Going Green - On The Inside
For Optimum health the National Cancer Institute and the Food Guide Pyramid recommend EATING MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES…
Starting your day with fresh juice is a great way to go. You should try to eat something solid with your juice in the morning. This will help absorb the acids produced by the fresh juice. Whole grain toast is a good choice, or perhaps a small cup of organic oatmeal sprinkled with flax seed meal.
Fresh juices are a tremendous source of enzymes. In fact, the "freshness" of juice is one of their key features, because enzymes are destroyed by cooking. Since fruits and vegetables are juiced raw, the enzymes are still viable when you drink the juice.
Juicing is an excellent means of adding fruits and vegetables to your diet. Since juice contains the whole fruit or vegetable-except for the fiber, which is the indigestible part of the plant-it contains virtually all of the plants' health-promoting components. Because fresh juices are made from raw fruits and vegetables, all of the components remain intact. Vitamin C and other water-soluble vitamins can be damaged by over processing or overcooking. Enzymes, which are proteins needed for digestion and other important functions, can also be damaged by cooking. Fresh juice, however, provides all of the plants' healthful ingredients in a form that is easy to digest and absorb. In fact, it has been estimated that fruit and vegetable juices can be assimilated in twenty to thirty minutes.
GREEN JUICES OR “VEGETABLE DRINKS"
Green juices cleanse the body of pollutants and have a rejuvenating effect. Made from a variety of green vegetables, green juices are rich in chlorophyll, which helps to purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify and heal the body, and provide the body with fast energy.
Green juices and vegetable drinks can be made with spinach, parsley, beets, cabbage, kale, cucumber, carrots, celery and other varieties of vegetables. Carrots and beets naturally sweeten the juice. For added nutritional benefits and to sweeten your vegetable juice, I recommend adding one half of a green or red apple to each tall glass of juice. You may also want to try adding ½ of a green pear or 3-4 globe grapes. Keep in mind that the benefits of green drinks are great and you should concentrate on more vegetables and less fruit as fruit juices tend to have a naturally high sugar content and tends to increase insulin levels. Balance is the key!
Although green juices have great health benefits, they should be consumed in moderation. Start off slow with 4 to 6 ounces a day and increase to 8 to 10 ounces a day. The following is an excellent "green drink"
Antioxidant Abundance In A Glass
1-2 medium carrots
3 sprigs fresh parsley
1 large handful spinach
1 small beet, including tops
½ medium cucumber
1 stalk of celery
½ golden or green apple
Fresh vegetable juices are restorers and builders. They boost the immune system, remove acid wastes, and balance the metabolism. They also aid in the control of obesity by removing excess body fat. Juicing tends to fill you up and keep you satisfied longer between meals. Your stomach should feel good all morning long. If it is churning or growling or generally making its presence known, you probably juiced something you should not be eating.
The liver is our worker. The liver plays several roles in detoxification: it filters the blood to remove large toxins, synthesizes and secretes bile full of cholesterol and other fat-soluble toxins and disassembles unwanted chemicals. That is why it is essential that the liver is working at it’s best.
Juicing can help heal and maintain healthy liver function and improve elevated liver enzymes. It is an effective way to get this organ functioning at it's optimum level.
Among the most healthful and delicious of the vegetable juices are beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, turnip, spinach, watercress, and wheat grass juice. Carrot juice is probably the most popular of the juices and is packed with carotenoids, including beta-carotene, the vitamin A precursor that helps fight cancer. Because carrots are the sweetest of the vegetables, their juice is not just delicious on its own, but is also great for mixing with other vegetables to increase their appeal. On the other hand, strong-flavored vegetables-broccoli, celery, onions, parsley, radishes, and turnips, for instance-should be used in small amounts only. As a general rule, drink fruit juices mostly in the morning, or at the start of your day as it provides the complex carbohydrates to fuel energy, or at least two-three hours before you go to bed, depending on your body metabolism.
If you have any health problems, I recommend you discuss the benefits of juicing with your health care provider before beginning any dietary changes.
There are so many juicers on the market and the prices vary radically. I recommend that you start with a mid-priced model that is easy to clean.