Nature created fruit as the perfect package; vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, soluble and insoluble fibre all working together in perfect symphony as nature intended. The fibre slows down the release of sugars present in the fruit; therefore to avoid a surge of sugar entering your bloodstream at warp speed and spiking insulin, fruit is best eaten whole. However, a piece of fruit added to a green juice to make it more palatable is a good idea if that’s the only way you’ll drink it. I personally add lemons, apples or pears and avoid mixing too many different fruits into my juices. If you’re new to juicing and really need to add fruit, aim for your juice to be at least 60% from vegetables and don't add too many different types of fruit to one juice. Keep it simple.
|
When is the best time to drink juice?Ideally drink juice on an empty stomach or at least 2 hours after eating. For best results, wait for about 20 minutes after your juice before eating. I love starting my day off with a vegetable juice. There are times however when I'll have a fresh juice with my meal if I'm having lunch at my favourite juice bar. In this case the meal is always a salad and yes, the fibre in that salad will slow down the digestion of the juice.
|
|
Jason Vale, the ‘Juice Master’, offers a fun, but very knowledgeable approach to juicing through his books, videos and website. The book, ‘The Juice Master - Turbo-charge your life in 14 days’ was one of my first juicing books, back in 2005. There are some recipes containing fish, however it’s an easy and useful book if you’re new to juicing or simply want to kick-start your healthy habits.
|
|
'The Juice Generation' by Eric Helms is packed with 100 recipes, information and helpful tips to help you sail through a juicing cleanse and any juicing dilemmas you might have, or simply introduce you to the world of juicing.
|
|
And last, but not least, Mimi Kirk, the Queen of raw, has a gorgeous book called, ‘The Ultimate Book of Modern Juicing’. This is a fabulous, up-to-date book with chapters dedicated to the benefits and history of juicing, equipment, FAQs, health benefits of specific plant foods, and a plethora of wonderful recipes. Pleasing to the eye, thanks to the full-page photographs, it’s a pleasure to read, a true ‘Juicing Encyclopaedia’!
|