Should I Be Juicing?

When I first went into private practice, juicing was considered extreme. But in the past few years, juicing has taken on a whole new meaning. Juicing is currently believed to be the best way and only way that gets the junk out of your body and restores the body to a healthier state. Now it seems as if everyone is jumping on board!

Proponents say that juicing is better for you than eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber. They say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight.

But there’s no sound scientific evidence that extracting juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, if you don’t enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing may be a great way to get them into your diet.

If you’re set on trying a juice fast I recommend that you use only organically grown fruits and vegetables, and prepare the juice yourself. Drink homemade juice no more than an hour after making it – otherwise, its nutritional value will deteriorate. If you can’t make juice on your own, buy juices that don’t contain added sugar. You can safely perform a juice fast for one to three days, but before you begin consult with your physician.Remember that fruit juice is a concentrated sugar and is never recommended if you’re diabetic.

The bottom line: You may feel better by juicing because it eliminates things you should be trying to limit or avoid anyway. It can be a great way for your body to experience what if feels like to take a break from things like alcohol, white flour and sugar. While you might lose weight on a juice fast, the only real formula for weight loss is eating less and exercising more.