Juicing; How Healthy Is It? What to Know Before Adding Fresh Juice to Your Diet.
According to Anna Nguyen through
Web MD, Juicing is popular. A lot of my friends with Gastroparesis juice to get the nutrients that they need. But before you try it, you might want to know what it may or may not do for your health.
For example, what are the nutritional benefits and drawbacks? Nguyen goes into more detail with pros and cons of juicing.
Jennifer Barr, a Wilmington, Del., dietitian, occasionally makes fresh juice as a snack for her kids. Her favorite juice combines kale, carrots, ginger, parsley, and apples. She then adds the leftover pulp from her juicing machine into muffins.
“If you’re not big into fruits and vegetables, it’s a good way to get them in. It can help you meet daily recommendations in one drink” and be part of a healthy diet, says Barr, MPH, RD, LDN, who works at Wilmington's Center for Community Health at Christiana Care Health System.
But you shouldn't count on juicing as your sole source of fruits and vegetables.
"Don’t think because you’re juicing that you’re off the hook with eating fruits and vegetables,” says Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD, CSSD, an Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesman and founder of Eating Free, a weight management program.
Aim to eat two whole fruits, and three to four vegetables a day. They should come in different colors, as the colors have different vitamins and minerals, Barr says.
Is Juicing Healthier Than Eating Whole Fruits or Vegetables?
According to the
Mayo Clinic Website and expert Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D., 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 Nelson says 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.
What's Left Out When You Juice?
Still continuing from the article by Nguyen,
"A juicing machine extracts the juice from whole fruits or vegetables. The processing results in fewer vitamins and minerals, because the nutrient-rich skin is left behind. Juicing also removes the pulp, which contains fiber.
You can add some of the leftover pulp back into the juice or use it in cooking.
Besides muffins, Barr uses other combinations -- such as spinach, pears, flaxseed, celery, and kale -- to make broth for cooking soup, rice, and pasta. She calls it 'going the extra step to fortify your meals.'
Juicers can be expensive, ranging from $50 to $400. Some more expensive juicers will break down a lot of the fruit by grinding the core, rind, and seeds, Barr says.
You may not need a juicing machine to make juice. You can use a blender for most whole fruits or vegetables to keep the fiber -- add water if it becomes too thick, Villacorta says.
You’ll also want to remove seeds and rinds, and some skins."
Calorie Count
As with any food, it’s important to consider calories and sugar content.
A medium piece of fruit has about 60 calories. A cup of vegetables has about 25 calories, and 3 cups of leafy greens have about 25 calories. Each 60-calorie serving of fruit equals about 4 ounces of juice. A typical juice is usually 12 to 16 ounces.
Those calories add up.
"You could be taking up to four fruits and now the calories start adding up. If you use vegetables to juice, the calories are a lot less. If they use mainly vegetables, add an apple or kiwi for flavor. Calories are a concern if it’s pure fruit juice," Villacorta says.
To make a juice more balanced with protein, some good sources are almond milk, Greek yogurt, flaxseed, or peanut butter.
Food Safety and Juicing
When juicing, follow these food safety guidelines:
Wash your hands before touching the fruits and vegetables.
Thoroughly clean the produce.
Use hot, soapy water if you have to hand wash the juicer or blender. Let all parts completely dry before putting away, to prevent bacterial growth.
Use your dishwasher's sanitize cycle if the juicer is dishwasher safe.
Don’t keep juice longer than a week. It’s best to drink it the same day, since the juice isn’t pasteurized.
Juicing Health Claims
There are many health claims about juicing on the Internet. For instance, juicing fans say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer and boost your immune system.
It's true that eating a plant-based diet is linked to lower risk of heart disease or cancer. But there hasn't been a lot of research done that's specific to juicing.
There is some research on juicing and immune system, but any immune system benefits probably come from eating fruits and vegetables, whether it's in juice or not, Barr says.
Fans of juicing also say that juicing is better than eating whole fruits and vegetables because the body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives the digestive system a rest from working on fiber.
