Juicing has been on the mainstream diet circuit for decades, and as a result, there are almost too many juicing trends to manage. There are weekly juicing regimens, juice-only cleanses and energy recipes. You can drink juice to help you fall asleep, curb your appetite or even remedy acne.
With all of these juice-friendly options, there are some important things to remember in order to stay healthy while enjoying some fruity treats.
While the health benefits of fruit and vegetable juice are apparent (i.e. increased intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc.) too much reliance on juice can actually be a bad thing.
Research has shown that strict juice-only detoxes or cleanses, for example, may have dangerous health consequences.
Because juices contain very little protein, a body experiencing a cleanse will essentially seek out that nutrient elsewhere, breaking down muscle tissue. In other words, in an attempt to improve personal health, a person experimenting with a juice detox may do just the opposite.
Meanwhile, your liver and kidneys work continuously to detoxify and cleanse your body naturally, whether you are juicing or not.
Other juicing diets call for a variety of juice intake, ranging from supplementing a regular diet with juice to replacing a few meals a week with juice or juice blend.
Whether you are adding one glass of juice to your daily diet or switching out a meal with a robust fruity option, it is always important to keep track of what you are putting into your body.
Some fruit and vegetable juice mixes can have high levels of fructose; others may have more calories than meet the eye.
With all of these warnings, you may wonder if it is even healthy to “juice” in the first place. It can be, and here’s how:
- Add more veggies than fruit to your juice mix to avoid high calorie intake. To learn more, read this article on fruits and vegetable to watch out for.
- To make a more balanced juice mix, add protein. Some popular protein-rich ingredients include Greek yogurt, almond milk, flaxseed and peanut butter.
Talk to your doctor to learn about the healthiest choices for you. A healthy juice regimen depends on the individual, and your doctor can best help you to navigate all of your juicing options.
