Juicing.....In with the Good, Out with the Bad

by Cary Bryson

Hello Everyone! Welcome to Juicing 101.  I would like to introduce you to the world of juicing fruits and vegetables as a supplement to your daily diet.  Take a minute to think about how many servings of fruits and vegetable you actually consume in one day.  Are you anywhere near the recommended daily doses?  According to the latest food pyramid, we should focus on fruits and vary our veggies (http://www.mypyramid.gov/).  The average recommended daily serving of fruits are 2-4, and 3-5 for vegetables.

I have been an avid juicer for about 18 months. I love the boost it gives me and my kids like it too.  Like most of us, I was not even near the recommended daily doses for fruits and vegetables.  So I started juicing oranges and grapefruits together in the morning before I had my coffee.  It tastes great, without the high fructose corn syrup and preservatives in the store bought juice.  Eventually, I moved up to juicing 2-3 times a day and experimented with different combinations of fruits and veggies.  After a couple of days I felt better, more energized, and did not crave sweet, sugars, and Coca-Cola (my weakness).  The juice had given me more energy than my 3 cups of coffee!  I could not believe how good I felt.  I was more aware of what I was putting in my body and how my body reacted to certain foods.

There are hundreds of websites available for juicing recipes and how to get started juicing.  Please refer to the websites I have listed below.  Specific recipes can help aid certain ailments.  Arthritis, eczema, weight loss, cataracts, ulcers, all can be subsided by juicing daily (http://www.healingdaily.com/).  This website also gives information on how to safely start a 3, 7, or 10 day juice fast.  I started the 3 day fast last Thursday.  I have always wanting to try a juice fast and I thought it would be helpful with my blog.  I kept a journal during the 3 days.  It was definately a humbling experience and the results were amazing.  I did not realize how much food I actually "snacked" on before I sat down to eat and the leftover food I ate from my children's plates.  Juicing eliminated the late night cravings of sugary and salty foods.  I would definately do a juice cleanse again and receommend it for anyone who wants to feel more energized.  Please consult your family physician prior to participating in a juice cleanse.  Juicing fasts may not be for everyone.

Unnatural, processed foods full of hormones, antibiotics, pesticides fill our bodies.  Over time our bodies cannot self-heal and maintain health.  Our bodies may become overburdened and diseases like cancer may develop (http://www.juicing-for-health.com/). 

Juicing fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to replace a meal.  Juicing allows us to become more focused on our body's wants and needs.  Also, juicing is fun for my children.  They pick out the fruits they want and help me prepare them.  I have two of my favorite recipes that I will share with everyone.  I have given you a small introduction to juicing, please read more about juicing from the websites below.

Apple/Carrot/Ginger                                                    Pear/Carrot/Apple/Lemon
3 carrots/2 apples/1/2 inch ginger root                              1 pear/3 carrots/2 apples/half fresh lemon

http://www.livestrong.com/
http://www.ehow.com.juicing/
http://www.macrobiotics.co.uk/