Juicing - The many benefits
Juicing is the process of extracting the juice from fresh vegetables and fruits (preferably vegetables), and leaving the pulp behind. Juicing is different than blending, as you would make a smoothie in a blender. The blending process combines the juice and the fiber pulp of the produce. Blended smoothies can be a healthy and nourishing food too, but it is not digested and absorbed as easily as fresh pressed juices. The process of juicing removes the fiber from the plants making it a very nutrient dense food. Removing the fiber also makes it a very easy to digest food, especially to a compromised digestive system. The fresh juice goes directly into the bloodstream and is absorbed within 20-30 minutes. I always tell my clients that juicing is like IV nutrient therapy. It is like a transfusion of powerful nutrition deposited directly into your bloodstream.
In 2004 I was fortunate to study at the Gerson Therapy in San Diego, California and Tijuana, Mexico. The Gerson Therapy is a holistic treatment for individuals dealing with cancer and chronic diseases. Dr. Max Gerson developed this therapy in the 1930’s. It is a powerful healing therapy that boosts the immune system to heal itself. I learned so much about nutrition, detoxification, and healing the whole person.
One of the main components of the Gerson Therapy is fresh juices as nutrient therapy, and coffee enemas for detoxification. A Gerson patient drinks ten to thirteen 8 oz. glasses of fresh juices daily. That is a fresh juice every waking hour of the day (don’t worry, you probably don’t need to drink that much!). The juices act like a powerful medicine to a body that has been downtrodden and sick for quite some time. The juices are full of nutrients, enzymes, and minerals. The juices start to change the terrain of the body. Not only is it super nutritious but it is also very detoxifying.
Fresh juices break down diseased tissues in the body and clean out old debris from cells and tissues that are lacking oxygen and vitality. It then restores new cells to a vibrant and oxygen rich state. Fresh juice also assists in proper drainage of the cleansing organs, including the liver, colon, and kidneys. It also helps in cleansing the bloodstream, lymph, and skin.
Since returning from the Gerson clinic I have made juicing a daily part of my own life. My juicer sits on our kitchen counter and stays there. It has become a daily morning ritual for me because I have seen the many healing benefits for myself and for others. It is very energizing and gives you beautiful glowing skin. You can feel the vitality and liveliness in your body after you drink a fresh glass.
Juicing is not only amazingly beneficial for individuals with health concerns but it’s also a wonderful way to sustain health and wellness. It is a fantastic way to get many servings of fresh produce into your system daily. Five servings of fruits and vegetables is the recommended minimum amount per day. Some days, it can be challenging to get that amount in our diets, so juicing is a great way to remedy this situation. Typically, you get about 3-5 servings of produce or more, in one 8oz glass of juice.
I want to point out that we should only be juicing fresh vegetables, with the exception of Granny Smith apples, lemons, and limes. Juicing fresh fruits gives your bloodstream too much natural sugars at one time, which will stress your pancreas. Remember that when you juice, you have a very concentrated product and there can be too much concentrated sugars in drinking 3-5 servings of fruit at one time. Dr. Max Gerson encouraged green apples (tart ones like Granny Smith) to the green juice recipe. This is because the malic acid from the raw apple assists with mineral absorption of the vegetables and the green apple provided a cushioning for the digestive system to prevent gut irritation. Green apples are also low glycemic.
Another important point is to use organic or chemical free produce. When you juice such a large amount of produce, you are taking in everything that is included with it. You wouldn’t want to have pesticides and herbicides in your IV nutrient therapy, would you? Juicing is meant to restore our health and give us the proper nutrition that our bodies are starving for, so use the cleanest produce available. Organic produce has also been shown to be richer and much more nutrient dense than non-organic produce.
A good time to drink juice is when you have an empty stomach or with a light snack. This way, the juice can be absorbed quicker into your bloodstream.
A good juicer is important as well. You want to stay away from centrifugal juicers if you can. Centrifugal based juicers spin the produce around at a very fast pace, which creates heat in the process, killing vital nutrients and enzymes in the juice. The best juicers to use are single or twin geared juice models, auger style juicers, and the hydraulic pressed type juicer (Norwalk). These types of juicers masticate and grind the produce rather than spinning it, which will maintain the important nutrients of the juice.
The Gerson Therapy highly recommends the Norwalk Juicer for their patients, hoever it is a very expensive juicer. This is the juicer that masticates by using a triturating mechanism or grinding process. It extracts the juice from the pulp by pressing it from a hydraulic press attached to the side of the juicer. It does provide an excellent product, however you can obtain very good quality juice from the following juicer models that use a single or twin geared juicing process:
Samson Juicer- (check out www.samsonjuicers.com) also available on amazon.com
Green Star Elite Juicer – (check out www.tribestlife.com/Greenstar) also available on amazon.com
Omega Juicers/ Masticator/Juice Extractor (non- centrifugal)– (check out www.omegajuicers.com) also available on amazon.com
Champion Juicer – (check out www.championjuicer.com) also available on amazon.com
Norwalk Juicer (for the very serious juicers out there) (check out www.norwalkjuicers.com) may also be available through amazon.com
*Check out ebay and craigslist too for juicers. Some of my clients have found good quality used juicers for a fraction of the price of a new one.
I hope you consider using juicing as a part of your healthy living. Your body and spirit will thank you for it!
