Carrot Juice Benefits: From Antioxidants to Detox

Despite being overfed many people are clinically undernourished: lacking the essential nutrients required for optimal wellbeing.  Modern farming practices have demineralized the soil and we overcook our food and industrially process the nutrients right out of it.  The sheer volume of fruit and vegetables required to provide your body with sufficient nutrients can be overwhelming.  However, one simple alternative is juicing and one of the best ingredients is the humble carrot.

By juicing fruits and vegetables you obtain the highly nutritious elixir without the indigestible and bulky fiber.  Drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juices provides the body vital nutrients, in the quantities needed to have a dramatic effect on physical and mental wellbeing.

Carrots are one of the most beneficial and versatile ingredients you can add into a fresh juice.  Their natural sweetness makes them especially tasty, extremely useful if you are new to juicing or trying to get your kids into it.  Packed full of health promoting nutrients, carrots do so much more than help you see in the dark.

A ROUND-UP OF CARROT JUICE BENEFITS

Benefit #1. Anti-oxidants

Carrots contain many phytonutrients which are natural anti-oxidants, which prevent the damage from dangerous oxidative free radicals
Free radicals have been linked to various diseases and premature aging
Phytonutrients are also known to prevent and even treat cancers

Benefit #2. Cleansing

Carrots detoxify the liver which has a positive effect on the skin
The natural cleansing effect keeps skin looking fresh and youthful
As a natural diuretic carrots help you flush out toxins
Fatty build-ups in the arteries are also broken down and cleared out

Benefit #3. Full of Vitamins

Pro-vitamin A, also called beta-carotene, gives carrots their orange color
Beta-carotene is considered an essential nutrient as the body cannot produce it
The liver converts beta-carotene into Vitamin A for use throughout the body
Vitamin A is especially beneficial for those struggling with blemished and a must-have for those juicing for acne
Carrots are also high in: Vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6

Benefit #4. Abundant in Essential Minerals

Carrots are a yummy source of essential minerals that support everything from bone health to cardiovascular health, like:
Calcium: keeps bones strong and heart muscle healthy
Phosphorus: makes skin softer and teeth stronger
Magnesium: helps you absorb nutrients and improves memory

Benefit #5. Health Promoting

As a natural anti-inflammatory carrots calm our overstressed immune systems
Carrots nourish white blood cells which form a vital part of our immune defenses
Pectin lowers cholesterol and supports ‘good’ bacteria residing in the colon
Carrots prevent the natural degeneration of the eye associated with old age

JUICING TIPS FOR CARROTS

Like many vegetables, a significant amount of the nutrients in carrots are found just underneath the skin, so don’t peel them. Simply clean them and chop to fit your juicer, the green tops can also be juiced so nothing is wasted. Since carrots grow directly in the soil they will readily absorb any added chemicals, so it is important to only use organic carrots.

When selecting your carrots smaller ones are sweeter, but avoid baby ones as they haven’t finished growing and developing yet.  The sweet flavor can be used to ‘disguise’ or compliment the taste of more bitter vegetables, making carrot juice an ideal base to work from. The darker the color the more beta-carotene carrots contain, so more Vitamin A can be produced by your liver.

There is a common misconception that if you drink too much carrot juice it will turn you orange, but this isn’t true. Carrots have such a powerful detoxifying effect on the liver that it can release a lot of toxins into the blood. Sometimes the body cannot flush these toxins out quickly enough via the usual route, the urine. The skin is therefore used as a secondary method to get rid of the toxins and can become discolored.  Drinking plenty of water will help flush out these toxins and remedy this temporary tinting!

Available on almost every continent, carrots have a long history of being used to promote health and support the body.  The latest scientific research suggests carrots protect us from cancer and other debilitating diseases.  Full of essential nutrients and with a sweet gentle flavor carrots are very popular with the health conscious consumer. Have you juiced a carrot today? Just like apples they will help keep the doctor away!

Read More ..... »

Benefits of Juicing Cucumbers

The top benefit of juicing cucumbers is that you get significantly more nutrients than if you add a few slices of cucumber to your salad. Cucumber juice contributes to your daily veggie intake, with a cup of juice equal to a serving of vegetables, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While you can enjoy juice made primarily from cucumbers, the cucumber’s mild flavor also merges well with any other veggie or fruit you want to add to the mix.

Vitamin K for Nerves and Bones

Vitamin K is essential for making blood clot, which stops the bleeding after you suffer a cut or injury, but that's not its only job.

It also helps maintain bone strength by regulating bone metabolism and making sure bones take up plenty of calcium, reports Bastyr University.

Experts have also discovered that vitamin K supports the growth of neurons and contributes to the structure of brain cells, according to a 2012 report in Advances in Nutrition.

While the amount of cucumber you juice will vary depending on the other ingredients you use, it generally takes at least one large cucumber to make a serving. One cucumber supplies 25 percent of the daily value of vitamin K, based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.

Vitamin C Fights Free Radicals

When you juice one large cucumber, you’ll gain 15 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, according to NutritionValue.org. That means you’ll get three times more vitamin C from a serving of juice than if you ate 10 slices of fresh cucumber.
Vitamin C has the ability to interact with molecules called free radicals, stopping them from interacting with -- and damaging -- healthy cells throughout your body. In this role, it helps prevent inflammation and chronic disease, such as heart disease, notes the Office of Dietary Supplements.

Vitamin C must be available for your body to produce collagen. This connective tissue strengthens and supports your skin, bones, tendons and virtually every tissue in your body.

Copper and Manganese Support Metabolism

The trace minerals copper and manganese also support the health of connective tissues and bones. Copper participates in collagen synthesis, while manganese contributes to bone development. One large cucumber provides 10 percent of the daily value of both minerals.

These minerals also support one another, because copper helps your body metabolize energy and manganese provides antioxidant protection to the structures inside each cell that produces energy.

Practical Juicing Tips

Cucumber juice doesn’t contain fiber, because most juicers filter it out. You can use psyllium, guar gum or ground flax seed to add fiber to your juice. Otherwise, be sure to get your daily fiber by adding extra whole vegetables, whole grains or beans to your menu.
Raw juice that isn’t pasteurized tends to spoil quickly, so make just enough to consume right after it’s juiced, suggests University of Wisconsin Integrative Medicine.

Cucumber juice can be as simple as you want, but thanks to its mellow flavor, you have many options. Try juicing cucumbers with any combination of strawberries, oranges, carrots, apples, ginger, leafy greens, celery, parsley or beets to boost flavor and nutrients.

Read More ..... »