It’s not new information that juicing is the hot weight loss trend. We see our favorite celebrities walking around with ever-present green juices in their hands: whether it’s our favorite Gossip Girl Blake Lively, our friend Jen Aniston, or our girl Oprah, everyone seems to be doing it. Our favorite smoothie places now often offer new juicing specials (there was even a kale special in Benson one day), and tabloids extol the health benefits. Some juice as a cleanse, others do it as a way of life. But, is this a transient diet fad, or the ultimate secret behind the Victoria’s Secret Angels’ enviable runway-ready bods and glowing skin? Let’s get down to it, collegiettes: just how healthy is juicing?
*Image from BlissTree.com
The Nitty Gritty
A juicing machine extracts juice from whole fruits and vegetables. In the juice, your body will still receive good vitamins and minerals, but the most nutrient dense part of the fruits and veggies – the skin – is left behind. The skin contains nutritious fiber that our bodies need. This fiber helps move waste through our body and slow down the absorption of sugar.
Juices are also lacking in protein and good fats necessary in our daily diet. Protein is needed to build new cells, maintain tissue, and create new proteins that make it possible for you to perform basic bodily functions. Healthy fats are sources of energy, and your body needs fat to make tissues and manufacture biochemicals (things like hormones). The stigma most associate with fat – that it’s all bad – is actually false. Plant based fats – like the fats found in nuts, beans, olive oil, and avocado – are actually, really very good for you. These fats are prime cancer fighters, and they also lower cholesterol levels – leading to a heart-healthy body! Unfortunately for us who think juicing provides all these necessary nutrients our bodies need to function, that is just not the case.
Veggies to the Rescue!
Besides the lack of fiber, protein, and fats, juicing is a good way to obtain nutrients from fruits and vegetables, especially if you don’t normally get many of them in your diet. This is why most people see these “drastic changes” when they start juicing – they haven’t been getting the health benefits from eating fruits and veggies because they were not normally part of the usual diet. If these same people sat down and ate their fruits and veggies not in a liquid form, they would see the same changes in their bodies – possibly even more, since they would get the benefits the skins provides as well.
*Image from Pitchengine.com
The Juicing Equation
For those who are veggie shy, juices may be the way to go. Be warned, collegiettes, the calories tend to add up quickly. A medium piece of fruit has about 60 calories, a cup of vegetables has about 25 calories, and 3 cups of leafy greens have about 25 calories. A 60-calorie serving of fruit equals about 4 ounces of juice (normally juices are 12 to 16 ounces). Basically, to counterbalance the bitter taste of greens most juices include lots of fruit – things that can quickly turn a drink into something with the caloric value of a meal.
When picking juices, watch out how many fruits are used in it. I had a kale juice that included two apples and two pears to counterbalance kale’s bitter taste – that’s four pieces of fruit in one drink! In my opinion, it may be the better option to eat your fruits and veggies, rather than drinking them. This way, in one sitting someone is way less likely to eat four pieces of fruit as opposed to when you’re drinking a juice and you’re not thinking about the contents as much.
*Image from FitDay.com
So collegiettes, try supplementing a meal with a small juice to add a much needed nutritional kick if you haven’t had your fruits or veggies for the day. However, supplement is the key word here. In replacing meals with juices you are actually depriving your body of some essential nutrients. This deprivation may result in rapid weight loss – however, the weight will all come back once you start eating regular food again.