But "the nutrients might not have the same potential because you’ve processed them," Villacorta says. "There’s nothing like eating the whole fruit or vegetable." However, with Gastroparesis, it's really hard for us to do that or even attempt that.
It's true that too much fiber can sometimes block the absorption of nutrients. But most people don't even get the recommended amount of fiber per day, Villacorta says.
It’s important to speak with your health-care provider before integrating juicing into your diet to avoid any potential food and drug interactions.
For instance, large amounts of foods high in vitamin K, such as kale and spinach, may change how an anti- blood clotting medication works, Barr says.
Juicing for Weight Loss and Cleansing
Juicing as an extreme weight loss measure is a fad diet. You can't stick to it for long -- and you shouldn't.
On a juice-only diet, you may not get enough fiber to make you full. And it's so limited that you may rebel.
“If you’re doing a juicing diet, you’ll be so tempted to eat something like a cake or donut because you’ve restricted yourself,” Barr says.
You may also not get enough protein. If you are trying to lose weight by only juicing, then you are putting yourself at risk to lose muscle mass. Research shows that adding protein is essential to preserve muscle mass during weight loss.
By the end of any extreme diet, your metabolism may have temporarily slowed down. Once you start eating a more normal diet, you’ll be prone to building fat cells, Villacorta says.
What about juicing as a way to detox or cleanse your body? “I haven’t seen any research or science paper to support that cleansing is happening from juicing,” Villacorta says.
Your liver and kidneys take care of that -- whether you're juicing or not. This article was brought to you by
Web MD.
A Lesson in Juicing
According to A Lesson in Juicing, fresh juice is invigorating - straight up, blended, or as part of whatever I'm making. It seems the most important thing is to use vibrant, healthy produce. Use the best quality produce you can get, great if it's organic or sustainably grown. If that's not happening, wash it gently, but thoroughly. A few other observations: The blender and juicer are entirely different beasts.
According to the article, the author knows this seems obvious, but the blender does chop-chop, and the juicer seems to separate all the fibers and solids from the juices. The juicer produces essences that are incredibly intense, alive, and bright. The flavor is main-lined. Below is a picture of a juicer:
Article Sources:
For the picture at the top of the article: http://www.ginnybakes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Juicing-Weight-Loss2.jpg
For the picture for Lessons in Juicing: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-lesson-in-juicing-recipe.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/juicing-health-risks-and-benefits
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/juicing/AN02107
http://www.doctoryourself.com/juicing_2.html
Recipes for Juicing from A Lesson in Juicing.
According to
A Lesson in Juicing:
Almond Milk: Soak 1 cup / 5 oz almonds overnight, covered, in filtered water. Drain. Add three cups water, and ladle into juicer. This produces a full-bodied almond milk. If you like it a bit thinner, go with 4 cups water. The flavor really sings when you season it with a touch of salt and sugar. Just go with your taste buds, until it tastes good to you. Makes about 3 1/2 cups. Also, be sure to keep the meaty by-product of making the almond milk, just scrape it out of the juicer. Salt it a bit, and it's a great homemade almond butter.
Oat Milk: Soak 1 cup / 3 oz rolled oats (not instant) overnight, covered, in filtered water. Drain, add 3 cups water, and ladle into juicer. Makes about 4 cups. Note to self to try a version with toasted oats. You could experiment with it as and ingredient in custards, puddings, french toast, and the like.
Pistachio Milk: Soak 1 cup pistachios / 5 oz overnight, covered, in filtered water. Drain, combine with 3 cups water, and ladle into juicer. This is the author's favorite non-fruit juice by a stretch. Really nice. The author kept trying to combine it with little accents like orange blossom water, or citrus zest, but in the end the author liked it best straight. Makes about 3 1/2 - 4 cups. And like the almond milk be sure to keep the meaty by-product of making the pistachio milk, just scrape it out of the juicer. Salt it a bit, and it's a great pistachio butter.
Sesame Milk: The author had high hopes for this one but it really didn't work. The unhulled seeds never broke down in the juicer.
