This post was written by Clare Steffenson, the author of Be Youthful. She shares a lot of practical tips on anti-aging and looking and feeling great at any age. This post about best food for skin is something you definitely should check.
Apparently, the fountain of youth now has a tasty twist to it. Of course, good old H2O will always hold the top spot, but juicing is definitely a close second. Now before we get the juice on the juice and check out all the great benefits it has to offer, let’s first take a quick look on what juicing actually is.
What Is Juicing?
Well, it pretty much is what it is, but you should know that :
a. Juicing is not opening a carton of Sunny D and
b. Juicing is not blending.
You see, although both juicing and blending make use of the fresh stuff, (sealed in their skin, if any, not sealed in a bottle), the very process of using a juicer versus a blender is different. A juicer extracts all of the liquid nutrition leaving the pulp behind while a blender purees.
The end result?
It’s pretty much the difference between juice and a smoothie. Both great, but both still different nonetheless.
The Benefits Of Juicing
Healthier, Faster
Did you know that when you “juice”, you are able to extract nearly 100% of all the good stuff that the vegetables or fruits you used have to offer. Depending on what recipe (I’ll share with you one of my all time favorites later on that especially focuses on anti aging), you will get a really good dose of nutrients, vitamins, phytochemicals, enzymes, and antioxidants.
Well, that covers “Healthier”, but what about “Faster”? Think of it this way, what is easier to digest, a solid apple or one that is juiced? In fact, just as you skip on the chewing, you skip the whole digestion process as well so all of the said good stuff can be absorbed right away.
This is pretty much the main benefit that leads to tons of other “sub” benefits. Here they are.
Detox
Juicing is a great way to get rid of all of those unwanted toxins that you get throughout the day. You can actually go on a juice cleanse to really clean out your system, but just simply adding a glass or two to your diet will do just fine.
More Energy
Juicing will actually give you an extra energy boost. Digesting food alone already uses up to 30% of your body’s energy. As mentioned earlier, juicing bypasses much of the work required to digest more solid foods. You do the math. Of course, you won’t get the whole additional 30% since you will still be eating at least three times a day, but without a doubt, you will get that extra zing.
Strengthen Immune System
As you absorb more nutrients and vitamins, you strengthen your immune system as well. So juicing is great to keep viruses and infections away. Actually, depending on what you add to your juice, it may even help fight off certain cancers too.
Manage Blood Pressure
More on health, juicing can also help manage blood pressure. Especially if you go organic, the sodium content is naturally lower which also naturally helps lower blood pressure.
Regulate Blood Sugar
Just as juiced organic veggies have lower sodium levels, the same goes for it’s sugar content too. (Note, veggies, not fruits). Which leads us to the next benefit…
Lose Weight
Because of the last two benefits mentioned, juicing should definitely be part of your weight loss plan. Heck, it should also be part of your maintain weight plan as well. Plus, because the juice is relatively filing, it even curbs your appetite..
Anti Aging
Remember, antioxidants equal anti aging. Antioxidants fight off free radicals that do tons of damage to your body, specifically speed up your clock. Since you will be absorbing a whole lot through juicing, you can expect softer yet firmer, wrinkle free skin topped off with a youthful vibrant glow.
My Favorite Anti Aging Juice Recipe
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of water
1 cup of blueberries
½ a cup of strawberries
½ of a medium sized beet
1 large kale leaf
What You Are Drinking
Blueberries – Berries in general are a great antioxidant that combats cells damage from free radicals that get into the body. Blueberries also have sapronins which are good for heart health.
Strawberries – Strawberries fit into the same basket as blueberries (or should that be a punnet ;)). They have antioxidant properties. They also deliver iron, calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium to the body. They taste pretty good too.
Beet – You can use the root and the leaves of the beet. They give your body calcium, potassium and vitamin A and C. Vitamin C is a good antioxidant and Vitamin A is good for skin to name just a few benefits.
Kale – Kale is much like Spinach and we all know how spinach is supposed to make you strong. Well, you might not have muscles like Popeye but you will get iron, phosphorous and vitamins A, B, C, D and K.
Notes:
When it comes to juicing, you basically put all the ingredients in your juicer and whiz away. But here are a couple notes for this particular recipe:
– Peel the skin of your beet. Then chop it up into two to four pieces.
– Remove the stem of your kale leaf.
– Experiment with the quantities of each ingredient until you are happy with the taste. The joy of juicing is that you can make your own recipes as you go.