Let's Get Juicing!

****Warning!****   
I am not a doctor, nor claim to be. The information here is what I have gathered from personal research and/or obtained from health professionals. Each person is different, with personal needs. So please only use this information as a guideline for your own research.


The hubby and I have decided to start juicing! Starting with a juice fast, then supplementing daily. And this has sprouted from our recent desire for a complete lifestyle overhaul. Our goal is to get processed junk out, and whole food in. Let's face it, we want to be around for a long time, and this processed stuff is not going to make that happen.

These past few months have been very eye opening for us. We have been learning in depth about the food industry, from the farmer to the table. Extremely shocking to see how this country's food system works. I am going to add a list of some films and books that, if you are interested, will open your eyes to a lot of things. Please feel free to add any films, books, articles, websites or whatever in the comments to share with others. Remember, always do your research!

Films                                                 Books

Food, Inc.                                          The Omnivores Dilemma

Food Matters                                     Tomatoland

Farmageddon                                     Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Ingredients                                         Eating Well (actually, this is a magazine, but good)



Over the past 2 years, my husband and I have been gradually changing our food habits. We have cut out a lot of red meat; going from having it 5 nights a week to about 1. We are eating a lot more chicken, fish, and pork. About once a week we even have a meatless meal. We have cut down on fast food and restaurants. We have not bought potato chips or soda for months (but occasionally have a soda when we do eat out). Fruit has replaced most of the sugary and salty snacks, and the kids love it. I hardly ever throw out fruits and veggies anymore! And any chance we get, we buy from local farms and businesses. Whole and natural foods are the goal. We have done this all gradually, and it has made it to where these changes have been successful, and not too painful.

We are about to make the most drastic change yet. Juicing. Now, as you will hear anywhere else, it is not wise to start a juice diet, or any other diet, without first contacting your doctor. Between my husband and me, we have a few health problems. This made it especially important for us to be in contact with our physician. I am going to include all the information we received from our doctor, as well as the dietitian she referred us to.

The Doctor's Say:

* Our doctor has given us the "go ahead" on a juice diet, but prefers it goes no longer then 10 days (in "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead", they fast for much longer periods. If you want to do this, please consult your doctor)

* She says a juice fast can lead to heart arrhythmia. This can happen if you juice for a long period time and without the right balance of nutrients/vitamins. Please make sure to have good sources of  Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, B6 & Folic Acid, Allium Compounds, Omega-3 and Ellagic Acid (I will post a few examples of raw food that contains these at the end of this post).

* Our doctor's main advice: Do your research before starting any diet, and pay attention to your body.

The Dietitian's Word:

* Our dietitian is not a fan of a prolonged all-juice diet. She also recommends not going longer then 10 days with just juice. Now, she recommends a combination of juiced fruits and veggies, as well as blended. Blended veggies/fruits give you beneficial fiber, a key to any healthy diet. She recommends 25-75 grams of fiber throughout an entire day (not all at once!).

* If diabetic or pre-diabetic, keep fruit juice intake to a minimum. They are still full of carbs. A healthy carb intake is 45-60 grams a meal for women and 60-70 grams per meal for men. However, we need some carbs, so it is important not to go lower than 120 grams a day. Smaller meals are key for keeping your blood sugar under control, even if you are in good health. Eating big meals is like putting gas in your car when the tank is full.


Why juice?

1. Cooking/processing foods destroys vital micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) by altering their shape and chemical composition

2. Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables

3. Easier to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet

4. You can easily and significantly increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake


Here is some good info from a site I found helpful. To access the site and full article, click HERE
         
          "When you juice your fruits and vegetables, you remove the fiber and drink only the liquid   
          which contains the organic hydration, nutrients, vitamins and enzymes from the plant food. 
          Although you do need fiber in your diet, going for a certain period of time without it will 
          give your body a chance to spend less energy on digestion.  

          Around 70% of your energy every day is spent on digestion alone, so when you are   
          eating 3 meals a day plus snacks, you are rarely giving your body a chance to direct 
          energy to deeply cleansing the body and drawing up old acidic waste that is likely  
          causing a whole host of symptoms.  

          If you suffer from headaches, constipation, diarrhea, skin troubles, fatigue, irritability,   
          excess weight, bloating or any other number of symptoms, your body needs some help to  
          cleanse. The intelligent application of fasting is a brilliant way of helping you to do this.  

          A good rule of thumb is to ensure that at least half of your juices when fasting are green 
          vegetable based juices, and then use other juices for fun and variety. Be particularly 
          careful not to overdo fresh fruit juices as they will send your sugar levels out of balance 
          and feed yeast if over consumed.  

          Low sugar fruit juices are a better option. Fresh grapefruit juice alone is divine, green 
          apples add sweetness to any juice, and berries add a whole new indulgent flavor. Use 
          lemons and limes in everything if you like! They are brilliant alkalizers and extremely low in   
          sugar."


So, we have come up with a diet and fast that will work for us based on the recommendations of these health professionals, and our own personal choices. My husband will do a 5 day pure juice cleanse. I will do one day of both juice and blended, 3 days pure juice, and one day juice/blended (5 days in total). We will use the "Mean Green" recipe (included below) the majority of the time, as it is packed full of so many of the daily nutrients we need. We will also juice everyday (we are able) and eat more raw after the cleanse/fast. We plan on completing additional 3 to 5 day cleanses about ever 4 months thereafter. 

