I am sold on juicing!!!
by Christine Hunt
This is the first of a six part series on the difference between juicing and smoothies, the appliances that are used to create each, the many benefits of each and recipes for you to try.
If you haven’t read the other 5 parts of this series you may do so at these links:
Smoothies or Juices – What’s the Difference?
All About Blenders – Which One is Right for You?
All About Juicers – Which One is Right for You?
I won’t bore you with the details of how it healed my kidneys, reduced the inflammation in my body that had lead to a chronic illness and all of the articles that I have read about juicing therapies that healed autoimmune diseases, cancer and helped people lose weight in a healthy manner. Nor will I extol the massive amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that juicing infuses into your body. Let’s just say that juicing is wonderful!
Some people confuse blenders, that make smoothies, with juicers, that make juice. And then there are centrifugal and auger juicers. Needless to say, for some, the topic can be a little confusing. I am going to write a series of blogs to help you understand the differences and to help you decide if you want to do one or the other or both!
In the meantime, I am going to share the short version of my story. To heal my kidneys and autoimmune disease, I had adopted a vegan diet and for a few years that worked very well for me and stabilized my condition. But, there came a time that my kidney function unexpectedly declined and I decided to adopt an organic juicing therapy called The Gerson Therapy. For 8 months I juiced 8 times a day, detoxed my body and ate a strict, organic vegan diet. Admittedly, it interfered with my social life, but as a result my kidney function improved to above normal levels, my body pH rose into the alkaline range and I felt FANTASTIC!!!!
During the therapy I gave up my beloved morning orange juice. When I stopped the therapy I was so excited to begin drinking my OJ again. I poured myself a glass, took a sip and practically gagged. It tasted like chemical to me. I had been drinking freshly juiced organic vegetables and fruits for so long that I couldn’t tolerate processed juices of any kind.
Some of you might think, “Oooooooo, that is a bad thing” and some may see it, “Yea!, it is a good thing”. I saw it as a GREAT THING!!. I recognized that my body was so detoxified and so clean that I was sensitive to whatever chemicals or “non-fresh” foods I was tasting and to steer clear of them.
I started juicing fresh orange/carrot juices in the morning for myself and my husband. A few months later I had to leave home for a few days on business and my husband bought the orange juice, that we always used to drink, for himself. He poured a glass, took one sip, poured the rest of the glass down the drain and gave away the almost full bottle. He jokingly says that I ruined him but both of us know that I really saved him from something that most likely wasn’t that good for him. At least not as good as the fresh juice that I made for him every morning.
That was almost two years ago and I continue to make orange/carrot juices in the morning and green juices at lunch. If my schedule doesn’t allow me to make my daily juices I can literally feel a difference in my body. My mind isn’t quite as sharp. I don’t have quite as much energy and I just feel like something is missing from my life.
I highly encourage you to consider juicing if you are having problems losing weight or suffering from a chronic illness. In my next posting I will explain more about why juicing is so beneficial to your health. Until then please share your comments or questions about juicing below. I would love to hear of your experiences.
To your health!
