Benefits of Drinking Fresh Juices Every Day

Sometimes we can forget the health and wellbeing bonuses associated with drinking fresh juice because, well, it tastes so darn incredible! But drinking fresh juice every day isn’t just a sweet treat; it’s also an easy way to reap numerous health and wellbeing benefits.

Read on to discover which benefits you can expect to enjoy from drinking fresh juice every day.

Improve your overall health

According to the juicing experts, by juicing your fruits and vegetables you’re gaining access to critical antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are used to help repair your body and boost your immune system. Here are some other great health benefits:

–  The antioxidants in juices also help detoxify the body and erase the effects of a processed food diet.

–  Fruits and vegetables are jam packed with phytochemicals, which are renown as health promoters and disease preventers. Juices are also considered to be easier to digest than whole foods as your body doesn’t need to break down the juice like it does with other foods.

–  Often, vital enzymes found in fruits and vegetables can be destroyed in the cooking process. Juicing protects the enzymes (by not heating the food too much) and makes them consumable.

Reduces the risk of disease

According to research on healthy eating, one piece of fruit per day reduces your risk of heart disease by 20 percent. Eating five serves of red fruit and veggies (things like watermelon and tomatoes) can decrease your risk of lung cancer by a whole quarter.

On the flip side, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 2.7 million deaths per year could be prevented if individuals consumed the correct amount of fruit and vegetables. They predict that across the globe, 19 percent of gastrointestinal cancers, 31 percent of ischaemic heart diseases and 11 percent of strokes are caused by an insufficient fruit and vegetable intake.

Sounds crazy, right? But our bodies aren’t built to digest highly processed foods. We were created to eat natural and raw products, such as fruit and vegetables. And while you can scoff heaps of fruit and veggies throughout the day to keep your body healthy and disease-free, an easier solution would be to just juice your fruit and vegetables and drink in one sitting. Which brings me to my next point …

Reach your fruit and veggie quota

How many of us actually eat the recommended daily amount of fruit and vegetables each day? I know I don’t. Six to eight servings of fruit and vegetables – that’s a whole lot of food!

But by juicing, you’re much more likely to hit the recommended daily intake. The average juice contains around six serves of fruit and vegetables. From here, all you need to do is add another two serves at breakfast, lunch or dinner and you’re set.

Easy, right?

Enjoy a greater variety of food

I don’t know about you, but when I’m rolling around the supermarket very rarely do I take the time to examine the health food aisle for ‘new possibilities’. Instead, I just grab the fruit and vegetable regulars (apples, bananas, grapes) and get the heck out of there as fast as I can.

We all have busy lives. And who can bother to take the time to think about new things to eat each week?

But by sticking to the ‘regulars’, I’m missing out. I’m just delving into the same old pot of vitamins and nutrients. Whereas if I shuffled my choices up every few days, I’d be able to gain the benefits of various fruit and vegetables. For instance, carrots are good for improving eyesight and grapefruit speeds up your metabolism. But if these aren’t in my shopping trolley, (and I’ve figured out a way to incorporate them into my weekly meals) then I won’t reap those benefits.

Juicing allows you to choose from a wide spectrum of fruit and vegetables rather than the standard set, as you don’t need to prepare them into anything. Just toss them into the juicer and voila – your unique mix for the day is done.

Don’t like fruit and vegetables? No problem.

So, here’s the thing. I have a friend (cough-me-cough) who hates eating oranges. Loathes the little orange suckers. But toss an orange into a juice and I’m, I mean she, is in heaven.

Sometimes, there are just certain foods that we don’t like eating, or that aren’t suitable for raw consumption. Like ginger. Munched down on individually, ginger is horrid. Added to a juice, it’s the highlight of your day.

Juicing your foods allows you to try new tastes without the disagreeable textures. Things that you hated eating, you’ll love drinking. It sounds weird, but it’s true.

Or if you just plain don’t like fruit and vegetables (fair call really), then a juice is an awesome alternative. Juices made with a dash of fruit are quite sweet and even if you pop in some vegetables, maintain that sweet taste. A good trick is to always add a carrot or an apple to bitter tastes like green veggies.