Juicing Vs. Blending 

(the following comes from an article written by Joe Cross)

JUICING

When you juice you push clean produce through the chute of a juicer. This process removes the insoluble fiber (but the soluble fiber remains in the juice). Important micronutrients typically more difficult to absorb become accessible to the human body. These nutrients include digestive enzymes and certain phytonutrients. Also, by creating an all liquid product, the body and consume more of these phytonutrients at once.

It amazes new Rebooters sometimes how small the juice yield is from vegetables like kale, and makes it clear that it’s a lot easier to drink a head of kale than to eat it!

BLENDING

When you make smoothies, you load up a blender with clean, fresh or frozen fruits, and green leafy veggies (swiss chard or spinach, for example) and liquid like coconut water, juice or almond milk. You can also add ingredients like almonds, hemp or soy milk, cacao nibs or chia seed for fun.

When you drink smoothies, your body benefits from the phytonutrients found in the skin and flesh of fruits and veggies. You also benefit from the large amounts of fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. Fiber is important for regulating blood sugar, keeping bowels regular, aiding in hunger control, and it may help prevent certain types of cancers.

What juicer do I buy?

Centrifugal Vs. Masticating

     Centrifugal juicers are faster. They are the most popular juicers due to their speed. However,  
     due to the high speed, some softer fruits or leafy veggies will not juice well. You will also not 
     extract as much juice as you would with a masticating juicer. The friction caused by 
     blending can actually destroy some nutrients. 

     Masticating juicers are a bit slower, but you will extract the most juice. The more detailed 
     process of a masticating juicer ensures high quality juice every time. These are usually 
     higher in price. However, with a masticating juicer, you can do a lot more then juice. You can 
     make nut butter, baby food, ice cream and sauces.

     Bottom line: Do your research and go with the juicer that works best for you and your 
     lifestyle. We went with a masticating juicer. I have never used a centrifugal juicer before, 
     but here is what I noticed about a masticating juicer:

          * Juices fairly quickly
          * So quiet!
          * Easier to clean then expected
          * Pulp is so dry! It definitely squeezes every drop out
          * Quality, durable, and efficient
          * Seriously yummy juice!
          * So easy
          * Along with being able to make baby food, ice cream, nut butter, and sauces, our juicer   
            extrudes pasta and bread sticks (with included attachments) and grinds flax and other 
            seeds

This is the juicer we bought. OMEGA 8006  It is a beast, and we like it so far!

As promised, here is a list of some vitamins and minerals you need to incorporate into a well balanced diet of micronutrients, along with some foods packed full of them! Research individually to learn all the amazing benefits each of these give us (like Allium, which "possesses anticancer activities as well as antiarthritic, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antithrombotic, antiviral and lipid-lowering abilities". Learn more HERE.).

Vitamin C - Bell Peppers, Kale, Broccoli, Kiwi, Oranges, Lemons
Vitamin E - Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, Nuts, Red Bell Peppers, Broccoli
Magnesium - Flax Seed, Almonds, Edamame, Broccoli, Cashews
Calcium - Dandelion Greens, Kale, Oranges, Lemons, cucumbers, Celery, Carrots
Potassium - Kiwi, Oranges, Pears, Peanuts, Broccoli, Celery
B6 & Folic Acid - Spinach, Turnip Greens, Broccoli, Carrots
Allium Compounds - Arugula, Bokchoy, Broccoli, Garlic
Omega-3 - Flax Seed, Basil, Broccoli, Kale, Spinach
Ellagic Acid - Walnuts, Raspberries, Strawberries

Here is the main recipe we will be using on our juice fast, and daily supplementation after. It is called the "Mean Green", and is from the documentary "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead". It is worth taking the time to watch. Joe Cross, who made this documentary, went through an amazing transformation. He has an awesome site full of tons of information, like help with what juicer to buy and recipes (even recipes for the kids!). Check it out HERE.

Mean Green Juice 

6 Kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
1 piece of ginger

So to close this up, I am just going to add a couple of bits of information I have come across during my research and I think will be helpful!

* The daily recommendation of vegetables we should consume is 1 pound of vegetables to 
   every 50 pounds of your body weight! This is where juicing makes it easy!

* Without food rotation (like eating the same salad everyday, instead of having a variety of 
   veggies) you are at higher risk of developing a food allergy

* Stress creates adrenaline. Adrenaline robs your body of Vitamin C

*Fresh juice can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours

* If you have high blood pressure, diabetes  high cholesterol  or are overweight, limit your intake 
  of fruits until these conditions are normalized

Always remember that you do not have to be perfect! Just reading this and considering a lifestyle change is a huge step in a great direction. Life is crazy and hectic, and sometimes, whole, fresh food is not possible. Just try each day to put the best ingredients you can into your body whenever possible, and you will feel so much better. Believe me, we LOVE good food, and there are some things we are not ever going to give up. It will just be  in moderation and as a special treat.

We are beginning our fast sometime during the last week of March (will post details when it gets closer). My husband will be on Spring break, so it will be easier to fast without the temptation of culinary school goodies. We will have the freedom to get out and go to keep our minds off of food, and to burn all the extra energy we are going to have. If you are joining us, please share your recipes, ideas, and progress! 

Food is what nourishes us, it is our lifeline, and brings us together with a common bond and love. Here is to a healthier, and more energetic, you!