The advent of late spring and summer brings many things: cool drinks, outdoor festivities … and the onslaught of dieting season.
While there is certainly something to be said for healthy fasting and dieting, we’re advocates of “slow and steady wins the race” i.e., the daily application of moderate, balanced eating plans. Busy families everywhere know how hard it is to pre-plan healthy meals. It’s not impossible, we promise!
Sometimes, all you need is to cutting out unhealthy foods while adding a little boost of positive to make sure everyone is getting the proper amounts of nutrients, such as fiber, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Recommended Amounts of Fruits & Vegetables
As noted by the USDA’s “Choose My Plate” nutritional database, an intake of at least 2 ½ cups of vegetables and fruits per day is generally recommended for adults. And most of us forget to pack that much in our lunch bags … if we even remember our lunch bags. That’s where juicing comes in.
What is Juicing?
If you’re not familiar with the term, juicing is a clean way of introducing additional fruits and vegetables into your diet. Different from it’s cousin, the smoothie – which is composed of a variety of ingredients, often including sugar, milk products, and more – juicing consists of purely liquefied vegetables and fruits. Some juices can include low amounts of sugar or substitute sweeteners such as agave, honey, and maple syrup (but generally the purer, the better).
The practice of juicing became popular within the last five years, and was touted primarily as a type of diet. Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Richie, Kim Cattrall, Edward Norton, and even bad boy Colin Farrell have picked up the juicing trend.
Pros & Cons
Convinced you need to Amazon Prime all the items needed to start juicing? Great! But before you do, let’s do a quick review of potential pros and cons:
Pro 1: A high fruits/veggie diet helps clear up your skin and increases energy.
Pro 2: Juicing effectively can pack a whole day of veggies and fruits into one serving – which helps you load up on dietary fiber, and important minerals such as folate (great for women who are or may become pregnant), potassium, and magnesium.
Pro 3: Delicious, quick and easy to make (thank goodness!). Check Ochsner’s Eat Fit App or the USDA’s Choose My Plate for ideas!
Con 1: Individual dietary needs. You can research all you like about any diet, but the fact is that we all have individual health needs. While blending up a batch of veggie and fruit goodness can be one way to rack up those nutritional points, never rely on juice as a lone meal or nutrition source. Always consult with your doctor before starting a change in diet.
Con 2: Can be expensive to maintain. While fresh ingredients used in juicing help aid and support the body, buying large quantities of fresh (or organic) fruits can lean the grocery bill towards the pricier side. Be sure to buy fruit and vegetables within season, and know that buying frozen and canned fruits and vegetables can reduce the price tag while still being effective.
Con 3: Won’t help you magically lose weight or serve as a detox agent. Caloric intake is always key. Whatever you feed your body, you will have to balance the intake with the amount of calories to burn in order to help with weight loss. Additionally, the body naturally filters and detoxifies itself. Juicing is not proven to directly detox the body.
Ready to Start?
Awesome. Kickstart your juicing with Andi Lynn’s!
Our Andi Lynn’s Louisiana Raw Fire Apple Cider is a deliciously tart and flavorful tonic that is formulated to help keep digestive and immune systems happy and healthy.
Our zero-calorie (YES ZERO) cider is a raw, organic, and vegan recipe that is packed with fire, thanks to white onions, garlic, turmeric, peppers and ginger, as well as a generous dose of probiotics.
It’s a great way to add a few spoonfuls of sunshine to your juices.
So, go ahead and drink up!
It’s good for you!
My First Andi Lynn’s Juicing Experience:
1 Granny Smith Apple
2 Carrots
1/4 Pineapple
Stir in 1oz Andi Lynn’s FIRE. Cheers!
Related Links:
ChooseMyPlate.gov