Juicing - all hype or big benefit?

[Parrothead]

I am so sorry you're suffering so badly. :grouphug:

No worries. It is my new normal. :glare:

[Sandra in FL]

I'd love to juice and encourage my kids to drink them but we're already facing some problems. This summer they went on a teen retreat for a week. Poor ds got such bad stomach pain from eating the food that he literally lived on salad and whatever fruit they had for the week. Not great for a boy who grew 5 inches over the summer. When he came back, his stomach had shrunk so much that he didn't want to eat even his favorite foods.

 

It's not that we're so extreme either - I'd say half and half. At home, I try for as healthy as possible but on the road or at church (and they spend so much time there), they eat whatever's available. So how do you balance healthful eating with living in the real world?

[Alison in KY]

Does anyone have a website they love with smoothie recipies? I have a Vita-Mix and I don't use it enough. Most recipes I find include bananas, which I don't like. The only green smoothie (it's actually purple) I ever have is spinach, apple, orange, and blueberries. It's probably heavy on fruits, but I try and put a lot of fresh spinach in it.

 

I watched the juicing movie and decided I would give it a try....but I only made it through lunch :tongue_smilie:..I just wanted to chew something so bad. Guess I was in the wrong frame of mind to try a fast.

 

Alison

[5knights3maidens]

My son (26) has been juicing for quite awhile. He has lost about 50 lbs. He looks great! He juices all kinds of greens, fruits, peppers, etc. He also eats "regular" food. :D

I love to juice but I don't do it as much as he does. My 6 yr. old dd likes it too.

:)

[Wyndie]

I eat a lot of those vegetables already, so that's a plus. Do you know if the juicing thing is healthier because your cells absorb more of the vitamins and minerals that way?

 

I'm sorry I didn't reply soon; I have had trouble accessing my subscribed threads lately and I lost track of this one.

 

Anyway, yes this is what I have heard anyway. I know for me I can only absorb so much of what I eat, my digestive juices are WEAK. But by juicing, my cells are absorbing much more than what my stomach alone will allow my body to use.

[TranquilMind]

I've been thinking about this thread a lot. Especially since I'm in the middle of a particularly bad bout of hives. I think my reasons for not trying it are a little short sighted. The whole, "he and I have different types of urticaria so the juicing won't work for me," is shifting. Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't. Maybe I'm just too afraid to try it.

 

I signed up at the reboot website. According to the reboot website, I'm supposed to start on the 20th. Probably will start sooner. I'm considering participating longer than 15 days. I have a juicer and I have a blender.

 

It can't hurt, right? Maybe it will help. Maybe I won't have to spend too many more days medicated up to my eyeballs, and ripping the skin from my body one fingernailful at a time.

 

RoughCollie, if you want a juicing buddy, just PM me.

 

I'm considering blogging about the experience. Maybe not, it might be too personal.

I'm been thinking about your post, Parrothead.

 

Try it! You are right; it can't possibly hurt you to consume a lot of fresh veggies and fruit and it may well help you.

 

What you are experiencing definitely sounds like an toxicity problem to me. Your body is trying to throw off whatever you are consuming.

 

I learned this first hand. I took a lot of Pepto Bismol for several years, having many digestive problems. Eventually, I started having itchy shins and finally they started to blister and water would ooze down. I went to a dermatologist and she did a biospy. No clue. She said that it wasn't my skin. I went to a wellness dude who gave me a flower potion of some kind to take for 30 days...ha ha. I took ONE dose ONCE and had the clean out of my life for 3 days. I don't know what the heck was in it but it completely healed me and I take nothing and have perfect, regular digestion today, four years later.

 

My body was screaming at me to get rid of the Pepto Bismol! I do drink smoothies regularly. My husband has gone nearly all raw food (veggies/fruit) lately and lost 25 pounds as well as cleared up a long time skin issue.

 

I never watch daytime TV but Dr. Oz had a doctor on yesterday who was talking about his revelation that many of the drugs they are trying to create today just replicate what real foods can do for healing your body. He said endive, salmon and red onions are powerful cancer fighters, just for an example.

