The Joy and Benefits of Juicing

Summer is almost gone and local farms and farmers markets are overflowing with many healthy fresh fruit and vegetable options for daily juicing. It is also a good way to ensure you reach your quota of daily vitamins and minerals. Over the years I have written several articles on fruit and vegetable juice making, primarily its benefits as an immune system booster and here is a reminder of the benefits and joys of juicing.

Chemical Free Juicing

For many years fresh carrot juice has been, and still is, a personal favourite as it is an especially good way to increase intake of immune boosting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and all the other myriad of good nutritious supplements found in fresh organic fruit and vegetables

Thanks to lots of sunshine, our small garden is currently overflowing with chemical free greens, kale, parsley, onions, pak choy, garlic, chives, tomatoes and zucchini, etc and it is a joy to wander through our hobby garden and pick vegetables to be included in our fresh juice (or for salad or steaming)

Benefits of  juicing

• Avoid hypervitaminosis by making your own juice at home. It is possible to “overdose” on some vitamin supplements (Vitamins A, D and E)
• If you over indulge on carrot juice (Vitamin A / beta carotene) your skin may change to an orange colour but its safe and if you lower your intake of fresh carrots or carrot juice, the colour should disappear
• Vegetable juice is an easy way to meet your daily quota of 5 to 10 servings of fruit and vegetables. 30 ways to get your daily quota of fruit & vegetables- juicing is #2
• Some vegetables are not the most tasty or can be strong (garlic) or bitter (some kales) but when blended in a juice with other vegetables, especially sweet carrots,  they are not noticed
• Adding an apple to a vegetable juice is also a good way to “sweeten” the juice
• If you have problems chewing and / or swallowing, juices are very easily digestible
• It is an excellent way to consume immune boosting antioxidants such as flavinoids and most vitamins and minerals are in the juice of fresh fruit and vegetables
• Note: A blueberry muffin or strawberry ice cream are not included in your daily fruit quota

Juicing is so easy

A simple juice formula with a healthy carrot base. Here’s a recipe two people :

• 8 carrots
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 leaves fresh kale
• Pak choy or boy choy leaves and stem
• Parsley to taste

… and here is another simple vegetable juice good for your immune system. This juice is a good way to use up the abundance of ripe red tomatoes, peppers and garlic in our garden:

• 2 – 3 large tomatoes
• 2 celery stalk
• 1 clove garlic
• green pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic

… and one more simple immune booster juice previously published on Caramel and Parsley

Simply follow the directions for your juicer and add your favourite vegetables such as a red pepper, beets, tomato, celery, cucumber and an apple, etc and add an ice cube or two. Choose vegetable and fruit combinations to your taste and availability.

Juicing for us is a healthy and beneficial way to increase our intake of vitamins which are important for maintaining a healthy immune system. Moderation in juicing, along with a balanced diet is a great way to eat our vegetables and a fun way to add extra nutritious fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. Experiment and enjoy!

Notes

• After watching the movie “Fat Sick and Nearly Dead” we replaced our old juicer
• Including a handful of fresh picked blackberries or an apple to your juice adds a lot of nutrition
• For maximum health benefits drink your juice shortly after it has been made
• If storing juice for the short term use a glass container with a lid, such as a canning jar
• Some fruits such as blueberries may lower diabetic risks 
• Remember to eat fresh fruit and vegetables for fibre as well as juice
• There are lots of ideas for left over vegetable pulp – such as soups, meat / tofu loaves, stews, pasta sauce and carrot pulp soup is quick and easy. Follow recipe similar to Zucchini sideline soup adding spices and vegetables to your taste
• Our new juicer turns whole vegetables (such as washed carrots) into juice in minutes saving lots of chopping time
• We are able to buy organic juicing carrots all year – a bonus
• I think our most popular and frequent juice is C A T + garlic (which is 2 – 3 carrots + 1 sweet apple + 1 tomato + 1 clove garlic = healthy daily juice for one person – all fresh and chemical free)

Great tasting fresh carrot / vegetable juice – no chemicals or additives – just real, fresh & tasty, and dare I say “natural” juice

Links 

• Only half the Canadian population eats their daily quote of fruit and vegetables from Stats Canada
• Fruit and vegetables help prevent heart disease – Heart Foundation
• “Superjuicing” Tonia Reinhard MS, RD, Firefly Books, 2014
• Nutrient value of carrots from Wikipedia – 3.5 ounces of raw carrot meets Vitamin A daily requirements

…  DNA damage, which is a major problem in smokers, was effectively improved with supplementation of carrot juice and refined antioxidant vitamin, and both nutrition intervention methods produced similar degrees of effectiveness. Thus, supplementation of carrot juice as a food, which contains ample antioxidant nutrients including vitamin C, may be used to prevent diseases caused by oxidized damage in smokers.
 US National Library of Medicine