Information on Juicing

Squeezing your own fresh juice daily provides your daily quota of fruits and vegetables. Many people drink fresh fruit juice to help with weight loss, improve health and cleanse their GI tract. Proponents of juicing claim that drinking fresh squeezed juice daily allows the body to absorb more of the nutrients. The MayoClinic website states there is no evidence to support that juicing is better than eating fresh vegetables.

What You Will Need

Juicing experts recommend drinking freshly squeezed juice, rather than pre-packaged juice. Juices you purchase in the store are processed and void of many of their vital nutrients, according to Don Colbert, M.D.. To start juicing, you need a juicer. Juicers range from $50.00 to $500.00, depending on the strength and durability, as of 2011. Natalia Rose, author of "The Raw Food Detox Diet" suggests purchasing a juicer that juices green leafy veggies as well as wheat grass and spins below 200 rpms, to avoid oxidation of the juice.

How To Juice

Juicing technique varies to personal taste, style and what you are trying to achieve from your juice. If you are juicing for health reasons blend fruits and vegetables that offer the specific benefits you seek. Carrots, beets, parsnips, cucumbers, broccoli and celery are base vegetables; use them in almost all juice blends. Fruits such as apples, limes, lemons, pears, oranges, cranberries and grapes sweeten your juice. Greens, onion, ginger, radishes and chives add spice.

Benefits

Drinking fresh juice daily provides vital nutrients, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Replacing a high-calorie snack with a glass of fresh vegetable juice helps you lose weight, according to Dr. Carl L. Keen of University of California, Davis. Proponents of juicing claim that drinking fresh juice daily averts many health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other diseases. According to Science Daily drinking 500 mL of fresh beet root juice daily decreases your blood pressure and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cautions

Eating whole fruits and vegetables provides a high amount of dietary fiber that is lost when juicing. MayoClinic recommends blending your consumption of eating fresh, whole fruits and vegetables with juicing. Drinking high quantities of juice in addition to your regular diet adds extra daily calories and causes weight gain.
Freshly squeezed juice can quickly build up bacteria, so it is important to only make what you will consume right away.