 

I hope you find your answer, but I can pretty much tell you that the mainstream medical establishment does not recognize toxicity issues and you will have to clean this out yourself, if that is what it is. If you are simply allergic to something you are taking, you might try eliminating them one by one to see what it is. I'll be doing this myself again soon, because I have an ongoing small rash on my wrist...so something is up. I'm worried it is coffee or a natural supplement I take...both of which I NEED! These are the only 2 things I consume on an ongoing basis, besides Claritan, seasonally.

 

It's always some mystery. I hope you find your answers!

[Parrothead]

I'm been thinking about your post, Parrothead.

 

Try it! You are right; it can't possibly hurt you to consume a lot of fresh veggies and fruit and it may well help you.

 

What you are experiencing definitely sounds like an toxicity problem to me. Your body is trying to throw off whatever you are consuming.

 

I learned this first hand. I took a lot of Pepto Bismol for several years, having many digestive problems. Eventually, I started having itchy shins and finally they started to blister and water would ooze down. I went to a dermatologist and she did a biospy. No clue. She said that it wasn't my skin. I went to a wellness dude who gave me a flower potion of some kind to take for 30 days...ha ha. I took ONE dose ONCE and had the clean out of my life for 3 days. I don't know what the heck was in it but it completely healed me and I take nothing and have perfect, regular digestion today, four years later.

 

My body was screaming at me to get rid of the Pepto Bismol! I do drink smoothies regularly. My husband has gone nearly all raw food (veggies/fruit) lately and lost 25 pounds as well as cleared up a long time skin issue.

 

I never watch daytime TV but Dr. Oz had a doctor on yesterday who was talking about his revelation that many of the drugs they are trying to create today just replicate what real foods can do for healing your body. He said endive, salmon and red onions are powerful cancer fighters, just for an example.

 

I hope you find your answer, but I can pretty much tell you that the mainstream medical establishment does not recognize toxicity issues and you will have to clean this out yourself, if that is what it is. If you are simply allergic to something you are taking, you might try eliminating them one by one to see what it is. I'll be doing this myself again soon, because I have an ongoing small rash on my wrist...so something is up. I'm worried it is coffee or a natural supplement I take...both of which I NEED! These are the only 2 things I consume on an ongoing basis, besides Claritan, seasonally.

 

It's always some mystery. I hope you find your answers!

Thanks for coming out of the Land of the Lurking to post all of this. I agree with you 100% There is something going on. The urticaria used to be a once in a blue moon thing I'd have to deal with. Maybe once a year I'd have a flare up. Now it is almost daily that I'm dealing with it. I'm pretty much done with allopathic doctors. I wish I had a wellness dude close by to help me figure this out.

[MBM]

I'd suggest reading Dr. Oz's books which are informative and funny to boot. He's still a top-notch practicing cardiologist, I believe.

[justamouse]

I am watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.

 

It's not easy to swallow, even for me, but I'm betting if you watched it, you might get enthused about the change.

 

Parrothead, he's dealing with chronic hives.

[Negin]

I started juicing veggies (and sometimes fruit, but mostly veggies) more than 16 years ago. There have been times in my life where I've been neglectful - pregnancy, etc. But every time that I've juiced, I've always felt so much better. Looked better also :D. My parents do the same as well. Helps them immensely.

I juice veggies any morning that I can. Dh and I have veggies alone. The dc have the same along with an apple. That's it.

I've never been able to go on a total juice fast. I would love to, just haven't been able to.

This is my favorite juicing book.

Juicing keeps most of us regular. Having at least one bowel movement a day is really important.

Juicing also helps to alkalize your body and to maintain a proper pH balance. This is really the key to overall health.

 

Oh, I'm happy. I just found an old post that I'd saved about juicing.

 

I try to juice daily or at least as often as possible. I juice veggies for the most part, and seldom juice fruits, since they say that too much fruit juice raises insulin levels. When making juices for our children, however, I add a little bit of fruit – usually an apple. Adding an apple or some grapes is also great for those who cannot stand the taste of veggie juices and are just starting out.

