume enough fruits and vegetables throughout the day. There are many times where I find myself too lazy to make a salad – and that is when ill opt for a green juice. You should not rely on juicing for better health and definitely not for weight loss.
There are key points you need to keep in mind when creating or purchasing your green juice. Firstly, when thinking of juices you should focus on green juices! You should add in lots of green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, parsley, radish greens, lettuce) and always limit your fruits to 1-2 portions. Fruits can easily add in a lot of calories, and I personally think the worst thing you can do when you are trying to limit your caloric intake is drinking them! Drinking your calories just isn’t as filling and you can sometimes be taking in more calories than expected. Other vegetables can be used in a juice to enhance the flavour (beetroot, cucumbers, lemons, limes, celery) and they don’t provide as many calories as fruits do.
My personal favourite green juice ingredients include:
Green juices can last from 48-72 hours in the fridge, but to get the most health benefits it’s best to drink up immediately! You can use a blender or preferably a cold-pressed juicer. The cold-pressed juicers don’t heat up, therefore many of the enzymes and vitamins in the fruits and veggies are not destroyed by heat., giving you that extra health boost. Whether you choose to juice or not, always remember that there is nothing you can do better for your health than eating your fruits and veggies! We all need the extra fiber.
Post by Hyatt Al Sayegh, a Clinical Dietitian and Dr. Sears Health Coach.
Founder of Fork Fed.
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8 replies on “Fork Fed: Is Juicing Worth It For You?”
But why juicing does not replace eating? Vitamins broken down? Fibers are lost?
Hello meh,
I personally believe that it’s all a matter of preference. When you can eat your fruits and vegetables you tend to get everything that food has to offer (fiber and nutrients) and research has shown that you tend to become full faster with eating. With juicing, you definitely lose almost all the fiber, but you still get the health benefits of all the available nutrients. Just do whatever is easier for you and whatever will get you to have more fruits and veggies!
What about blending instead of juicing greens? Cuz thats what I do, frozen broccoli blended with banana tastes so much better than steams broccoli and easier to prepare.
Hi Mark,
Blending does give you all the fiber the fruit and vegetables have to offer, and does tend to be more filling because you get a thicker consistency as opposed to a watery one from juices. If you find it easier and are able to get in broccoli daily, then by all means keep doing so!
What do you think should be a daily intake? For children and adults?
Is there any site that gives us a monthly chart which gives rough proportions plus recipes? Like today have an apple+banana shake and tomorrow have a broccoli+Banana? All of these fruits and veggies are good, but it would be great if something like this existed which gave us a sense of how much to have of each type of fruit/veggie.
and thank you for your post!
Hello James,
As far as daily recommendation intakes goes, children should aim for 2 cups of veggies a day and 1-2 cups of fruit a day. Adults should aim for 3 cups of veggies a day and 2 cups of fruit a day. It really does not matter what fruit or veggie you have on each day, but I do recommend always choosing fruits and veggies that are local and in season. Hope this helps!
Bloody hippies… =.=
Vegan = Cancer Magnet + Mentally Sick
Educate yo self
https://www.science20.com/news_articles/vegetarians_found_to_have_more_cancer_allergies_and_mental_health_disorders-133332
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