Why are liquid assets required? Nutritionists today know exactly what we need to eat for our bodies to stay fit and healthy. Although individual requirements may vary slightly depending on age, general health, and lifestyle, we should all eat a diet that gives us a balance of vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber. We are what we eat.
If we treat our bodies with little respect and fill them with empty calories that are high in energy but low in nutrition, we are more likely to develop diseases and ailments that mar or shorten our lives. If we take greater care to eat the foods that help keep the body’s machinery running smoothly, we stand a far better chance of staying fit and of living longer.
One of the most important reasons for eating plenty of vitamins is the powerful antioxidant properties they have to protect our bodies against a long list of diseases and illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.
These and other ailments are caused by the oxidation of body cells as a result of aging, the absorption and oxidation of too much fat into the bloodstream, and the effects of ‘free radicals’—the oxidants we encounter in pollution, cigarette smoke, the sun’s harmful rays, industrial waste, and toxins in our food.
Scientists know that the oxidation process can be slowed and even reversed by eating large quantities of vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene (the precursor of vitamin A), which are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are also found in ‘phytochemicals’, which are not actually classified as nutrients but help to maintain our immune systems, fight infections, reduce the risk of cancer, and generally keep the body healthy. Our bodies need enzymes to digest and absorb the food we eat.
In order to make those enzymes, we need to consume certain nutrients. Many fruits and vegetables are packed full of those potent nutrients, phytochemicals, and enzymes, and so they make perfect ingredients for mixed juices that are health-promoting, energy-giving, satisfying, fun to concoct, and easy to make.
To get the best from them, raw is nearly always better than cooked. More than half the nutrients in food are usually lost before it gets onto your plate. Some disappear during storage and more are destroyed by heat when the food is cooked. So the raw juice of freshly picked fruits or fresh organically grown vegetables is not just a refreshing drink; it’s pure nutrition in a glass.
By pulping or juicing different combinations, you can turn the ingredients into something much more palatable and interesting than when they are eaten separately. The blended fruits and vegetables can be mixed with other ready-to-use juices, yogurts, sorbets, dairy or non-dairy milk, soda or mineral water, honey, or low-cal sweeteners to create a customized drink to suit individual tastes.
And all sorts of other health-giving supplements, such as ground seeds and nuts, wheat germ, herbal remedies, and protein powders, can be added to the colorful mixtures to make sure that you get your daily dose of all the essential nutrients.
Juices are ideal as cooling drinks or energy boosters at any time of the day and make an ideal healthy alternative to all those high-fat, high-sugar fast foods, snacks, and beverages that may give instant energy but offer very little nutrition.
The following list of crucial nutrients gives the best sources available among the fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts that are most suitable for juicing. Some of those dietary essentials are also found in other foods that are not listed here.
Vitamins
Our bodies need small amounts of various vitamins in order to function properly. Most of these come from the food and drinks we consume, as vitamin D is good for the skin’s reaction to sunlight.
Minerals
Minerals are needed by our bodies to help form and maintain healthy bones and teeth, for nerve and brain function, and as essential parts of body tissues and fluids. The juice ingredients are the best source of the major minerals we need for optimum nutrition.
Protein
Protein is essential for the development and maintenance of healthy body tissue and to provide energy. Our main sources are milk, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and pulses, plus a small number of vegetables.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates come in the form of starch (rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes), sugar (fruit and vegetables), and fiber. The body digests the food and gradually releases the energy into the bloodstream along with the other nutrients contained in the food. It is much better for our health and general well-being to eat the sugars in fruit and vegetables than to consume the refined sugar that is found in sweets, pastries, and fast food.
Refined sugar gives energy but very little nutrition. Fat is good for you, despite what some people think, but it must be the right sort of polyunsaturated fat. Whereas the types of fat known as saturated and monounsaturated provide energy but contain no nutrition, polyunsaturated fats protect the body against cancer, heart disease, skin disorders, tiredness, and depression.
The best sources for juicing and blending are seeds and nuts. Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate and helps protect against intestinal problems and bowel disorders. The best sources are seeds, grains, and raw fruit and vegetables.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are thought to be as important as vitamins in protecting our bodies. They are found in many foods, including garlic, citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, cherries, grapes, papaya, melon, plums, tomatoes, green peppers, pineapple, strawberries, carrots, raspberries, radishes, alfalfa, fennel, celery, and chlorophyll.
It’s a good idea to eat fruits and vegetables of varying colors, as each color group contains different phytochemicals. Select fruit, vegetables, and extra ingredients carefully, and the juices you make at home or drink in the juice bar will fill you with new energy and boost your general health.