Fennel Juice: Trim the root end, but use all the rest of it. 1 large bulb = ~1 cup juice.
Celery: Lob off the root end and use the rest. And I didn't bother restringing. 1 medium bunch = 1 1/2 - 2 cups juice. I'm enjoying using the celery juice as a component in all things brothy. The fennel juice as well, but to a lesser extent.
Cucumber: Juice it all. And leave the skin on, it lends a nice color. 1 large (8 oz) cucumber yields about 1 cup of juice. Not really the season for cucumber juice at the moment, but I juiced it anyway. Super cooling.
Cilantro:1 big bunch, leaves and stems = 1/3 cup juice. I threw a couple serranos (deveined and deseeded) into the juicer here as well for a spicy version. You just know it's going to be good swirled into yogurt or creme fraiche and spooned into a bowl of roasted tomato soup!
Dill: 1 large bunch (stems and fronds) yields about 3 tablespoons juice. Equal parts dill juice + olive oil and a pinch of salt has been great over greens, savory pancakes, and eggs this week. I imagine like the other intense herb juices, it would be welcome as a vinaigrette component, drizzled over gratins, and tarts as well.
Ginger: 8 ounces unreeled yields about 3/4 cup ginger juice. Freezes quite well. I've been using in teas, broths, citrus juice (grapefruit-ginger is my favorite), dipping sauces, etc.
Grapefruit: 1 large = 1 cup juice. I could live on this during the winter.
Pomegranate: I'm not sure I'd recommend using a juicer here. Mine definitely wasn't happy. That said, the resulting juice is electric - straight-up incredible. Juice the seeds only, but review your juicer's guidelines before an attempt. 1 large pomegranate = ~ 1 cup of seeds = 1/3 cup fresh juice.
Carrots: 1 lb = 1 cup juice. You know, it's just occurring to me as I'm typing this to try a carrot soup with pure juiced carrot. Use it to make the silkiest carrot soup ever.
GP Member's Juicing Recipes:
Lynn W. shares her juicing recipe with us: I started off with Carrot, apple, tomato, orange, ½ slice of lemon. Add beet once a week. Add greens slowly. Today I went a little crazy, using things from the garden. I did a small beet (peeled), the greens from the beat, 1 granny smith apple, half lemon with rind, 1 a medium tomato, 1/4 C carrot, 1 large kale leaf, small piece of endive, 1/2 cup cabbage, 2 large strawberries, 1/4 c cantaloupe, and 8 big cherries. I got roughly 8oz of juice. I have been adding cherries and strawberries every time since cherries are supposed to help with inflammation and that is a huge problem I have with fibromyalgia. I have even put arugula and mustard greens in it. Depends on what I get from the garden that day. I even tasted the granny smith apple juice alone today and it was real good. I normally cannot stand apple juice. Here is a website with some simple recipes:
http://juicerrecipesnow.com/15/
Amber shares her Smoothie recipe with us: Ingredients: 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 peeled cucumber, 1 cup coconut water, 1/2 cup cranberry juice, 1 tsp liquid ginger, 1 serving Vega One nutrition (Berry), 1 serving Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energy, 1 serving Vega Sport Protein (Vanilla), 1 digestive enzyme capsule (empty capsule contents into smoothie) Blend for at least 30 seconds, until completely smooth. On days that I have a flare-up, I modify recipe by removing the serving of protein, removing the blueberries (the two items that are the hardest to digest). My diet is comprised of liquids, smoothies and purees. I can't tolerate any solid food, but I always make sure I pack everything I can into my morning smoothie. If I have a good day, I can take in more calories; if I have a bad day, I at least know that I got in a large dose of nutrition to get me through the day. Hope this is helpful. Finding your staple food or drink is really just a matter of experimentation. It took me a year to find mine. Good Luck!
Angela shares her daily GP smoothie with us: My daily gastroparesis smoothie! Ingredients: 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 peeled cucumber, 1 cup coconut water, 1/2 cup cranberry juice, 1 tsp liquid ginger, 1 serving Vega One nutrition (Berry), 1 serving Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energy, 1 serving Vega Sport Protein (Vanilla), 1 digestive enzyme capsule (empty capsule contents into smoothie) Blend for at least 30 seconds, until completely smooth.
