ReintroJuice yourself to the world, by the 4D Personal Trainer in Barnes
Juicing is the answer to so many of the problems of the modern world. I’ll say that again –
JUICING IS THE ANSWER TO SO MANY PROBLEMS OF THE MODERN WORLD!
This may seem to be a bold statement, but if you investigate and analyze it you’ll find it hard to disagree. So here goes…
First, what do I mean by juicing?
There are different types of juicers, but they all do the same job – they extract the liquid from fruits and vegetables, removing the pulp or fibre (as opposed to smoothies or blending, which mixes the fibre and liquid all in together), so that you can drink them, instead of eating them. “Why is this a good thing, don’t I need fibre?” I hear you ask. This is a good thing for two main reasons:
1. You can ingest the nutrients of many more fruits and veg this way than if you tried to eat them, supercharging your micronutrition. Micronutrients are the small molecule nutrients like vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, glyconutrients, etc., that effectively run the control systems of the body, ie, neurological (nervous) system, immune system, endocrine (hormonal) system, energy systems, digestion, lymphatic system. Makes them sound quite important! Macronutrients are the large molecule nutrients, like carbohydrates, proteins and fats, with which the modern world is currently obsessed. Modern diets are severely lacking in micronutrition! ‘Why’ is tackled in a separate article.
2. You need fibre, both soluble and insoluble, to help foods high in macronutrition to transit through the digestion and be absorbed properly. The juice of fruits and vegetables is absorbed mainly in the small intestine, early in the digestive journey, and so doesn’t need to piggy back on fibre to finish its journey. So if you are on a juice fast then no problem (although ideally you will be eliminating the built up back log of food from less healthy days!), and if you are juicing as a supplement to regular eating then your regular diet should contain plenty of fibre as usual.
What are the benefits?
The potential positive outcomes of juicing are infinite – literally! Juicing the right ingredients (we’ll come onto what these are) has the potential to improve, and sometimes cure, any problem. This is a huge statement, I know, but here’s why it’s true:
First, juicing floods the body with micronutrients, and creates an alkaline environment, that supercharge its ability (your ability?) to regenerate, repair and heal. So we know for sure that your skin, your eyes, your hair, your nails, etc., will all begin to heal, rejuvenate and glow with health. These are the visible signs of the improved health and regeneration. But internally the same things are happening – and the potential of this process is uncapped. As every human being is different, and every set of physiological circumstances different, when you give the body the environment and raw materials it needs, it has the potential to heal anything.
Second, the process of juicing involves such a positive mentality, and process of positive action, that it has the potential to activate the placebo effect. And we know that the placebo effect, or the mind, has the potential to heal any illness or ailment in the body – that’s why the medical and pharmaceutical industries spend so much money on randomised, double blind trials so that the placebo effect can be ruled out of any health improvements!
At worst juicing will always improve your health and lower your risk of disease. At best it will help you fight cancer, nerve disease, diabetes, heart disease, fibromyalgia, lymph oedema, psoriasis, obesity, colitis, … anything. At this stage it’s important to say that if you are currently facing any serious health problem, before you start juicing you must seek the advice of your medical practitioner as to your ability to juice safely, and you must follow the right process of introducing juicing into your life. More on this later…
So, what’s next… how to start and what to juice?
There are degrees of juicing ranging from supplementation to fasting. Your circumstances and starting place should dictate how far and how fast you immerse yourself in the pleasures of juicing. And when I say pleasures, I’m not being sarcastic. Everyone who sticks with it past the first few experiences genuinely begins to enjoy it. The taste can actually be pretty good, and the way you feel just can’t be resisted!
So you might start with a glass a day, and build up to a 60 day juice cleanse! And ideally move up and down along this scale for the rest of your life. If you’re body is full of toxins and highly acidic from years of processed food and not enough fruit and veg, then start with a juice a day. Ideally a pint a day (500ml), but if you can’t stomach this then start as small as you like. After a couple of weeks of this, try going through a day with nothing but juice (your first fast!). After 4-6 weeks of juicing everyday and 24 hr juice fasting every week, steel your resolve, dig your heals in, write down the reasons why you want to do it (healthier for your kids, lose weight, have more energy, beat depression, etc.), … and juice cleanse for a week.
To be continued…
By the 4D Personal Trainer in Barnes, South West London
