Juicing for health

[FireWithin]

We have quite a few health issues that I believe partially stem from nutritional deficiencies, either because we didn't consume what was needed or our bodies couldn't assimilate what was needed.

I have been juicing since mid January. Through it I was able to discover a major nutritional deficiency which helped me fight back from depression.

For me, I see juicing as an important part of getting back my health, but it is expensive. I want to do it right, squeeze every opportunity for health from my veggies (and fruits).

I have some questions I'm going to try to answer. Feel free to help out!

1. Are there certain combinations of fruits and veggies that are particularly helpful? is there a synergy for some? are there some that don't work well together, causing it to be counterproductive?

2. After you juice, can you freeze them into ice pops? My two year old like lettuce and beet ice pops. Do we loose some enzymes and vitamins this way?

3. Should I be eating fat with the juice to better absorb the fat soluble vitamins? How much do I need? Or is it better to drink it by itself and allow it to quickly travel through the stomach?

4. How do you get fresh juices into your kids? ( i use ice pops for my youngest. I can get some into my oldest when also juiced with an orange.)

I am also wondering what other people regularly juice. Will post mine in response to question one.

[FireWithin]

Originally Posted by Mammo2Sammo

1. Are there certain combinations of fruits and veggies that are particularly helpful? is there a synergy for some? are there some that don't work well together, causing it to be counterproductive?

When I first started to juice, I just followed another persons simplified protocol. It is celery, cucumber, romaine lettuce. I sometimes add parsley, and usually a small amount of fruit, right now it is a piece of watermelon.(although I read about it and now feel a little concerned.)
I was doing beets, but have read some recommendations that beets aren't great if you struggle with digesting sulfur, so I leave them out, and leave the beet eating at the dinner table. yum!

I'm going to find some links discussing my combo concerns.

[FireWithin]

So why am I loving juicing?

I really believe the best place to get the vitamins/minerals you need is in food. Food works together, where vitamins can cause problems, or not be very well absorbed. Ok not very clearly explained. Where is Pat when I need her??
To be fair though, I still take my supps everyday (well at least when I remember).

I love that I can get a whole pile of veggies in me with very little effort. (wow does that sound lazy. )

It tastes good!

It is an easy way to get more alkalizing foods into me.

[amcal]

Doesn't juicing remove the fiber and a ton of the nutrients from the outer skins?

[FireWithin]

Although I'm not of big fan of him, Mercola has some things to say about juicing.
http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/juicing.htm

He stresses the importance of adding fat to your drink, or alongside, especially for absorption of vitamin K.
I still dont know how much is necessary.

http://macrobiotics.co.uk/juicing.htm

[mom61508]

GREAT THREAD. I'll be following

I use ti juice and do green smoothies but it hasn't been agreeing with my stomach lately

[FireWithin]

Yeah someone replied! :

Do I remember correctly that either you or your lo are having issues with food sensitivities?
Are the problems connected?

I found in the beginning, I was overexuberant and did too many hearty greens. My body was not in a good place for all of that juiced kale, beet greens. I stepped back and went to my gentle cukes, celery, romaine lettuce and went back to a place of peace. I now add some of the hearty veggies a little at a time.
I have found I do better when I am gentle with myself.

I hope you are able to find a solution for yourself.

[FireWithin]

Has anyone juiced with a specific health issue in mind?

I started while in the middle of an allergy and mental health crisis, but I didn't plan on having it be a solution for those things. I just knew that my nutritional stores where low and thought this would be a good way to begin filling them.

Just wondering if someone had a specific health issue in mind while juicing.

[mtn.mama]

I'm on board with you in juicing zeal. I started juicing in January as we've been mired in food sensitivities and malabsorption issues. I feel like it made a dramatic difference for us. I still haven't gotten my little one to drink any, but she loves the process and is enthusiastic about helping.

We went overboard on kale in the beginning too. Now we have a handful of kale or spinach or purslane parsley to start, then I add a bunch of celery. Often there is a big carrot or two, and for a long time we threw in an apple. Citrus is sometimes and definitely slants the taste. Recently I've been adding plum and kiwi because I have alot of them.

I would think that drinking the juice fresh is optimal, but freezing might work if you could freeze it fast right after production.

I haven't tried adding fat to my juice. Scratch that, for a long time we had flax oil in it.

My chiro really stresses that melon is best eaten alone, or it messes with your digestion of other foods.

Yay for green juice!

[tanyalynn]

Am I right in thinking that celery really needs to be juiced, and not just thrown whole into a vitamix? The fibrousness would never go away, would it?

Amcal, re: the fiber, I know some folks don't do well with lots of fiber. I don't think I'm one of them, I think it's pretty neutral for us, but some folks with digestive problems absorb the nutrients better if the fiber's not there to irritate the digestive tract. And I'm not really clear on how a juicer works, how much crushing and such is going on, and so how much of, say, an apple peel would remain (or would it crush the cells of the peel just like it does the middle of the fruit?) so I can't help with that part.

