Juicing is becoming increasingly important among those of us who don’t claim to be extreme health nuts but are simply looking to make better food choices here and there. If done correctly, juicing can add variety to your diet while sneaking in the vitamins and nutrients that your body needs.
“Juicing can be an easy way to slurp down fruits and vegetables, but it doesn't replace the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables in the diet,” explains Angela Ginn, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Baltimore, Maryland.
“I have three rules to juicing. The first rule is 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent fruit. Vegetables are less calories – that’s why it should be 80 percent of your juicing recipe."
"The second rule is to watch the portion size. Aim for 8-12 ounces for your daily intake. The third rule is to remember to enjoy colorful fruits and vegetables in its natural form – 2 to 3 servings of fruit per day and 4-5 servings of vegetables per day. To reap all the health benefits of juicing, it’s important to have a variety of produce.”
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Here's a few great recipes to keep your body working at optimum performance
Mean Green Weight Loss Machine (Weight Loss)
Apples - 2 medium (3" diameter)
Celery - 4 stalk, large (11"-12" long)
Cucumber - 1 cucumber (8-1/4")
Ginger Root - 1 thumb (1" dia)
Kale - 6 leaf (8-12")
Lemon - 1/2 fruit (2-3/8" dia)
Apple Sharp (Alzheimer's Prevention)
Apples - 5 medium (3" dia)
Celery - 2 stalk, large (11"-12" long)
Oranges (peeled) - 2 fruit
Summer Strong (Arthritis/Bone Strengthening)
Basil (fresh) - 3 leaves
Blueberries - 1.5 cup
Cayenne Pepper (spice) - 2 pinches
Lime - 1/2 fruit (2" dia)
Watermelon - 5 cup, diced
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Dos
- Invest in a good-quality juicer (cold pressed is preferred among many juicers).
- Your juice should be green in color.
- Most (80-90 percent) of your juice should consist of green vegetables.
- Drink your juice on an empty stomach to get the most out of it.
- Drink your juice right away – the longer you wait, the more the nutrients will start to breakdown.
- Take the time to completely wash off all your fresh produce.
- Peel oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits and remove the pit from plums, peaches, apricots, and...
... cherries so that you don’t accidentally choke or ruin your juicer.
Don’ts
- Avoid using too many fruits so that your blood sugar levels don’t spike. For this reason, people with diabetes shouldn’t attempt juicing.
- While you don’t want to wait too long to drink your juice, you also shouldn’t chug it down either. As long as you drink your juice within the first 15 minutes, that’s fine.
- Don’t use the same fruits and vegetables every single time. Not only will you keep things interesting, but there are natural toxins, such as cyanide and oxalates found in fresh produce that can be dangerous if consumed every day.
- Don’t use juicing as a substitute to eating solid foods.
- Unless they’re organic, remove the peel on your fruits and vegetables as they’re often sprayed with pesticides to ward off insects.
