The Art of Juicing
The following article explaining the benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables has been provided by my good friend Jan at Healthguy.org
Why Juice?
The debacle continues. Western dieticians and nutritionalists argue that by juicing fruit and vegetables one loses the bulk and fibre, which is so beneficial to our digestive system. This is of course true. The consumption of fresh juices should therefore not be used as a replacement for fresh produce, but more as a supplement.
In this day and age one has to take extra precautions and measures to optimise one’s health. The quality of fresh produce is just not the same as thousands of years ago when man could wake up and pick a piece of fresh fruit off a tree and eat it, literally suckling directly off Mother Earth’s teat. These days the amount of goodness found in our so-called fresh produce is diminished and diluted. Furthermore, the use of chemical fertilisers, plant foods and insecticides has greatly reduced the quality of fresh produce.
What happens in the juicing process is that one essentially extracts the “spirit” from the produce. The pulp is separated and discarded. An unfortunate waste, although it can be added to things like soups. The juice that remains is what one is after. It is the essence of the vegetable or fruit which has been juiced. It is the concentrated goodness of the plant. It contains all the live enzymes, sugars, vitamins and minerals of the produce that was “juiced” in one concentrated glass.
When consumed, the juice puts minimal strain on the digestive system and is almost instantly broken down and assimilated into the blood stream. Had one tried to consume all the goodness found in this juice by eating the produce in its bulk form, one would firstly not manage to get through all of it in one sitting as the stomach would become full. And secondly, the efficiency of the digestive system would be compromised as it attempts to negotiate the fibre and bulk which hasn’t been broken down properly through mastication (one can only chew so much). While this laborious task takes place, the live enzymes from the produce are constantly attacked and progressively destroyed by parasitical bacteria living in the stomach. This results in fermentation and putrification of the food.
By the time the nutrients of the produce pass through into the intestines for assimilation in to the blood stream, they are somewhat depleted. By separating the nutrients from their “housing” (the bulk and fibre), they pass through the stomach almost instantly to be assimilated into the blood stream. It is therefore essential or ideal that freshly extracted juices are consumed on an empty stomach. If one has just consumed some fruit or vegetable it should still be fine. As soon as there are other more complex food stuffs (such as bread) or combinations of food floating around in the stomach, the juice is more than likely going to be trapped on top where it begins to ferment and to putrefy. To have it enter into one’s intestines in this state is futile.
The ideal times to have a freshly extracted vegetable and fruit juice is thus as the first meal of the day, after some water, or directly after exercise (seeing as one’s stomach should be virtually empty before commencing with exercise in the first place).
Having said that, it is important to consider that fruits have a high sugar content. Making a juice from fruit only is therefore results in a highly concentrated form of sugar. Healthy sugars, yes, but concentrated nevertheless. To avoid the possibility of sugar spikes, one can have a handful of almonds or mixed nuts to reduce the concentration and slow down the assimilation of the juice into the blood stream.
The bulk and fibre of fruit and vegetables are very important and should not be ignored. This is why one should ideally have a juice followed by fresh bulk fruit or vegetable about 30 minutes later. A salad is common, but one could even eat some steamed veggies. Although the heat kills many of the nutrients, particularly the live enzymes, the fibre is softened and more easily processed through the digestive system. Having already consumed one’s juice, one need not be too concerned with the cooking of the vegetables and the destruction of some of the more sensitive live enzymes.
There are countless combinations of fresh produce for juicing. The common ingredients found in most juices would be carrots and then apples.
It is important to realise though, that fruit and vegetable in juice form is an extremely potent form of food. It is therefore possible that with certain combinations that one may experience an almost instant detoxification effect due to the juice targeting the area of the digestive system for which it has a natural affinity. One may thus find that diluting the juice is necessary depending on the vegetables used or how one feels on the day. Each person reacts differently and it is therefore important to become aware of what juice one is consuming, the ratios being used and the effects on the body.
Carrot, for instance, stimulates the liver to release old and toxic bile into the system for expulsion. This results in a temporary spike of toxins in the blood stream and a possible feeling of nausea. Beetroot has a natural affinity for the kidneys as well as the liver and is extremely potent, which means one should only use half a beetroot per glass of juice, or enough beetroot to make 50 ml of juice per glass.
A carrot and apple juice twice daily is an excellent way to maintain good health and cleanse one’s system. However, too much of the same thing becomes boring and can even lead to excess build up of certain nutrients in the system. For this reason, if one is juicing, one should not be afraid of variety and experimentation. Remember, if the fruit or vegetable can be eaten, it can be juiced. Add pineapple. Try not peeling it first – then try it peeled the following time. The same goes with lemon. Lemon and fresh ginger form a tasty combination and are extremely healthy. Cucumber is extremely alkalising and a tasty way to dilute one’s juice. Even a ¼ onion can be added for a less tasty, but more digestively therapeutic tonic (not for the faint hearted). The options and combinations are endless.
If one is making a large quantity of juice intended for storage, it is important to bear in mind that freshly extracted juice begins to oxidise and degenerate as soon as the produce is sliced or peeled i.e. before it is even juiced. An apple going brown shortly after it has been sliced is a perfect example. Juice stored overnight becomes somewhat depleted of its natural trace elements and live enzymes.
One should therefore weigh up the pros and cons of a fresh nutrient-rich juice or a stored, but convenient instantly available juice. Juice stored overnight should be stored in a thermos flask and contain some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice helps to slow down the oxidisation process.
But this is all idealistic and obviously the more closely one can follow this advice, the better. However, even if one does have a juice twenty four hours after it has been extracted, it is still far more beneficial than drinking packaged fruit and vegetable juices from the chain stores. Often these juices are labelled as freshly squeezed, pure with no additives and even organic. All that means nothing because the fact of the matter is that the juices have been pasteurised to increase shelf life. The pasteurisation process results in a juice devoid of live active enzymes, vitamins and trace elements. All that is left is a liquid consisting of concentrated sugars in an altered state. Essentially denatured sugar water.
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