Every day, I hear from people who want to get into juicing. They've heard dramatic stories of weight loss and tales of huge energy boosts. From juicing speakers like Jason Vale (The Juice Master) to Australians filming their juice fast (Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead), it seems that the world can't get enough of juicing.
Me? I started a few years back.
One morning, I woke up with a splitting headache and some sort of virus, struggling to make it to the kitchen for breakfast. After 12 hours sleep, I barely had the energy to walk and I collapsed on the living room sofa to recover.
After an hour, I pulled myself up and recalled that there was a juicer in the kitchen. Mind you, I'd never used it, and I smirked when my roommate made his fresh juice. I mean, how can dark green liquid taste or feel good?
However, that day I was desperate. After a frantic phone call to my roommate to find out how to use it, I made my first juice.
After gulping it down, how did I feel? Nothing really.
But once an hour had passed, I couldn't believe it. The tiredness from the morning? Gone. The headache? Gone.
I felt incredible, filled with energy and a powerful sense of well-being.
If you're sitting on the fence and can't decide whether you should give juicing a go, perhaps you can be convinced? Below are 7 reasons why you need to be juicing. Trust me, it's worth it!
1. Energy
It has to be experienced to be believed. Juicing fruits and vegetables makes them easy to digest. Energy that would otherwise have been spent on digestion can be spent on more important things.
Fresh juice supplies the body with a concentrated batch of vitamins and minerals in their natural form. With the extra nutrition, your body's performance will improve and more energy will be available.
2. Weight Loss
Many people have told incredible stories about weight loss after beginning juicing. Why? As a general rule, weight gain and obesity can be linked with processed foods, synthetic ingredients such as preservatives and a general lack of regular exercise.
Juicing helps on all fronts: a) Juicing is entirely natural, b) Fresh fruit and vegetable juice contains no synthetic ingredients like preservatives, and c) with the extra energy, you'll WANT to exercise.
3. Detox
Our livers are responsibly for cleansing and detoxifying the blood, which makes them absolutely essential. Every day, blood runs through the liver and is purified of toxins and waste matter.
With a diet of unhealthy food, the liver struggles and the blood is likely to be sub-optimal. One function of the blood is to move oxygen around the body, giving energy to limbs and organs. Poor blood quality equals low energy.
Since fresh juice is absorbed very quickly, it hits the blood and liver, aiding the detoxification process and helping the liver to do a fantastic job.
4. Sleep Like a Log
More than 30% of people suffer from insomnia. A big reason why some people struggle to sleep is that their diet sucks. Lots of refined carbs, heavy meats and processed food drain the body of energy and interrupt the natural sleep pattern.
Juicing on a regular basis makes it easy to bounce out of bed in the morning. You'll wake up well rested and ready to make the most of the day ahead.
5. Prevent Disease
Disease thrives in bodies which are filled with toxins, bacteria and carcinogens, most of which are found in unhealthy food. This applies to fast food as well as things like "white" bread.
To prevent disease and effectively defend itself, the body requires a wide assortment of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Juicing is a simple and easy way to meet this need, and many have reported success at preventing and curing disease with juicing.
6. Improve Relationships
When you're feeling great (and juicing will make you feel awesome), you'll naturally handle your relationships better. You'll find it easier to be loving and you'll have the energy to be a fun person.
7. Enjoy Life
When you feel healthy, you get more out of life. As you've seen above, juicing (and healthy living as a whole) can change someone's life and enable them take delight in the joy of it.
By Elizabeth Rowan | Mind Body Green
