Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juice, your Anti-aging Weapon

2007-10-02T02:58:00.000-07:00

One thing we know about juicing is that it utilizes fresh fruits and vegetables. The good thing about raw fruits and vegetables is that they are packed with rejuvenating nutrients… if you like phytonutrients. We are familiar with vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. Another vital component is enzymes.

A large number of anti-aging nutrients are also obtained from the fresh juice you take. One commendable thing about nutrients contained in the fresh juice is that they are made readily available to the body without rigorous digestive processes. This means that the body takes up the vitamins, minerals, sugars and the enzymes minutes after having a drink of revitalizing fresh juice.

If we care to know, free radicals are the cause of degenerative diseases as well as accelerating the aging process. Now, so long as we consume cooked foods, there is body metabolism going on and environmental pollutants, free radicals will continue to arise in our bodies. This in turn means that our bodies will continue to suffer from their effects.

However, the way to deal with free radicals is to increase our intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. The reason is because they contain thousands of antioxidants which neutralize the free radicals. Juicing fruits and vegetables automatically increases your intake remarkably. Another idea is to specialize in raw food diet.

The phytochemical lycopene, belonging to the family of carotenoids, is found in tomatoes. It is a good example of an anti-aging antioxidant. Lycopene is more readily available when tomatoes are juiced, cooked into products such as paste or even ketchup than in fresh tomatoes.

Lycopene's antioxidative nature fights free radicals that can lead to premature aging, cancers of the digestive tract, prostate, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, among others.

Acai berries will do a better job than blueberries when it comes to anti-aging. They are one of the fruits with a great concentation of antioxidants that prevent premature aging, relieve rheumatiod arthritis and artery blokage. They are found in Amazon, Brazil.

Heard of goji berries? Visit the Himalayan Mountains. These berries can be included in your anti-aging arsenal. These berries are extremely nutritious. They have been used for quite sometime in the Chinese medicine. Traditionally regarded as strengh-building and longevity food. So do take more fresh fruit and vegetable juice if you wish to hang around for a long time!

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juice Wonders for your Skin

2007-09-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

The skin is the body’s largest organ. It prevents many microorganisms from entering the body as well as acting as an excretory surface for unwanted substances from the body. You therefore need to take care of it. By drinking lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juice, your skin is nourished with vitamins, minerals and a host of phytochemicals it needs.

The skin can become very dry as your body loses water by sweating. Increasing your daily intake of fresh juice supplies the water requirements of the body and goes to ensure that your skin is well maintained.

Fresh fruit and vegetable juice has the ability to detoxify the body. It means, therefore, that some toxins will find their way out of your body before damaging your skin.

We have come to appreciate that fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants in abundance such as vitamins C and E, which neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for aging, cancer and other degenerative diseases. Our intake of fresh fruit and vegetable juice ensures that our fight against premature aging, some cancers and other diseases is effective. These benefits the skin shares also.

The phytochemicals called bioflavonoids, found in the white membranes of citrus fruits, work with vitamin C to support a healthy skin, blood vessels and collagen. Another phytochemical, lycopene from fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, guava, rosehip, watermelon and pink grapefruit helps reduce risk of cancers of the skin, cervix, bladder, etc.

Riboflavin, a vitamin whose sources include green vegetables is good for the maintenance of skin. Another one is the vitamin A obtained from readily available fruits and vegetables including oranges, cherries, apples, carrots, spinach, etc.

When juicing, do not peel the fruits where possible as this causes the loss of many useful substances contained in their skins. A glowing complexion is something reported among those who really take fresh fruit and vegetable juice a lot often.

Fruits and vegetables can also be used externally to further improve the condition of your skin. Learn how to use fruits and vegetables to improve your skin.

Why Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juice When Arthritic?

2007-09-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Arthritis is a common degenerative disease mainly affecting the joints. Today, you are going to learn that fruits and vegetables can be of great use in treating arthritis. Generally, with this disease, you expect one to have swollen joints of the fingers, wrists, knees, hips, and sometimes even muscles and tendons.

This may result from structural change involving inflammation, deformity, etc of the joint lining. This in turn leads to stiffness and pain whenever joint movements are attempted. A number of reasons may cause arthritis; hormonal imbalance, stress, injury, hereditary factors, etc.

