As I was watching This Morning last week, a guest called Jason Vale caught my eye. I had never heard of this man until then and when I discovered that he used to suffer from obesity and severe psoriasis as well as smoking 2-3 packets of cigarettes and drinking up to 14 pints of lager a day, I was in complete and utter shock. He looked as fit as a fiddle due to a major lifestyle change; he began juicing. He is now known as the 'Juice Master' and it's totally understandable why.
Juicing is where the juice from fruit and vegetables is extracted using a kitchen appliance known as a juicer which is popular on the highstreet. Drinking the juice means consuming the fruit and vegetables water content as well as many minerals, vitamins and phytonutrients (plant chemicals - how healthy!) These ingredients are also automatically low in fats, excess sugar and salt. Surely this sounds like the perfect dietary supplement? However there is a downside.
The fibre found in the fruit and vegetables is lost when going through the process of juicing and this plays a major role in the aid of digestion. Also, following a strict juicing program for a few days will see the scales drop as the amount of calories consumed will be significantly lowered. Sounds good right? Wrong. Most juicing programs will leave nutritional holes in your diet as the majority of calories consumed from juicing come from carbohydrates, including the high amounts of sugar found in fruits and some vegetables which means juicing alone is probably not as beneficial as it may seem. This means that following a diet solely on juicing means a high-carbohydrate, low-protein and low-fibre diet which can cause headaches, fatigue as well as sharp increases in blood sugar.
This means there may not be any benefit of juicing opposed to eating the actual fruit and vegetable and also maintaining a balanced diet containing all the major food groups, however, some nutritionists say that juicing is better than eating the whole fruit or vegetable as it means the body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives the digestive system a rest from breaking down fibre. They also say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost the immune system as well as remove toxins from the body (good after a night out on the drink!), aid digestion and help with weight loss. This all sounds good but surely eating fruit and vegetables on their own without juicing (and therefore having to spend a small fortune on a juicer) is just as good if not better than juicing?
A juicer would be perfect for any picky-eaters out there who don't particularly like fruit and vegetables but want to have some of the nutrition and nourishment that they provide. It is also good for people who are in a rush so it would be perfect for a quick breakfast as there is no need to chop fruit and vegetables up like you would for a blender, you just have to remove any peel (but not the skin for example on an apple or pear).
I am so intrigued to try this latest craze out as I love most fruit and vegetables but the thought of consuming them as a snack over chocolate makes them seem so unappetising! After researching about juicing, I believe either replacing one meal a day with juice or using the juice as a snack whenever sugar is craved instead of chocolate for example could be of benefit. Some of the recipes I have discovered sound delicious and would satisfy any sugar craving! I would however strongly not recommend living solely on juice just because of the nutritional holes it may leave which may result in illness. After all, a healthy and balanced diet containing all the major food groups contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
As a student, I wouldn't really want to spend more than £50 on a juicer, some I've seen can be bought for £400! There are plenty of juicers out there, the cheaper ones seem to be found in Currys and Argos (there are lots of deals on at the moment with it being around Christmas time and lots of juicers cost around £25). With plenty of online recipes using many exotic as well as non-exotic fruit and vegetables, there's something for everyone! I am certainly considering buying one so I can get 2015 off to a healthy start!
Have you tried juicing? Do you have a favourite recipe? Would you recommend juicing to others? What are your thoughts on juicing opposed to eating a fruit or vegetable without it being juiced?