Healthy and Refreshing Carrot Juice

Most people find vegetables on their own bland and uninteresting notwithstanding that these are the best sources of vitamins and numerous nutrients. Thankfully most of these vegetables can be juiced and the juices are more easily taken down as they taste better and they contain as much nutritional value as the vegetables themselves. Carrots are loaded with these vitamins and minerals and carrot juice is a healthy, nutritious, refreshing and tasty drink. It takes a whole lot of carrots to make a tasty drink of carrot juice. For extra flavour other fruits and vegetables are also included for a healthy cocktail. Adding a root of ginger gives the juice an interesting and refreshing flavour.

Carrot Juice to Combat Cholesterol

Carrot juice is full of vitamin A or beta carotene which is an antioxidant ridding the body of toxins. This essential vitamin also keeps the heart healthy and is responsible for good eyesight. Carrots and carrot juice is also rich in other nutrients including vitamin C, K, E, B6, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and thiamin. Vitamin K is vital for bone health and good brain development, while vitamin C combats scurvy, helps the body to heal itself from the inside out and also improves the eyesight. Carrots help combat cholesterol as they include pectin fibre as calcium pectate an essential inclusion to the diet.

Carrots and carrot juice are a rich source of carbohydrates which provide the body with much needed energy. Essential oils are also contained in carrot juice, which are great for lubricating the cells in the body for efficient functioning. Apart from being a tasty and sweet addition to a meal, carrots also prevent anaemia by encouraging production of red blood cells in bone marrow and the growth of bones. Carrot juice is also known to have some sedative qualities ensuring a restful sleep. 

Healthy Detoxifying Juices

The New Year is here and after all the indulgence and overindulgence over the holidays it is time to cleanse the body so that it can operate at its optimal level. This will increase productivity at the work place and increase energy levels. A great way to do this is to detox the body which means cleansing the digestive tract and the colon of toxins from fatty and unhealthy foods that might have been too hard to resist over Christmas. A juice detox is an easy and very helpful way of doing this and a few days of a juice detox diet can have perfect results. It is however advisable to get medical advice before beginning an intensive juice detox programme or a juice fast.

Detoxifying for Optimum Health

During this detox period the regular meals can be replaced with healthy fruit or vegetable juices and water which aid in elimination of toxins from the body. There is an increased tendency to snack during the holidays which can form into a habit well into the New Year. The snacks can be replaced with healthy juices. Celery should be included in the juices especially if one lives or works in a polluted area such as the city, since it is great at aiding in the elimination of carbon dioxide.

The basic idea of a juice fast or detox is that the body is given time to rest and rejuvenate and not use up energy digesting food. After finishing the detox programme, it is advisable to eat or drink foods that contain acidophilus such as yoghurts and cheeses. Acidophilus will help to grow back healthy bacteria in the colon and digestive tract that was lost during the detox. If during the detox you feel light headed or sick, stop the detox and eat some solid food.

Health Benefits of Apple Juice

The old adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is justified the numerous health benefits contained in the apple fruit. The apple is probably the most popular fruit among the health and fitness conscious who believe that health is wealth as it contains helpful disease fighting nutrients. A versatile way of consuming the apple fruit is to juice it, which when done properly ensures that the health benefits of the fruit are maintained in the juice. The skin of the fruit which contains the bulk of Vitamin A in the apple, essential in promoting good eye vision, should be incorporated when juicing the fruit.

Apple Juice aids Weight Loss

Apple juice is also rich in Vitamin C, an effective antioxidant that prevents heart disease, cancers and many other common ailments by reducing the build up of cholesterol. Apples contain natural sugars so apple juice provides an instant burst of energy and is ideal for those recuperating and for general vitality. Apple juice is a good source of both soluble and insoluble fibre which aid in prevention of heart disease and digestion. Apple juice can be mixed with several other healthy vegetables like carrot and celery to make a wholesome cocktail. However apple ciders are apple juice mixed with alcoholic drinks.

The best form of apple juice is the cloudy variety that contains pectin and starch which are removed when the juice is filtered industrially to give a clear liquid. Pectin is responsible for a healthy intestinal tract and colon and helps reduce heart disease and cancer. The starch is broken down by the body to produce sugar responsible for the energy boosting properties of apple juice. It is evident that apple juice is among the healthiest drinks with its ability to reduce cholesterol and its detoxifying properties believed to aid in weight loss.