In treating it, one’s diet ought to focus on alkalines. Fresh fruits and vegetables are a must. Preparing some salad with a mixture of both fresh raw vegetables and cooked vegetables is good. Another recommended method is fresh juice. Lots of fresh juice from green leafy vegetables mixed with carrot and red beet juice is especially good for the arthritic. The alkaline action of fresh raw juice works to dissolve the accumulation of deposits around the joints and in other body tissues as well.

Bromelain is an enzyme abundant in the fresh juice of a pineapple. This one serves to reduce swelling and inflammation. In some severe cases of arthritis, juice fasting is recommended. I had mentioned about the detoxification benefit of juice fasting in my previous post on juice fasting. This goes along with cleansing of the colon because the toxins in it might just end up in the joints and crystallize. Fresh fruit and vegetable intake keeps constipation at bay which would otherwise worsen the condition.

Another fruit which should be taken is the banana which is rich in vitamin B6. This vitamin has proven to be useful in the treatment of arthritis. Citric acid contained in the lime is a solvent of uric acid, a primary cause of some types of arthritis.

Cabbage is better taken uncooked. Juicing is even better although it causes gas due to sulfur. Carrot and celery juice can be added to it. Green pepper is good for the skin and swelling due to arthritis being a rich source of silicon. They can be added to any vegetable juice. Garlic is another remedy especially because it exhibits an anti-inflammatory property.

All in all, other fruits and vegetables may be included for treatment or prevention of the disease. These include: cucumber, lettuce, onion, radishes, tomatoes, cress, spinach, squash, turnips, asparagus, cherries and blueberries. There are many other treatment foods used for the disease. You’ll even discover that potato juice is another effective treatment. Read more and consult with a specialist.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juice May affect Your Mood

2007-08-30T04:08:00.000-07:00

Some chemicals contained in the fruits and vegetables you take affect some body functions which eventually affect your mood or how you feel. We know by now that fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants. These antioxidants, among other things, fight free radicals that are linked to memory loss and deterioration. Prunes, for example, are very rich in antioxidants.

Boron is a mineral responsible for hand-eye coordination and even attention. Apples, grape juice and broccoli are some of its sources. Vitamin B6 builds serotonin levels, the neurotransmitter which has a calming and relaxing effect. It decreases our feelings of stress and tension and instead we become slow in our reaction time. Bananas are a good source of vitamin B6.

Other neurotransmitters that affect our moods and which in turn are sensitive to diet are dopamine and norepinephrine. These affect our alertness.

Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of B vitamins. These vitamins have a great bearing on our moods, mental clarity and energy as shown from clinical studies. Homocysteine is an amino acid which can increase the likelihood of depression when its levels increase. Folate keeps maintains its levels in the blood reducing the risk of depression. Sources of folate include oranges and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B1 improves mood, memory and reaction time as was observed in clinical studies. Juicing fruits and vegetables, therefore, will give you the benefits outlined. Make a point of taking your fruit and vegetable juice while still fresh to maximize the benefits.

Juice Fasting

2007-08-24T02:40:00.000-07:00

This concept is becoming increasingly popular. When juice fasting, you simply decide to go for a number of days taking nothing other than fresh fruit and vegetable juice.

It is important to do proper preparation before going into one. However, juice fasting does not need as much supervision by a professional as does water fasting. But it is important to consult a professional in order to observe all precautions.

A raw diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables before and after the juice fast is recommended. With juice fast, you do not have to be confined to bed rest since the fresh juice does supply energy for your body. Simple rather than strenuous exercises can be of help.

You will need some advice on the best fruits and vegetables to juice. Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C which has a burning effect on body fat. But it is not okay to major on that. You will need variety.

There are great benefits that go with a juice fast. I'll only mention two.

Detoxification of the Body

Colon is one part of the gut system that you should be very much concerned with if you really care about your health. Most people, in these modern days, have a habit of stuffing the body with lots of processed foods; high in fat content and low in fiber.

