Tuesday, April 7, 2020

1:28 AM

Over the years, we have come up with different trends in an attempt to make a healthy lifestyle more achievable.
We look into different habits and techniques so that good health doesn’t feel like a huge sacrifice.
From vegetables that look like burgers to workouts masked as dance moves,
we have surely come a long way in terms of taking care of our health. 
One of the “gimmicks” that health enthusiasts have been including in their lifestyles are juices.
Gone are the days where the juice is just a mix of sugar, preservatives, and colorants sold in tetra packs.
Thanks to blenders, it has been easier to make your own juice at home quickly and easily,
as mentioned in this guide. But are juices really as good for the body?
The short answer to this is both yes and no. Yes, because you’ll be able to consume vegetables and
fruits that you probably don’t like to eat on their own. You can incorporate them into your breakfast and
snacks without needing to add other unhealthy ingredients like sugar and oil.
And since you’ll be using a blender to juice fruits and vegetables, they’ll be broken down.
The result is much easier for your body to absorb because they are in liquid form. 
However, like with any food, juices also have their downsides. For example, blending also removes some
fiber content of the ingredients. At the same time, you have to be mindful of what you’re including to the mix,
particularly the sugar content. 
While fruits are healthier than granulated sugar, they can still raise the body’s blood sugar content.
Therefore, if you have diabetes or if you’re managing weight, make sure the recipes you’re using have
balanced amounts of nutrients. 
Overall, juicing can be healthy as long as you plan the ingredients that you’re using.
At the same time, consult with a nutritionist, especially if you’re planning on adding juices to your diet
for weight gain or weight loss. Too much or too little of anything is always a bad idea.

Benefits of Drinking Juice

When you think of juice, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the colored drinks in boxes that
kids love. But all-natural juices are more achievable than ever using a blender and fresh fruits and
vegetables. 
Of course, you’ll have easier access to the vitamins, minerals, and even the phytonutrients in the
ingredients that you used. They are also quicker to absorb because juicing has broken them down.
Therefore, your body can have some “rest” from digesting fiber. 
If you’re not a fan of eating fruits and vegetables, you can still incorporate them into your diet
through juicing. You can create multiple combinations of different colored ingredients to get a good mix
of nutrients. 
Juicing also helps in digestive health even though you don’t get much fiber compared to consuming
whole fruits and vegetables. The polyphenols and oligosaccharides in fresh fruit and vegetable juices
work like prebiotics to aid in digestion. At the same time, you can add some of the pulp in the juice to
return some of the juice’s fiber content back. After all, fiber is helpful to cut your hunger. Some people even
add them to other dishes like bread batter, sauces, and broths. 
Because of improved digestion, juices can also help you cleanse your body. However,
there is no scientific evidence to support the claims of using juices as the primary diet for a so-called
juice cleanse. This is because a juice-exclusive diet may not be able to make you full because it doesn’t
have enough fiber or protein content. In turn, you may end up craving unhealthy foods throughout the day.
As for the other health benefits of juices such as having a lower risk of heart diseases and cancer,
it is because you are lessening your consumption of processed and fatty foods. At the same time,
the anti-inflammatory compounds in juices aid the immune system to fight off infections.

Healthy Juice Recipe Ideas

According to DiligentChef.com, one of the best juice recipes that you can start with is any vegetable juice.
This is because a concentrated fruit juice or juices with high sugar content can increase your calorie
consumption. However, you can still add fruits like apple or kiwi to make your recipe more palatable.
And since we want the recipe to be as balanced as possible, consider adding ingredients like Greek yogurt,
peanut butter, or almond milk as your sources of protein. 
Some other ingredients to consider are tomatoes because of their lycopene content. That is because
lycopene is excellent for heart health, and its antioxidative properties can lower the risk of cancer. 
Fruits like oranges and cranberries are good sources of vitamin C to help your immune system.
Bananas are also fantastic ingredients because of their potassium content.
If you have a strenuous workout session, potassium aids your body to recover quickly.
If you have high blood pressure, you might benefit from beet juice to lower its level.
You can also have something tastier like a pure pomegranate juice or acai berry juice as an alternative
to green tea because of their antioxidants. 
Speaking of green tea, why not make a green juice using green vegetables as well?
What makes a green juice healthy is because the chlorophyll green pigment in the ingredients helps
oxygenate the blood. In turn, you'll feel energized and have better brain function. You can start with a
base of spinach, kale, parsley, and celery. And for better taste, add a cucumber, ginger, and some lemon. 
If you want to curb off your cravings for sweet snacks during home quarantine, you can try celery, apples,
and some cinnamon. And since we need to be healthier more than ever in the pandemic,
you want to increase your intake of vitamin C and antimicrobial compounds. Broccoli, garlic, celery, and
carrots are not everyone’s favorite, but juicing them with beets make them easier to add in the diet. 

Main Takeaway

Juicing is an easy and fun way to incorporate fruits and vegetables into our lifestyle.
There are different combinations that you can do, so there’s no way that you’ll get bored with the juices
you can do at home. Whether there’s a pandemic or not, we should always do our best to maintain a
healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise.