Like cow pee, juicing is one of those things I’ve hesitantly felt the need to partake in to be a part of the “fit family.”
Cow pee is a hot commodity in India. Locals in different parts of India drink the urine cow for it’s many health benefits and according to an employee of a company who sells the urine in India, a liter of the urine can go for up to $1.50 – about the same amount of money one can spend on produce for a vitamin-and-mineral filled juice.
I was two clicks away from dragging and dropping a big fancy juicer into my cart, grumbling over the fact that it will take up three-quarters of the kitchen counter. But that compared to eating fruits and vegetables raw (which is just too painfully bland) you know, is a far better option.
Juicing: A health benefit or fading fad?
I’ve always loathed the Instagram models and ads with flat stomachs and mason glass jars with green liquid (I’m sure it’s their puke disguised as mmmm. yum. celery juice). But I couldn’t help thinking: what is it about juicing that made this fad so popular all of a sudden? Or has it always been something I’ve ignored? Does it actually benefit our bodies or is it just another fad that will fade away as fast as cowboy boots and crocs?
Facts about juicing without the jargon bullshit:
If You Juice Correctly:
It’s an easy process, where you put different types of fruits and vegetables into a juicer and enjoy the goodness at the press of a button. It’s a convenient, delicious way to consume healthy food – which otherwise might be unappealing. The high concentration of vitamins can also be beneficial healing agents for certain illnesses.
If You Abuse Juicing :
Juicing comes with the risk of high sugar concentrations. While individual fruits take time to eat, juices go down quickly, which may cause a spike in blood sugar. Typically, juicing removes the skin and pulp of the fruit, which contains most of the fiber and nutrients. While you can reclaim some of the lost nutrients back by adding the pulp back in, dietitians say that juicing does not excuse you from eating whole fruits and vegetables. A juice fast is also not recommended because it excludes protein from your diet, which your body needs lots of. Unless you have adequate amounts of protein, your body will begin to cannibalize itself and get proteins from your muscles, so you will lose a small amount of fat and larger amounts of muscle. If you lose muscle, your metabolic rate will slow down, which then affects weight loss.
