Juicing has become very trendy lately, and although it was used by old-time healers, today, it’s gained a massive resurgence. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing? You know the theme by now: it depends. And that’s what we’ll discuss in this article:
- The benefits of juicing
- The drawbacks of juicing
- The biggest juicing mistakes that people make
Sometimes, people say juicing is a complete waste of time, and other times, it’s part of their secular religion. Let’s bring some common sense to this topic.
Original source: here.
Definition
But first, a definition: when I say “juicing”, I don’t mean “using steroids” (that’s what “juicing” means in the athletic world). By “juicing”, I mean squeezing the juice out of fruits and vegetables, and drinking it. Simple.
Benefits of Juicing
More Fruits and Veggies
One big benefit, and big reason why people choose to juice is because they want to get more fruits and vegetables in their diet, and the solid versions of those foods for whatever reason are insufficient.
Easy to Digest
Because by necessity, fibre is taken out of fruits and vegetables when they are juiced, it makes it much easier to digest. After all, what is fibre? Undigestible carbohydrates. It has all kinds of beneficial effects, from your cholesterol profile, to toxins, to feelings of fullness, etc. But if you have a compromised digestive system, temporarily eating a low-fibre diet may be beneficial and therapeutic. That’s just until you fix your digestive issues. Once they’re fixed, you should get fibre back in your diet.
More Nutrients
It’s no surprise that there are more nutrients in 5 fruits and vegetables than there is in 1. And because you can put in more fruits and vegetables into a juice than you can eat at one sitting (again, because fibre is eliminated), you automatically get more nutrients.
Drawbacks of Juicing
Energy Levels
If you’re juice cleansing, your energy levels might be in the basement. By “juice cleansing”, I mean replacing food with juices, in the mistaken belief that it will help you detox. To incorporate a juice into your diet while simultaneously eating real food is just fine. To completely replace food with juices: that’s unnecessary for most cases (although I should point out that in the 1940s, a German doctor, Max Gerson used 8-12 glasses of vegetable juice per day to treat cancer).
For one thing, without real food, some people might feel very energetic initially, before crashing and burning. And some people’s energy might crash right from the beginning.
Cost
Five vegetables cost 5 times more than 1 vegetable. So expect your grocery bill to multiply.
Detox
One of the most common reasons for juicing is to “detox.” And the purpose of detoxing is so that you can tell your friends, and at parties that you’re detoxing. This way, you get to sound trendy, enlightened and intelligent. That’s unless you’re speaking to someone who knows what they’re talking about.
When someone tells me that they are juice cleansing to detox, a conversation might go like this:
Them: I’m juice cleansing to detox.
Me: What are you detoxing from?
Them: Toxins
Me: Which ones?
Them: um…
Detoxification is indeed a real process (although in the medical community, they call it “biotransformation”, as in “converting one chemical to another”), but to assume that you are “detoxing” because you’re juice cleansing is a big assumption. Before a detox, you should ask yourself 3 questions:
- Which toxins do I want to target (“toxins” is a very broad term. What do you want to work on? Heavy metals? Xenoestrogens? BPA? They all require different approaches.)
- How much of them do I have in my body (hint: this requires a test. If you’re not assessing, you are guessing)?
- Are they causing an issue/problem?
The Biggest Juicing Mistakes That People Make
There are really 2 big mistakes people make when juicing:
Mistake #1: Too Many Fruits and Not Enough Vegetables
In toxicology, there’s a saying that “it’s the dose that makes the poison.” For example, to drink 1 glass of water is good. To drink 5-6 glasses of water in a day is even better. To drink 50-60 glasses of water in a day will kill you. Same applies to the sugar in fruits. The body can handle the sugar in an orange. But to get 1 glass of orange juice requires juicing 6-12 oranges. No good.
So if you’re turning your healthy juice into fruit juice, you’re not enhancing your health. I tell my clients that the ratio of vegetables to fruits should be at least 3:1, or even higher in favour of vegetables. Three vegetables for every 1 fruit.
For those who may find it challenging to source or incorporate sufficient vegetables into their daily meals, exploring an online supplement store can be a beneficial strategy. These stores offer a wide array of dietary supplements, including green powders and vegetable-based supplements, which can help individuals achieve a more balanced nutrient intake without the excessive sugar found in fruit juices. Such an approach ensures that one’s health is truly being enhanced, aligning with the principle that the quality and balance of our intake are as crucial as the quantity.
Mistake #2: Not Enough Protein
Protein comes from the Greek word “protos”, which means “of primary importance.” Man, I feel like Gus from “My Big, Fat Greek Wedding.” You know that part where he says “give me a word. Any word, and I will prove to you that the root is Greek”?
But anyways… you need protein for lots of things like:
- Brain function (neurotransmitters, or “brain chemicals” are made of protein).
- Detoxification (it’s a very protein-dependent process)
- Hormone production (insulin and growth hormone are made of protein)
- Muscle function… no surprises there, right?
…and more.
So no protein, no health. So besides fruits and vegetables, throw some protein in your juice.
So there you go. Now you have enough information to make your own decision on whether or not to juice. And heck, if you are going to make juice, and it tastes pretty good… can I have some? 🙂
