Let's get juicing!
Juicing is the latest health trend that has taken over many households. Juiced fruits and vegetables are extremely healthy for your body and taste great too! You can easily make your own at home with a juicer or blender.
Here’s a top five list of vegetables for juicing.
1) Asparagus
Asparagus is rich in vitamin K which helps to prevent bone fractures, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. It also contains calcium, iron and zinc needed to maintain strong bones.
2) Cabbage
Cabbage is rich in vitamin A which helps protect the eyes from damage. It is also high in vitamin B6, and vitamins C and K which are important for maintaining healthy skin and nails.
3) Carrots
Carrots are full of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that protects against many forms of cancer and heart disease. Carrots also contain fiber, vitamin A and Vitamin K.
4) Beets
Beets are full of fiber, viatmin C, potassium and folic acid which are all important to maintaining good health. Beets have a positive effect on the blood flow to the heart and estrogen levels in women. They are also used to treat anemia caused by low iron levels in the blood.
5) Cucumber
Cucumber is high in potassium, a mineral that helps prevent muscle cramping. It also has vitamin B6 which is important for the formation of hemoglobin and improves eye sight. Cucumbers are also an excellent source of fiber that helps control blood sugar levels.
How to naturally get more vegetables into your diet and reap their benefits:
1) Eat asparagus, cabbage and cucumber raw. This can be done by eating the stalks or just the inside part of the vegetable. You don’t want to eat all of it though. A healthy portion is about three-quarters of a cup of vegetables.
2) Add vegetables to soup or juice. Some people prefer to mix vegetables in with a smoothie because it is easier to drink than soup. Begin mixing vegetables into your juices around the age of 20, six months before you plan on having surgery. This will help reduce the amount of food that you need during the healing process and prevent nutrient deficiencies.
3) Add vegetables at different times of the day, when you are hungry and not at your regular meal times. Eat a few raw vegetables for lunch, for example carrots and cucumber or spinach. Some people find it helpful to eat a carrot just before a meal. This can reduce the amount of food that you eat at your meal, while still satisfying your hunger.
4) Add vegetables to other foods. Use vegetables to make a sauce for chicken or fish; adding broccoli and zucchini is an especially good choice. Vegetables also go great in sandwiches! You can put spinach on bread with tuna or carrots and peppers in your veggie sandwich.
5) Use vegetable juice as a side drink. The best vegetable to juice is cucumber. Cucumber is refreshing and full of vitamins and minerals.
6) Eat more vegetables that are high in antioxidants, such as strawberries, spinach, peppers, broccoli and apples. Of course the best way to get these nutrients is from real food sources, but you can supplement with juices or smoothies containing these fruits and vegetables.
7) Eat vegetables more often and not just at meal times. Put vegetables in yogurt with fruit for breakfast and eat carrots before meals. You can also put vegetables in sandwiches, soups, salads and pasta dishes.
8) Eat more dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collards, mustard greens etc. These are some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.
9) Add spices to vegetables. Garlic, ginger and chili peppers all contain antioxidants (that boost immune function). You can also add cayenne pepper to sweet potatoes or carrots.
10) Eat slightly different vegetables. Some of us may eat a great deal of the same foods, so do a little experimenting with different vegetables and see what you like best! For example, apples go very well in the juicing process but they are not as good for you as other fruits. Try a flavored pineapple juice instead.
11) Juice different recipes. Some juices taste better mixed than others. Flowers and greens tend to work well together while apples and carrots taste good mixed together.
12) Drink your juice quickly. Most people do not drink their juice for more than a few minutes before it goes sour. This is because the juice is exposed to oxygen as soon as it hits the air, which causes it to spoil quickly. To drink your juice slowly, make sure that the ingredients are cold and then pour them into the glass slowly. Pour through a strainer to remove any pulp, too.
13) Drink vegetable juice at room temperature. Most people prefer their juice chilled, but if you like it cold, try juicing at room temperature. Juices get juicer when they are room temperature but not cold.
14) Drink vegetable juice with a meal. Most people start out juicing at breakfast and lunch, but you can juice for dinner or as a snack in between meals. If you are juicing at meal times, make sure you drink it quickly before it starts to go bad.
15) Store your vegetable juice in the fridge.
16) Clean your juicer regularly. Wipe down your juicer with vinegar after each use (make sure not to use too much). If you are not going to use your juicer for a day or so, you can fill the leftover pulp from your juicer with water and store it in the refrigerator.
17) Store vegetable juice in glass jars.
18) Eat cooked vegetables at dinner time. This will help you feel full right before bedtime and prevent overeating during the night.
19) Eat vegetables at every meal. If you do not like vegetables, try eating them as a side dish with your main course. By eating more of these foods, you will be getting a lot of nutrients and hopefully, you will start liking them!
20) Eat vegetables that are in the same family as the ones you are trying to get used to. You should be able to cut cucumber, carrots and lettuce into pieces with your teeth and pick them up easily without needing a knife.
Read more: What to do with pineapple core