Regardless of how someone eats on a daily basis, I feel that adding in a green juice and a green smoothie throughout the daily food routine is a must.
Green juices are simply green vegetables, either leafy vegetables or veggies like celery and cucumbers, “juiced” through a machine so the pulp is separated. The advantage? It is said that green juices pack a powerful dose of nutrients into the body. While it’s still suggested to mix saliva with the juice before swallowing it is said that digestion and absorption rates increase significantly. Some call it an “injection of nutrients direct into the bloodstream.” Try it for awhile and see for yourself.
You can find plenty of juicing recipes with a quick Google search but I recommend that you just get a juicer and try pushing greens through and see what your taste buds enjoy. I have found that I began craving the greens. At first though, safe vegetables to start with (to avoid too much “greeny” taste) are cucumbers, celery, even carrots (unless sugar is an issue for you). A tiny piece of ginger also packs a punch. Leafy greens are a little stronger in general, and also, in general, do not produce a lot of juice.
A great juice recipe to try:
- 3 cucumbers
- 1/2 carrot
- handful spinach
- stalk of celery
- tiny piece of ginger
Consuming a green juice every day can create compounding results
Making drinks like this using uncooked veggies are a big part of the raw food diet.
Although very nutrient dense, I find there is a slight disadvantage to green juices. It lacks important fiber. The removal of the fiber however is said to be the very thing that helps increase the absorption of nutrients. But, in addition to a green juice, I consume green smoothies regularly.
Green smoothies are fruit blended with greens and a liquid, usually water
Like green juices, smoothies are considered highly digestible, but perhaps with a little less nutrient absorption because of the fiber. Clearly fiber is important, so doing both a daily juice and daily smoothie do wonders for my health and my guess it would for yours as well.
A great base smoothie that my family and I enjoy is:
- 2 cups blueberries (frozen)
- 1/2 cup or more of water
- handful parsley and spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 banana
Same as with juicing recipes, green smoothie recipes are all over the web. Do a recipe search in Google to find some. I honestly feel, this diet tweak encourages better results in work and in life. Just start, it becomes easy.
Health benefits of juicing
Natural fruit and vegetable juices have polarized health enthusiasts for years, spurring debates on whether or not they are inferior to, equal to, or superior to whole fruits and vegetables. Many people have heralded green juices as unmatched in curative properties, particularly against cancer, while others claim that it is precisely the high fiber content of whole fruits and vegetables that is responsible for protecting the body against cancer.
While it’s true that fiber can protect against cancer, primarily of the colon, research evidence shows that the antioxidants contained in the juice may actually be responsible for up to 90% of the anti-cancer properties of fruits and vegetables. A 2008 review of several studies concluded that there is insufficient scientific evidence to support the idea that whole fruits and vegetables are superior to natural fruit and vegetables juices, in terms of their ability to protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease.
An important benefit of juicing is that it allows the consumer to get the recommended daily values of vital nutrients faster and easier than by consuming a plate of vegetables. Juicing also makes it easier to get the best of an assortment of fruits and vegetables at once. Moreover, the left-over pulp from juicing need not go to waste, as it can be added to purees, side dishes, soups and dips, thus ensuring that every part of the juiced vegetables is eventually used.
Juicing should by no means fully replace the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables. Ideally, green juices are consumed in combination with a wholesome, plant based diet.
The above information is for education only and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or treat illness. It is valuable to seek the advice of an alternative health care professional before making any changes. The statements above have not been evaluated by the FDA (or your country’s equivalent). Any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.foodrepublic.com/2011/05/04/pros-and-cons-juicing
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17127476
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107
