Jonesin' for Juice - Day 35

I just finished reading the most recent newsletter from Raw Spirit's Matt Monarch in which he has a wonderfully informative article titled Juicing vs. Blending. There is so much excellent information within the article and I hope you will go to his web page and sign up for his regular newsletter and read it in its entirely, but in the meanwhile, I would like to outline some key points for you here in this entry. I know that many of you who are reading my daily blog have either juiced in the past, are juicing currently or are considering making juicing part of your dietary future and I think these facts will provide you the motivation and inspiration that will encourage you, whatever your current position on juicing may be.

In the article Matt shares that he is alarmed to meet Raw Foodists with nutritional deficiencies. He says, "Tooth decay, hair loss, reduced life span, and other unfortunate consequences have been experienced by many of us with this supposedly "ideal" lifestyle. In his opinion, a 100% raw food diet without getting assimilable nutrients by either juicing or blending vegetables is a deficient diet." Matt quotes Dr. Norman Walker from his book, Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices..."when we drink raw vegetable juices, these juices are digested and assimilated within 10 to 15 minutes after we drink them and they are used almost entirely in the nourishment and regeneration of the cells and tissues, glands and organs of the body. The results are obvious as the entire process of digestion and assimilation is completed with a maximum degree of speed and efficiency but with a minimum amout of effort on the part of the digestive system."

Now...for someone like me, with a life history of debilitating Irritable Bowel Syndrome, this is wonderful news. I believe it's the reason why I have felt so great on this juice feast and why I have NO IBS symptoms. Once I got past the initial adjustment phase of living on liquids, I've had no bloating, gas, cramping, constipation, diarrhea, etc. All I can say is, Hallelujah!

Matt goes on to share that he has seen example after example of raw foodists that have marginal deficiencies on their raw food diet. He states, ...."you can get away deficiency free by consuming blended vegetables, yet...(in his opinion)....juicing a wide variety of vegetables is the optimal way to supply the vitamins and minerals our bodies are craving. The liquid flows straight into our small intestines and there is no fiber to slow down absorption. Juicing is the best, most natural way to get vitamins and minerals in their most easily absorbed form".....Matt suggests drinking a minimum of two 16 oz. glasses of vegetable juice every day. "All of the raw food healing centers use vegetable juicing or wheat grass juice in order to help people heal from degenerative diseases because it is the most efficient way to nourish the body. Drinking vegetable juice is so powerful that it can give you the vitality to create a cleansing reaction within the body on a cellular level. The health pioneers taught us that vegetables are the "nourishers" of the body and fruits are the "cleansers." Ideally, we want the nourishing aspects of food in the most absorbable form to rebuild and regenerate the body."

In the article Matt also covers the big, What about the fiber??? question and then he quotes again from Norman Walker regarding this matter. Norman writes, "Juices from which the fiber has been removed furnish, without interference, every particle of the nourishment contained in the vegetable for immediate and quick assimilation by the body."

I believe that a person with any kind of dis-ease should educate themselves regarding juicing and its multitude of benefits. I have yet to talk with anyone that has a background or even some education in the natural health field who would argue the fact that the body WILL begin to heal itself if given the correct atmosphere in which to do so. And this is true for anything as small as skin problems to cancer, migraine headaches to diabetes, allergies to heart disease. I believe that getting a juicer is one of the most important purchases you can make for your longevity and for your overall health. I have used my Omega for about three years and have been completely happy with its performance and craftsmanship. I also know many people who swear by their twin gear, more expensive Green Star and then there are those who've tried other brands but adore their Breville.

Some people have commented that they can't possible imagine doing a full on juice feast, as I am. The good news I share with them is that it's not imperative to live on juices exclusively to reap short and lonterm benefits. The reality is that tangible improvements in one's health can be attained by adding 32 oz. of freshly extracted juice into one's current daily diet. In a world with so much processed, denatured foods, juicing organic vegetables and fruits may very well be the single most healthful thing you can do for yourself. Go on....try it....you'll like it!