As we head into Raw Juice Week - the final leg of The Reboot (đWoo-Hoođ) - letâs review some important aspects of this week.
Juicing by way of a juicer or straining blended fruits and vegetables, separate the juice from the pulp, comprised mostly of fiber. Pulp contains the majority of calories in fruits and vegetables so juice is a favorite for weight loss and cleansing.
Liquids are absorbed by the body more quickly and completely because absorption of the many vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from juicing starts right away, as soon as they enter our mouth. Solid foods take more time to digest, and unless we chew our food thoroughly, we don't get as much nutrition from raw, whole foods as we do from its liquid form.
Juicing should be a pleasant experience. It should taste pleasing and not nauseating. Itâs very important to listening to ones body. After drinking juices, our stomach should be calm the whole day long, not churning and growling and leaving us with a queasy feeling. If this happens, our body is telling us that we have probably consumed something which our stomach is not accustomed to. We can condition our stomach by taking the same item in smaller amounts in the future, diluting it with water and gradually increasing the amount.
How much juice can we drink? Drink as much as you can comfortably drink, all the time listening to your body. Your body is smart enough to tell you what it wants (but you just have to train it to want the healthy stuff). When you feel hungry, drink. When your body has had enough, you will know; it will feel âforcedâ when youâre drinking.
Even the best brands of bottled juices don't come close to delivering all the nutrients found in homemade juice. If you do buy bottled juice, find the juices in the produce and/or refrigerated section and be sure to read the label. Make sure it contains 100% COLD-PRESSED juice, and nothing else. NEVER buy pasteurized. Avoid 'concentrated' juices unless you know for certain that they were made using the 'frozen' technique.
Once again, Iâd like to share this EXCELLENT article on âHealing Reactionsâ from juicing. In fact, the entire website has a wealth of information on juicing well worth exploring.
Whenever the topic of plant-based eating and especially juicing are brought up in conversation, protein seems to always been a topic on controversy. Because this segment of the cleanse is only 7 days (short-term), as long as we are juicing a variety of fruits and vegetables, the amount of protein we will be getting should be enough to sustain us throughout the week.
Keep in mind that this is not the week to start a new workout routine or max ourselves out at the gym! This is the week to treat ourselves gently and with as much TLC as possible. Try starting a meditation practice, find a Yin Yoga, try calisthenics, enjoy a sauna or leisurely walks around your neighborhood.
But if you are still concerned about getting enough protein, consider this information from Dr. Michael Greger, FACLM, author of âHow Not To Dieâ and founder of NutritionFacts.org:
"Adults require no more than 0.8 to 0.9 grams of protein per healthy kilogram of body weight per day. Take your ideal weight in pounds, multiplied by 4, and then divided by 10. So, someone whose ideal weight is 100 pounds may require up to 40 grams of protein a day. On average, they probably only need about 30 grams a day, which is .66 grams per kilogram. But we say 0.8 or 0.9 because everyoneâs different, and we want to capture most of the bell curve. People are more likely to suffer from protein excess than protein deficiency. The adverse effects associated with long-term, high protein diets may include disorders of bone and calcium balance, disorders of kidney function, increased cancer risk, disorders of the liver, and worsening of coronary artery disease. Therefore, there is currently no reasonable scientific basis to recommend protein consumption above the current recommended daily allowance, due to its potential disease risks."
If protein is still a concern, consider adding some or all of the following to your juicing process:
1 cup of Green Peas = 8 grams of protein
1 cup of Yellow Corn = 5 grams of protein
1 cup of Asparagus = 5 grams of protein
1 cup of Broccoli = 4 grams of protein
1 cup of Cauliflower = 5 grams of protein
1 cup of Kale = 4 grams of protein
Ever wonder if there are âunjuiceableâ fruits and vegetablesâŚ.click here to find out.
Donât have a juicer?
No problem, pick up a Nut Milk Bag or a fine sieve and then watch this video:
As always, please stay in touch with your questions, concerns, comments, victories and struggles.
Just 7 more daysâŚ
Stay vigilant, stay the course.
Youâve got this!
You can do it!
Cheers to your health,
Amy