Juice Therapy

fruits

JUICE THERAPY

High in concentrated nutrients, fruit and vegetable juices are ideal for keeping your immunity high and fighting off colds, flu, and other infections. Enthusiasts claim that juice therapy can also lower blood pressure, remedy skin disorders, and relieve digestive problems, though the evidences for these benefits is less than conclusive.

In addition, juice therapy is a favourite aid in detoxification regimens, and is often used during elimination diets to detect the cause of an allergy.

HOW TREATMENTS ARE DONE

Extracting the juice from fruits and vegetables yields a liquid that’s rich in sugars, starches, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, but low in mass—in other words a concentrate that contains almost all the nutrients of the plant without the fibrous cell walls that originally contained them. The juices are used in two ways: as a supplement to a normal diet, or as a substitute for solid food (a juice fast). Most treatments are do-it-yourself, although physician’s guidance is occasionally required.

There are a variety of juice therapy combinations. Indeed, the growing number of juice recipe books reflect the increasing popularity of this type of therapy. Since juices are mostly water, they can be mixed in ways, you’d rarely attempt with solid foods.

For example, combining fruits and vegetables is common in juice therapy, although it’s unwise to mix acidic juices, such as lemon or orange, with other types of juice. The acids can curdle some liquids, and are best when juiced and consumed alone.

ALMOST ALL FRUITS AND MOST VEGETABLES CAN BE JUICED

A few vegetables—asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and squash—yield bitter juices that, for many people, aren’t worth the benefits they provide. The fastest and easiest way to extract juice from any of these products is with a commercial juice machine. Those on the market today typically use one of two mechanisms: Centrifugal force: This type of machine cuts fruits and vegetables into tiny pieces and then spins them at high speeds. The liquid is extracted by centrifugal force in much the same way that water is wrung from clothes during the spin cycle of your washing machine. Triturator: This juice machine chews and rips the vegetables and fruits into a wet mass. The liquid is then squeezed out by a hydraulic pressure or some other mechanical pressure. Because this process exposes the pulp to less air and thus keeps more nutrients intact, some juice aficionados consider the Triturator to be superior. However, it is also slower, larger, more complex, and higher priced.

Enthusiasts recommend drinking juice as soon as it’s made, since raw, unpreserved juice is highly perishable.

Any contact with light, heat, or air starts an oxidation process that will eventually break down many of the nutrients. Nevertheless, you can store juice for up to two days if you keep it as cold as possible—35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit without freezing it. Juice therapists also recommend using a dark, sterile, pre-chilled bottle to store any juice that contains riboflavin (vitamin B2).

JUICE SUPPLEMENTS

When combined with other dietary regimens, juice therapy can be used to augment athletic training, or simply improve overall health. Keep in mind, however, that juicing a fruit or vegetable removes its fibre. Juices, therefore, cannot be used as a substitute for whole fruits or vegetables, but only as a low-fat supplement to a balanced diet. A typical supplementary juice regimen calls for 3 to 4 eight- ounce glasses per day, taken throughout the day.

JUICE FASTS

Juice therapists advocate juice-only fasts to cleanse and rejuvenate the body. Such fasts are also a good way to detect an unsuspected food allergy. If you experience a major improvement in chronic symptoms during a juice fast, chances are they were caused by an item in your regular diet. Reintroducing your favourite foods one at a time after the fast should quickly identify the culprit.

Juices can also provide at least some nutrients if you are unable to keep solid food down—for example, if you’re undergoing cancer chemotherapy or have a severe illness. They are especially good for convalescents because they are easier to consume and digest than solids, yet still provide the much needed nutrition. Juice fasts typically last for 2 to 5 days. Juice advocates often recommend them for general health improvement twice a year, in spring and fall.

Juice serves as a valuable nutritional supplement in the treatment of all manner of debilitating illnesses, from cancer to AIDS. However, it’s important to remember that it’s not a magic cure-all. It won’t do any more for you than a similar supply of vitamins and minerals from any other source. It lacks the fibre, fat, and protein needed to maintain energy and preserve optimum health. And it won’t necessarily give you any more quick energy than you’d get from iced tea or cola.

Juice therapy has a lore all of its own, some of it true, some of it not. Carrot juice, rich in vitamins and minerals, is a favourite among votaries of juice therapy, but despite claims to the contrary, it won’t boost energy, and combining it with beet juice doesn’t stimulate the liver. Green juices, those made from green vegetables, are said to heal, stabilize, and calm frayed nerves, but they are not a source of long-term energy.

Wheat grass juice, made from kernels that have sprouted to resemble grass, is another favourite, often recommended to detoxify the body, flush the liver, and purify the blood. There is, however, no evidence to support such claims, nor is there any reason to believe that it will remedy degenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

Juice advocates also focus on the many antioxidants and phyto- chemicals that show a promising role in the prevention of cancer. Foods such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, oranges, grapefruit, and lemons are especially rich in these compounds. Juice from these sources can provide you with a concentrated mixture of unique nutrients that can’t be obtained from commercial supplements.

