Juice and Smoothie Benefits

Growing numbers of adults and children are not eating even the minimum daily requirement of fruits and vegetables. Consequently, obesity and many chronic illnesses that stem from an unhealthy diet are on the rise all over the world, even in Scandinavian countries where weight problems are historically rare.

As a result, more and more people are trying to compensate for their poor diets by consumingcommercially made vegetable juice such as V8. It’s a step in the right direction, reflecting a growing recognition that we need more fruits and veggies in our diet, and it’s certainly convenient. But store-bought fruit or vegetable juice is not the best answer since it is neither fresh nor chemical-free. Let’s explore the many more amazing benefits of juicing fresh fruits and vegetables.

Perhaps the greatest of all the juicing and smoothie benefits is that just one tall glass gives you all of your daily requirements of fruits and vegetables – quickly, conveniently and easily! Just one cup of a fresh juice or smoothie is over a pound of fresh produce. The USDA considers a serving to be approximately a half cup. So getting your recommended daily amount of fresh fruit and vegetables is easily done with just one fresh juice or smoothie.

No Need For Supplements

Fresh fruits and veggies are so packed with nutrients that just one glass gives you all the vitamins and minerals you need daily. You can stop purchasing expensive supplements – you get it all in a fresh juice or smoothie.

And one wonders how effective a dried and processed nutrient in pill form really is compared to the fresh nutrient in its natural form. 

Nutrients Found Nowhere Else

Every plant contains certain vitamins and minerals, but also many more nutrients called phytonutrients. These are nutrients that are not vital to keeping us alive. Rather, they play an important role in fighting diseases, delaying aging and boosting energy. Each plant has hundreds of these phytonutrients, and we have yet to discover the nutritional benefits of most of them.

This field of nutritional research is exploding with new discoveries, so keep checking back as I update this site with breaking news. Or go to my Facebook Page where I provide the latest news and tips each day for free.

Many of these phytonutrients are lost in processing, preserving and storing juices and smoothies for commercial sale, especially enzymes which are key to the health of all functions in the body. Many enzymes last less than a minute!   

Better Than Bottled

Commercially bottled juices, even organic brands, simply do not provide all the healthy benefits of fresh juices and smoothies. Most commercial juices are made from fruit concentrates and not whole fruit juices. Plus, commercial juices and smoothies must by law be pasteurized before they can be sold. Part of the pasteurizing process includes boiling the beverage to prevent bacterial growth. However, the boiling process also destroys many nutrients, especially enzymes.

Convenient

You can easily make nutritious fresh juice and smoothies at home and even modify juice and smoothie recipes to meet your personal taste.

Fight Disease

The most amazing benefit of fresh natural juices and smoothies is that you can use it to prevent and even help cure many medical conditions. Fruits and vegetables are filled with essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are vital to fighting many common disorders. Here are just a few examples.
 

Recent research indicates that cabbage juice helps to treat peptic ulcers. Another study shows that keracyanin, which is found in cherries, eases gout by increasing the movement in fingers and toes. We know that cranberry juice prevents kidney stones and urinary tract infections. Grapes contain a compound called trans-resveratrol, and by drinking at least three glasses of grape juice a day, you can prevent heart attacks just as effectively as taking an aspirin on a daily basis. Grape seeds contain powerful antioxidants called proanthocyanidins, which are considered even more potent antioxidants than vitamin C or vitamin E.

Juicing grapes gives you all of these benefits because when you put them into the juicer you get all the nutrients including those found in the seeds. For particular juicing recipes that target a variety of illnesses the best resource is Ultimate Juicing Recipes & Tips found in the “Juice Away Illness!” box to the right.

Summary

• Get all your minimum daily requirements of fruits and veggies qhickly, easily, and conveniently.
• You can stop buying expensive nutritional supplements.
• Get more nutrients than you will find in any supplement.
• Conveniently make your fresh and nutritious juice or smoothie in your own home or office.
• More nutrients that bottled beverages with no preservatives or added sugar.
• Prevent and even cure many diseases.

Start with just one glass of fresh juice each morning to boost your health and energy – you’ll be surprised at how much better you’ll feel!

More recipes can be found in Juicing & Smoothie Recipes That Heal! available here in the box on the right, and for Kindle, Nook and iPad users at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iBooks.