The Benefits of Juicing-Healthy living from Faithfulness to Kindness

As we transition from our month of faithfulness including our “Clean Eating” challenge to a month of celebrating KINDNESS….I want to reassure you all that there is a very clear correlation for me between treating my body with kindness and treating others with kindness. The better I feel inside physically, emotionally and spiritually the more energy I have to show lovingkindness to others. When I am faithful to healthy living I can be more consistent and committed to kindness towards others. One of my newest passions in my quest of healthy living is juicing.        I am very new to juicing. What I am sharing with you is information that I am starting to collect as I research the health benefits of juicing. What I know is that there is a “pressed fresh juice” craze moving through our communities with places to buy fresh pressed juice opening up all around. I for one LOVE the fresh flavors of fresh pressed juice but the cost is prohibitive for me to enjoy this treat every day. So I decided to try my hand at Juicing with my new Breville juicing machine (thanks to a VERY sweet friend). The results for me have been extraordinary.

Here are some of the interesting facts I have found on the benefits of juicing……”phytochemicals that researchers have uncovered are changing the way we think about food, especially fruits and vegetables. for example, broccoli contains a substance that may prevent – even cure – breast cancer. Citrus fruits have substances that make it easier for your body to remove carcinogens, thus decreasing the chance of contracting cancer. Grapes contain a phytochemical that appears to protect each cells’ DNA from damage. Similarly, a number of green vegetables contain phytochemicals that appear to offer protection against cancer-causing substances. The list goes on and on: bok choy, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnip greens, red beets, peppers, garlic, onions, leeks, and chives are but a few of the vegetables that appear to have cancer-preventing phytochemicals. The problem, though, is that most of us don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables to reap the benefits they offer. Possibly, juicing could provide the answer to fixing our fruit and vegetable deficient diets.”

“Fresh juices are a tremendous source of enzymes. In fact, the “freshness” of juice is one of their key features, because enzymes are destroyed by heat. When you eat cooked foods, whether its meal, grains, fruits, or vegetables, if the food is cooked at temperatures above 114 degrees, the enzymes have been destroyed by the heat. Since fruits and vegetables are juiced raw, the enzymes are still viable when you drink the juice. Coincidentally, many of the phytochemicals that nutritional researchers are focusing their attention on are either enzymes, or more often, they are substances that help build or activate enzymes that play essential roles in protecting cells from damage. In addition, fruit and vegetable juices are good sources of the traditional nutrients. Citrus fruits (grapefruit, oranges, etc.) provide healthy portions of vitamin C. Carrot juice contains large quantities of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene. A number of green juices are a good source of vitamin E. Fruit juices are a good source of essential minerals like iron, copper, potassium, sodium, iodine, and magnesium, which are bound by the plant in a form that is most easily assimilated during digestion. Plus, since juicing removes the indigestible fiber, these nutrients are available to the body in much larger quantities than if the piece of fruit or vegetable was eaten whole. For example, because many of the nutrients are trapped in the fiber, when you eat a raw carrot, you are only able to assimilate about 1% of the available beta carotene. When a carrot is juiced, removing the fiber, nearly 100% of the beta carotene can be assimilated.” http://www.living-foods.com/articles/benefits.html

Here is my first attempt at a juicing recipe
2 green apples (or 1 green and 1 red)
2 stalks of celery
1 lemon
1 inch fresh ginger
2 cups spinach
1 cup kale
2 medium carrots (or 1 cup baby carrots)
1 medium beet
Wash all vegetable and trim ends. Using the Breville machine according to manufacturers directions, juice the softer fruits and vegetables on low and the harder vegetable on high. Pour yourself a glass and pour the remainder into glass mason quart jar for later in the day.

Dedication to deliciousness brings benefits beyond reason. Stay tuned for more juicing news and information and more recipes. Be faithful to your health and KINDNESS will be the result.