 

Any good juicing book will give great recipes as well as all the benefits of various juices. My favorite one is Juicing for Life. There are many others, but that’s the one I have and like. I like to rotate my juicing recipes and vary the vegetables. As with any food, if you keep juicing the same veggies day after day, you may develop food sensitivities to them. Variety is important.

 

My reasons for juicing:

 

1. I believe that regularity of and ease with bowel movements are probably amongst the most important measures of overall health. A healthy person should preferably have at least one bowel movement per day. Also, it should not be painful, take too long, or involve straining. Bowel movements should be easy. There should be very little time for magazine reading ;)! I notice a huge difference in this area when we juice as opposed to when we don’t.

 

2. Juicing helps to detox the liver. The cleansing and health of the liver is essential to overall health. The liver has many important functions – mainly to clean the blood and to remove toxins and waste.

 

3. One of the most important measures of health is a well-balanced pH system – one that is just above neutral and slightly alkaline. Pretty much any disease and health disorder (ranging from acne, to the common cold, all the way to cancer), simply cannot survive in a system that is alkaline. Vegetable juices are great for alkalizing. A good friend of mine, who really knows her stuff about natural healing, once told me that maintaining a healthy pH balance and lymphasizing are the two best things one can do for overall health.

 

4. Most of us know that the more raw foods we can eat, the better. Juicing is a great way to do this.

 

For those who reject juicing because of the lack of fiber, yes, of course fiber is essential. Most of us need even more fiber than we’re currently taking. To me, juicing is an excellent way to get even more nutrients than I would otherwise. When I see the amount of veggies that I juice, I know that it would be very, very difficult to eat all those veggies. I see juicing as an addition to a high-fiber diet. Besides, from what I understand, juicing removes mainly indigestible fiber, which your body cannot absorb anyway.

 

The only downside of juicing is the amount of time it takes to prepare the veggies and to clean the juicer. The latter really and truly can be an absolute pain! But the benefits of juicing far outweigh this.

 

After juicing, you should drink it within a few minutes, or the enzymes will be destroyed from exposure to air. Within 20 minutes the enzymes are all oxidized.

[jentancalann]

1. I believe that regularity of and ease with bowel movements are probably amongst the most important measures of overall health. A healthy person should preferably have at least one bowel movement per day. Also, it should not be painful, take too long, or involve straining. Bowel movements should be easy. There should be very little time for magazine reading ;)! I notice a huge difference in this area when we juice as opposed to when we don’t.

 

 

This is interesting that it affects you this way. For dh, it is the opposite. He has been juicing for about 7 weeks now, only eating solid foods in the last 3. Things have really slowed down for him! I've heard that juicing keeps people regular, but with all that fiber thrown into the compost, we certainly haven't seen that here.

[Negin]

This is interesting that it affects you this way. For dh, it is the opposite. He has been juicing for about 7 weeks now, only eating solid foods in the last 3. Things have really slowed down for him! I've heard that juicing keeps people regular, but with all that fiber thrown into the compost, we certainly haven't seen that here.

That is interesting. Is he drinking enough water as well? If he's often constipated, one of the best supplements ever is Triphala. Fabulous stuff.

 

Take two to four 500 mg tablets just before bedtime – for a total of 1000-2000 mg per day

 

Benefits of Triphala:

• Bowel-regulating formula – because it operates as a bowel tonic rather than a laxative, it is safe to take every day and for life
  
• Anti-inflammatory properties
  
• Anti-bacterial properties
  
• Anti-cancer properties
  
• Immune enhancing properties
  
• Treats entire digestive system
  
• Helps with constipation, hemmorrhooids, diarrhea, indigestion and bloating
  
• Helps with liver detoxification and cleansing
  
• Wonderful cleansing agent
  

[9763653]

I've known a lot of people who've gotten into juicing. The key is this - they get out of it, too. Juicing seems to be a phase. It' lasts longer with some, but rarely have I met anyone who has juiced for more than 4 years.

 

Eat fruits and vegetables. You'll be better off.

