Juicing: Good or bad?

[samsquench07]

Just wondered your thoughts. I read lately that 80% of items on grocery store shelves are junk. Processed and full of unnatural items. I seem to believe this myself after researching and reading more indepth into labels.

Started juicing and love it. I have always loved juice but actually could not drink it, because it gave my heart burn (too much sugar and unnatural stuff I supoose)

I can juice a celery, apple, orange kale and get a glass of juice. It is easy to drink, and how else would I eat that much at once? And that is only 1. I might do that 2 or 3 times.

[First Strike]

Juicing will definitely be positive effect in your life especially vegetables.

Here a trailer on a good documentary on a mans quest to get healthy by juicing called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv3vEXy_EwU

Another good documentary on the food industry is called Food Matters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss

Both of these documentaries are on NetFlix

[Poindexter]

There was a dr on cnn the other day that used limes as an example for why juicing doesnt give you the benefits of simply eating the fruit. Back when scurvy was major problem for sailors someone decided to bring the lime juice instead of the whole fruit. Unfortunately they all got scurvy. What they didn't know was the vitamin c in the fruit oxydizes once extracted making the juice essentially concentrated sugar. Claims that the current juicing trend is not giving people the benefits they thought and are simply having a concentrated sugar drink.

Does anyone have info to dispute this claim? Was thinking of picking up a juicer but want to know if there are any health benefits.

[Bsuds]

For a Diabetic juicing or smoothies are not good because the body can process them too fast which raises the blood sugars.

[Corneliousrooster]

There was a dr on cnn the other day that used limes as an example for why juicing doesnt give you the benefits of simply eating the fruit. Back when scurvy was major problem for sailors someone decided to bring the lime juice instead of the whole fruit. Unfortunately they all got scurvy. What they didn't know was the vitamin c in the fruit oxydizes once extracted making the juice essentially concentrated sugar. Claims that the current juicing trend is not giving people the benefits they thought and are simply having a concentrated sugar drink.

Does anyone have info to dispute this claim? Was thinking of picking up a juicer but want to know if there are any health benefits.

It is recommended that juices be consumed within 15 min of juicing to get maximum benefit from the juice. The juices will oxidize and lose many of their benefits the longer it is before ingesting. Some juices keep better (longer) than others.

My family has been juicing for a few years now and we all seem to be healthier for it. We don't juice more than we are going to consume at the time of juicing.

[Lady tehMa]

Isn't it better to actually eat all the fruit and veg with the attendant fiber?

[Corneliousrooster]

Isn't it better to actually eat all the fruit and veg with the attendant fiber?

Juicing should not be replacing a balanced diet - it is in addition to.

[oneh2obabe]

Juicing probably is not any healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables. Juicing extracts the juice from fresh fruits or vegetables. The resulting liquid contains most of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) found in the whole fruit. However, whole fruits and vegetables also have healthy fiber, which is lost during most juicing.

Proponents say that juicing is better for you than is eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber. They say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight.

But there's no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing may be a fun way to add them to your diet or to try fruits and vegetables you normally wouldn't eat. You can find many juicing recipes online or mix up your own combinations of fruits and vegetables to suit your taste.

If you do try juicing, make only as much juice as you can drink at one time because fresh squeezed juice can quickly develop harmful bacteria. And when juicing, try to keep some of the pulp. Not only does it have healthy fiber, but it can help fill you up. If you buy commercially produced fresh juice from a juicing stand or store, select a pasteurized product. Note that juices from some fruits and vegetables can contain more sugar than you might realize, and this can add unwanted calories and lead to weight gain.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/juicing/exper ... Q-20058020

[SuperMom]

Invest in a Vitamix or Blendtec blender, then you can have your juice and keep the fibre.

[samsquench07]

Ive also heard another side of the argument, that the fibre is bad for you, because the body has a harder time digesting it properly, thus juicing eliminates this. It does seem to make sense, but not sure which way I feel about it.

I can make a glass of juice, apple, orange, celery, pear, pineapple etc.... that would be hard for me to eat all this in a sitting. That's what I kinda like about it.....

[Thinktank]

Wow. Lots of different info out there. But saying the fibre is bad is one of the wierdest
things I've heard.

I would rather eat the whole fruit any day. Why throw part of it out.

I heard fruits and vegetables should not be mixed.

I think a green type of vegetable juice, before breakfast would be a smart thing to do for anyone
with some type of health problem. For everyone else - eat the whole thing.

I buy whole boxes of vine ripened organic tomatos at the farmers market and eat them all - that's a lot of juice.

For losing weight - occasional juicing wouldn't hurt.
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/

For people with health problems - juicing wouldn't hurt.

The Gerson Therapy is a natural treatment that activates the body’s extraordinary ability to heal itself through an organic, vegetarian diet, raw juices, coffee enemas and natural supplements.

With its whole-body approach to healing, the Gerson Therapy naturally reactivates your body’s magnificent ability to heal itself – with no damaging side effects. This a powerful, natural treatment boosts the body’s own immune system to heal cancer, arthritis, heart disease, allergies, and many other degenerative diseases. Dr. Max Gerson developed the Gerson Therapy in the 1930s, initially as a treatment for his own debilitating migraines, and eventually as a treatment for degenerative diseases such as skin tuberculosis, diabetes and, most famously, cancer.

http://gerson.org/gerpress/the-gerson-therapy/

[Fancy]

Invest in a Vitamix or Blendtec blender, then you can have your juice and keep the fibre.

Nutribullet (sp?) is getting a lot of publicity lately too - good for making single servings by the sounds of it.

I've not heard one shouldn't mix fruit and vegetables as the top chefs do just that with amazing results. it's been suggested to add lemons/limes/cranberries to add a little flavor.

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/ ... icing.html

[Steve-O]

I like what the Rooster had to say in regards to juicing being in addition to a well balanced diet. If by juicing, someone begins to change their eating habits and choices, its a good start IMO. Without scouring the net for definitive info, I tend to agree with why not simply eat the whole fruit.

As an aside: a month or two ago it was reported that eating and apple has the same wake up effect as a cup of coffee. I've been trying this and it has worked for me. Anyone else? Complete disclosure, I do still have one cup of coffee to start the day because the habit is ingrained in me and I enjoy the flavor. I follow up with an apple and have eliminated the one or two cups I would have later in the morning.

[Fancy]

I tend to agree with why not simply eat the whole fruit.

As noted earlier, you can utilize the whole fruit if you get the right juicer.

[Steve-O]

Got cha! I skimmed most of the previous posts and missed that statement.