The Does and Don’ts Of Juicing

Juicing your way to better health and beauty!

The simple art of juicing has gained a huge following. Many people swear by its energizing, detoxifying, alkalizing and full body rejuvenating benefits. Getting the antioxidants direct from fresh fruits gives your body fully improved skin health, reverses degenerative diseases and even slows down gray hair growth! Juicing offers more nutrition from greens that you may be able to eat.

If you got a juicer as a gift or got one yourself you need to be aware of the right and the wrong way to juice. Here they are:

• Get more vegetables less fruit. Fruits are great sources of antioxidant and health enzymes but are best eaten whole with their natural fibers. Also, some fruits such as mangoes and pineapples are notoriously high in sugar.
• A combination of pineapple-mango juice actually has nearly 8 spoonfuls of natural sugar. Drinking a sweet juice like this will send your sugar and insulin levels up. You have to avoid excess sugar especially of you plan to lose some weight.
• You can get some kiwi, lemon or green apples to sweeten up bitter drinks. Green apples for example are a bit sweet but low on the sugar side.
• Target green organic veggies. Green veggies will provide you with maximum nutrition and juicing allows you to sneak up more vegetables in your diet plan. A word of caution though, juicing is only a part of your diet plan.
• Regular meals with veggies and healthy whole foods are still a must. Try to make juicing as a part of your regular meals or as a great afternoon pick me up. Alternatively juicing without proper meals can be used as a way of fasting for 24/48 hours.
• Avoid Juicing raw cabbage, collards, bok choy, kale and broccoli. All of these veggies are classified as cruciferous vegetables and they are goitrogenic. They contain chemicals that effect thyroid function, creates gas, bloating and upset stomachs. These chemicals disappear at low temperature: Just cook them as part of your meal, to deactivate the harmful goitrogens.
• Spinach beet greens and chard are best used sparingly. These greens have oxalic acid which irritates your, blocks your digestive tract, block iron and calcium absorption. Oxalic acid has also been identified as a culprit in kidney stone formation.

The best veggies for your daily juicing are;

• Cucumbers- perfect for cleansing and skin health
• Celery- lowers blood pressure, anti-inflammatory veggie and also alkalizing
• Beets- great for cleansing your liver and a vegan’s perfect source of iron
• Carrots- A gall bladder and liver cleanser and rich in beta-carotenes for eye health. Just use this sparingly since carrot juice is high sugar.
• Spinach- Alkalizes your body, high iron content and promoted healthy skin.
• Wheatgrass- Alkalizes your body and overall detoxifier for your body and
• Fennel- has a great licorice flavor, perfect for the digestive system and greatly reduces bloating.

You can add some romaine lettuce or red bell peepers in your juices for zesty flavors. They are also high in Vitamin C!

Other great herbs and spices you can add are either ginger or garlic. Ginger helps your digestion whilst garlic boosts your immune system. Parsley and cilantro (coriander) are great too because they assist to detoxify heavy metals. For added zing you can add a twist of lemon.

Always go organic when buying vegetables and juices. Wash and scrub your utensils before and after use. Avoid the pasteurized juices since the anti-oxidants are destroyed in the heat. A great way to start your day is with a fresh green drink in the morning. Make sure that you also use the freshest greens.

Here are some great juicing recipes; the afternoon energizer, the detoxer and the kitchen sink. Perfect juice recipes for a younger and fitter you!

Afternoon energizer, please!

Get two carrots,
About 3-4 celery stalks
One peeled cucumber,
A good handful of spinach leaves
Half a beet (optional),
Half a lemon or lime (depends in what is available)
Ginger (about thumb size)
And half a green apple.

The Detoxer-Cleanses your body from harmful toxins.

Get 1 beet
2 medium, sized carrots
1whole green apple
1 thumb-size piece of ginger
You can also add 1 bunch parsley and/or 1 tablespoon of spirulina/chlorella blend.

The Kitchen Sink – this is idiomatically “everything good but the kitchen sink”

You’ll need 2 stalks celery
1 whole red pepper
1/2 bunch parsley or cilantro leaves
1 medium-sized carrot
1/2 cucumber peeled
1/2 fennel bulb
1 Handful spinach
You can also squeeze in a bit of lime or even add some peeled raw garlic to taste.
Best Juicing for best health and beauty!