Juicing is gaining attention on the health and wellness circuit as a popular method for increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. The nutritional benefits of juicing are often debated in the medical community, but proponents of juicing give it credit for weight loss, faster nutrient absorption, detoxification, increased hydration, and prevention of illness. Juicers work by extracting the liquids, vitamins and minerals from raw produce, leaving behind the fibrous pulp. While fresh juice is not a substitute for whole fruits and vegetables, it is an excellent way to incorporate a wider variety of fruit and vegetables into your diet.
Fresh juice is not pasteurized, so it must be consumed very quickly. For optimum nutrient absorption, you should drink your juice the same day it is made. Keeping a batch of fresh pressed juiced for no more than 2 or 3 days is the best way to avoid foodborne illnesses.
What’s in your juice is super important too. Be cautious of recipes that are heavy on the fruit. While it is sure to taste delicious, fruits contains way more calories and sugar than their vegetable counterparts. It diminishes the nutritional value and it can ultimately lead to weight gain when you add too many fruits. The most nutritious method is to have a vegetable based juice with one or two fruits added for flavor enhancement.
If you plan to incorporate juicing into your nutritional regimen, the big question is: Do you make the juice yourself or do you rely on store bought varieties?
The answer will depend on a few factors. The most important factor being time. If you have the time to make your own juice that is probably the best way to ensure that the quality and freshness of your juice. Plus, you are in complete control of the juice production process. You can pick the fruits and vegetables that best meet your nutritional needs and you can make the amount of juice you desire. That being said, one thing to be wary of when making homemade juice is the source of your produce. The Dirty Dozen is a list of the 12 most contaminated (with herbicides and pesticides) fruits and vegetables. This is the list of produce you should try and buy organic whenever possible, but especially when juicing. It’s relatively cost effective to make homemade juice and there is a juicer on the market at every price point. However, making juice at home can be a time consuming process, so for those with tight schedules buying juice from your local juicery may be the best plan of action. Doing your research before settling on a particular juicery is the best way to ensure both quality and happiness. Looking into the juice blends that they make, where they source their produce from (is it local? is it organic? how often do they receive deliveries?), how often they make juice (how many times a day), if they allow custom juice orders, their prices, and the cleanliness of the establishment is of the utmost importance.
If you’re considering juicing and looking for a local juice shop to try out, look no further than Happy Apple Juicery. Happy Apple Juicery is “a mobile delivery service of fresh, raw, cold-pressed organic juice- serving Charlotte and its surrounding areas”. It started as a way for owner Shatarra Deveaux to manage her severe acid reflux, and her passion project turned into a full fledged business aimed at making healthy accessible. Deveaux contributes daily juicing combined with a healthy diet to removing the need to control her reflux with daily medication. Deliveries and pickups for Happy Apple Juicery’s delicious products are Sunday and Thursday of every week!
Whether you juice at home or visit your local juicery, consuming freshly pressed juice is a quick and easy way to help you reach your daily fruit and vegetable limits (quotas). For people who don’t like fruits and vegetables, juicing them may be the key to increasing your daily intake. Either way, juice is an excellent source of vitamins and phytonutrients!! Just remember to be mindful and do your research!!
It is important to note that if you are currently taking prescription drugs, you should consult your doctor before juicing extensively to avoid any potentially adverse reactions.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic Healthy Lifestyle Blog
