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What Should I Be Juicing?

Posted Saturday, January 24th, 2015 by

juicing, juice, health, vegetables

At Above & Beyond Acupuncture, one of our core beliefs is that nutrition is the foundation of health and wellness. All patients receive nutritional guidance as part of their treatment, providing them with an opportunity to improve their diet. While there are some people who have a basic understanding about nutrition, there remains a large portion of the population that is naive about how their diet negatively impacts their health. Juicing vegetables is one of the easiest and most popular recommendations we provide to the patients with whom we work. It has proven to be something that anyone can do to improve his or her health.

Is juicing vegetables healthy?

Juicing your vegetables is a great way to consume your daily nutritional requirements. While it is true that eating your vegetables is best, most people don’t have the time or desire to do so. Juicing is a great option because when you juice raw vegetables, you obtain almost all of the natural nutrients, including antioxidant phytochemicals. However, juice has one prime disadvantage in that it doesn’t provide the fiber you get from whole vegetables. So while it’s great to juice, it’s also a good idea to eat some of your vegetables. [Link]

What time of the day should I be juicing?

When we discuss juicing, one of the first things we instruct is to make and drink your juice first thing in the morning. It’s best if vegetable juice can be the first thing you put into your body every day. There are many benefits in doing so. The primary one is that you will be giving your body a wonderful variety of vitamins and minerals that it needs to replenish itself. Another great benefit is that it helps the digestive system start clearing and cleaning itself out. Many people report that they have consistent bowel movements after starting a juice regimen. That is especially helpful if you’ve ever been constipated or somewhat irregular. Juicing also helps the body maintain sufficient energy levels throughout the day, helping to eliminate the need for caffeine or energy drinks.

What vegetables should I be juicing?

When patients at Above & Beyond Acupuncture receive nutritional guidance, they are provided with a “juice prescription.” This is a list of what items to juice, how much of each item to use, and where it can be purchased. This prescription contains a combination of vegetables that will mix together to not only be healthy but also taste great.

Here are the contents of the juice prescription (be sure to follow this order):

  • Celery (use 3-4 pieces)
  • Swiss Chard (use 2 big leaves)
  • Kale (use 3-4 pieces)
  • Carrots (use 5 – 10 carrots)
  • Lemon (juice 2 lemons, don’t put them in the juicer)

It is important to note that all items on this list should be organic; this will eliminate the chance of consuming unnecessary pesticides and toxins.

Celery juice has some amazing health benefits. Studies have shown that it has the ability to fight cancer, lower cholesterol, aid digestion, act as a diuretic, fight inflammation, lower blood pressure, alleviate insomnia, aid in weight loss, help to eliminate gallstones and kidney stones, calm the nervous system and help to alleviate allergies. [Link]

Swiss chard is a dark, leafy-green vegetable that contains an impressive amount of nutrients. It is an excellent source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin B 6, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, iron, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. [Link]

Kale is a green, leafy vegetable that contains a significant amount of Omega 3 ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). It is rich in calcium, copper, iron and potassium, and also high in vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, vitamin E and vitamin K. It has been shown to increase bone density, lower the growth of cancer cells, reduce bad cholesterol levels, help to detox the body, reduce inflammation, improve skin health and aid in weight loss. [Link]

Carrot juice contains many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs every day. This tasty vegetable contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, several B vitamins and potassium. Carrot juice can stimulate the appetite and improve digestion, improve eyesight, prevent cancer, regulate blood sugar, promote lung health, benefit the skin, improve liver function, balance blood acidity, help cleanse acne, fight anemia and help with atherosclerosis. It also has the potential to improve asthma, cholesterol, congestion, constipation, ulcers and water retention. [Link]

Lemon juice provides an impressive amount of vitamin C and also contains small amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese. [Link] It has been shown to prevent kidney stones, support weight loss and aid digestion. It also has anticancer properties. It can help to balance the pH level of the body, strengthen the immune system, and treat the symptoms of a cold.

By starting your day with this juice prescription, you are providing your body with an amazing array of nutrients that promote health and well-being. This juice combination has the ability to help treat a variety of different ailments and can also be used proactively to maintain balance and harmony. We suggest that you start your juicing regimen as soon as possible. Your body will thank you!