WHO SHOULD AVOID THIS THERAPY?

Juice fasts provide minimal calories and little fat or protein. They are not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and they are also unwise for infants, young children, and the elderly.

Certain health problems can make it necessary to avoid or limit intake of particular juices. For example, you should obviously avoid the juice of any fruit or vegetable to which you may have an allergy. If you have a problem with sugar, you’ll need to dilute sugary juices such as carrot and beet with low-sugar juices such as celery. And if you have diabetes or suffer from hypoglycemia, you should always take fruit juices with food.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY OCCUR

Although, in general, there are no side effects from juice therapy, certain medical conditions such as diabetes may be aggravated by excessive intake of certain juices. It’s also possible for a juice such as grapefruit to interact badly with certain prescription drugs. If you have chronic health problem or are currently undergoing treatment, it’s wise to check with your doctor before undertaking juice therapy. Avoid including excessive amounts of tomato and citrus juices in your regimen. Because they are highly acidic, they could conceivably upset the body’s natural acid-base (pH) balance. Remember, too, that the juice of a food to which you’re allergic can be just as upsetting as the original source.

There are no special certification requirements for physicians who prescribe juice therapy. Any medical doctor should be able to help you with recommendations for any health problem. However, if you are seeing a specialist for a particular ailment, it’s best to consult this physician first.

You may also want to consider consulting a naturopathic physician, since these doctors tend to be especially experienced in juice therapy.

WHEN SHOULD TREATMENT STOP?

Juice supplementation can last a lifetime. Juice fasts, however, should be limited to no more than 2 weeks at a time. No matter, how many juices you include in the regimen, it will still be lacking in many of the elements of a balanced diet. A protracted diet of juice alone will damage, rather than improve, your health.

SEE A CONVENTIONAL DOCTOR IF…

While juice can boost overall health and resistance, it can’t cure any serious chronic disease. For example, cabbage juice may relieve the symptoms of an ulcer, but it won’t cure one. (For that, you’ll typically need a course of antibiotics and antacids.) Seek standard medical treatment for any long-term problem, and use juice only as an adjunct to regular therapy. Likewise, juice therapy may help the body overcome an infection, but it won’t kill any germs by itself. If an infection hangs on or gets worse, your best bet for getting rid of it is probably a prescription drug.

Don’t delay seeing a conventional doctor. Some uncontrolled infections can quickly become life-threatening.

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FRUIT JUICES HEALS &

BOOST YOUR ENERGY

Including fresh fruit and vegetable juices in your diet is a very good habit to get into. They contain an array of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, purified water, proteins, carbohydrates, chlorophyll and various co-factors that enhance individual nutrients. Little digestion is needed for their assimilation, so they are a quick way to restore nutrients to starved cells.

Canned and bottled juices are not as good as fresh, as these are usually made from fruit concentrates and not whole fruit, nor do they contain live enzymes or life force. Moreover, the liquids from which they are reconstituted may not be of the highest standard and additives such as sugar, salt, artificial colours and flavours and chemical preservatives are usually added. There are, however, some good packaged juices now available, but make sure to read the label.

Drink juices much before or after the meals or on an empty stomach, as they are digested much faster than solids.

Try the following juices for specific conditions:

Acne: carrot, cucumber, parsnip, wheatgrass

Ageing: wheatgrass

Anaemia: alfalfa, beetroot greens, kale, parsley, watercress, wheatgrass

Arthritis: carrot, cucumber, kale, turnip, wheatgrass

Asthma: cabbage, carrot, celery, kale, radish, turnip, wheatgrass

Bladder: cabbage, carrot, parsley, parsnip, fresh tomato, turnip and its greens, watercress, wheatgrass

Blood pressure: beetroot, cucumber, spinach, wheatgrass

Blood sugar regulation: artichoke, bean sprout, carrot, kale, parsnip, spinach, turnip and its greens, wheatgrass

Bones: alfalfa, carrot, parsnip, fresh tomato, wheatgrass

Bronchitis: celery, fennel, turnip, wheatgrass

Circulation: beetroot and its greens, kale, parsley, spinach, turnip and its greens, watercress, wheatgrass

Constipation: apple, cabbage, celery, prune, spinach, wheatgrass

Cough: shallots

Digestive disorders: ginger, lemon, spinach

Eczema: cucumber, radish

Eye disorders: alfalfa, asparagus, beetroot and its greens, parsley, parsnip, turnip and its greens, wheatgrass

Fatigue: alfalfa, artichoke, beetroot and its greens, wheatgrass

Female hormonal imbalance: parsley, watercress

Fluid retention: bean sprouts, cucumber, watermelon

Gout: asparagus, celery, fennel, fresh tomato

Hair loss: alfalfa, cabbage, cucumber, kale, watercress, wheatgrass

Hay fever: carrot, kale, parsnip, wheatgrass

Heart disease: beetroot and its greens, parsley, shallots, spinach, turnip and its greens

