Get the Facts About Juicing: 4 Notable Benefits + 3 Delightful Vegetable Juice Recipes

Implementing a vegetable juicing plan is critical to an optimal health program. Although the recommended daily amount of vegetables and fruits ranges from 6 to 8 portions, very few of us can get that. Throwing them into your blender or food processor instead is often times a better and more effective alternative to incorporating greater amounts of vegetables and fruits into your diet. At the same time, juicing offers a quick solution that enables you to get all of the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy and avoid a wide range of health issues.
Check out the material below to learn more about juicing, its benefits, and get some of the most delightful recipes.

Benefits of Vegetable Juicing

1. Allows Incorporating Greater Amounts of Vegetables and Fruits Into Your Diet 

Vegetable juicing is considered a healthy habit one can have due to the many benefits it entails. According to Mayo Clinic, juicing constitutes a great opportunity to successfully incorporate many fruits and vegetables into your diet without having to eat them raw – which is, if not impossible, at least very difficult. There are endless possibilities for making vegetable juices, as you can mix up your own combinations of vegetables and fruits to suit your taste. On top of that, you can always include vegetables you wouldn’t normally eat, which is a huge plus if we are talking about nutrient-dense ones.

2. Helps Eliminate Toxins and Fight Free Radical Damage

New Health Guide states that your body’s digestion system is affected and impaired following years of consuming junk foods that pack huge amounts of calories, fat, and artificial sweeteners. Due to their high content of antioxidants and other important nutrients with potent antioxidant properties, vegetable juices can fight free radical damage and help completely eliminate toxins from your body. Juice detox appears to be a popular celeb trend as well, and two of the most notable celebrities who juice are Gwyneth Paltrow and Alicia Silverstone.

3. Boosts Your Body’s Nutritional Values

Most modern diets lack important nutrients your body needs to function well – and although some foods will naturally contain vitamins and minerals, they will be insufficient to ensure that you are healthy enough. According to Dr. Mercola, juicing offers you the great opportunity to take in large amounts of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Once your body’s nutritional values are boosted, juicing can go a long way towards keeping you healthy and preventing a host of long-term or life-threatening diseases such as cancer.

4. Contributes to Efficient Weight Loss

On top of detoxifying your body, a green juice cleanse can make your weight loss efforts more efficient by limiting the amount of calories, carbohydrates and fat you take in every day. Healthy juices contain mostly nutrients, fiber and antioxidants, which can actually contribute to shedding off excess weight, as reported by New Health Guide. Moreover, juicing eliminates body toxins that can facilitate weight gain, and also nourishes your body due to the great amounts of fiber contained in these juices.

Still, An All-Juice Diet Isn’t Recommended

Many juicing proponents claim that a juice diet is oftentimes healthier due to the many health benefits it entails. But keep in mind that, although your body needs many of the nutrients contained in these juices, it also needs protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and a number of other such compounds to stay healthy. Many of them can be found in meat and even dairy products but not in vegetables or fruits, so juicing will not have any major health benefits if not properly complemented by a balanced diet.

Best Vegetable Juice Recipes

There are endless possibilities for making vegetable juice, especially due to the wide range of vegetables and fruits you can choose from. Luckily, you can always mix up your own combinations to suit your taste and make juices that are healthy, delicious, and super-nourishing at the same time. Check out the best recipes for juicing below.

1. Power Gulp
If you are looking for a nutrient-dense green juice recipe, you will want to check out this one. Packing important amounts of both iron and vitamin K, this recipe promises to keep your blood, bone and heart healthy for much longer.

Ingredients
• 1 cup sliced kale
• 1 English cucumber (sliced or cut into chunks)
• 1 Granny Smith apple (cut into chunks)
• 1 cup green grapes (seedless)
• 1/2 cup water

Directions
Put the grapes, kale, apple, cucumber and water in the blender, mixing until smooth. Scrape down the edges occasionally during the process. Strain juice, adding water until you reach the desired consistency (more for thinner juice). Garnish with a slice of cucumber and fresh kale leaf.
Recipe source: Health.com

2. Energy Booster
Just as energizing as a cup of coffee, this juice recipe will be a great way to boost your energy levels and keep you focused on your tasks. Needless to mention, it packs important nutrients that will keep you healthy.

Ingredients
• 1 lemon (zest and pith removed)
• 1 sprig of fresh mint
• 1 large apple (chopped)
• 1 piece of fresh ginger (about 2.5cm in size)
• 5 large leaves of kale (stemmed, and leaves chopped)

Directions
Throw all ingredients in your juicer machine, or put them in a blender along with 120ml water. Once done, pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Store it in your fridge, and make sure to shake before serving.
Recipe source: www.theguardian.com

3. Blake Lively’s Detox Drink

If you are a fan of Blake Lively, then you will certainly love to know that she is a juicing maniac as well – and she is sharing her favorite detox drink below.

Ingredients
• 1/2 small beet
• 1/2 lemon, peeled
• 1 cup kale
• 2 Swiss chard leaves
• 1/2 cup pineapple
• 2 green apples
• 1 sprig fresh mint
• 1/2 cup parsley

Directions
Put all ingredients in your blender or food processor and mix well. Add water as desired to thin the juice.
Recipe source: www.shape.com

Final Thoughts

It is no doubt that juicing is one of the best ways to stay healthy – but don’t forget that too much is never good. Choose to drink a glass of fresh juice at breakfast along with your morning meal, and another before lunch as a snack. If you are trying to shed pounds, consider drinking another glass of juice at noon to keep your body nourished for longer. Consider creating your very own vegetable juice recipes to make the most of your juicing experience.