Vegetable juicing is critical to good health because it is an important source of raw food. Each of us needs raw foods every day, and juicing is an excellent way to make certain you receive large quantities of such raw foods.

Fruit juicing is certainly good for you, but it has one disadvantage over vegetable juicing: fruit juice tends to increase insulin levels when consumed.

Vegetable juice does not raise insulin levels like fruit juice. The only exception to this would be carrot or beet juice which function similarly to fruit juice. Nevertheless, fruit juicing is certainly better for you and your children than drinking soda, which is a very bad idea.

Why should I juice vegetables rather than eat them whole?
Many of us have relatively compromised intestines as a result of poor food choices over many years. This limits our bodies’ ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables and juicing tends to facilitate this absortion.

Also, vegetable juicing allows you to eat more of the vegetables than you normally would otherwise. By incorporating the juice into your healing diet, you will easily be able to reach the roughly 1 pound of raw vegetables per 50 pounds of body weight that is generally recommended we should eat every day.

What do I do with the leftover pulp when vegetable juicing?
Ideally it would be best to mix the pulp in with the juice and eat it, since it is high in fiber. The fiber helps to move the bowels rapidly and also serves as fertilizer for the good bacteria present in the colon.

Can I make my vegetable juice in the morning and drink it later in the day?
Although this is much better than not drinking vegetable juice at all, juice is best drank freshly juiced. Vegetable juice is one of the most perishable foods there is and ideally it would be best to drink all of your juice immediately. However, if you are careful you can store your vegetable juice for up to 24 hours with only a moderate nutritional decline.

You can do this by putting the vegetable juice in a glass jar with an airtight lid and filling it to the very top. There should be as little air in the jar as possible because it is the OXYGEN in air that will “oxidize” and damage the juice. Think of a cut apple turning brown when exposed to air.

It’s a good idea to use an opaque container to block out all light which would also damage the juice and then store it in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes prior to drinking since ideally the juice should be consumed at room temperature.

What type of vegetables should I juice?
Celery + fennel + cucumbers is a good combination that is easily tolerated by those just starting out with juicing.

Unfortunately these are not as beneficial as the more intense dark green vegetables. Once you get used to these though you can start adding the better, but perhaps less palatable ones in.

Green LEAFY vegetables are the best to use in your vegetable juicing program. All green leafy vegetables work well. The easiest ones to use include all the lettuces including, but not restricted to:

Red leaf lettuce
Green Leaf lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Escarole lettuce

You can then put in some of the other similar green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and cabbage.

Cabbage juice is one of the most healing juices when it comes to repairing an ulcer as it is a huge source of vitamin U.

Herbs also make wonderful combinations. Parsley and cilantro are great in vegetable juice. (My favorite source for organic cilantro in 1 pound bags and other organic herbs is here.)

One important note about the TASTE of vegetable juice
One major objection people raise when talking about vegetable juicing is the TASTE. They can’t stand it. I try to get my 9-year old son to drink “green juice”, which is a challenge, and so I have to get creative… THERE IS A SOLUTION: I highly recommend you use a few seedless grapes in your vegetable juice. It’s a fantastic way to improve the taste of your juice. Adding 2-3 apples also works well.

You can get more ideas for juicing on the juicing recipes page. There are also many juicing books which can help you put together a solid juicing program.

You must rotate the vegetables you are using in your vegetable juicing program!
It is very important to not have the same vegetables every day. the chances are quite high that if you keep juicing the same vegetables for any significant length of time you will become allergic to them. Variety is king.

What type of juicer can I use in my juicing program?

Click here to see how to select a juicer that will meet your needs.
Cleaning up your juicer is important
It’s important to clean your juicer immediately after you juice to prevent it from contaminating the juicer with mold growth. I like to regularly clean my juicer by dropping a few drops of bleach in my juicer, running it for a minute and then rinsing it thoroughly.

Because vegetable juice has virtually no fat and no protein in it, it’s a good idea to balance the meal by adding some essential oils when you juice as well as some protein supplement to make the meal more balanced. I find the lowest price for high quality liquid amino acids on the internet is here.

