Juicing for Health
Nutrients – Vitamins and Minerals
If you’re juicing for better health, one of the benefits is in providing you with the necessary nutrients that may be lacking in your current diet. Juicing is a great way to get the vitamins and minerals you need, even if you are busy and on the run.
It’s also a great way to get the kids to ‘eat their fruits and vegetables’ without too much fuss. You can make colored drinks that look appealing, even to young children!
Target Health Conditions
By specifically choosing the types of fruit or vegetables that you juice, you can target certain health conditions. For example, you can add certain ingredients to fight a cold or to ease arthritis.
Therefore, you can choose to make juice blends to suit your own health needs. In preparing your juice, only make a batch that is enough for your current intake. It’s not wise to make juices in advance since fresh juice can ferment easily and can be prone to bacterial infestation. So only prepare an amount that you can finish soon.
If you see your juice bubbling like a soda, then don’t drink it. It has started to ferment.
Orange Juice – The Most Popular “Juiced” Fruit
The most common and widely prepared fruit juice of all is orange juice. We all know that orange juice is rich in vitamin C and full of antioxidants. This healthy juice strengthens the immune system and prevents many problems, such as colds and flu-like symptoms. It also helps fight invading organisms and infections.
Orange juice is a great first line of defense, regardless of how busy you are! The antioxidants also help keep the body young – which helps you fight against age-related diseases.
Carrot Juice – A Popular Vegetable Juice
A popular vegetable that is regularly juiced is the carrot. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals, and vitamins. They help boost the immune system, provide healthy-looking skin, cleanse the liver, and have antioxidants to keep you young and healthy.
Carrot juice also helps to lower cholesterol levels and prevents the development of atherosclerosis.
These are just two of the most common juices and their health benefits.
If you are new to juicing you can start with these two staples as a base, and build on them. You can then experiment in juicing other fruits and vegetables that will give you the targeted benefits you desire.
Try apples, grapes, ginger, bitter melon, and other vegetables that are rich in minerals and phytochemicals. Just choose the ingredients to suit your needs and condition.
One way of adding a variety to your juicing is by mixing ingredients. Mixing fruits and vegetables will give your juice the sweetness you may desire without adding additives or sugar.
It will also prevent you from getting bored with drinking the same recipes day after day. After all, variety is the spice of life!