Juicing has been a common approach for many years but it's only really become popular in recent times. It is an easy way to get your daily quota of fresh vegetables and fruits, which are packed with vitamins and minerals. A lot of research has also shown that having some juice as well as eating fruit or vegetables can be beneficial to one's health.
A lot of people and researchers recommend drinking vegetable juices as they are full of nutrients which can help us to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The juice also has a lot less sugar than natural fruit, which is why it is so popular...
However, there have been many reports saying that the over consumption of juice can lead to other health problems, such as: hypoglycemia... poisoning by heavy metals... diarrhea or constipation... acidosis and even toxicity.
While many people juice for health purposes and love the taste of pure freshly extracted juice, there are some who feel that it is not doing them any good at all. There is no hard evidence to certify this, but you have to ensure that you do it right, or else you may be causing more harm than good...
What are the benefits of Juicing?
Drinking a glass or two of fresh juice each day can provide a multitude of health benefits. There are many studies which have proven that the juices can:
Improve digestion (especially for an ailment called lactose intolerance)
Improve cardiovascular health and protect against strokes (usually after hospital treatment, or people who don't eat enough fruits or vegetables)
Reduce the risk of developing certain cancers and degenerative diseases, like osteoporosis and arthritis. In addition, it can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by a significant percentage (being between 35% to 57% less likely)
Help in reducing the chance of developing heart problems, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes (this is the subject of many heated debates). There have been some reports that it can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 57%!
Help in maintaining weight. There are studies which show that people who juice regularly can maintain weight at a constant level and lose weight at a significantly slower rate (by 8% to 18% less) than those who do not juice...
Juices contain phytonutrients, which activate enzymes in the body, which produce hydrochloric acid; this helps with digestion. Hydrochloric acid is found in the stomach; it helps in breaking down starch, protein and fat.
Helps to flush out your system, especially if you are constipated.
It is a great way of getting essential nutrients into your diet, especially if you have trouble with digestion.
Juicing for Weight Loss
Many people turn to juicing as a weight loss method, but it can actually be harmful for you if you don't do it right. If you are thinking of juicing to lose weight, here is what you should keep in mind:
How to Juice for Weight Loss
While juicing can be a healthy practice, there are some things which must be considered if you want to lose weight. There are some things that you must do and some that you need to avoid.
Here are some tips:
Risks of Juicing and How to Avoid Them
Being aware of the risks will help you avoid them...
The Over Consumption Problem
Over consumption of juice can lead to some serious health problems. If you get into the habit of consuming too much juice, you can overload your system with too many nutrients, which will make you sick in time because your body won't be able to process all the nutrients at once.
Over-acidity Problems
Juicing for weight loss is great, but if you are doing it for too long without giving yourself a break from it, you can get over-acidity problems. Over-acidity can lead to heartburn, vomiting, chest pains, constipation and more.
Diarrhea
Juicing for weight loss is great, but if you are doing it for too long without giving yourself a break from it, you can get diarrhea. Other effects of constant over consumption of juice can be anemia and osteoporosis.
These are some of the side effects that you should watch out for while juicing to lose weight. It is important that you do not over do it...
Being aware of the risks will help you avoid them...
Juicing for Beginners
This is a list of things that you should be aware of if you are planning to start juicing for the first time:
Understanding Detoxification and Cleansing Programs
Before considering taking a juice fast or detoxification program, it's important to know what is involved. Juice fasters often use the term 'detox' without fully understanding what detoxification actually means.
To give people a better understanding on what cleansing is, here is an article I wrote about it (which is a lot more in-depth than what was written above).
The article explains in-depth about the benefits of juicing, and also talks about detoxification from a more practical perspective:
About Juice Fasts and Detoxification Programs
Juice fasting is becoming very popular nowadays. People seem to be doing it for a lot of different reasons. Some do it for the sake of their health and wellbeing, while others do it to lose weight...
Many juice enthusiasts claim that they feel more energetic and have more stamina, after having their morning glass of juice. The reason for this is because the body will be able to absorb nutrients better because our bodies have been deprived of food for many hours after sleeping. This can help with weight loss if you tend to eat too much during the day...
Read more: Mixing fruits and vegetables