Adding essential oils to your vegetable juice
There are 4 basic supplements you could use:

Fish Oil (EPA/DHA) (source of omega 3 fatty acids)
Flaxseed oil (source of omega 3 fatty acids)
Cod Liver Oil (has vitamin D and vitamin A in addition to the EPA/DHA of fish oil.)
Evening Primrose Oil (source of omega 6 fatty acids)
Juicing as a way of fasting
Consuming nothing but fresh, diluted juices from various fruits and vegetables for a day or more is a safe and helpful form of fasting. I believe that juice fasting actually works better than a straight water fast, because it helps to eliminate wastes, old or dead cells while building new tissues with the easily accessible nutrients from the juices. The more drastic water fast is more intense, often resulting in more sickness and less energy, than fasting with fruit and vegetable juices. Paavo Airola, one of the pioneers of fasting in America, states in his book “How to Get Well” that “systematic undereating and periodic fasting are the two most important health and longevity factors.”

When juicing, always make sure to use clean filtered water as you do not want chlorine to be a part of your diet.

There is an unfortunate tendency in the U.S., and in U.S. doctors, to look for health in drugs and medications, instead of natural methods which support the body and PREVENT disease, such as juicing. Of course pharmaceutical companies don’t make any money by telling you to eat your greens. You can find out more about the medical establishment in the United States and how public relations firms shape and manipulate the public’s beliefs on the “Why you believe what you believe” page.

What we know for sure about diet and what protects the heart is a relatively short list. That’s the conclusion of new research based on an analysis of nearly 200 studies involving millions of people. Vegetables, nuts and the Mediterranean diet made the grocery list of “good” heart foods. On the “bad” list: starchy carbs like white bread and the trans fats in many cookies and french fries.

What we know for sure about diet and what protects the heart is a relatively short list. That’s the conclusion of new research based on an analysis of nearly 200 studies involving millions of people. Vegetables, nuts and the Mediterranean diet made the grocery list of “good” heart foods. On the “bad” list: starchy carbs like white bread and the trans fats in many cookies and french fries.

The “question mark” list includes meat, eggs and milk and many other foods where there’s not yet strong evidence about whether they’re good or bad for the heart.

“I do research. I also buy groceries for my family every week,” said study co-author Dr. Sonia Anand of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, who hopes the findings “decrease the confusion around what we should eat and what we shouldn’t eat.”

The study, appearing in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine, doesn’t actually read like a shopping list. It’s a complicated explanation of how the researchers rated 189 prior studies on the topic.

In short, they used criteria developed by Sir Austin Bradford Hill, the late British scientist who helped establish a link between smoking and lung cancer. When multiple studies on a certain food or diet showed a strong link with better heart health, that put the food or diet at the top of the list.

Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said the analysis underlines that there’s a big gray area and a shorter list of foods with strong links to heart health.

Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said the analysis is more about the strengths and limits of previous studies than advice for consumers.

But she said the analysis reaffirms the benefits of a Mediterranean diet — rich in vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish and olive oil — compared to a Western diet, heavy on processed meats, red meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy.

Beyond that, she found no reason to tear up your grocery list based on the findings.

“It’s really about the totality of the usual eating pattern, rather than whether you ate a hot dog on opening day of baseball season,” Van Horn said.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health supported the research.

1. The George Foreman Grill- Grilled food. All the flavor with less fat! Enough said.

 2. A well made, easy to clean juicer. Dr. Oz, Oprah’s health expert says he drinks his 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables before lunch time, in one single glass.  You want to focus on the energy you get from foods first. Pay attention to the energy to gain by monitoring your ability to get up in the morning. At least once a week, push yourself to go longer, harder. Keep a cardio diary to write your progress. You will be compensated with more energy.

 3. Cooking spray. It’s quick. It’s easy. Eggs whites and seared chicken breast slide right out the pan. You can also spray vegetables in a stir fry without adding the excess fat of butter or margarine. And that’s not all you need to compromise. Many lite and low-fat condiments aren’t too bad. See what you can tolerate. Low fat cheese, milk, yogarts, mayonaise. You can still have your foods if you learn to enjoy them with less fat.

4. Have low-cal snacks available. This one here applies to the trainee that’s always on the go. No time to cook a meal? Then maybe you should consider a meal replacement bar. Want a quick snack between meals? Prepare some low-calorie Jello to sooth that sweethtooth. There are plenty of low-cal desserts you can buy, but beware of pre-package goods. These are only quick snacks so moderation is the key.