The alimentary canal is at pains to exctract all the material needed by the body and safely excrete the rest. The colon, being in the last stages of the canal, finds itself being the toxins accumulation storage. It is these toxins that eventually find their way into the bloodstream. The next thing? Your body experiences some problems from simple discomforts to potentially serious cancers.

Juice fasting therefore provides a way for the system to be relieved of the hard work of digesting hard material. Continuous flow of fresh juice in the system easily nourishes the body with vitamins, enzymes, fiber and phytochemicals. The result is a body cleansed of nearly all if not all toxins.

These nutrients find their use in the body helping the liver to breakdown various toxins, cleansing kidneys,etc.

Detoxification of your body may trigger different reactions from your body such as nausea, general weakness, headaches, dizziness, etc. Do consult a professional to determine possible reactions of your body.

Be not discouraged; the benefits of detoxifying your body far outweigh the discomforts you may experince.

Weight Loss

This is also a common reason as to why one would go into a juice fast. Your body is presented with a diet that supplies probably less calories than it may need without much of a risk. Or maybe, just enough to get the system going. With a little effort expended in daily chores, your body will have to go into its energy reserves inform of fat and use them.

Some people claim that they have lost up to 50 pounds in 30 days. In the beginning of the juice fast, weight drop is big but goes on decreasing as you progress. I find one pound drop a day being a safe bet. The issue of dropping 3-5 pounds a day may seem exaggerated. You know initially, that kind of drop can be attributed to fecal matter!

This is a very good way of lossing weight naturally. As to how many days you should go on a juice fast is up to you. Do what you are comfortable with, but again, it's always good to consult a professional.

In conclusion, you should seriously consider a juice fast given the benefits. Some people experience a lifting of their spirits perhaps because of the cleansing of the system, more clarity of the mind coupled with improved concentration, the body becomes more efficient in getting and using energy from food, some people claim they have been able to fight some addictions and cravings, there are also cases of people getting healed. Do read more on juice fasting and realize why you may need it.

More Phytochemicals in our Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices

2007-08-17T03:48:00.000-07:00

In one of the previous posts I did mention a few of the phytochemicals found in various fruits and vegetables. Today, I’ll add some more to the list in order to inform you the more.

Anthocyanins

Have an antioxidative property neutralizing free radicals. They reduce the risk of some cancers. They can be obtained from eggplant skin, red cabbage and berries.

Phytoestrogens

These phytochemicals block the uptake of cholesterol and speed its excretion from the body. Cancers of colon, prostate and breast may be prevented by their activity. They can be obtained from seeds of green and yellow vegetables such as pumpkin.

Lutein

This is an antioxidant in carotenoid family. It is believed to filter out harmful blue light and thus protecting the eyes from macular degeneration, which leads to blindness especially among the aged. It also reduces the risk of lung cancer. Lutein can be found in vegetables such as spinach, collard greens and fruits such as the avocados.

Allyl Sulfides

They work against mutagens and carcinogens. They offer protection to the cardiovascular system. The growth activity of tumors, fungi and parasites is prevented. Another benefit is to activate the enzyme systems which deal with liver detoxification. Allyl sulfides can be found in allium vegetables, i.e. garlic, onions, leeks and chives.

Pectin

Pectin limits the amount of fat your body cells can absorb. Pectin has a water binding property which enables it to absorb any watery substances. These watery substances go ahead to bombard the cells and make them release fatty deposits. Sources of the chemical pectin include berries, apples and applesauce.

For more on phytochemicals, do read further on healthy eating. By using a comment place a request for a FREE report on fruits and vegetables with fat-fighting phytochemicals. I will respond as soon as possible.

Antioxidants in Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices

2007-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

There are substances called free radicals that the body needs to eliminate. A free radical is an unstable molecule that seeks for an electron to attain stability. In the course of seeking for that electron, a free radical will often react with proteins, fats and DNA causing damage to the cell membrane. In some cases, it can even cause mutation of genes.

These free radicals are produced in the body as a result of normal chemical reactions. Exposure to environmental factors such as tobacco smoke, radiation, exhaust fumes, excessive sunlight and even stress will also have the effect of increasing free radicals.