Boosts your water intake

Fruit and vegetables are packed with water, which means that adding them to a juice will boost your water intake for the day.

Getting the right amount of fluid helps your body’s digestion and aids in effective waste removal. Sounds gross, but plugged up pipes are the last thing you want for a healthy body.

Drinking fresh juice each day will help you keep your water levels up and stay, erm, unclogged. After all, we are at least 75% water. Juicing helps us maintain that percentage.

A juice for every health condition

According to JuiceRecipes.com, there is a juice for almost every health condition.

Including:

• Acne
• Allergies
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Anemia
• Anxiety issues
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Bladder cancer
• Bloating
• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colds and flus
• Colon cancer
• Constipation
• Coughs
• Cramps
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Difficult monthly periods
• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Gall bladder stones
• Headaches
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Indigestion issues
• Itchiness
• Kidney stones
• Leukemia
• Liver disease
• Low libido
• Lung cancer
• Migraines
• Mood swings
• Muscle spasms
• Nausea
• Osteoporosis
• Ovarian cancer
• Poor concentration
• Poor memory
• Prostate cancer
• Sinus problems
• Skin cancer
• Sore throats
• Stomach cancers
• Stress
• Stroke
• Ulcers

There is a flavor for everyone

And with the vast variety of juicing combination options, it’s almost impossible to say that you don’t like fresh juice. There are combinations and recipes for almost every fruit and vegetable out there and unique mixes that will have your taste buds tingling.

Easy to make

The best part of juicing is that they are actually really easy to make at home. You can pick up a juicer for a reasonable price and there is minimal preparation time besides chopping and peeling.

Make sure you drink your juices fresh though as you glean the most benefits the more fresh they are. Also ensure that you wash your fruit ands veggies before you juice them to remove any pesticides or chemicals.

Oh, and where possible, pick up your fruit and vegetables from a farmer’s market. They’re fresher, tastier and you’re supporting your local farming community.

Favorite Juicing Recipes

Courtesy of juicerecipes.com, here are some healthy and delicious juices to give a try. Enjoy!

Veggie Blueberry
Good for: clearing up your skin, improving eye health, preventing heart disease and lung cancer and boosting your immune system.

Containing:
1 x medium sized apple
1 x cup of broccoli
6 x large carrots
1 x medium tomato

Better Than a Salad
Good for: Increasing your energy, detoxifying your body, increasing your antioxidant intake and decreasing inflammation.

Containing:
1 x cucumber
1 x lemon
1 x medium onion
1 x handful of parsley
½ sweet red pepper
3 x small tomatoes

Lemon Essence
Good for: Improving blood circulation, preventing against stroke, decreasing water retention, managing diabetes and boosting eyesight.

Containing:
1 x apple
8 x carrots
1 x thumb of ginger
1 x lemon

Orange Broccoli
Good for: Lowering cholesterol, improving your bone health, preventing against liver cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Containing:
2 x medium sized apples
1 x stalk of broccoli
4 x medium sized carrots

Fresh Start
Good for: Decreasing the risk of lung cancer, liver cancer and Alzheimer’s, managing diabetes and easing asthma.

Containing:
2 x medium sized apples
3 x medium sized carrots
4 x celery stalks

Ginger Paradise
Good for: Lowering cholesterol and protecting against lung cancer, aiding digestion and managing diabetes and improving blood circulation.

Containing:
1 x medium sized apple
4 x carrots
1 x thumb of ginger

Green Lemonade
Good for: Easing asthma, boosting bone health, relieving depression, alleviating nausea and reducing constipation.

Containing:
2 x medium sized apples
1 x cucumber
4 x leaves of kale
1 x lemon
2 x cups of spinach

Dragon Blood
Good for: Relieving symptoms of colds and fevers, preventing against cancer, stroke and osteoporosis.

Containing:
4 x cabbage leaves
½ x lemon
2 x medium sized pears

And remember, if you don’t have a juicer at home you can always visit a juice bar and have them create your favorite mix!

Good luck and happy juicin’!