5. Drinking tea can lead to beneficial results when dieting. This is especially true when it comes to the benefits of green tea for dieting. The benefits of green tea for dieting and medical use have been recognized for centuries in countries like India and China. Green tea has been proven to reduce cholesterol levels, as well as triglycerides. It can even prove beneficial for those who wish to increase their HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. A boost in the immune system, as well as weight loss, has been seen in those who drink green tea on a regular basis. Green tea also provides anti-cancer agents that can also be found in black tea. When dieting, some of the benefits of drinking green tea can be seen through the high concentration of antioxidants that can be found. Reports have found that green tea possesses 50 times more strength than Vitamin E and C. Studies have also shown that the benefits of green tea for dieting are visible when drinking one cup every day for one year. A loss of five pounds is one of the advantages to making this a habit. (ezinearticles.com)

Do you think exercise is only good for developing a lean body, strong muscles and a strong heart?  Well, think again about Health and Fitness!  Physical activity has been shown to help with being emotionally and mentally fit also.

While the majority of fitness research efforts focus on the physical and health benefits of exercise, there is a growing body of work demonstrating that exercise promotes wellness and mental health.  Researchers at Duke University studied people suffering from depression for 4 months and found that 60% of the participants who exercised for 30 minutes three times a week overcame their depression without using antidepressant medication.  This is the same percentage rate as for those who only used medication in their treatment for depression.

You don’t have to be suffering from a clinical or diagnosed Mental Illness to get substantial mental health benefits from exercise and fitness.  One study found that short workouts of 8 minutes in length could help lower sadness, tension and anger along with improving resistance to disease in healthy people.  Many people exercise to boost confidence along with reducing anxiety and stress, all of which contribute to psychological health and well-being.  So, exercise can be viewed as a preventative or wellness activity that may actually help prevent physical and emotional conditions.  By the way, even short bursts of activity help individuals feel better, which means that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to gain real mental health benefits.

Judith Easton, personal training director and instructor in mindfulness meditation at Galter Life Center in Chicago, noted one reason for the feelings of well-being that are generated during and after exercise: the body’s natural release of endorphins.  These chemicals released by the brain are the body’s natural painkillers and can lead to an increase in feelings of happiness.  “Exercise leads to an increase in energy and to better sleeping patterns, which may also explain why it is so helpful to people with depression.  Low energy and poor sleep are common symptoms of depression.”

Clinical psychologist Eliezer Margoles, Ph.D. stated that feeling joyful and the pleasure of being in one’s body is very beneficial.  He urged people to “take time out, and instead of saying no to exercise say no to something else.” He also cautioned against a “punitive mindset” in which some people engage during exercise, viewing it as a task or punishment instead of a pleasure.  Instead, he recommends that you view movement as an affirmation of living and a function to maintain wellness.

Meditation and yoga, though more nontraditional, also lend themselves to using the body to achieve optimal levels of mental health.  Both “answer the need to have down time along with the need to quiet down and look within” according to Judith Easton.  This is especially important, she noted, because “in the year 2000 people absorb more information in one day than a person in the 1400s absorbed in an entire lifetime”. Easton noted that “technology, including cell phones, faxes and computers, along with the mentality of moving quicker and constantly doing things, tends to lead to people forgetting that this inward focus is necessary and vital to mental health”.  Yoga participants often say they feel more centered and calm, along with the physical benefits of stretching and building strength.

With this information, it is easy to see how exercise is not only beneficial for the body but for emotional and mental health as well. 

One pound of fat contains approximately 3,500 calories, so to lose one pound a week, a person should consume approximately 3,500 fewer calories per week. This can be done by reducing the daily intake by 500 calories per day (500 x 7 days will provide a deficit of 3,500 calories per week). To lose 2 pounds per week, a deficit of 1,000 calories per day is required.

If this seems impossible, remember that physical activity also contributes significantly to weight loss. The deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories can come from a combination of increased physical activity and reduced intake on a daily basis.

Therefore, you don’t need to experience significant food deprivation. The lowest intake per day recommended for women is 1,200 calories, unless they are in a medically-supervised, very low-calorie regimen which may have a daily level of 500 to 800 calories per day.

The lowest level recommended for men is 1,500 calories per day. A very low-calorie diet can also be used by males if they are in a medically-supervised program.

Tips for preventing weight gain:

• Avoid foods that are high in fat and sugar.
• Reduce how much alcohol you drink.
• Avoid stress, frustration, and boredom.
• If you are depressed, seek medical treatment.

Avoid a sedentary lifestyle by increasing your activity level:

• Perform aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week .
• Increase physical activity by walking rather than driving.
• Climb stairs rather than using an elevator or escalator.
• Always talk to your health care provider before starting an exercise program.

