
Fresh fruits and vegetables juice contain high amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. More often enough, you can't eat enough raw fruits and vegetables in a day to nourish your body properly. Extra nutrients are needed to rid your body of environmental toxins. You probably won’t enjoy nor have the time to chomp through five pounds of carrots. But you’d certainly take pleasure in a mouth-watering, nutrient-rich glass of carrot juice!
Fresh fruit and vegetables are rich in enzymes which are organic catalysts that increase the rate at which foods are broken down and absorbed by the body. Enzymes are destroyed when these foods are cooked. This is why fresh raw produce should make up at least half of your diet.
Fresh juice offers you a concentration of nutrients packaged in the most delicious form so that you can benefit from the synergistic effect of all nutrients working together. In fact, once you begin drinking juices on a regular basis, you can say goodbye to expensive vitamin and mineral supplements!
Vitamins in Fresh Juices
If you're looking for vitamin potency, fresh juices deliver with a punch! “Gee, those vegetables look like they are full of vitamins and nutrients, why don’t I throw them into the juicer?” It's as simple as that.
Vitamin A (retinol) promotes healthy growth and development, good eyesight, maintains clear, healthy skin, and has been linked to cancer prevention. Fresh carrot or green juices contain an abundance of pro-vitamin A (beta carotene). Pro-vitamin A is easily converted to vitamin A in the liver. Unlike synthetic vitamin A, which is toxic in high doses, pro-vitamin A from natural food sources is safe even in large amounts.
The vitamin B COMPLEX is a group of vitamins that works together to help the body digest and use the energy in found in carbohydrates. B-Complex also promotes resistance to infections.
Components of B COMPLEX are : vitamin-B-1 (thiamine), vitamin B-2 (riboflavin), vitamin B-3 (niacin), vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), vitamin B-12 (cobalamine), biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, PABA, and pantothenic acid. Whole grains are among the best natural sources of B-Complex vitamins. But fresh juices, especially green and sprout juices, and citrus juice also contain significant amounts of B-Complex vitamins, as well.
Vitamin C is regarded popularly as a panacea, capable of curing colds, heart disease, cancer, and other ailments. What has been proven so far is that vitamin C is an antioxidant. It helps protect the nerves, glands, joints, and connective tissues from oxidation, and also aids in the absorption of iron. All fresh fruit and vegetable juices are excellent sources of vitamin C.
Vitamin E is another important antioxidant. It helps heart functions and promotes the use of fatty acids. Studies also show that vitamin E may also protect fertility in women and men. Fresh beetroot, celery, and green juices contain vitamin E, as do whole grains, seeds, and nuts.
Minerals In Fresh Juices
Minerals found in supplements are quite different from those found in natural food. In them, minerals are found to have combined with specific amino acids; sometimes with vitamins. This process of bonding mineral to amino acid or mineral to vitamin is called "chelation." Chelated minerals are preferable to synthetic minerals because the body easily recognizes and uses them. They also keep the blood clean and balances out its pH. A good outcome: more energy, calmer nerves, and stronger muscles, heart, hair, teeth, bones, and nails.
In addition to these general functions, each mineral has a specific function. The specific functions of several of the major minerals contained in fresh juices are described below:
Potassium transports oxygen to the lungs and aids in cell respiration.
Iron transports oxygen to the lungs and aids in cell respiration.
Phosphorus is essential to the proper function of the brain and nerves.
Calcium maintains the acid/alkaline balance of the blood and strengthens bones.
Sulphur aids the functions of the brain and nerves as a body cleanser.
Iodine fuels the thyroid gland, which controls the body's metabolism.
Magnesium aids in muscle relaxation, protein synthesis, energy production, and is a natural laxative.
Manganese is necessary in the functions of the brain.
Germanium aids in the functions of the immune system and bowels. Studies show it may help alleviate mood disorders.
Selenium works with vitamin E to delay oxidation of fatty acids.
Sodium, with potassium, calcium, and magnesium, works to neutralize acids, maintain cell integrity, and keep tissues' electromagnetic energy intact.
Enzymes In Fresh Juices
Enzymes work around the clock to build and rebuild the body. At any one time there will be millions of enzymes working in your body. Without enzymes a human would be a lifeless pile of unusable body parts. In fact, enzymes are found in all living things, including food in its raw, uncooked state.
Each food has enzymes that help break down the elements found within it. Bananas are rich in carbohydrates and contain amylase, a carbohydrate-splitting enzyme. Raw butter is rich in lipase, a fat-splitting enzyme. Uncooked or smoked fish or meats are rich in protein-splitting enzymes. Foods which are eaten raw will be broken down by the enzymes within them, greatly helping our bodies' own enzyme labour force.
However, enzymes are extremely sensitive to heat. When food is cooked, all of their helpful enzymes are destroyed, just as a prolonged fever will burn up the enzymes in the body.
Chlorophyll In Fresh Juices
Chlorophyll can be found in green plant leaves and in grasses. In numerous laboratory and clinical trials, green juices proved to be an effective antiseptic, cell stimulator and rejuvenator, and red-blood-cell builder. Recent laboratory studies also indicate that green vegetables can help the body to prevent the formation of certain types of cancer.
Chlorophyll-- especially in the form of wheatgrass juice -- is a super blood and cell builder, cleanser, and overall regenerative tonic. Mix lettuce, kale, collards, chard, alfalfa, cabbage, spinach, buckwheat greens, sunflower greens, turnip greens, watercress, parsley, celery, cucumbers, scallions, and green peppers! Creative combinations, healthy outcomes!
Fluid In Fresh Juice
Fresh juices contain a precious property which is fluid. At least 65 percent of the body is water. Water is a major component of the blood. Blood feeds the cells and carries away waste products of metabolism. Therefore, healthy blood = cells vitality = overall bodily health. Beverages such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer, flavoured drinks, alcoholic beverages, and municipal water contain sugar, additives, preservatives, chlorine, fluoride, caffeine, and lots of other harmful ingredients. Organs of elimination such as kidneys and livers work hard to filter these out.
Unlike the fluid in these drinks, the fluid in fresh juices is pure, distilled by nature. It contains no harmful substances, thus does not overwork your kidneys and liver. How about a power-mineral-electrolyte drink after strenuous exercise? Just juice four parts ofwatermelon rind with one part each cucumber and celery, add a generous dose of natural spring water, and voila!
Choosing A Good Juicer
A juicer differs from a blender in both method and product. A juicer works by separating liquid from fruit and vegetable fibres. What remains behind is the pulp, which is hard to digest and is usually discarded.
A blender is designed to liquefy whatever is fed to it by chopping it at high speed. You get a small quantity of fluid mixed with a lot of pulp. This makes for a mushy, grainy, and unpleasant-tasting beverage. For day-to-day juicing, however, a blender is not recommended. Visit any of BMS Organics outlets for more information about juicer selections.
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