A few years ago amidst my personal journey of optimal health and nutrition, I became aware of the benefits of juicing. Although not fully convinced at first that a homemade juice, specifically green or other vegetable juice was needed if I was already eating whole, natural foods and drinking green smoothies, as I researched on, it became clear that there were specific health benefits to juicing that nothing else could replace.

As I continued to streamline my diet over the years, to make it reflect the highest quality of nutrition for optimal health, along the way some years ago I stopped drinking any and all juice. It did not matter what health benefits the labels claimed, or that there was no sugar added. A packaged, pasteurized and processed food sitting on a shelf for days (if not weeks) in plastic bottles was simply not something I was interested in putting into my body any longer. Plus when it came to juice, I read enough to know that without the added fiber, there was just no point of drinking my calories, processed calories at that. It increases one’s chances of weight gain, causes blood sugar imbalances, makes us more prone to diabetes and adds to creating an acidic environment just to name a few of the downfalls associated with juice.

Once I became conscious of all this, just like that a habit that was built over the years—drinking juice—was over. Oftentimes, people think that it takes a certain amount of time to break a habit, but in reality as I frequently share with people, a habit breaks as quickly as we are ready to let it go. The next time I went to the grocery store, I simply did not buy any juice. The next time I went out to a restaurant, I simply did not order any. It can be that easy, but only if we choose to exercise some conscious awareness and personal discipline.

Over the years as my research into the most optimally nutritious choices continued, I was rather surprised when I came across the benefits of juicing. So much so, that for quite some time I did not give the topic too much attention, as I just didn’t feel that it was all that necessary. I preferred to focus on consuming whole foods just as they are. However as I learned more, I realized that when it came to home juicing, it wasn’t quite the same as drinking commercial juices at all for numerous reasons! Even if we compared identical items, like home apple juice versus commercial apple juice, major health and quality differences exist. Home juicing, especially juicing of vegetables which is where the most health benefits lie, provides unique benefits for optimal health that are hard (if not impossible) to beat.

Benefits of Juicing

  • providing a high quality, nutrient dense food source
  • maximized and optimized nutrient delivery
  • most potent and concentrated nutrient density
  • most easily abundant and absorbable vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients
  • high concentration of live enzymes
  • you eat more of the fruit or vegetable than you would be able to eat in whole form
  • increased alkalinity to improve and maintain a good acid-alkaline balance
  • powerful detoxification
  • powerful cleansing properties
  • naturally energizing (no need for harmful stimulants)
  • high concentration of powerful medicinal properties of plants
  • increased speed and ease of digestion
  • access to plant nutrition normally locked in fiber
  • break for your digestive system (minimal work needed to deal with juice and get the nutrients into your blood stream quickly)
  • improved conditions for weight loss
  • provide a filling and highly nutritious snack
  • increases the diversity and variety of foods we consume
  • increases the palatability of many foods
  • avoid need for synthetic vitamins and/or minerals, as well as many other supplements
  • raw, vegan and vegetarian friendly
  • child, adult and elderly friendly

Health Benefits of Juicing

There are numerous benefits that are reaped thanks to the consumption of regular vegetable and fruit juices. Since we are ingesting the most concentrated vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients and live enzymes that the plant offers, it has a positive impact on every area of our health. Here are some of the general benefits you can look forward to or enjoy thanks to juicing:

  • Improved cell regeneration
  • Improved wound healing
  • Improved brain function
  • Improved clarity, focus, concentration, etc.
  • Improved heart function
  • Improved liver function
  • Improved immune function
  • Improved joint function
  • Improved hair, skin, nails
  • Improved eye sight
  • Improved digestion
  • Improved energy levels
  • Improved blood health
  • Improved detoxification
  • Improved elimination
  • Improved longevity
  • Improved weight maintenance
  • Improved overall health
  • Prevention of major and minor diseases
  • Healing of major and minor conditions

Conclusion

Today juicing is used as part of treatment regimes for cancer and other diseases (see Gerson Therapy), as part of prevention of disease, and promotion of good health, weight loss, cleansing and detoxification. Since my personal 21 day juice challenge, I have continued to enjoy a home juice daily, experimenting with new combinations of vegetables and fruits all the time. I know my body and health are benefitting greatly from the increased density of pure living nutrients in their most natural forms. And just like my eating habits expanded to include foods that I would otherwise not enjoy eating as is, when I incorporated smoothies into my life, the same happened with juicing. Thanks to smoothies, I now enjoy consuming leafy greens like kale, spinach, collard greens and swiss chard daily. Thanks to juicing, I now enjoy consuming vegetables like celery, parsnips, parsley and beets weekly.

Juicing is a very valuable habit that we can get into when we prioritize investing our time and money into prevention today, rather than investing into pharmaceutical medication, medical bills and treatment regimes in the future. The first place to start is simply to pick and purchase a juicer. When making your choice, be sure to consider things like whether it can juice leafy greens as well as various fruits, stems and root vegetables, and how it works in terms of being powerful enough to extract the most juice, without being too powerful and destroying the delicate beneficial enzymes and nutrients. The price of a juicer can range from literally $100 to $1000 dollars, with good juicers starting at the $300 range. For myself, I am enjoying the Jay Kordich Power Grind Pro and it fits the bill perfectly for all of my needs.

The second step is to visit your local grocery store or farmer’s market and bring home lots of fresh produce. Have fun enjoying the different combinations of vegetables and fruits for the most health benefits, and feel your body’s gratitude as it heals, regenerates, cleanses and builds a foundation for optimal health.