How Couples can Implement a Healthy Eating Plan

Assess Your Diet

The beginning of developing a healthy eating plan for you and your partner is evaluating your lifestyle.  You probably have some bad eating habits and they must be stopped if a plan is to be effective.  Examining the food choices you are currently making is a good place to begin.  Most people rarely assess their eating habits and carry on eating the same foods forever.  You must be realistically honest with yourself when looking at your family lifestyle and eating habits.  Mark the questionable food choices as discussion points when you sit down to brainstorm a plan.

Buddy Up

If you have any friends who is worried about their health maybe you can talk to them about a healthy eating plan.  This means sitting down and discussing the present state of your diet.With the information gathered from your assessment, this step should be very productive toward planning.  Obtaining an objective opinion can often help when it comes to assessing ourselves. This is easily achieved if you can talk with a partner or friend with the same goal in mind.  It’s true that change will be difficult, but change will be easier if you have a plan to be positive.  Using the ideas that come up will help develop a plan that can actually work.

BrainStorm a Plan

An important step in creating a healthy eating plan is identifying a focus point from which to move forward successfully.  Changes will have to take place and focus will let you to make those changes timely.  It’s much easier to get to your destination of good health, if you have a goal to meet.  Find out about healthy food choices and plan some healthy meals.  Plan your diet in advance and put them in writing on the planner.  Avoid taking all the responsibility of buying and preparing meals, on your own shoulders.

Prepare for Change

Bad habits are hard to change and new ones such as a healthy eating plan will require support to succeed.  If your partner isn’t as enthusiastic about the change in food choices they will need a lot of support.  Because this is a family affair, take it easy and avoid impulsive decisions.  Approaching change in small steps over a reasonable period of time will make change gentler.  Trying to take on too many changes all at once can discourage people and possible set backs in your plan.  Once the new eating habits have been developed the need for partner encouragement will decrease.

Gather Momentum

To be sure your healthy eating plan is successful, try to build momentum with positive energy.  At times one partner or another may need more encouragement than at other times.  Make a promise to support each other in the process of change and be there for each other.  Keep in mind to allow everyone have a role in fulfilling the plan.  Everyone will have something positive and constructive to offer toward the completion of your plan so let it out.  Getting excited will allow you to stick to your plan and change your lifestyle.

You probably already know that this means to choose spinach salads over iceberg lettuce.  But how many servings of dark green leafy vegetables are you supposed to eat per day?  And more importantly…why?

Dark green leafy vegetables provide many essential vitamins and minerals your body needs, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium.  In addition, they are also a wonderful way to get the fiber your body needs. The darker the leaves, the more nutrients the vegetable usually has.

The current USDA Food Pyramid recommendation is that adults should consume about 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week, but many nutritional experts think that is low and recommend at least 5-9 servings per day.

So what are the best sources of dark leafy greens?

• Arugula tastes spicy and peppery.  It is rich in vitamins A, C, and calcium. You can use it in salads or add it into stir-fries, soups, and pasta sauces.
• Chicory is somewhat bitter, which is why it’s sometimes roasted and mixed in with coffee.  It is rich in vitamins K, C, and calcium. Mix chicory up with other greens in salads or add to soups and pasta sauces.
• Collard Greens taste similar to spinach.  They are particularly dense in vitamin A and calcium. Steam them lightly and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and tamari, or steam and add to a soup or stir-fry. You can also eat collard greens with vinegar and salt.
• Dandelion Greens are bitter and tangy tasting, and they grow in most people’s yards.  Harvest them in early spring or late fall when new growth is tender.  They are rich in vitamin A and calcium. Eat them in salads or lightly steam and dress with salad dressing.
• Kale is somewhat bitter and tastes a little like cabbage.  It’s rich in vitamins A, C, calcium, folic acid, and potassium. Eat lightly steamed, with salad dressing, or add to soups.
• Mustard Greens positively zing with hot, spicy flavor.  They contain lots of vitamins A and C and calcium. Enjoy them raw or lightly steamed in salads or in stir-fries and soups.
• Spinach is one of the sweetest-tasting and least bitter greens.  It’s rich in vitamin A, C, iron and calcium.  Make a spinach salad, or mix it in with other greens, or sauté it in a little olive oil and dress with the vinegar of your choice.
• Swiss Chard has a flavor similar to spinach—it’s very mild.  Swiss chard is rich in vitamins C, K, and calcium.  Eat it raw in salads, steam it, or add it to a stir-fry.

Juicing your vegetables is a great way to ensure you get those vitamins and minerals you need daily!