Cosmo and Fitness Break Down Juicing For Us

 

I bought a juicer and have started experimenting with different juice combinations. I love vegetables and it has been an awesome new way to incorporate more of them into my daily routine. I am learning some amazing details about Juice Cleanses, but have been sticking to delicious juices for breakfast and lunch and solid foods for dinner. I have also been researching some of my questions regarding these juice cleanses. For this post, I am referencing two articles, one from Cosmopolitan and the other from Fitness Magazine.

My first source is an article is Cosmopolitan Magazine called “The Truth About Juice”(http://www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/health/truth-about-juice), authored by Courtney Rubin as an online spring feature. The article has broken down juicing and juice cleanses into two main sections. The first being called "The Big Business of Cleansing" and covering the background of Juice Cleanse companies that are making big bucks on the fad. The second section is called "Detox Myths" and delves into some of the claims that the cleanse companies are making. “The Truth About Juice” also talks about the body’s natural functions and its internal self-cleansing properties. This began leading me to think more into questions like, does juice actually cleanse your system of anything it wasn’t already cleansing on its own?

The Doctoral sources used in the article are very clear in their comments of negativity towards juice cleanses and the cleanse companies’ claims. In response to the question of why juice cleanses or juice based diets with added spices aren’t recommended by doctors if they are widely claiming to improve health conditions, David Seres, MD, director of medical nutrition at Columbia University Medical Center goes as far to say that, “there is exactly zero scientifically supported evidence that they work to prevent or cure any illness.” With that being said, if you’re not looking for a cure-all for some ailment you’ve got; what about a jump-start to your weight loss program? Does being so diet focused and aware of what you’re consuming at least make you more health conscious? These are some more questions that I want to research further. I will use these to help nail down some more specifics about juice cleanses.

My second source for today is the 2014 April issue of Fitness Magazine. While perusing this issue, I came upon an interesting statistic that, “most of us eat just more than a cup of vegetables a day, or about half of the 2 ½ cups the USDA recommends.” (p. 32) Further on in the issue, there was an article called “Juice It Up” written by Jessica Girdwain. The article discusses the healthy side of drinking juices and juicing at home as opposed to some of the store bought pasteurized and sugar packed juices although Girdwain quotes Luke Howard, Ph.D., a food scientist at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville who disagrees and says, “ the difference probably isn’t large enough to have a significant impact on your health.” She focuses on the point that many of us would not eat an entire bag of greens and additional veggies and fruits, so in that instance juicing packs all of those into a glass for you and at times when those wouldn’t normally be on the menu such as breakfast. As far as I can tell, the main thing lacking is fiber from the solid food versions of those juice fruits and veggies. It can be a large part in actually feeling full and not feeling deprived. If I don’t feel full then I would personally be more inclined to want to binge on solid food and possibly the less healthy versions. The article also includes some nice facts from David Katz, M.D., the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center about how juice is a “concentrated source of calories” and how it is “digested faster than solid food” causing “an increase in blood sugar.” They continue by saying,  “Drinking too much juice, especially fruit juice, can actually contribute to weight gain and has even been linked to type 2 diabetes.”  While the fruit juice/sugar information was helpful, does getting the extra half bag of greens in juice form really make up for not eating the salad in whole food form?  It does look like sticking to more veggie-laden juices is the healthier option as far as juice consumption goes, but I feel that the lack of solid food and fiber makes it a hard thing to stick to for even a short amount of time. Here is a veggie based juice recipe that I tried:

2 Granny Smith Apples

½ box/bag mixed “power” greens

1 small chunk peeled ginger

1 cucumber

2 carrots

1 bunch celery

1 serving Spirulina (mixed in)

I have been drinking this is the morning and while it does look like a sea monster in a glass, I felt energetic before my morning coffee for once.

Sources Cited

1.)Website: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/advice/health/truth-about-juice

2.)Girdwain, Jessica. Juice It Up. Fitness Magazine. 2014 April. Magazine Publication. 25 Mar 2014

3.) Photo Courtesy of: http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/137002/136822553/stock-photo-pretty-girl-selects-pizza-or-diet-on-kitchen-background-136822553.jpg