Simply Carrot Juice
5 Medium carrots
This one is pretty simple!
Wash and top the carrots, juice and enjoy.
Wash your juicer immediately it is not made with stainless steel, otherwise the carrots will stain it.
If you drink enough carrot juice every day your skin will start to turn slightly orange! This is because carrot juice is very high in beta-carotene, an orange-colored antioxidant that gives carrots their color. If we consume a lot of beta-carotene it will build up in our skin. This is not dangerous however.
Simply Green Juice
- 1 cup of spinach
- 2 cups of kale
- 2 cups of parsley
- 1 cucumber
- 3 celery stalks
Add a little garlic and/or ginger if you like. Wash thoroughly and juice.
Apple and Cucumber Zipper
-2 1/2 apples
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1″ of ginger
Remove apple stems and juice everything together. Ginger has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help some people reduce arthritis based joint pain. Evidence points to one of the antioxidants in ginger called gingerol. It helps to combat oxidation damage to joint cells.
Alkaline Juicer Recipes Heaven.
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 stalks of celery including leaves
- 3 carrots
- 1/2 apple
Wash all vegetables thoroughly, top the carrots, remove apple stem but don’t peel apple (the peel is full of flavored antioxidants), enjoy.
The Cucapple
-1/2 cucumber
- 2 apples
Remove stems from apples, cut a cucumber in half and juice.
The nice thing with apples and especially cucumbers, is you get a lot of juice out of them. This is a great when you just need something quick
Parsley Pep Up
- 1 cup of parsley
- 1/2 apple
- 2 carrots
- 3 celery stalks
Wash all thoroughly, remove apple stem, top the carrots, juice and enjoy!
Carrot and Apple Zip.
- 2 carrots
- 1 apple
- 1″ of ginger
Top carrots, remove apple stem and juice.
Eye Eye Captain.
- 6 carrots
- 1 cup of kale
That’s right, it’s good for your eyes!
Liver Health.
- 1/2 beet with greens
- 3 apples
Wash all thoroughly, remove apple stems and put the whole 1/2 a beet in.
Green Juice Recipes Energizer.
- 2 apples
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1/2 lemon (peeled)
- 1/2 cup of kale
- 1/2 cup of spinach
- 1/4 bunch of celery
- 1/4 bulb of fennel
- 1″ of ginger
- 1/4 head of romaine lettuce
This one is a real blast, brimming with goodness.
Sweet Green Juice.
- 1 cucumber
- 1 carrot
- 1 green apple
- 1/4 cup parsley
- ¼ cup mint
- 1 stalk of celery
- ½ inch of fresh ginger
- ½ lemon (peeled)
Katie Lovebomb, a GP member wanted to share her testimony with us:
"THE LIFE SAVER FOR ME
Nobody knows your body, like you. I mean hell, think about how much time you spend shopping to make
sure clothing fits, shoes are comfortable and your new haircut is visually pleasing.
Why the hell don't we spend that much time finding a perfect doctor?
I used to believe that getting well meant going to a doctor for answers. I used to believe that doctors truly knew better than I did because they were the "educated" ones.
I would take the first appointment I could get, with whoever was covered by my insurance. I saw many
doctors from a very prestigious hospital. When I realized that my body had started to shut down and that I wasn't going to make it, I found my voice. I challenged their thinking, I challenged their diagnosis, I challenged their medication options and their treatment plans. Many Doctors don't want us to have a voice, to challenge their opinions. My medical files were labeled “Defiant and Difficult”.
If I didn't challenge the doctors I was seeing at that time of my life I wouldn't be here today. Accept fate or create your own!
I found my voice and used it to own my health, to own my life and my future. I took hold of my life because I realized that feeling sorry for myself because of my illnesses was causing me too much negativity and frustration.
