How long is the juice aisle at your local grocery store? There are all different kinds of fruit to turn into juice of course, but now we are offered cold pressed juices, organic juices, low calorie juices, and numerous other combinations so as to appeal to every shopper’s needs. It can be confusing to decide on the one that is best for your body, especially if you have specific health concerns.
Have you ever thought of doing a juice cleanse?
A juice cleanse is when a person decides to consume only juice for one day, or a few if they are very determined. This type of crash diet should not be attempted without first consulting your doctor on its merits and safety. Juice cleanses gained popularity because they were said to help people lose a few pounds quickly. The trend today is using an organic juice cleanse, or a juice delivery system so that it is easier for the perpetual on-the-go crowd.
Are juices all the same?
One potential problem is that it can be very difficult to get enough nutrients. If you are not drinking cold pressed juice, your body could be missing out. The way a juice is made can change its nutrient profile, which according to the World Health Organization is a way of scientifically cataloging the nutritional composition of different foods. For example, a juice with added sugars is ranked differently than a juice with no added sugars.
How much fruit and vegetables should I be eating?
The Center for Disease and Control has found that 87% of Americans are not eating enough fruit each day. And 91% are not eating enough vegetables. The recommended amount for the average adult is about two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables each day. As a reminder, if you do not feel like getting out the measuring cups, one large piece of fruit is about equal to one serving.
Add vegetables to your beauty regimen.
Vegetables help keep your body hydrated, as they contain 85% to 95% water. Keeping your body hydrated from the inside out can help prevent or minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants that help protect them from things in their environment, such as damage from the sun, pollution, and stress. These compounds are beneficial to our bodies as well. Vitamin C, for example, helps our bodies form more collagen, a compound that helps keep our skin supple and smooth.
So vegetables and fruit are beneficial-why drink cold pressed juice?
As stated before, cold pressed juice has nutrients that the shelf-stable bottles in the grocery store do not. And the reason why is in its creation: the fruit to be juiced is pressed when it is still fresh, so the extracted juice must be kept chilled to avoid spoilage. The bottles on shelves do not need to be refrigerated before drinking because they have been pasteurized, which means the juice has been heated to kill off any bad microbes. The problem with this method is that it also destroys quite a few nutrients. And on a juice cleanse, your body needs all the nutrients it can get.
Cold pressed juice is a convenient way for busy people to get more fruits and vegetables in their diet. It is faster to drink two cups of vegetable juice than to eat two cups of salad, and more convenient to take on the go. Eating fresh, whole fruits and raw vegetables is generally regarded as the absolute best way. But, for us lesser mortals, drinking cold pressed juice can meet a daily goal without too much inconvenience.
