Daily Juicing

Why is juicing important?

Juicing is important for two reasons. First of all, it can be difficult to ‘go local’ and eat enough micronutrients all the time. Research published in 2011 showed that congenitally grown fruit and vegetables have about half the vitamin content of their counterparts in 1963. So, unless you ALWAYS eat local, homegrown organic vegetables, you are only getting about half the nutrients your grandparents received.

Secondly, we tend to eat the same vegetables all year round. This violates the principle of seasonal food rotation and increases your chance of developing an allergy to certain foods. Wild humans were nomads; they moved around and ate seasonally in order to survive.

When you juice, you can use a wide variety of vegetables that you may not normally enjoy eating whole.

When choosing a juicer, make sure it is easy to clean, has a slow grind (masticate) setting and fits within your budget. Ultra Bullets or Baby Bullets are also a good way to juice.

The advantage of using a grinding, pressing, masticating juicer is that tough, leafy vegetables such as spinach, beets and greens can be juiced. These and other similar vegetables would not yield a large amount of juice by simply pulverising them in a centrifugal juicer.

By using a masticating juicer, the abundance of vitamins found in leafy or fibrous vegetables can be added to a variety of juice recipes. (Note: juice  should always be consumed within 12-24 hours, otherwise it will oxidise, making it less nutritious. Always store your juice in glass containers rather than plastic).

Juicing Step #1

If you are new to juicing, start out with these vegetables, as they are the easiest to digest and tolerate:

• Celery

• Carrot

• Cucumbers

• Apples or Oranges for taste

These vegetables aren’t as nutrient dense as the dark green vegetables. Once you get used to the vegetables listed above, you can start adding the more nutritionally valuable, but less palatable vegetables to your juice.

Juicing Step #2

When you’ve acclimated yourself to juicing, you can start adding these vegetables:

• Red Leaf Lettuce

• Beetroot

• Green Leaf Lettuce

• Romaine Lettuce

• Spinach

Juicing Step #3

Experiment by adding other vegetables:

• Cabbage

• Chinese Cabbage

• Bok Choy

(Cabbage juice is one of the most important for ulcer repair, as it is a huge source of Vitamin U)

Juicing Step #4

Begin adding herbs to your juicing. Herbs also make wonderful combinations, and here are two that work exceptionally well:

• Parsley

• Coriander

You need to be cautious with coriander, as many cannot tolerate it well. If you are new to juicing, hold off, but don’t give up. These herbs are more challenging to consume, but they are highly beneficial.

Juicing Step #5

The last step: Don’t overdo it at first, as these greens are bitter:

• Kale or Silverbeet

• Spinach

• Mustard Greens (bitter)

If you would like to make your juice a bit more palatable, especially in the beginning, you can ass these elements:

• Lemons and Limes. You can add half a lemon or lime, leaving much of the white rind on.

• Cranberries (small amounts): Researchers have discovered that cranberries have five times the antioxidant content of Broccoli, which means they assist your innate intelligence in protecting you against cancer, stroke and heart disease. In addition, they are chock full of phytonutrients, and can help women avoid urinary tract infections.

• Fresh Ginger: This is an excellent addition if you can tolerate it. It gives your juice a little ‘kick’! As an added bonus, researchers have found that ginger can have dramatic effects on cardiovascular health, including preventing atherosclerosis, lowering cholesterol levels and preventing the oxidation of LDL.