Purple/v4/95/19/d9/9519d9a8-da67-d1ca-65d1-7abdb26d3d83/source/1200x630bb.jpg' alt='Free Juicing Diet Plans' title='Free Juicing Diet Plans' />Juicing is a hot trend, but does it deliver on claims of better health Learn about the pros and cons of juicing. Do you love juice but struggle with finding the healthiest kinds Do it yourself and trying these 22 delicious, nutritious juicing recipes. Detox And Weight Loss Juicing How Quickly Can I Lose Weight Safely Detox And Weight Loss Juicing How To Lose Weight Quickly For Women Over 50 Diet Menu To Lose 10. Is juicing really good for you Whatever you like to call them, juice fasts, cleanses or detoxes have taken the dieting industry by storm over the past few years. In exchange for a diet thats heavy on healthy juice think a mix of fruit and veg, were promised healthy, young, radiant skin, potential weight loss and an improved clarity of mind. But is juicing actually that good for you To answer this question and more I spoke with top nutritionist Kyla Williams to get her opinion on a subject that continues to divide the fitness community. Scott Laidler Is a juice fast just another diet fad or is it actually good for usKyla Williams You often hear opposing opinions on the topic of juicing. One camp promotes extreme juicing where you only consume juice as a way to cleanse your body for around 1. Thats quite controversial. The other camp thinks that juicing should be treated as a handy supplement to your daily diet allowing you to increase antioxidant intake from an avalanche of vegetables that you wouldnt otherwise consume in one day. SL Why do we need to increase our antioxidant intake Surely if we have a good diet, were already getting what we need KW Not necessarily. The thought that we can obtain all of our nutritional needs from our diets alone is now somewhat of a long lost dream. Nutrient levels in the foods we eat are much lower than they once were, thanks in part to over farmed soil and the often ridiculously convoluted routes to market that some of our fruit and veg undergoes. We also live in increasingly polluted environments, and experience high levels of stress both of which increase our requirement for antioxidants. The truth is that the Governments 5 a day recommendations only scratch the surface when it comes to optimum antioxidant intake. Active people should ideally aim for 8 1. But thats impractical, which is where juicing comes in. How often do you get these ingredients into your daily diet SL That sounds sensible. So why does juicing get a bad rap KW Everyone likes to have opinions on the latest dietary fad. A common negative comment on juicing is that it contains too much sugar and not enough fibre which has more than a grain of truth to it, if you are drinking fruit juices without other fibre in your diet fibre is found in whole foods and slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream. And then theres the accusation that its not natural ie we should be eating the fruit and vegetables whole because thats how Mother Nature intended it. That way we get a healthy hit of antioxidants and the fibre that our bodies need to regulate their assimilation. Again, this is informed by sound thinking. SL So wed be better served eating the fruit and veg wholeKW Almost definitely but that doesnt by extension make juicing a bad thing. The truth is that humans alter the state of a lot of ingredients. Think about the oil that comes from olives, which certainly doesnt do us irreparable damage. Far from it. Of course, food is best consumed in its wholefood state, but we seem to be able to adapt reasonably well when its processed into something else. The problem with juicing is that people mistakenly think that all juices are created equal. Downing a litre of concentrated pasteurised orange juice thats depleted of nutrients and enzymes is almost comparable to drinking sugared water. Pasteurised, cheap fruit juices which can happily sit on the shelves for months unchanged offer little to no nutritional content except for a fast release of glucose into the blood stream, which causes an insulin spike, encouraging fat storage. In contrast, juice containing raw, cold, pressed vegetables and low sugar fruits think kale, celery, spinach, pear, lemon, and ginger as a start provide a host of antioxidants without that insulin spiked. But it might not taste quite as nice the first few times you try it if your taste buds are used to high sugar fruit juicesOrange juice is high in sugar content which is why it tastes so lovely. SL Can you juice as a meal replacement KW One of the biggest misconceptions about juicing is that juices can replace a large quantity of your meals in a healthy manner. It almost goes without saying that a refreshing drink beaming with antioxidants is healthy but juices as meal replacements is another thing entirely. Fruit and vegetable juice just does not provide adequate fibre, protein or fats in the long term. You may hear from a keen juicer that green vegetables have more protein gram for gram compared to a steak. However, this relates to the dry weight of a green vegetable. As most vegetables contain over 9. The argument basically falls flat especially when you take into account the importance of complete proteins, and other macronutrients. Replacing one meal a day with a juice in the long term would not necessarily cause harm, as long as the remainder of your diet is extremely nutrient dense, providing adequate protein and healthy fats. SL How about as a means to lose weight KW Following a juice cleanse for several days will help most people to drop a kilo or two, as you generally consume around 6. However, this is very