Free radicals have been blamed for cancer, cardiovascular diseases as well as aging. You now begin to see why you need lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juice. The reason is, fresh fruits and vegetables contain lots of substances called antioxidants.

How do antioxidants help us combat free radicals? Well, some dietary antioxidants directly react with free radicals donating the free electrons they seek. Some actually repair the damage done by free radicals while others prevent or minimize the chances of free radical formation.

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices provide particular antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C and vitamin E. Selenium is also an antioxidant. These are essential nutrients. Other antioxidants such as carotenoids, a vitamin A precursor, are not essential. Polyphenols are strong antioxidants that rid the body of free radicals. They can be found in purple grape juice, grapefruit juice and even cranberry juice among others. Polyphenols are believed to have a protective effect on the brain and do help fight against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

So make sure your daily diet has fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Ever heard of this quote ‘you are what you eat’? Take care of your health.

Drink Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices. Get Phytochemicals

2007-08-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today, let’s have a closer look at substances called phytochemicals. I did mention them in my introductory post, but let’s have a closer look. The good thing about these substances is that we can easily get them in our daily intake of fresh fruit and vegetable juice.

So what are phytochemicals? These are substances; some will refer to them as micronutrients, found especially in fruits, vegetables and grains, which have a preventive and/or healing effect in regard to our health. Realizing their roles in our bodies should prompt us to include them in our daily diet. My encouragement to you will of course be to take lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juice daily.

There are many phytochemicals already discovered but many more are yet to be discovered. People ask whether we can get them from dietary supplements but many professionals in the field of health seem to advise against them especially because more research and clinical trials are still going on. Furthermore, when you take your glass of fresh juice, there are bound to be hundreds of different types of phytochemicals whose synergistic effect will cause an overall well being in your body. Supplements on the other hand may only contain a certain type of phytochemical or even a limited number of them. Again, the key is to go natural as opposed to artificial.

It is believed that taking fruits and vegetables which contain these micronutrients will go a long way in preventing and sometimes healing some of the leading causes of death today. Cancers, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, etc all fall under the category of diseases we can prevent to a greater extent. Other benefits include protection against damage to DNA as well as helping in the fight against dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Remember that it is not only taking lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and juice that will do, but also an overall change in one’s lifestyle.

You need not look for strange sources of phytochemicals. Carotenoids and polyacetylenes can be found in vegetables such as carrots and celery. Sulfaforaphane can be found in broccoli, lycopene in tomatoes and we saw that flavanoids can be obtained from the skin of fruits such as oranges. And you can easily juice these fruits and vegetables.

Generally, fruits and vegetables found to contain phytochemicals that offer some protection against cancer-causing substances include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, carrot, garlic, onions, pepper, apples, grapes and citrus fruits. You can also have a look at some more examples.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices for Children

2007-08-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well, today, let’s just take a moment and think of how fresh fruit and vegetable juice can be of benefit to the children. We all know that kids are a special category of people that need, therefore, our special attention. We also know that fresh fruits and vegetables form a very important part of our diet if we are to be a healthy people. Little children, however, do not know that and where they do, they do not seem to attach any importance to that information. Kids sometimes just seem to think of their mother as trying to spoil all the fun of living when she insists on fresh fruits and vegetables while putting away their packets of potato crisps, biscuits, chocolate bars and every good snack.

But what do you do as a parent? You have to do something to get the kids to take lots of fresh fruits and vegetables every day and still like you! Thank God we know that kids are pretty curious beings and are always eager to learn. Take advantage of that. You remember when you were small and mommy or daddy got you to do something that you really didn’t like? Especially when they were insisting that you had to do it even without explaining why? Of course you remember.

Go a step further and explain to your child why it’s good to take fresh fruits and vegetables. When you go shopping with your little ones, pass by the grocery store and pick up the fruits and vegetables together encouraging variety since no fruit or vegetable contains all the nutrients that we need. This way, you will be involving them in their health matters. At home, when with them, juice
fresh fruits and vegetables so that they can learn to do it by themselves. Of course make sure you pat them on the back every time they do it because taking care of their health on their own is a very grown up thing to do.

