The health benefits of fruits and vegetables are not news, but increasing their potential is what juicing is all about. Juicing is one of the top trends in the health world this year, and with good reason.
Its many benefits include increased energy, clearer skin, weight loss, better sleep, and juicing has the capabilities to cure anything from a hangover to cancer. But first things first, juice in this context isn’t the packaged juice found in stores that have been preserved and filled with all sorts of icky sugars and artificial junk but rather freshly juiced fruits and vegetables that are preferably organic. The ideal juice has lots of leafy nutrient dense greens and a little something from every color of the rainbow and is to be drunk immediately after it is made.
Fresh juices like the ones described are jam packed with all the nutrients that the human body needs to keep it functioning in tip-top shape. By juicing the fruits and vegetables rather than eating them raw, the nutrients are separated from the fiber. This allows the nutrients to be in the perfect form for your body to absorb them with ease, allowing your body to make the most of them and heal itself when necessary. It is important to separate out the fiber because it can slow digestion and absorption (which is why it is said to eat high fiber foods to keep you full all day). By juicing, your body is also receiving concentrated amounts of nutrients and vitamins that would not be obtained by eating them in raw form, literally flooding your body with the good stuff.
For those who are more curious to see what juicing is all about it is highly recommended to watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (available from Netflix streaming). Then invest in a juicer and start juicing away and reaping the benefits. Juicers can be costly ($100+), but the investment is entirely worth it. For college students that kind of cash is a hot commodity, so get your roommates on board to start juicing and you can all pitch in to add one to your kitchen counter tops or dorm rooms and share the juicing joy.
If hesitance is still in the air, there are some great juice bars in the city to try a juice with no fear. Corazon Juice Bar is one of my personal favorites (located at 3275 22nd St., San Francisco, CA 94110). This tiny juice bar tucked in the Mission District is not the ideal place to study and lounge as juicers are loud and space is very limited, but an excellent pit stop if you are in the area to get your taste buds tingling and your insides rejoicing.
So whether you want to add a juice to your daily eats or completely turn your lifestyle around, just get juicing; your body will thank you more than enough.