difficult to sustain for more than a few days. Try to avoid juice cleanses that go below 8. Shrimp Risotto Recipe. If you are looking to kick start a completely different way of eating by following a new weight loss programme, a juice cleanse for a few days is actually a great way to reset your dietary habits. For example, lets say you are the type of person who grabs a snack on the go without keeping track of what you are eating a juice cleanse, even for just 3 days will really make you realise just how often you go for that snack without realising it. Solely juicing for a few days also prompts your brain into realising that you dont actually need that extra biscuit at 1. Juicing can help to banish food panic i. At the end of few days juicing, you will become very aware of the food you eat, your taste buds will be highly sensitive, helping you to appreciate every mouthful, and foods will taste sweeter, helping you to curb your sweet tooth. So, juicing is a good but far from perfect way of losing weight and its difficult to sustain. If you do want to pursue it for more than a few days, perhaps consider taking a protein shake, fatty acid supplements and a multivitamin and mineral supplement to ensure that you are receiving your bodys basic nutritional requirements to maintain muscle mass and to support your immune system. Youd also want to steer clear of delicious, sugary fruits like mango and pineapple and stick to green vegetables as much as possible instead. SL OK, so juicing isnt the ideal weight loss mechanism. But what if I use it to detox What actually happens inside me to kick start the process KW The word detox is often misunderstood and over hyped. Anyone starting a detox juice cleanse is probably under the impression that their body is suddenly going to flush out lots of horrible toxins that have been stored in their liver for a long time. Sorry, but its not the case. The reality is that the liver is constantly detoxifying, so juicing is not something that starts a detox process. However, what juicing does is give your digestive system a break, and provides plenty of antioxidants which will be well received by your hard working liver to keep up its ongoing job. It is not uncommon for novice juicers to get over excited about the concept of juicing and juice large quantities of non organic fruits and vegetables at home. If you are juicing with non organic vegetables, you are likely to be flooding your body with pesticides, which is certainly not detoxifying. If your liver is the worry, go organic. Fibre, the missing component of juices, must not be forgotten. Fibre is actually one of the most important factors of the diet when it comes to detoxing, as fibre helps to take waste out of the body, including excess hormones. Juicing What are the health benefits Juicing is not any healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables. Juicing extracts the juice from fresh fruits or vegetables. The resulting liquid contains most of the vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals phytonutrients found in the whole fruit. However, whole fruits and vegetables also have healthy fiber, which is lost during most juicing. Some juicing proponents say that juicing is better for you than is eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber. They say that juicing can reduce your risk of cancer, boost your immune system, help remove toxins from your body, aid digestion and help you lose weight. However, theres no sound scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than the juice you get by eating the fruit or vegetable itself. On the other hand, if you dont enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables, juicing may be a fun way to add them to your diet or to try fruits and vegetables you normally wouldnt eat. You can find many juicing recipes online or mix up your own combinations of fruits and vegetables to suit your taste. You might also consider blending instead of juicing. Blending the edible parts of fruits produces a drink that contains more healthy phytonutrients and fiber. And fiber can help you feel full. If you do try juicing, make only as much juice as you can drink at one time because fresh squeezed juice can quickly develop harmful bacteria. If you buy commercially produced fresh juice, select a pasteurized product. Also keep in mind that juices may contain more sugar than you realize, and if you arent careful, these extra calories can lead to weight gain. July 1. 6, 2. 01. Duyff RL. Well nourished The basics. In American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Hoboken, N. J. John Wiley Sons 2. Juicing 1. 01 Nutrition tips for consumers. U. S. Department of Agriculture. Accessed June 2. 2, 2. Rampersaud G. A comparison of nutrient density scores for 1. Journal of Food Science. S2. 61. Nelson JK expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. June 1. 7, 2. 01. ONeil CE, et al. Orange juice consumption is associated with better diet quality, improved nutrient adequacy, decreased risk for obesity, and improved biomarkers of health in adults National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2. Nutrition Journal. Talking about juice safety What you need to know. U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed June 2. 2, 2. Pyo YH, et al. Comparison of the effects of blending and juicing on the phytochemicals contents and antioxidant capacity of typical Korean kernel fruit juices. Preventive Nutrition and Food Science. Uckoo RM, et al. Grapefruit Citrus paradisi Macfad phytochemicals composition is modulated by household processing techniques. Journal of Food Science. C9. 21. See more Expert Answers.