The vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other benefits packed into vegetables are well-established, as is the human need to get a certain number of servings of them per day. Modern diets are often filled with less-nutritious items, though, and thus lack the nutrients that are so abundant in vegetables. As a result, many people may eventually find themselves combatting preventable fatigue, sickness, inflammation, and more.
People looking to give their systems a boost and improve their overall health and wellness sometimes choose to introduce juice from fruits and vegetables into their diets. This guide will help you reap the best that vegetable juices have to offer, and you may even be surprised by how delicious this addition can be.
Benefits of Juicing
There are plenty of juicing recipe books, blogs, websites, and machines out there to help any novice juicer get started and delve as deep as they want into the benefits of starting a regimen. Here are some of the basic perks you can enjoy if you begin one of your own:
- Getting all your daily nutrients can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have a lot of time for meal preparation or end up eating takeout food often.
- Juicing can add back many of the vitamins and minerals that will help you feel your best.
- Getting vitamins and minerals from the source is healthier than taken as pills.
- Vegetable juices fill your stomach more than other foods, and involve significantly fewer empty calories.
- Choosing a juice instead of a high-calorie snack may mean you are full for longer and able to go the full time between healthy meals, helping to control your appetite.
- Many people enjoy the sweetness that comes from carrot or beet juice, which makes it easier to keep up the regimen.
Juicing can also lead to weight loss in addition to cleansing your system of toxins, improving your overall health, and boosting your mood and energy levels — all from simply consuming fresh juice from whole foods.
6 Great Juices With the Best Benefits
While many juices stand out in the veggie world, the following are widely considered some of the best to consume as part of a juicing benefit. Here’s a little more information about each, including some tips on flavor, how to mix and match juices, and more.
Celery Juice
Stalks of celery produce a juice that has a strong, semi-bitter flavor that is refreshing when consumed ice-cold. You can mix it with another juice to add a variety to the flavor if you’re not a big celery fan, but the sips are well worth your efforts. Celery contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and has been connected to good heart health and anti-inflammatory properties, all of which bode well for protecting against chronic disease.
Parsley Juice
So much more than a garnish, parsley’s fresh flavor packs a valuable vitamin punch as part of a juice blend, and its mild bitterness balances the sweetness of other juices for a pleasant flavor combination. Parsley has been associated with reducing blood sugar and improving antioxidant levels in the blood, according to some studies, while other studies have shown this green juice could help with liver function even after liver damage.
Carrot Juice
The characteristic flavor and color comes from the carotenoid chemicals — including the well-known beta-carotene — which are antioxidants that have various protective benefits for the systems of the body. Carrot juice is an excellent first step if you’re more accustomed to fruit juices because it is sweet and earthy. It forms a good base for a juice blend and can offset the more bitter flavors of other super-nutritious vegetables.
Beet/Beetroot Juice
Beets have a dark red juice and are full of round, earthy flavors and natural sugars that brighten a glass of vegetable juice. They contain nitrates, manganese, potassium, and folate — all key nutrients for our bodies — and mix well with greens. That includes the leafy tops of beet plants, which can also be used in a juice blend.
Kale Juice
Kale on its own may have an earthy flavor, but its flavor is usually very mild when incorporated in a juice blend. That means incorporating some in is well worth the additional health benefits so whether you’re a fan of kale or not. It contains antioxidants and vitamins like A, K, and C, all of which have prompted some studies that show that kale may aid in reduction of bad cholesterol levels over time.
Ginger Juice
While many think of ginger as a spice because it is often used in powdered form, fresh ginger can be grated and added to vegetable juices for both health benefits and a wonderful spicy flavor. Alongside a squirt of lemon juice, ginger can make almost any vegetable juice blend taste vibrant and delicious, a total treat. It has been associated with many positive health benefits, from use as a common digestion or cold remedy to pain relief. A little goes a long way with this root, though, so be sure to add a little at a time and taste before adding more.
Focus on a Few: Allowing Your Body to Absorb Nutrients with Simple Juice Recipes
Remember that part of the challenge with getting your body to absorb nutrients is that it can only take in so much at a time. Here are a few tips to help you get the most from your healthy juice plans:
- Rather than putting all six of these powerhouse ingredients into each vegetable juice recipe, consider adding three ingredients at a time.
- You might try one leafy green or celery for a mild bitter base, one sweet and earthy flavor, like beet or carrot, and a bit of spice or sour, like a squirt of lemon juice or a dash of ginger juice.
- Three-flavor combos make for a balanced blend with excellent nutritional perks.
- A big bonus here is that you’ll never get bored of juice and always have something new to try — especially since there are many other options to add to your fresh juices.
- Keep in mind that you’re doing this for the health benefits, including better blood pressure, detox capabilities, weight loss, access to nutrients like calcium and magnesium, a boosted immune system, and more.
If you are looking for more information on how fruit and vegetable juices can be good for you and your personal health, contact Dr. Karen Threlkel today. She will be happy to meet with you to explain the ins and outs of healthy eating, help you learn more about the benefits to vegetable juice, and answer any questions that might arise for you as you start your journey toward a healthier life.
