Want To Eat More Produce? Try Juicing
Fresh fruits and vegetables are the healthiest foods around, and one great way to unlock their nutritional bounty is through juicing. Converting vegetables and fruits into liquid form preserves all of their great benefits and makes them more palatable and easier to consume. Here are just a few of the ways that juicing can contribute to a healthier diet:
When you are jugging you want to be aware of the sugar levels of the juice. Fruits obviously of all things juices will have the highest sugar content, with vegetables grown underground like carrots and beets coming in second. Make sure you do not juice these too often, as it will cause a spike in your blood sugar levels.
To keep the pulp out of your juice, put a coffee filter over the container you’re juicing into to catch it all. Then a fun suggestion that is also nutritious is to save the pulp and put it into ice cube trays. Then on those hot summer days, those ice cubes are perfect nutritious little popsicle treats!
Never add more than one new vegetable to your juice mix at a time. If you do not like the taste of the juice, or your digestive system does not react well to your new juice blend, you will not know what vegetable to reduce or avoid if you add a bunch of new veggies in the same batch.
While you get the best health benefits from consuming your juice immediately, if you have to store juice you can take steps to preserve its nutrients. Airtight containers will protect the nutritional value of your fresh juice, and you can further boost its shelf life by adding a drop or two of lemon juice before storing it.
Cucumber is a great vegetable to use in your juices. They are high in silica, this is a mineral that is good for tendons, ligaments, cartilage, muscles and bones, it also strengthens connective tissue. It is important, though, that you keep the skin, because that is where the majority of the nutrients are.
When you’re deciding what to put into your juice, keep vegetables and fruits separate because they are not digested the same. If you feel you absolutely need to sweeten vegetable juice, use carrots or beets. There is one exception to keeping your fruits and vegetables separate. You can sweeten juice made from bitter greens by using a small amount of apple.
To make great juice takes great fruits and vegetables. Make sure you use the freshest produce possible. Wash the vegetables and fruits, and prepare the items according to the instructions that are in your juicer manual. Different machines may or may not require peeling or skinning prior to juicing.
Juicing is a great nutritional process that can be just as simple or as complex as a juicer wants to make it. Quick, cheap techniques can offer dramatic health benefits, and a greater investment of time and money can provide even bigger results. Hopefully, the tips presented above can be of use in starting or improving a great juicing routine.