IS JUICING A HEALTHY OPTION?

By Vegan Victoria, Certified Nutrition Consultant

Juicing is quite popular these days. In fact it’s been popular for quite a while, going back to the era of fitness guru Jack LaLanne. It involves putting food, mostly fruits and vegetables in a juicing machine and drinking the extracted juice. I’ve researched the pros and cons to this method. Here’s a summary;

Juicing Pros:

-it’s a great way to consume healthy food, especially if it’s the only way you’ll consume them.

-there are claims that consuming juices gives the digestive system a break since the food is already broken down.

-it clears out toxins, especially if you’ve been on an unhealthy eating binge.

-some people say juicing makes them feel fabulous with a healthy glow and an over-all sense of well-being.

Juicing Cons:

-there’s no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than eating the food itself.

- it removes essential fiber. Fiber helps our digestive tract run smoothly and it also gives us a sense of fullness and satiety. Some people just don’t feel satisfied when they drink their calories. They’d rather have solid food.

-you run the risk of consuming too much sugar and fructose if you load up your juice with fruits and sweet vegetables like watermelon, apples, pears, beets and carrots. Too much sugar, even natural sugar, can affect insulin levels pretty dramatically, causing cravings and weight gain. It’s recommended to keep fruits and high-sugar vegetables in your juice to 1 per serving

-juicers can be expensive, from $50 up to $400 per machine. They are also messy, take a lot of work to clean and can be time-consuming to operate.

Juicing Tips

-if you do decide to juice, make sure to drink the juice right away, or at least within 15 minutes. Freshly squeezed juice can quickly develop harmful bacteria.

-it’s best to consume the juice on an empty stomach so the nutrients are absorbed right away and don’t have to compete with solid food for digestion.

-carefully clean all the produce you use, and the machine as well, to avoid unwanted chemicals and bacteria in your drink.