Juicing: The key to feeling radically healthy
If you want to feel radically healthy and energized all the time, I suggest replacing your usual breakfast with a fresh juice or smoothie made with quality ingredients. It isn’t difficult and with a small initial investment in equipment and knowledge, you will be on your way to amazingness in no time!
The easiest way to up our fruit and veggie intake is to juice them or make a smoothie with them. A fresh juice/smoothie is loaded with anti-oxidants that will bind with toxins and carry them out of your body. Fresh juice is also loaded with enzymes that are known as the workforce of the body because they are needed for so many essential functions. Heating, pasteurization or canning destroys enzymes so no bottled or canned juices!
Let’s talk about fibre. There are two types of fibre – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fibre (dissolves in water) acts as a binding agent and absorbs digestive bile, which is made of cholesterol, carrying it out of your body. Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water and it acts as a bulking agent, promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation.
Juices and smoothies are both good for you, but they are different because juicing removes most of the insoluble fiber and without this type of fiber, your digestive system doesn’t need to expend a lot of energy to break down your food so it can use the saved energy to heal, detoxify and rebuild your body. On the other hand, a smoothie will aid in keeping your digestion regular and will keep you feeling full longer.
It’s important to combine veggies with fruit when juicing/blending. When we juice fruit, we remove the insoluble fibre so the sugars are absorbed more quickly leading to a spike in sugar levels which can be a problem for anyone, but particularly if you are diabetic or pre-diabetic or hypoglycemic.
This is another reason even “healthy-sounding” bottled juices such as orange or apple should be avoided as much as possible. When I juice, I try to maintain a 3:1 ratio of greens to sweets (carrots, beets, low-glycemic fruit, such as green apples and pears).
I start every day with the Breakfast Smoothie recipe, presented on the opposite page, which keeps me satiated and energized for at least 4-5 hours. I also drink juices such as the TNS Revitalizer recipe on the opposite page when I need a quick pick me up or to increase my fruit and veggie consumption.
I recognize going 100% organic can be pricey, so if you can’t afford that route, use the Environmental Working Group’s lists of the cleanest and least contaminated fruits and vegetables to decide which you’ll buy organic. Updated versions can be found here: www.ewg.org
If you want more information on which equipment you should buy for juicing or blending, or different recipes to try out, please feel free to email me: juicecleanse@thenakedsprout.com and I’ll send you our juicing and smoothie guide free of charge.
Now, go start your journey to Radical Health! •
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Clayton is the co-founder of Chrysalis Yoga and The Naked Sprout, Burlington’s first 100% Vegan and Gluten-free restaurant. He is a certified yoga and meditation instructor and also owns and manages Crystal Wealth, a portfolio management company. He cured himself of “Bipolar” through healthy eating and lifestyle choices, is an avid trail runner, and passionate to share his knowledge with others. www.thenakedsprout.com (905) 319-2293
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