Juicing
has become all the rage with juice stores popping up all over New York city and
lining fridges at Whole Foods. So, what’s behind the colorful garden in a
bottle? It’s not just the next craze—it’s actually a great way to help the body cleanse, repair and get its daily
dose of nourishment. Juicing has many healing benefits such as boosting your
immune system, increasing your energy, supporting brain health and promoting weight loss. This all occurs as the nutrient dense juice floods the body with
vital micronutrients, giving your digestive tract a break from solids to allow
for rest and repair. Juicing helps break up and flush out any unwanted crud that
accumulates from your diet and lifestyle, and has a role to play in the alkalinity
of the body, bringing balance to your system.
There
are many options out there and it can seem daunting knowing what to choose. Not
all juices are potent health healers, so I would like to give you some tips on
how to maximize all these wonderful benefits when juicing yourself:
-
Fresh is best: Within
20 minutes, those powerful vitamins and minerals tend to deteriorate being
exposed to oxygen so the juice just isn’t as potent (but still healthy to drink). Juicing yourself or buying a freshly made juice at store is your best
bet.
-
80-20 rule: 80%
vegetables, 20% fruit. This ratio allows for a variety of micronutrients
without flooding the body with fruit sugar. Some veggies can be quite powerful
so a little bit of fruit can help balance out the taste. Using green apples and
berries will add great flavor and they are lowest in fruit sugar.
-
Eat the rainbow: You need some of every color to benefit from the wide variety of
nutrients, compounds and antioxidants they contain. So think of the rainbow
when your selecting you veggies and fruit.
-
Organic produce: I
feel it’s key to buy organic produce as it is farmed without the use toxic of
chemicals. Steering clear of conventional veggies and fruit will keep the
juice as clean and healthy as possible.
-
Daily routine: There are many juice cleansing routines, but you can easily incorporate juicing
into your daily routine by simply adding a freshly made green juice in the morning. It will
really help clear out the body after an evening of resting. Make sure to still
keep you water intake high as well.
-
Make the swap: Try
swapping out your morning coffee or tea for an energy boosting green juice.
Green juices are full of chlorophyll, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which are all powerful
energy boosters. You’ll feel the natural buzz!
-
Glass jars: It's best to use glass jars to drink and store your juice. This keeps the juice fresh and allows you to avoid leaching (which can occur when using plastic). You can even bring your own glass jars to the store as
it's less waste and no leaching! I also recommend stainless steel straws, which you
can buy on Amazon. Keep some in your bag or at work—it will also save on waste.
Winning!
All veggies have healing and restorative
properties which vary depending on the type, where they were grown and the quality. Celery juice is the queen of anti-inflammatory and healing with extensive health
benefits. You’ll want to have a glass every morning.
Acidity: The important minerals in this magical juice effectively
balance the body’s blood pH, neutralizing acidity.
Energy: Celery juice acts as the perfect post-workout tonic
as it replaces lost electrolytes and rehydrates the body with its rich
minerals.
Blood pressure: Celery has organic sodium that actually reduces blood
pressure rather than increasing it. Drinking celery juice every day for a week
significantly helps lower blood pressure. A compound called phthalides help relax the muscle around arteries,
dilating the vessels and allowing blood to flow normally.
Cancer: Celery is known to contain at least eight families
of anti-cancer compounds. Among them are acetylenics, which have been shown
to stop the growth of tumor cells; phenolic acids, which block the action of
prostaglandins that encourage the growth of tumor cells; and coumarins, which
help prevent free radicals from damaging cells.
Cleansing and detoxifying: Celery is a great internal cleanser and
detoxifier due to its hydrating and alkalizing properties that aid in kidney
function. It's a powerful diuretic as well, helping remove excess water weight from
the body and flushing out toxins more effectively.
Skin: With antioxidants and a high vitamin K content, celery helps preserve and
repair the skin's firmness and elasticity. It's also a good source of vitamin A, C and B for healthy skin
tone and color.
You can know see why this humble vegetable
wears a crown, with an abundant amount of healing properties to keep our bodies healthy and in balance. Celery juice would be a great staple to add to your
daily morning routine. Do so today and watch your health kick into gear!!
Celery Juice recipe:
Ingredients
1 bunch celery* (makes approx 16oz juice)
*organic when possible
Preparation
Wash 1 bunch of celery and run through a juicer. Drink immediately for most therapeutic benefits. If you prefer, you
can also blend the celery in a Vitamix, Nutribullet, or any high speed blender
with a little water and either drink as-is, or strain as desired.
Optional: If you you find the taste of
straight celery juice too strong, you can add a cucumber and/or an apple to
the juice. Be advised, though, that this will slightly dilute its effectiveness. If you
prefer a more gentle juice you can make straight cucumber juice instead, which
is also very healing and beneficial.
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