Since then I have taken part in many medical treatment options as well as holistic practices. I am confident saying that nothing, NOTHING, has offered me the physical healing, mental healing and emotional healing that Juicing has offered me. The comfort and the peace of mind that I have experienced is absolutely the best thing that has happened to me. It has been THE LIFE SAVER FOR ME.
I have been juicing on and off since 2005 but I have became a hard core juicer for the past 8 years. I
watched Crazysexycancer the Documentary and was able to witness the benefits juicing had for patient
Kris Carr. I knew this would be a big change for me and it was socially not the norm.
In 2006 I was lucky enough to have parents who believed that I knew what my body needed. They gave me
a gift, the Breville Juicer, something I desperately wanted. I had done a lot of research and knew that this juicer would extract the most pulp. I have now been juicing for years.
Before juicing I lived off NG tube feedings, unnatural meal replacements made up of chemicals. They
were inconvenient and everything I was taking in made me feel worse. I felt sluggish, tired, and lethargic. I started listening to the cues my body gave and began to connect the dots. I promised myself to be patient while I tried to find a healthier alternative.
Overtime I discovered that while juicing, I look better, feel better and have a healthier body. My blood work comes back perfect, my weight went up, I am active, my mind is clear, the bloating is far less. My body cannot handle anything else. Do I slip up, sure I am human, but I don't get angry with myself, I let it go, and move on.
I know there are plenty of recipes, I have so many books of them. But sometimes what I find is, listening to my body and its cravings and buying those ingredients. I do a green juice once a day, and for another meal I do one sweetened up with apples or clementines. Sometimes I just toss any and all into the juicer and hope for the best. Some of the best juices were mistakes or left over combos.
I am always willing to share my experiences and stories with anyone who wants to listen to help us all heal.
The natural route is absolutely the one that needs to be taken if you have any desire to live normal and own your own life.
I create the chapters of my life, not my illness. And I am so excited for all the pages I have yet to write ahead.
To read Katie's Blog, Please visit:http://www.memyselfpigtails.com/
-------------------
These are not my favorite recipes however, they are GINGER based ones. Sometimes the only thing to help you work through a flare up or episode.
So I am listing them. I also make ice cube ginger combos to suck on for the summer. I have a tough time wanting to take ginger into any drink but I know the physical response from my body is well worth it.
1 Carrot
1/2 Honey Dew Melon
1 Limo
1 inch cube Fresh Ginger Root
or
3 carrots
2 large celery sticks
1 inch cube Ginger Root
1 tbs spirulina
(1/2 fennel build small) I don't use this but it was listed.
MY FAV:
Peaceful Greenz
1/4 lb broc
1/4 kale
1/2 parsley
2 apples (fuji I love most)
Celery sticks (more for more juice quantity)"
I am willing to start another blog entry with nothing but Juice and/or Smoothie recipes. Please email: gnewithgp@gmail.com if you would like to share a recipe.
My board, which a lot of GPers are pinning to right now with juicing recipes can be found here:
http://pinterest.com/chikensrule/juicing-recipes-and-tips-for-gastroparesis/
Sources with Juicing Recipes and How to Make Them:
http://www.justonjuice.com/juicing-recipes/
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-lesson-in-juicing-recipe.html
http://juicerrecipesnow.com/15/
http://juicerecipes.com/
http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=juice%20recipes&rs=ac&len=8
http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=gastroparesis%20juicing
http://pinterest.com/judy_mason/gastroparesis/
http://pinterest.com/gmcasc/gastroparesis-recipes-tips/
http://myshakeology.com/utotallyamazing
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200825391904637&set=gm.256840887795103&type=1
https://www.facebook.com/FatSickandNearlyDead?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/VegetableJuicing?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/TheEarthDiet?fref=ts
http://www.amazon.com/Hurom-Juicer-HU-100S-Silver-Cookbook/dp/B007V26FCM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371340886&sr=8-2&keywords=Hurom+Slow+Juicer
Movie for Juicing: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
If you have any suggestions for juicers and and/or more links for recipes, please comment in the comment section and I will keep this article up to date. Thanks!
