I can recall a time when the concept of juicing fruits and vegetables conjured up a health food fanatic, probably living in a commune in a geodesic dome, raising llamas and making his or her own mysterious brownies.
But one advantage of being in my fifties is that I've been able to watch the changes in our society over the last few decades. Some of them give me hope concerning the intelligence and prospects of the human race.
The reaction to juicing is one of those changes. Gradually, this method of food preparation is losing its undeserved aura of weirdness and is finally being seen for what it really is.
Juicing is a smart way to amp up on your nutrition. It doesn't involve drugs, may reduce the amount of toxins you're exposed to, and provides an injection of nutrients with the added bonus of tasting really good. (Most of the time. Garlic offers up quite a zap but that's a story for another time.)
A juicer separates the plant's juice from its fibers. You can pick and choose which fruits and vegetables you want to combine, or choose one to stand on its own.
Doing it at home means you have the full benefit of the enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals, unlike bottled or frozen juices which have lost so much of their nutrients. Freshly juiced produce can fortify, cleanse and lend new energy to your body. The nutrients are absorbed quickly and easily by your digestive tract.
While there is some disagreement on this subject, there is growing support for the idea that juicing can help protect our health, or if we are ill, bring us in to better health due to the nutrients made available.
If it's within your means, using organic produce is best. But even if not, juicing is a good way to go. Much of the chemicals on our produce is on the skin, and you can take that off before juicing. And organic or not, be sure to wash your produce before juicing.
Juicing can be incorporated into a fast for detoxification purposes for a period of time. Don't be tempted though to think that if a little fasting and juicing is good more must be better. This could set you up for problems.
Juicing is not meant to replace fresh fruits and vegetables in your diets. You still need to eat produce for proper health. Juicing rather than a replacement, is an excellent addition to your repertoire of health.
Resources:
Juicing: Concentrated Vitamins and Nutrients
http://www.the-natural-path.com/juicing.html
Health Benefit Of Juicing Vegetables And Fruit - Vital, Vibrant Vitamins
http://www.best-juicing.com/health-benefit-of-juicing-vegetables-and-fruit.php
Benefits of Juicing
http://www.energiseforlife.com/juicing.php
Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger