Is juicing really that good for your health?

Everybody is, it seems, talking about the benefits of juicing. That guy from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead lost the huge amount of excess weight he was carrying around and cured his medical condition. Perhaps your friend, neighbour, or mom is into juicing too, and you're wondering if it is really that good for your health.

So, is juicing all that great for your body? Of course, the answer to that depends on how you are using your juicer. Most people who talk about juicing now are after weight loss. A juice fast is always cool for a day or two, to detox and to start a diet afterward. Those who are planning to survive on a juice-only diet for much longer, like a week, a month, or even beyond, will definitely need to consult their doctor and undergo a total physical exam before commencing. If you have all of that in place, then giving a juice diet a chance may be an option. Mind you, just starting a healthy diet and exercising regularly will also help you.

Juicing in another context because you enjoy drinking nice juices, or because you think real fruits and vegetables make a better multivitamin supplement than an artificial pill, makes all the sense in the world. Juicing regularly will boost your intake of various vitamins and minerals, especially if you juice leafy greens like spinach and kale, which would lose much of their nutrients when cooked.

Home-made, fresh juices are bound to have many more nutrients than the store bought variety, and they will also lack the "bad stuff" commercial juices contains, like added sugar and preservatives. At the same time, actually eating the fruit or vegetable you were thinking of juicing has benefits too. You are less wasteful in this way, and will get the fiber too!

You may like to take a look at our green smoothie ideas as well.