Insomnia: celery, lettuce

Kidney disorders: alfalfa, asparagus, beetroot and its greens, cabbage, celery, cucumber

Liver disorders: alfalfa, beetroot and its greens, carrot, celery, kale, parsnip, spinach, fresh tomato, turnip and its greens, watercress, wheatgrass

Lung disorders: turnip and its greens, wheatgrass

Menopause: beetroot and its greens, Swiss chard

Menstrual problems: beetroot and its greens, Swiss chard, watercress, wheatgrass

Mucous removal: radish, shallots

Nervous system disorders: asparagus, celery, fennel, lettuce, spinach, wheatgrass

Prostate trouble: asparagus, parsley

Psoriasis: cucumber

Pyorrhea: cabbage, kale, spinach

Rheumatism: asparagus

Skin disorders: asparagus, beetroot and its greens, parsley, parsnip, radish, shallots, spinach, fresh tomato, turnip and its greens, watercress, wheatgrass

Sinusitis: ginger, lemon, radish, wheatgrass

Thyroid disorders: alfalfa, cabbage, radish, spinach, watercress

Ulcers: cabbage, carrot, kale, parsnip, spinach, wheatgrass-

Urinary tract infection: parsley

Weight loss: alfalfa, bean sprouts, beetroot and its greens, carrot, celery, cucumber, fennel, parsnip, parsley, radish, shallots, spinach, fresh tomato, turnip and its greens, watercress, wheatgrass Fruit juices are nutritious beverages that have been enjoyed by adults and children for decades. Fruit juices can play an important role in a healthy diet because they offer great taste and a variety of nutrients found naturally in fruits. These juices are fat-free, nutrient- dense beverages that are rich in vitamins, minerals and naturally occurring phyto-nutrients that contribute to a good health.

APPLE

Fresh apple juice carries a significant amount of vitamins A and C! You can mix your fruits and vegetables together to make your own great tasting juices from carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, or melons. As you explore this, you will also be able to receive more of the great tasting nutrients carried in other fruits and vegetables.

Simply push a lemon through your juicer right before you begin juicing your apple. The apple peel carries some of its nutritional value. If you choose not to juice the apple peel, then you will not receive the abundant source of vitamin A that the apple peel carries. It is always better to juice with the peel on so that you can enjoy all the nutrients the apple has to offer! You should also wash your apples before you juice them. This is because they are covered in a very thin layer of wax to help preserve the apple’s moisture. A good portion of the vitamin C content is just underneath the skin. Also, as the apple ripens, the skin retains a lot of its nutrients and flavour. So allowing a little bit of time for them to ripen before you juice them will improve the taste value of your fresh home made apple juice.

Apple products serve as an immediate source of energy because of the sugar that the fruit carries. Apples and fresh apple juice also taste so good that infants and children readily consume them. This is why juicing your apples is the perfect snack for your young ones.

Apple juicing is an inexpensive way to improve your body health. Juices made from fresh fruits are a delicious way to improve your all around body health, and they also provide a great deal of nutrition. Apples can also be a primary source of soluble and insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre is a great way to prevent cholesterol buildup, which is found in the lining of blood vessel walls. This reduces the chance of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fibre in apples provide bulk in the intestinal track. The water is then held and used to cleanse the intestinal track and moves food rapidly through the digestive system. Apple juice is a powerful cleanser and an important necessity for the health of your body.

An expert dietician stated: A very moderate intake of apple juice has the potential to reduce risk factors for heart disease in a fairly short period of time.

We’ve all heard the phrase, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. New research has proved this rhyme to be true. Many researches recently discovered that drinking apple juice seems to slow down the process that may lead to heart disease. The researchers hypothesize that certain flavonoids from the apple may be the key in protection against asthma since flavonoids from other fruits and vegetables did not have any positive impact on asthma risk. A study in the Netherlands had found that smokers who ate moderate amounts of fruits and vegetables, (apples in particular), reduced their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This is a common lung ailment among smokers, and their risk was reduced almost by 50 percent!

For the old. drinking fruit juices should begin with apples, especially if you are suffering from arthritis and rheumatism. This is because apples carry a substantial amount of potassium. For this reason, juicing your apples has been known to ease arthritis and rheumatism. Drinking apple juice also flushes out the liver and kidneys and is low in calories. Over the time, this can reduce the chances of having liver or kidney disease.

Apples are not only good for your health, but they’re also tasty. Improve your health and start juicing apples today!

Apples deliver fibre and other nutrients the body needs for optimal nutrition to promote better health.

Apple a day might help keep breast cancer away.

Protect the apple against bacteria, viruses and fungi and provide