Your daily dose of raw: 6 juices that heal

Every day there are more juice bars and juice bar where you can taste the most diverse juices (without fiber) or smoothies (with fiber) of freshly made fruits and other vegetables.

We might think that we are facing a new trend. However, Consuming juices is a centuries-old tradition.

And it is not surprising that it reappears in our times with such intensity. It is the logical reaction to bad habits of a society that abuses super-refined, modified foods, loaded with chemicals and added sugars, so little nutritious and whose habitual consumption favors the appearance of degenerative and inflammatory diseases: diabetes, irritable colon, thyroid problems, cancer, skin conditions …

vegetables to the rescue

Those who consume more fresh and raw fruits and vegetables have overall less likely to suffer from inflammatory and degenerative diseases. However, to benefit from its rejuvenating properties, it is recommended to consume at least 5 servings of vegetables and 3 of fruits every day, preferably raw.

Most of us, with our busy schedules, don’t have the time or opportunity to consume such amounts every day. Add fresh juices to the diet, especially vegetablesis an ideal way to complement it with the extract of the most nutritious and antioxidant foods, true elixirs of life.

Juices are not only an easy and effective way to get the necessary daily ration of vegetables, but they allow the digestive system to rest while not having to digest as much fiber (in exclusively vegetable diets).

They have a energetic and revitalizing effect almost immediately, since its digestion is fast and light. And more if they are taken on an empty stomach in the morning!

2 ways to juice

To extract the juices, we need to crush or grind the vegetables, ideally with a machine that separates fiber and liquid. There are various models, but I would highlight as a key difference the one that exists between the chewing extractors or cold press and centrifugal extractors with blades.

Extractors “cold press”: these “chewers” or “cold press” extractors have a roller system that rotates very slowly to crush or “chew” food without heating or oxidizing it and preserving its properties to the maximum.fast extractors: they are crushed by centrifuging at high speed, so they have a more oxidizing effect on the juice obtained.

The important thing, whatever the extractor we have, is to think about making the juices daily and consume them freshly made. By separating the fiber from the biological water contained in food, it oxidizes very quickly and its benefits are reduced or even lost. What was previously antioxidant becomes oxidative.

The case of milkshakes is different, since by keeping the pulp oxidation is slower.

Multiple benefits of juices

Another advantage of drinking raw juices is the ease with which nutrients are assimilated. When we eat whole vegetables, some enzymes, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals are trapped in the fiber; consuming vegetable juices allows them to be incorporated into the bloodstream quickly.

The juices also have a slight laxative effect. Thus, they assist the body in the daily morning purification, which occurs naturally from 4 in the morning to 12 noon.

By providing the biological water of the plants –loaded with nutrients and phytonutrients–, help replenish lost fluids in metabolic processes. They also increase the alkalinity of organic fluids –especially the less sweet juices that are richer in chlorophyll and minerals–, which stimulates the proper functioning of the immune and metabolic systems.

greener than fruit

It is vitally important to encourage the use of green vegetables and use little or no fruit, or give priority to slightly sweet fruit. Otherwise, the juices would increase blood sugar levels too quickly and, if taken regularly, would not benefit the balance of the immune system or the brain.

Less is more: When preparing juices, give priority to simple combinations. Choose a maximum of 3 or 5 ingredients to facilitate the work of the digestive system and assimilation.put chlorophyll: includes tender green leaves –spinach, lettuce, kale, parsley, basil, mint, beet greens…– or stalks such as celery. They alkalize and provide chlorophyll, carotenes and minerals such as magnesium and iron.don’t forget the skin: when you make juices, include the skin of fruits and vegetables–except that of citrus fruits, which is bitter. In the skin is where more antioxidants are concentrated. Of course, make sure they are organic, because the skin also accumulates more pesticides in conventional crops.