Juice your way to radiant health!

Posted January 7, 2016

What is juicing?

Juicing is the process of extracting the liquid portion of the plant, fruit or vegetable from the fibrous portion. Juice contains all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients, like bioflavonoids and antioxidants without the fiber. Fiber in the diet is good, but when taken with juice, it slows down the absorption of the nutrients. Juicing is a way of getting a higher concentration of nutrients into your body than you could get by eating the fruit whole or as a smoothie. Juicing has been used for a long time, particularly in the United States at facilities like the Gerson Institute, Anne Wigmore Institute and the Hippocrates Institute as part of a comprehensive therapeutic program. Juicing tastes great, looks beautiful, and boosts health.

Juicer types

There are many different types of juicers, from manual hand held citrus juicers to centrifugal, masticating, twin-gear and cold press juicers. It is important to reduce the amount of oxidation that happens to the juice before you drink it. That is what makes the two-step cold press juicer, like a Norwalk, top of the line. The vegetables or fruits are first put through a grinder. The pulp is then folded into porous bags and pressed to extract the juice from the fiber. For a beginner juicer, a masticating or twin-gear machine works well to introduce you to the magic of juicing. Centrifugal juicers have a reputation for causing the most oxidation and lowest juice yield.

5 Uses for Juice

To Boost Nutrition

Vegetables and fruits, herbs and plants are full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrients.

Carrots Main constituent is carotenoids such as, lutein, α-carotene, β-carotene, and vitamin A. β-carotene can be converted into vitamin A, an important molecule

Beetscontain naturally occurring nitrates which improve blood flow through the vessels by producing a molecule called nitric oxide (NO). NO helps to oxygenate muscles, brain, and heart. Dilating the blood vessels helps to lower blood pressure. The increased oxygen delivery to the brain has been shown to slow the progression of dementia. Like carrots, beets are high in carotenes which are beneficial for eye health. Beets contain 14% of our daily iron intake. Beet juice is detoxifying. It stimulates the liver and has been shown to prevent the formation of cancerous tumors.

Celeryis a rich source of antioxidants and phytonutrients. High in vitamin K, important for clotting, B1, B2, B3, folic acid, vitamin A and potassium. Celery seeds have been shown to lower blood pressure. The compound luteolin possesses anticancer properties. Celery’s other anticancer properties include: acetylenics, phenolic acids, and coumarins. Celery can lower total cholesterol and LDL. Celery is a mild diuretic making it a good part of a detoxification program.

Romaine lettuce contains cancer-inhibiting carotenoids. It is rich in vitamin A, C, K, and iron. Chlorophyll is the green component in plants is responsible for the delivery of oxygen to their tissues. Just like the hemoglobin in red blood cells does for us. Interestingly, chlorophyll and hemoglobin are only one molecule different: hemoglobin has iron as it center, and chlorophyll uses magnesium. Green chlorophyll-containing vegetables, including lettuces, improve our levels of oxygenation, control hunger and cravings, decrease body odor, promote tissue repair, bind heavy metals for excretion and detoxification and impede yeast growth to stop candida infections.

Cilantrois known for its ability to rid the body of heavy metals. It protects against oxidative stress, lowers blood sugar levels, protects the heart, prevents urinary tract infections from E.coli, and settles digestive upset and colon cancer. It’s a powerful herb that can be added in to all juices for added benefit.

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Ginger is a central circulatory stimulant. It is warming to the digestive tract and promotes circulation of the blood to the organs and tissues. Ginger is high in volatile oil which acts to calm down digestive upset, decrease nausea and kill pathogens. A shot of ginger can be added into all your juices, especially in the winter as a cold and flu prevention.

Turmerichas many benefits: anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant. It helps in the treatment of many conditions: Alzheimer’s, ulcerative colitis, ulcers, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarcts, cancer, arthritis, psoriasis, eczema, allergies, asthma, diabetes, bacterial infection, uveitis, AIDS. It has been shown to be more effective than pharmaceutical medication: Lipitor for cholesterol, corticosteroids and Imipramine for inflammation, oxaliplatin for chemo, and metformin for diabetes.

Red/Green cabbage is high in L-glutamine, an important amino acid in gut repair. Enterocytes love L-glutamine which is a good supplement for repair and restoration of the gut cells. Glutamine is a component of the KREBs cycle, the energy production cascade in our cells. It is used at high rates by rapidly dividing cells such leukocytes also known as white blood cells. White blood cells are a main component of our immune system, making glutamine an integral part of a well-functioning immune system. Insufficient glutamine can present as ulcers, atrophy, and necrosis of the gut lining!

Cabbage is sulfur-containing, important for liver detoxification. The glucosinolates in cabbage are converted into isothiocyanates that have cancer prevention properties for prostate, bladder and colon cancer. High in selenium, cabbage protects your heart from heart disease.

As a Fasting Protocol

Carrot and green apple juice can be used as a juice fast to regulate blood sugar in type 2 diabetes. It is also a good break for the gut. Although juice fasting doesn’t promote ketosis, like intermittent fasting or water fasting, it still gives the body a break from metabolizing solid food. Green juice fasting allows the body to enter ketosis while also getting in vitamins and minerals to decrease the side effects of a fast. Juice fasting keeps energy levels up to enable light daily activities.

Cure a Cold or Flu

Foods high in vitamin C and anti-viral compounds are perfect to boost the immune system to get over a cold or flu. Think about using: carrots, red, yellow, orange and green peppers, ginger, turmeric and garlic.

To Heal the Gut

Cabbage with all of its glutamine is the preferred food for the cells of the gut. 4 oz shots of red or green cabbage juice is a good addition to a gut healing protocol for anyone looking to give their digestive tract some love.

To Enjoy

Juice tastes great and looks beautiful. It is full of nutrients: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, bioflavonoids and enzymes. The nutrients are rapidly absorbed which can give your cells the boost they need to clear infection, repair and fight cancer. Consider adding fresh, live juices into your diet.

For more information about juicing and fasting visit www.drarieljones.com

Dr. Ariel Jones is a native of Vancouver BC and a graduate of BINM (2013). Her practice emphasizes removing the physical, mental and spiritual obstacles to cure while implementing a toxin-free lifestyle for raw, radiant health. Ariel has enjoyed living in Victoria, BC during her BSc. in biology and psychology, Calgary AB and Hilo Hawaii for a post-graduate residency focused on raw food diet, detoxification, addictions and cancer therapies.