Donate to Raghavendra Brindavan
Download
Tamil Fonts
|
|
Fresh juices - essential for digestion |
Food |
 Fruit and vegetable juices are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Citrus fruits, for example, provide lots of antioxidant vitamin C. Carrot juice is packed with vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene, and green juices are a good source of vitamin E. In addition, fruit juices are rich in essential minerals like iron, copper, potassium, sodium, iodine and magnesium. Along with the parade of traditional nutrients, fruits and vegetables also contain substances called
phyto-chemicals. These substances have been shown to help prevent and treat cancer, heart disease and age-related disorders.
 At times tough, fibrous plant walls make some fruit and vegetable nutrients difficult to digest. Since juicing breaks down those tough cell walls and removes the indigestible fiber from fruits and vegetables, nutrients are available for absorption by the body in much larger quantities. Because many of the nutrients are trapped in the fiber of a carrot we can assimilate about five percent of the available beta-carotene when we eat it. However, when that same carrot is juiced, nearly 100 percent of the beta-carotene can be absorbed.
Fresh-squeezed juices are also rich in enzymes, essential for digestion and critical for most of the body's metabolic activities. Because enzymes are destroyed by heat and processing, the typical American diet is sorely lacking in these crucial health players. Since fruits and vegetables are juiced raw, the enzymes are still viable when you drink the juice. And fruit and vegetable juices have a high water content, which is also good for our bodies.
Making your own juice is the best way to get the highest nutrient and enzyme content. You can set up your own mini-juice bar at home for a small investment. If juicing at home isn't an option, buy organic, fresh-squeezed (not from concentrate) juices. Make sure juices are unsweetened, unfiltered and flash-pasteurized, if possible. Check the label -- even "natural" juices may use a lot of grape or apple juice to add sweetness, with lesser amounts of the featured fruit or vegetable.
 You can further expand your options with blended fruit drinks. Bananas, berries and other soft fruits that don't juice well can be whirled into nutrient-rich smoothies. While blending doesn't provide the same concentrated level of nutrients as juicing, smoothies are packed with fiber, and they're a fast and easy way to fit more fruit into your diet. For the best of both worlds, try combining fresh and blended fruits.
Boost the flavour and health value of your juices with quickie additions. A spoonful of ginseng extract, an ounce of wheat grass juice or a teaspoon of concentrated green food powder up the nutrient value and add a variety of flavours. Protein powder in juice-based smoothies adds texture and nutrition, while adding valerian extract to apple juice has a mild calming effect.
|
|
