Feeling tired and run down? This one addition to your daily diet can make a big improvement.

Fresh fruit or vegetable juices are the most nutrient rich health enhancing food available.

They contain an array of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates, chlorophyll and various co-factors that both enhance and complement individual nutrients so your body is able to get the most value from them. Because juices are assimilated with very little effort on the part of the digestive system, their nutrients provide a health building impact on the body without taxing the body’s energy.

In addition, their nutritional excellence may help prevent diet related illnesses.

• Fresh juice provides antioxidants, vitamins, minerals. enzymes and detoxifiers that only raw vegetables can provide

• The minerals and vitamins in fresh juice are very easily absorbed and digested

• Fresh juice helps increase energy

• Fresh juice helps boost your immune system

• Fresh juice provides powerful nutrients that nourishes the cells

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Why Is Freshly Made Juice a Powerfood?  

Frozen, bottled or canned juice has been heated and processed. This processing destroys enzymes that are needed to aid digestion, and destroys essential vitamins and minerals.  Only  fresh juice can give your body the nourishment it needs to energize refuel and feel great. Some of the most health giving juice comes from juicing vegetables like cucumber, kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, celery, parsley or carrots.

Heating and processing vegetables reduces many of the vital nutrients and enzymes that are only available in fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition, commercially available juice is processed which reduces the nutrient content and  may contain added sugar, chemicals or preservatives. There is no comparison of the quality, fresh enzymes and benefit that is provided from freshly made juice as opposed to juice that has been stored in a bottle, can or container.  Try juicing vegetables or fruit in a juicer to experience the difference.

How to Make Fresh Juice

• Buy an electric juicing machine ( Juicing machines are available in most kitchen departments)

• Prices range from around $50-$300; you can get a decent juicer for about $79-$99

• Read consumer reports for ideas on how to select a juicer

• Using your machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions and make fresh juice in just minutes

• Look on the Internet for fresh juice recipe combinations or try some of our suggestions

• Start your day with a glass of fresh juice.

Three Categories of Juice; always use organic produce when possible

Fruit Juices:  Use apples, pears, kiwi, oranges, grapefruits, etc.  remove peels and pits

Vegetable Juices :  Use organic un-waxed cucumber with peel, celery, peppers, beets, carrots; scrub skins well

Green Juices:  Add cabbage, kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, parsley, spinach etc. to carrots and celery  juice.

Try one of these juice combinations:

Revitalizing Energy Drink: 2 carrots, 2 leaves of romaine lettuce, 1/2 organic cucumber with peel, 2 stalks celery, 2 stalks kale

Super Energizer : 1/4 beet, 3 carrots, 4 stalks kale, 2 ribs romaine lettuce, 1 apple.  Add 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil

Detoxifying Drink: 2 carrots, 1/4 beet, 1/4 bunch parsley, 2 large romaine lettuce leaves. Add 1 tablespoon flax seed oil

Anti-Aging Skin Rejuvenating Drink: Cucumbers are rich in potassium which is excellent for the skin. Juice organic cucumbers with carrots, celery, and organic romaine lettuce for healthy skin. Add a tablespoon of flax seed oil

Calcium rich juice:  Greens are a good source of calcium. Add fresh kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, romaine lettuce, to other vegetables. Add 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil.

** don't juice tomatoes or  bananas, they are too mushy

                                                   Reduce pesticides; Buy organic produce

Fresh juice helps clean out  trapped toxins that enter the body from food, cleaning products, plastic storage bags, cosmetics,  pesticides, and pollution ( says Dr. Roni DeLuz) . Using organic produce can cut pesticide exposure by over 80%.

                                                                What do toxins do?

1. They can interfere with and slow down metabolism

2. They can elevate blood sugar

3. They can block fat burning enzymes and interfere with weight loss.

Fresh juice should be consumed immediately for best benefits

Some Additional Tidbits about Juice

Green juices( made by choosing greens like kale, collards, romaine lettuce etc) are rich in chlorophyll which can be very cleansing to the body and may help rid pollutants, purify the blood,  build red blood cells and provide the body with fast energy. 

To benefit the hair and skin., add organic cucumber with the peel to your other vegetables. Many of the benefits of the cucumber come from the peel, so don't peel your cucumbers. However, find an organic source of cucumbers that are not waxed.

Suggestion : Read Power Juices and Super Drinks by Steve Meyerowitz or other books on juicing for additional information about the benefits of individual vegetables that can be juiced.

 Fresh Juices as Medicine

1.   Health Builder- The goal of this simple juice program is to add a glass of fresh juice to your diet daily to maximize overall health fitness.

2.   Blood and Immune Booster- Fresh juices can be used as a long term cleansing program. This regimen helps reduce blood toxicity levels and improve immune system function within the first two weeks of use. It  consists of switching from a highly refined, low bulk diet to a natural foods diet that includes a daily supplement of three , glasses of fresh juice.

3.   Health Restorer- This regimen is designed to build slowly rather than focus on cleansing. It consists of adding fresh juices, one glass at a time, to a regular diet over several weeks or months.

4.   Body Cleansing Fast- The brief juice fast provides the quickest path we know to cleanse the body of impurities.

5.   Fasting with Juices- Fasting is simply a rest from food digestion and can

self healing by casting off poisons. It is not so much a cure as it is an opportunity to restore health through cleansing. Our bodies have limited capacity to store and or eliminate non-digestible or foreign matter that is ingested. These materials, known as toxins, are antagonists to our cells and organs.

Disclaimer: The information in this article  is intended for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat. Always consult your doctor before making any changes in your diet or before trying any of the juices.

                                                           Enjoy the benefits of a healthful glass of  Fresh Juice

The benefits of fresh vegetable juice are far reaching. They are energizing, detoxifying, immune building and health giving. 

It is worth the investment in a juice machine and the little bit of extra time and effort to include a 8 oz class of freshly made juice in your daily routine. I like making and drinking my juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach so there is no interference with absorption.

                                                                How to find time to juice

I used to think that juicing was time consuming and messy, but I found that if I am prepared, I can make fresh juice and even clean up within 6 minutes. Here are a few tips:

• Plan in advance - make a list of vegetables that you want to juice. Buy enough for the week.

• Be Organized-  wash the vegetables, sort and bag enough for your morning juice. In the morning simply take out your pre-made bag of vegetables and juice away.

• Get in the habit- Juice the same time each day. Just like brushing your teeth, you can get in the habit of making your juice

• No Excuses-  I can juice from start to clean up in about  6 minutes. I feel great after drinking my fresh mineral and enzyme juice. It really does give me energy.

• Use your sprayer to rinse down the juicer parts. If you do it immediately, clean up is a cinch

The Information in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat disease. If you are experiencing a medical problem or need medical advice, consult your doctor.