Juicing

JUICING

Why juicing?

There are benefits to juicing as well as eating fruits and vegetables. Juicing extracts the juice from fresh fruits or vegetables. The resulting liquid contains most of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals (phytonutrients) found in the whole fruit. However, whole fruits and vegetables also have healthy fiber, which are lost during most juicing. The main reason for juicing is to obtain a supply of raw nutrients from the produce that are juiced. When heat, mainly from cooking vegetables, is applied to foods, the enzymes, vitamins and minerals they contain may be decreased. By taking raw juices we are ensuring the body gets a good supply of these easily digested nutrients in the form the body is best able to deal with. Another benefit of juicing is it allows one to obtain a greater quantity of nutrients than chewing would, especially for those that do not like to eat fruits and vegetables. 

Some say that juicing is better for you than is eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber. They say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help you remove toxins from your body, aid digestion, and help you lose weight.  But there's no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself. 

Fruit vs. Vegetable Juicing

Both types of juicing are certainly good for your health, however vegetable juicing has one advantage over fruit juicing because fruit juice tends to increase insulin levels when consumed.  The only exception to this would be carrot or beet juice which function similarly to consumption of fruit juice, but not as high in sugar.

Types of Juicers: Centrifugal vs. Cold Press

There are two main type of juicers: Centrifugal and Cold Press.  Centrifugal juicers are more widely available and less expensive.  The machine operates at very high speeds which generate heat and destroys enzymes and nutrients naturally found in the produce. With a cold-press juicer, the gentle, slow-turning action produces a greater quantity of juice, which retains more vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber than the juice produced from centrifugal juicers.

Overall, the advantages of non-Centrifugal juicers include:

-The juice will last longer and contain more nutrients than juice from a centrifugal juicer

-They have fewer parts and are easier to clean

-They are much quieter than centrifugal juicers

-Most can juice wheatgrass and herbs

Some double as a food processor

Often their warranties are longer than centrifugal juicers