Juicing seems to be all the rage these days so I have decided to share WHY I juice. The concept behind juicing and what you should know about doing a juicing cleanse.
First off, everyone is different. Everyone is in a different state of health. If you see information, videos, stories etc. about a juicing cleanse and are thinking of doing one, I think you need to research and plan properly. There are many reasons for this, so don't just buy a juicer and stop eating food.
First off, everyone is different. Everyone is in a different state of health. If you see information, videos, stories etc. about a juicing cleanse and are thinking of doing one, I think you need to research and plan properly. There are many reasons for this, so don't just buy a juicer and stop eating food.
When I started juicing, I had been eating healthy [meaning based on the food triangle, digestion and What's in your Jar concepts and adopting a vegan/ gluten-free lifestyle] for over a month. By incorporating more micronutrient foods (fruits and veggies), I was filling my body with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and nutrients from natural foods that are easy to digest. By doing that, I could cut out foods that are more difficult to digest like breads, sugars, meats, dairy etc. This REALLY helped my body DETOXIFY. [You can see my results after the first 3 weeks here.] In each of our digestive systems, there is a large amount of stuff... we will call it sludge. As you will read in The Digestion post, your digestive system is one of the most important in the body for so many reasons! Therefore, it is important to be able to clean out the sludge from the walls of your intestines so that they can absorb and work properly!
If you are eating lots of meat, dairy, fried foods, processed foods, packaged foods, fast foods, then the amount of sludge is probably getting quite large! If you have trouble with your bowel movements, digestion, gassiness or bloating, this could be the culprit. It is important to clean your digestive system, just like you clean your car. Juicing can be a great way to do that, but you may want to slowly transform your lifestyle before that!
I went to a smoothie place the other day and asked if they had juice. They said no, only smoothies. Then the lady working there said to me "Smoothies are better for you because they have the fibre. Juicing takes out the fibre, so it's not good." I didn't want to argue, so I just said "yes I know." and I ordered a smoothie. I have done LOTS of research on all of this [hence why I am writing a blog about it all] so I do know there are benefits to smoothies and benefits to juicing, and I have both every day!
The concept of juicing is this: Remove the fibre which takes longer for the body to break down, and you are left with nature's purest form of liquid vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In order to fill up a large glass of juice, you need to use LOTS more Veggies and fruits than you would be able to eat or drink in a smoothie. This results in HIGH NUTRIENT content and LOW CALORIE content. Your body is actually looking for nutrients, not calories, so it feels satisfied because it has received what it needs!
That doesn't mean you want to just start juicing everything, only. You do want to have fibre (so eat lots of veggies in full, whole form). I usually have 1 or 2 juices a day and another 2 meals. It is best to juice on an empty stomach so that your day is started with those nutrients! You will notice, once your body is used to it, you are filled with energy!
NOW. If you are looking at juice cleanses, I recommend following a guided one that is only a few days. Lifestyle is more important than eating crap and cleansing, so focus on the lifestyle changes first. I use the FITLIFE.TV 5 day Detox when I do juicing cleanses. You can also start with a raw/whole food cleanse or smoothie cleanse to prep your body with more of a gradual change. Do it for the RIGHT reasons, when you are ready, emotionally, mentally and physically. You should to do a detox because you want to. Have a mindset of ABUNDANCE, not LACK. If you are going to think, "I can't have that", you are probably not ready. If you can say "I could have that, but I don't want it", then you might be ready!! If you have health problems or any concerns, talk to your doctor before doing this!
I can say that Juicing has really been a positive, transforming addition to my life and my body LOVES it. I think it is important to understand, research and test with your own body! You can introduce juicing every day and once your body is used to it, you can think about doing a detox! Remember, your health is your greatest asset, so take care of your body! If you don't, where do you plan to live? :D
If you are eating lots of meat, dairy, fried foods, processed foods, packaged foods, fast foods, then the amount of sludge is probably getting quite large! If you have trouble with your bowel movements, digestion, gassiness or bloating, this could be the culprit. It is important to clean your digestive system, just like you clean your car. Juicing can be a great way to do that, but you may want to slowly transform your lifestyle before that!
I went to a smoothie place the other day and asked if they had juice. They said no, only smoothies. Then the lady working there said to me "Smoothies are better for you because they have the fibre. Juicing takes out the fibre, so it's not good." I didn't want to argue, so I just said "yes I know." and I ordered a smoothie. I have done LOTS of research on all of this [hence why I am writing a blog about it all] so I do know there are benefits to smoothies and benefits to juicing, and I have both every day!
The concept of juicing is this: Remove the fibre which takes longer for the body to break down, and you are left with nature's purest form of liquid vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In order to fill up a large glass of juice, you need to use LOTS more Veggies and fruits than you would be able to eat or drink in a smoothie. This results in HIGH NUTRIENT content and LOW CALORIE content. Your body is actually looking for nutrients, not calories, so it feels satisfied because it has received what it needs!
That doesn't mean you want to just start juicing everything, only. You do want to have fibre (so eat lots of veggies in full, whole form). I usually have 1 or 2 juices a day and another 2 meals. It is best to juice on an empty stomach so that your day is started with those nutrients! You will notice, once your body is used to it, you are filled with energy!
NOW. If you are looking at juice cleanses, I recommend following a guided one that is only a few days. Lifestyle is more important than eating crap and cleansing, so focus on the lifestyle changes first. I use the FITLIFE.TV 5 day Detox when I do juicing cleanses. You can also start with a raw/whole food cleanse or smoothie cleanse to prep your body with more of a gradual change. Do it for the RIGHT reasons, when you are ready, emotionally, mentally and physically. You should to do a detox because you want to. Have a mindset of ABUNDANCE, not LACK. If you are going to think, "I can't have that", you are probably not ready. If you can say "I could have that, but I don't want it", then you might be ready!! If you have health problems or any concerns, talk to your doctor before doing this!
I can say that Juicing has really been a positive, transforming addition to my life and my body LOVES it. I think it is important to understand, research and test with your own body! You can introduce juicing every day and once your body is used to it, you can think about doing a detox! Remember, your health is your greatest asset, so take care of your body! If you don't, where do you plan to live? :D
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