With juicing bars popping up in every city, juicing may seem like a recent phenomenon. However, juicing dates back to as early as 150 B.C. where the first record of juicing was from an ancient tribe in Israel who created a process of mashing pomegranates and figs to take advantage of their health benefits.
Juicing has continued to gain popularity through the years with the first industrial juicing machine being designed in the 1930s by Dr. Norman Walker. This machine squeezed and grated fruits and vegetables, then pressed them, making the process of juicing more readily available to consumers. More efficient commercial juicers became available in the 1950s and 1960s, and most homes during that time had access to blenders as well.
By the 1990s, the juicing craze was growing fast, boosted by celebrity endorsers who attested to its detoxifying properties and health and weight loss benefits.
Today there are many companies that will deliver frozen, cold pressed juice directly to your doorstep (for a premium price) and there are many high-quality juicers on the market to choose from so you can make fresh juice in your own kitchen.
But what about the health benefits? Here are some you will love…
Juicing helps you to consume more fruits and veggies!
Juicing is an easy way to especially eat enough vegetables. Many of us struggle to get in enough servings of fruits and vegetables every day, (the USDA recommends 4-5 servings each day), and with juicing you can have that covered (and then some)! You can eat five different veggies before 8:00 am and if you throw in an apple, it all tastes so sweet, you’ll never even notice the spinach and kale…although they’re really both pretty tasty, too.
Juicing can give you more energy.
When you drink fresh juice, you are getting the parts of the fruits and veggies that have all the vitamins and nutrients. This means you are infusing your body with all this healthy nutrition that will help you get moving. Green juices are especially beneficial if you need an energy boost fast. This would include things like spinach, celery, kale, and apple. There are so many recipes online for green juice – find one that looks good to you and add whatever you like.
Juicing can help you feel better and recover faster when you’re sick.
In our stressful lives and with a variety of illnesses out there ready to ruin our day, it’s important to not only protect our immunity, but also boost it if we do get sick. There are many testimonials from people who have restored their health in part through adding juicing to their daily regimen. There are recipes for special immunity boosting juice combinations that include things like apple, carrot, ginger, and lemon. As an added bonus…. juicing can also improve your mood.
Juicing can improve your ability to focus.
Drinking green juices especially can help you feel more alert and energized, which in turn can help you focus. If you choose to drink fresh juice, instead of coffee or other caffeinated drinks (energy drinks) you will not get that dreaded sugar crash in the middle of the day.
Juicing can help you live longer.
Feeding your body good nutrition is essential to maintaining good health and drinking fresh juice almost every day can help you achieve that. Fruits and vegetables are nature’s medicines. Consuming them regularly will help keep your blood pressure down, keep your blood sugars regular, and may even be able to help prevent a variety of diseases.
The wonderful thing about juicing is that the juicer extracts all the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables for you, which saves your body energy because it does not have to break down all the food itself. The body can absorb the nutrients quickly and use its saved energy to heal and repair.
If you’re interested in trying juicing, do some research on a few different juicing machines within your price range and make sure to read the reviews to find out what others think about your potential purchase. Once you have your juicer at home, stock up on fruits and vegetables and start experimenting. Find some beautiful glasses and fun straws and make it a whole juicing event!
