Mom always said, "Eat your vegetables," and scientists and the FDA totally agree! In fact, doctors and the FDA suggest we eat way more than the previously recommended five servings a day. I have to say I’m a healthy eater and find it challenging enough to get five servings, not to mention seven plus. What’s a person to do? I have an idea that momma didn’t, I’ll drink my veggies. My juicer makes it a whole lot easier to get the nutrition I need and even consume some vegetables I might otherwise not eat. Need broccoli but don’t like it, run it through your juicer with some veggies you do like and you won’t even know its there. Juicing works great, even for those who don’t care much for eating fruits and vegetables as you can create a cocktail that is suited to your taste and is highly nutritious.

There are several reasons why juicing fruits and vegetables is beneficial and becoming popular enough to see juice bars popping up in towns all across the nation. First of all, it is recognized the closer a food is to its raw, natural state the better it is. The concentration of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes diminishes the more processing the food undergoes. Since our diets rarely contain enough nutrients, juicing can make that deficiency up in a hurry. The other factor in this is that our soils don’t have the level of minerals they once had; time, chemicals, over farming the land, and other issues are depleting the ground. Juicing allows us to consume many more fruits and vegetables than we could possibly eat.

Juicing is in a way "pre-digesting" our food. While fiber is good and we need it in our diet for healthy digestion, our body ends up eliminating it. Juicing eliminates the fiber for us leaving us with a drink that allows near full assimilation of the nutrients which is not possible when our body is doing the digesting. Juice provides a burst of energy because the body can absorb it quickly. Forget coffee, energy drinks, caffeine, and other stimulants, juice can provide that pick-me-up you need without adding toxins to your body or providing an artificial boost.

Our stressful lives and toxic environment lead to an overload on our system which ultimately leads to disease. Juices are cleansers, particularly green juices, and can aid our bodies in removing toxins and cleaning our blood, that river of life. Some big words to impress your friends: phytochemicals and antioxidants are part of what make fruits and veggies so important and so helpful at cleaning up our systems. Phytochemicals, according to wikipedia are plant-derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health-promoting properties. An example is lycopene, which is found in tomatoes, and believed to reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Antioxidants are molecules that slow or stop oxidation, a reaction that produces free radicals, which in turn starts reactions that damage cells. Damage to cells increases aging and the likelihood of disease. Pomegranates are particularly high in antioxidants.

Many people will take the easy route of buying canned or bottled juices which unfortunately are not as good. They often have added preservatives, have sat on store shelves deteriorating, are pasteurized which eliminates some of the nutrients and enzymes, and may even be watered down. Preparing the juice yourself or getting it from a trusted fresh juice bar is by far the best way. (Please note: Some fruit may only be available bottled, depending on your location - You will notice I have links to Sambazon, as Acai is a fruit that I have only found as juice, frozen pulp, or in powdered forms/pills, but realize it is valuable to consume nonetheless - It is just best to get raw, organic fruit whenever possible)

Once confined to trendy areas like Seattle or California college towns the popularity of juicing is spreading rapidly and with the quality, convenience, and low price of juicers on the market today, everyone can afford to make fresh juice in the comfort of their own home. So don’t wait, get your health on the right track today by getting into juicing; a longer, more vibrant life awaits you. Just read Jack LaLanne’s story for some inspiration.