Mammo2Sammo, I don't exactly have health issues in mind, though I clearly have health issues, it just seems like a convenient way to add in veggies we don't otherwise eat (stuff like kale, for instance) and I'd like to work my way round to a healthier overall diet for hopefully, possibly, maybe TTC sometime next year. My first green smoothie attempt was, um, less than stellar, so I keep lurking wanting to try again.

[crunchy_mama]

I am a juicer although since I got pregnant I had a huge aversion to it. Now in the second trimester I am trying to back in the habit as it makes me so good. I still haven't back up to juicing greens, but at least I can tolerate them in salads.

I like beet, carrot, celery, lemon and ginger root.

[Koalamom]

Subbing to this thread! But I will add that we juice, and my 2 yr old loves fresh carrot juice in the morning. I love my juicer!!!

[mtn.mama]

Re: celery... I don't know about blending. I'm one of those fiber sensitive people and like my nutrients to go in fast. My juicer is a Green Power Kempo, it has twin gears with magnets inside that draw nutrients from the pulp. So basically, I just quarter an apple, feed it down the chute, and (the way I have my juicer set) the peel and stem and seeds come out of one hole and the rest of the apple comes out of the other hole (like sauce).

In fact, I think I'm going to go make some juice RIGHT NOW!

[FireWithin]

Originally Posted by amcal

Doesn't juicing remove the fiber and a ton of the nutrients from the outer skins?

sorry I missed your post.
I think peoples' need for fiber varies.
My body doesn't change whether it is high fiber or low fiber. I have found what I do respond to (normal, healthy poop ) is have healthy bacteria in my gut, enough fat, and healthy hydration.

I juice the outer skins of my veggies and fruits. Juice from my red skinned apples takes on a pinkish hue. I keep much of the pith on my oranges. The juice becomes creamy. Kiwis go straight in with the skin. (Well, no longer since my youngest is now reacting to kiwis. Apples and oranges are for my oldest only - my youngest is allergic to them also.)
I do believe I am getting the nutrients from the skin. Maybe it depends on the kind of juicer that is being used. I recently juiced for 3 weeks at my inlaws. Their juicers easily spit out 5 times the amount of pulp, and intact pieces of leaf parts, than my juicers. I think I am getting much more out of my juicer. Which is comforting since all of those organic fruits and veggies cost a pretty penny.

[FireWithin]

I would love to be able to add lemon or orange to my juices, lemon especially. I tried a couple of times, but my youngest really reacts to them.

I suspect that a blended celery would be pretty thick. You could always get a special bag and squeeze out all of the juice once you've blended it.

Whole Foods had organic celery on sale 99 cents a bunch about a month ago. I bought 8!!! The cashier was a little surprised.

[tanyalynn]

Remind us what type of juicer you have?

So, you started for the folate, right? At least in part? I'm hopeful that since I am pretty sure I only need the standard 400mcg (after I get caught up on my detoxification) I should be able to do this from diet without huge issue. 800mcg seems challenging.

Tomorrow (early bedtime tonight, Pat's 10pm bedtime club is a good reminder) I will see if I can find a list of the health issues that may be folate related. I think I remember links to migraines, breast cancer, stroke, early heart attacks (high homocysteine is one marker there), and some folks with ASD issues. I think there's more, oh of course, IgE allergies, including environmental allergies, as well.

[FireWithin]

I started for the folate, and I discovered my Mo issue while juicing. Mo was either in cucumber or celery. I notice an increase in mood for a while during the day and then a switch would flip back to significant depression. Happened every time I juiced. I connected some what appeared to be unrelated dots and discovered the folate.

I have a champion juicer. I like it. There was a learning curve, and I wish it did leafy greens a bit better, but it is better imo than a centrifugal.

Highly recommend looking at Craigs list - that's where I got mine.

[crunchy_mama]

I have a Omega Juicer I got off of Craigslist as well. I have been well-pleased with it. There really is very, very, little left after juicing and it is very dry. I don't think fiber is all it is cracked up to be either.

Luke doesn't drink much of my juice but Lily does. I don't really juice fruits as I try to keep my fruit/carb intake down. The beet is so sweet(and carrots when I juice them) if I even try to add a fruit it seems like overkill.

[crunchy_mama]

Oh and after I just say that Luke doesn't usually do the juice he made some himself (with a bit of help cutting- but he totally initiated it) anyway- he put in a tomato- lemon- cucumber- beet and I made him add ginger I am not accustomed to doing tomato juice but other than that it is pretty good.

[WuWei]

My understanding is that fruits and greens are ok together. Vegetables and greens are ok together. But, avoid fruits and vegetables together.

Anyone have a daily smoothie to get certain nutrients into you quick and easily? has a bunch of recipes and tasty additions.


Pat