 

How about people who buy juices from stores? Drinking juice is popular, and juicing yourself at home is quite obviously healthier than buying juice from a store. It can also be cheaper, depending on how you obtain your fresh veg/fruit.

 

I've been juicing for about two years now. I don't see it as some magic health cure, just as a way to get nice juice :001_smile:. There are two problems though, and they are 1. Having to carry all that produce home and 2. Having to wash up the juicer afterward! We don't have homemade juice all the time, because it requires quite a lot of work.

 

But I love being able to get tasty juices. You can't buy apple/orange/carrot juice with a touch of ginger and some lemon in the store, can you ?

[Negin]

This is interesting that it affects you this way. For dh, it is the opposite. He has been juicing for about 7 weeks now, only eating solid foods in the last 3. Things have really slowed down for him! I've heard that juicing keeps people regular, but with all that fiber thrown into the compost, we certainly haven't seen that here.

Thinking again about your post. Maybe the fact that he was on a juice only diet for 4 weeks. I've never done that. I could see how that could make some people constipated. Also, the type of juices are important also. Variety is needed.

[Trivium Pursuit]

I haven't read all of the posts in this thread so forgive me if this has already been mentioned. I would recommend using a vita mix or blendtec for juicing instead of a regular juicer. Those incredibly powerful blenders "pulverize" the fruits and vegetables so the fiber is eaten and not thrown out as with the typical juicing machine. As an added bonus, clean up is super easy!

[justamouse]

I haven't read all of the posts in this thread so forgive me if this has already been mentioned. I would recommend using a vita mix or blendtec for juicing instead of a regular juicer. Those incredibly powerful blenders "pulverize" the fruits and vegetables so the fiber is eaten and not thrown out as with the typical juicing machine. As an added bonus, clean up is super easy!

:iagree:

[jentancalann]

Thinking again about your post. Maybe the fact that he was on a juice only diet for 4 weeks. I've never done that. I could see how that could make some people constipated. Also, the type of juices are important also. Variety is needed.

 

oh, believe me, he has variety! he juices anything that can be juiced. it isn't even necessary for him that it tastes decent. he's even juiced okra!!:blink: (it didn't work out too well)

 

he does drink several bottles of water a day, but not as much as if he's not juicing. he says he's naturally not getting as much salt in his diet and doesn't need as much. i don't know. thanks for the suggestion!

Edited September 26, 2011 by jentancalann

[the evolving homemaker]

i would say it is worth a try. i have a juicer and love it. when i use it daily i feel the difference for sure. i decided against the vitamix as others have said, the thickness of the veggie smoothies were a little less desirable. you can use the fiber from the juice leftovers for baking into muffins/bread, putting into soup, adding to lasagna etc. with a little creativity you could not waste at all! mine too usually goes to the compost.

 

p.s. the movie isn't a infomercial it is a documentary you can stream from netflix

 

good luck!

[JulieH]

This is interesting that it affects you this way. For dh, it is the opposite. He has been juicing for about 7 weeks now, only eating solid foods in the last 3. Things have really slowed down for him! I've heard that juicing keeps people regular, but with all that fiber thrown into the compost, we certainly haven't seen that here.

 

add fresh beets into the regime! It's delicious and will get things going.

 

One of my favorite recipes is beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, green pepper and green apples. It's really delicious and worked wonderfully for me when I was juicing.

[jentancalann]

add fresh beets into the regime! It's delicious and will get things going.

 

One of my favorite recipes is beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, green pepper and green apples. It's really delicious and worked wonderfully for me when I was juicing.

 

i don't know about delicious, but he does drink them daily! ;)

[berry]

Juicing sent me into a blood sugar nightmare. It has taken me over a week to get my blood sugars back into normal range/feeling.

 

Now, my DH doesn't have those issues and love juicing.

 

Dawn

 

This is what I fear about juicing. I have chronic muscle pain,and have been tempted to try juicing. But I also am hypoglycemic, and I imagined that the fruits and veggies would spike my blood sugar and then drop it really low. It's nice to know from someone who's been there. I think I'll pass!