Juicing

Nothing compares to juicing when it comes to seasonal eating. With the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that the spring and summer months bring, juicing is a great way to soak up the nutrients and flavours that these foods provide.

What Is Juicing?

Juicing is the process of extracting juice from plant tissues such as fruits and vegetables. There are many methods of juicing, but is most efficiently and easily done with a household appliance called a juicer. Top of the line juicers can run up to $600 - $900, but if you are like me and live on a budget, you can find this appliance at stores like The Bay or Sears for $100 - $150. On an even tighter budget? Everyone has at least one friend with a juicer hiding deep in their cupboard. Find out who that friend is and ask to borrow it. Dust off the appliance and use it at least a few times a week. Trust me, you'll start hoping your friend forgot they lent it to you because you will see and feel the benefits of juicing in no time.

Why Should I Juice?

There are 3 main reasons why you should juice:
1. Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from vegetables and fruits. 

Due to unhealthy eating choices we make in our lives, some of us may find it hard to properly digest raw foods high in fiber, which limits absorption of nutrients fresh vegetables and fruits provide. Juicing gives our digestive system a rest from digesting fiber,  and allows our system to absorb nutrients rather than "flushing it down the toilet". Simply put, the body can more easily extract nutrients from juice than whole food.

2. Juicing allows you to consume an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables in an efficient manner. 

The Canadian Food Guide suggests that adults aged 19 to 50 years should eat on average 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Each serving should make up about 1/2 a cup. That's up to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables worked into your diet per day. Another guideline suggests that if you eat a diet high in carbohydrates, you should consume one pound of raw vegetables for every 50 pounds of body weight per day. Even without following these guidelines, it is easy to know the benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables, but eating this much fruit and vegetables is not easy. Many of us are on the go and many of us don't have time to make and eat fresh foods. Making a large batch of fresh juice in the morning that you can drink throughout the day will help you consume an optimal amount of fruits and vegetables. And it tastes great too!

3. It's an easy way to add variety of fruits and vegetables to your diet.

Many people eat the same vegetable salads every day. We should always rotate our foods to avoid food sensitivities and allergies. With juicing, you can juice a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that you would not normally enjoy eating whole.

Some Benefits of Juicing

• Juicing for health provides vital nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals for our bodies to repair themselves, strengthen the immune system and for cell regeneration and growth.
• Unlocking nutrients of raw foods is one of the vital benefits of juicing. Fiber is quite literally locked into many vegetables and fruits and the potential benefit of the fiber is lost as the digestive system does not unlock it. Juicing releases the fiber’s nutrition so that benefit may be realized. 
• Juice is an excellent snack or meal replacement that is very filling. Many dieters claim that juices assist them to lose pounds with no hunger.
• The antioxidant effects of juices will help detoxify your body and help you eliminate the toxins, fats, preservatives and chemicals that a diet of processed foods leave behind in your body.
•  You know that one of the benefits of juicing raw fruits and vegetables is that you get all that wonderful nutritional value. These foods are packed with vitamins and minerals, as well as other important substances for optimum health. Enzymes and antioxidants help the body experience fewer symptoms of certain diseases. 

If you are new to juicing, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Tips:

• Try to drink your juice right away while it is fresh to avoid oxidation. The juice is richest in antioxidants and enzymes within the first few minutes of making it. If you do not drink your juice right away, then drink it within the first 24 hours to get the most health benefits out of it.
• If storing, keep it in the fridge in an air tight container such as a mason jar, filling it to the top to prevent as much oxidation as possible. 
• Try to stick to organic fruits and veggies. You want avoid drinking any toxins as much as possible. 
• Limit using sweet fruits or fruits high in sugar, since making juices with these fruits can spike your blood sugar levels.