A constant intake of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, without artificial additives, is key to the health of any child because of the nutrients they derive from them. Citrus fruits e.g. oranges, tangerines, lemons and even a vegetable fruit like tomato, are very rich in vitamin C. This vitamin helps prevent scurvy and is good for the skin. Fresh vegetables rich in the green coloration called chlorophyll provide iron that is used for the formation of hemoglobin, the component in the red blood cells that is used to carry oxygen in the blood.

The good thing about juicing is that lots of nutrients trapped in the indigestible matter of the fruit or vegetable are released and become readily available for absorption. Furthermore, when is a kid more enthusiastic? When she sees a glass of refreshing carrot juice or hundreds of carrot pieces on her plate of food? But do also encourage eating of whole fresh fruits and vegetables.

Whereas, I do not encourage excessive drinking of fresh juice for any child, there is a great benefit of taking an adequate supply. Fresh juice contains water, natural sugar for the energy the body needs to function properly and a host of essential nutrients. In effect, if the snack intake is minimized and fresh juice encouraged a lot has already been done to manage your child’s weight. Do also make a habit of consulting with your doctor or finding out from nutritionist. A little researching on child nutrition will be of great use.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices

2007-08-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

What comes to your mind when you hear someone mention or read about fresh fruit and vegetable juices? I bet you think about your health and probably try to remember the last time you took some fresh juice. The truth is you need to take lots of fresh juice every day for the sake of your health. I want to emphasize here that I am not talking about just any fruit and vegetable juice drink you may buy from your local store, but fresh or natural fruit and vegetable juices. This means that our juice has neither gone through some complex processing which would eliminate many of the nutrients found in fresh fruits and vegetables nor has it been added some chemicals for the purposes of longer periods of preservation, food coloring or sweetening.

Decades ago, when our modern processing facilities were not yet developed or as advanced as they are today, people ate most foods including fruits and vegetables in their most natural forms, i.e. whole as they were – well of course with some washing… and peeling where it was necessary. This was also because most people lived in or near farms where these foods were readily available while still fresh. Today, with advanced methods of processing and preservation, a lot of that freshness is greatly compromised and at worst, altogether eliminated.

Modern research has been undertaken to discover the health benefits of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables and the juices we make from them. Consequently, a lot of information helpful to us all is readily available. Therefore, we need not fear that fresh juice will cause obesity in our kids but rather, the right fresh juice taken in the right quantities can greatly improve their health and even have an overall effect of controlling their weight gain!

Most of the fruits and vegetables we know can be juiced easily and more so, in our very own homes using juicers and blenders. You, therefore, do not have an excuse as to why you are not taking more fresh juice for your health. Even more convenient, you can still walk into a store or a bar that sells fresh juice. Remember, not just any well packaged juice drink, but fresh juice. You should be able to determine that by how much pulp is contained in the juice.

But you may wonder why one would insist on lots of fresh fruit and vegetable juice every day. Here’s why. Fresh juice is a one of the most highly concentrated source of nutrition in our every day diet containing vital minerals and vitamins, natural sugar and thousands of phytochemicals. Today, nutritional researchers are focusing on phytochemicals which are either enzymes or substances that are used in building or even activating enzymes that play key roles in the protection of various body cells from damage.

In comparison, vegetable juices have lower calories than fruit juices. However, since fruit juices are tastier than vegetable juices, we often tend to take more fruit than vegetable juices. To reap the benefits from both, the idea here is to blend them, but carefully so as not to end up with a juice that smells like cow dung mixed with water and hardly possible to gulp down your throat! Two great advantages of fresh juice is that you can easily take the recommended fruit and vegetable serving for each day as well as remove most of the indigestible or difficult to digest parts without compromising on the nutritive value of the juice. The downside is that some parts such as the rind, skin and pulp which contain key nutrients unavailable in the rest of the fruit or vegetable may be lost in the juicing process.

The key is therefore to juice or blend washed whole fruit and vegetable and where necessary, peel lightly and remove the seeds. It is known, for example, that the skin of a carrot contains beta carotene and the white membrane under the outer skin of oranges contains flavanoids which help the body assimilate and use vitamin C. With this kind of information, you get the sense of why fresh fruit and vegetable juices must be made part of our diet.