Quote:
Originally Posted by sheena12
I did have a juicer before, but I was never sure if that was the best way to drink fruits and veggies. After all the fiber is removed. So I began to wonder.
Then there was the total mess left after juicing.
SO - is juicing the way to go go or is there something better?
What is a cost efficient way to do this? I'd like to do this type od "Fast" for one week. There after, one day per week.
What appliance do you recommend - juicer or something different?
Any help will be so appreciated!
|
I recently watched the documentary
Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead.
"Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a 2010 American documentary film which follows the 60-day journey of Australian Joe Cross across the United States as he follows a juice fast to regain his health under the care of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Nutrition Research Foundation's Director of Research. Following his fast and the adoption of a plant-based diet, Cross lost 100 pounds and discontinued all medications."
It was a powerful and life changing film- and I'm a healthy, fit, 18 years+ vegetarian! Anyway, I bought a Breville juicer and did a strict juice fast for 15 days. I wasn't hungary and I had a lot of energy and mental clarity. I loved it so much and experienced so many benefits, that I've incorporated juicing into my weekly diet. Juicing will definitely be a part of my lifestyle from here on out. I don't even go for taste, I just juice what I know is healthy- all the dark, leafy greens, and things we could all use more of in our diets like kale, fresh beets, spinach, broccoli, lemons, apples, carrots, ginger, celery, swiss chard...there's so much more and your body needs it all!
I'm responding to your post because a lot of people ask about the loss of fiber, the pulp, when juicing. Yes, you do lose the fiber, but you don't lose the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. You can always get your fiber from another source, and juicing provides a tremendous amount of nutrition. You would have to make an enormous smoothie to include all the vegetables you can when juicing!
For me, juicing was about FASTING. A period of time to cleanse my body and mind, while consuming lots of healthy greens and other vegetables in a convenient way. Also juicing for me is about getting my fruits and vegetables when I might not eat the VARIETY I know my body needs. Smoothies from a Vitamix are great too, and I make them often. For this reason I don't compare the two- juicing vs. smoothies. The reasons I consume each are different.
Here's a Mayo Clinic article if anyone is interested... I hope my experience helps answer some of your questions. I highly recommend the documentary!
----
from Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.
Juicing probably is not any healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables. Juicing extracts the juice from fresh fruits or vegetables. The resulting liquid contains most of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) found in the whole fruit. However, whole fruits and vegetables also have healthy fiber, which is lost during most juicing.
Proponents say that juicing is better for you than is eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber. They say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight.
But there's no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing may be a fun way to add them to your diet or to try fruits and vegetables you normally wouldn't eat. You can find many juicing recipes online or mix up your own combinations of fruits and vegetables to suit your taste.
If you do try juicing, make only as much juice as you can drink at one time because fresh squeezed juice can quickly develop harmful bacteria. And when juicing, try to keep some of the pulp. Not only does it have healthy fiber, but it can help fill you up. If you buy commercially produced fresh juice from a juicing stand or store, select a pasteurized product. Note that juices from some fruits and vegetables can contain more sugar than you might realize, and this can add unwanted calories and lead to weight gain.
Also----
VEGETABLE JUICING
"Ultimately, you want to aim to drink more vegetable juices for its highly cleansing and healing properties that are effective for reversing many ailments and … melting away toxic fats. The reasons for vegetable juicing and fruit juicing are the same, but vegetables have something much more important that fruits have less of — chlorophyll.
When you hear the word “chlorophyll“, you may vaguely remember this word from Biology in school. To some of you, the word may mean almost nothing, other than the green thing in plants.
Yes, it is “the green thing” in plants, the phytochemical that makes plants green. But, it is also a very important proteinous compound that acts as our internal healer, cleanser, antiseptic, cell stimulator, rejuvenator and red blood cell builder, just as it is the “lifeblood” of the plant.
Chlorophyll is a green photosynthetic pigment found in abundance in leaves of plants (vegetables). It absorbs sunlight and changes it into chemical energy for the plant. Researches have reported that the chlorophyll molecule is remarkably similar to hemoglobin in human blood, the substance that carries oxygen in our body. Except that our hemoglobin has an iron element in the center of the structure and chlorophyll has a magnesium element (see picture below). Experiments have shown that our body is able to convert chlorophyll into hemoglobin, thereby enriching the blood.
The Health Benefits of Chlorophyll
The power of sunshine in chlorophyll is wonderfully cleansing in the body. The greener the leaves, the more concentrated the amount of chlorophyll. The reported health benefits from chlorophyll consumption are just too many. Taken consistently in sufficient amounts, here are some of the powerful remedial effects of this amazing substance":
Increases blood count
Detoxifies and cleansing
Alleviates blood sugar problems
Reduces or eliminates body odors
Relieves gastric ulcers
Greatly relieves respiratory troubles like asthma and sinuses
Kills bacteria in wounds and speeds up healing
Reduces inflammation pain
Improves bowel functions
Improves milk production in lactating mothers
Soothes painful hemorrhoids
Melt away toxic fats
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Juicer vs. Vitamix
