Weight Loss

Juicing As Part of a Weight Loss Program

Juicing and weight loss can go together beautifully if you go about it the right way. This means that instead of focusing on juicing and weight loss, you should focus on juicing as an integral part of an overall health regimen. Part of that regimen involves some physical activity, to give your metabolism a boost, as

Juicing as part of a weight loss programwell as developing and following a sustainable nutrition focused eating plan. Incorporating juicing into that plan can have some very helpful effects on your weight loss. Juicing on its own is not a good way to approach weight loss, but it has some valuable benefits which cannot be ignored when you are trying to lose weight.

Losing Weight is a Lifestyle Change

Juicing then, is part of a bigger change in your life. In terms of weight loss, it can add many nutrients to your system but without the calories associated with fats. The most important benefit is that the health of your immune system will receive a boost, which in turn will help your other systems to function at their best. Vitamins, minerals and enzymes will increase your vitality as the juices you create deliver their goodness to your immune system. Your body will burn fat a lot more efficiently if you provide it with the correct fuels.

Natural Appetite Suppressants

Juicing for weight loss will involve juicing lots of vegetables and these have the added advantage of naturally suppressing your appetite. A glass of vegetable juice, prior to eating your main meal of the day, will make you feel full naturally and therefore eat a much smaller meal portion. A glass of vegetable juice will remove any feelings of hunger.  Not only that, but you are fueling your body with a potent nutrient mix as well.

Blood Sugar Levels

You will probably have noticed that we have talked mostly about vegetable juices, rather than fruit juices. The reason for this is because of the high concentration of sugar levels that are present in fruit juice. Vegetable juices will keep your blood sugar levels stable and this is always a good thing, not to mention that they have approximately 50% less calories than fruit juices. Juice made from carrots and parsley will send sugar cravings away. It’s also a good idea to find out which fruits have the most and the least sugar, then look at possible combinations which will result in a blend which will do you the most good.

A masticating or centrifugal juicer are both great  juice machines to use if you are thinking of using juicing as a way of aiding weight loss. A masticating juicer will be a better choice if you will be juicing leafy vegetables and it will provide you with a full range of juicing options. Ensuring you juice a full range of fruits and vegetables (different colors) on a regular basis, will ensure your body is fuelled with the nutrients and energy necessary to make your body systems run optimally and assist with weight loss. It’s a fun way to approach weight loss and you will soon find which combinations of fruits and vegetables work best for you.

Beneficial Nutrients from Juicing: The Facts

Juicing Nutrition Facts

Overview

The beneficial nutrients that can be obtained from juicing are many and varied. Additionally, they are touted as being one of the best ways to generally improve your health and aid with weight loss. Cooking is known to reduce the nutrient value of foods.  Additionally, our bodies have been known to wear out with the effort of digesting processed and unhealthy foods. How do we know which nutrients are released by juicing and what benefits they provide? We’ll take an in-depth look at the beneficial nutrients you can obtain by juicing your own fruits and vegetables. Additionally, we’ll learn how you can make sure you are receiving the best benefit from your produce.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients and they support the ongoing healthy functioning of the body. Vitamins are organic and particularly susceptible to destruction by heat, acid and air, therefore cooking can easily reduce their effectiveness. Minerals fare a little better because they originate in water and soil where they are absorbed by fish, fluids, animals and plants which we in turn Fruits and Vegetablesconsume.

This raises a question about the nutritional value of processed foods. Studies have shown the nutrient value is reduced as a result of the processing. One of the reasons juicing is so popular is because freshly extracted juice from organic produce retains the vitamins and minerals required for bone renewal, effective functioning of the nervous system as well as heal wounds, prop up the immune system and repair cellular damage.

Water Soluble Vitamins

Biotin, riboflavin, folic acid, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin B5 and vitamin C are some of the more important vitamins. Their function is to product energy, make collagen, release energy as well as create cellular tissue and proteins.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

These are better known as vitamin K, vitamin D, vitamin A and vitamin E and their purpose is to maintain the viability of the nervous system, lungs, eyes, gastrointestinal tract and skin. Again, fresh juicing of raw fruits and vegetables provides these vitamins while they are still in an active state.

Important Minerals

Some of these include calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorous and sodium. Their role is to ensure the appropriate balance of water in the body is maintained, ensure bone health as well as nurture healthy skin, nails and hair.

 

The Benefits of Juicing Fruits and Vegetables

 

Enzymes

The best way to describe these is as biological proteins which break down the food we ingest so that metabolism and other cellular activity can occur. There are metabolic enzymes, digestive enzymes and food enzymes. It is the food enzymes that occur naturally in raw food which are released during juicing. They assist digestion and help to absorb other foods

What Juicing Does to Vitamins, Minerals and Enzymes

In a nutshell, juicing separates out the nutrients from indigestible fiber so that the body is flooded with easily digestible nutrients. Colon tissue absorbs the nutrients into the bloodstream so that all areas of the body receive a share of them, leaving you nourished and energized. Digesting juice requires little energy, yet you immediately receive an intense nutritional hit. The absence of fiber in the juice also aids in the nutritional lift.

Raw and Fresh are Best

Enzymes are destroyed by air and heat above 114 F. Therefore, vegetables and fruits which have been juiced should be consumed immediately so that the nutritional benefits may be obtained. Enzymes can be thought of as living food because they are responsible for the rejuvenation of all living elements in the body. Enzymes are the driving force behind the hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions which naturally occur on a constant basis throughout the body. The importance of maintaining enzymes can’t be emphasized enough. They are essential for food digestion and absorption in addition to the important production of cellular energy. Enzymes and vitamins which have been heated have little or no nutritional value. You should use caution when selecting a juicer which might heat the juice, deleting the nutritional value.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are generally known as the fighters of free radicals or unstable molecules. Free radicals or unstable molecules may occur as a result of a mutation and result in cellular damage. The body naturally produces an antioxidant as it gives up some of its own electrons to prevent the free radicals from multiplying. Another way to think of it is like breaking a chain reaction.  The beneficial result is that the free radicals will stop multiplying. Antioxidants are not nutrients as such although they do occur naturally in foods.

Some common antioxidants are carotenoids, flavonoids, quercetin and catechins. These occur naturally in apples, tomatoes, kale, green tea blueberries and onions. These fruits and vegetables are commonly used for juicing so as to boost antioxidant activity within the body. Again, raw and fresh with immediate ingestion is the best way to capture the benefits.

Conclusion

You can see there are many facets to juicing and that the nutrient properties of fresh, organic juice which is not exposed to heat and air are many and varied. Many people use fresh vegetable and fruit juices to improve their health and for many, it is preferable to consuming chemically manufactured drugs to deal with health issues. It is also worth considering that in an age where cancer is prevalent, freshly pressed juiced is one of the few ways that cancer sufferers can obtain the nutrients they need.

References

http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/vitamins-and-minerals-choosing-the-nutrients-you-need-to-stay-healthy

http://www.livestrong.com/article/271987-what-are-the-benefits-of-green-juice/