If you’ve attempted to lose weight or detox, then you’ve come across the topic of juicing.
Like other nutrition-improvement methods, juicing has it’s advantages and limitations. Some people can benefit from a variation of juicing methods, while for others, the benefits are often overestimated.
So what is “juicing”? Juicing is the process of extracting the water, or “juice,” from fresh fruits and vegetables. Theoretically, this allows you to pack a whole garden’s worth of vitamins and minerals (and sugar!) into just one drink – leading to countless claims swearing over Juicing’s weight loss and cleansing powers.
But, does juicing work? Does it support weight loss in a healthy way that aligns with your goals?
Juicing Pros
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), only 13.1% of American adults are eating the recommended 2 servings of fruit each day, and only 8.9% of American adults are eating the recommended 3 servings of vegetables each day.
Juicing makes it easy to eat more fruits and vegetables in one sitting, which will help you get closer to the daily recommended values for fruit and vegetable intake. Reaching your recommended daily servings helps ensure you are being filled with all the nutrients you need to, not only sustain daily living but decrease your risk of chronic disease.
Also, juice cleanses have become popular with those seeking to lose weight. Typically, a cleanse consists of a juice-only diet for a set period. These cleanses create a significant calorie deficit, which can lead you to successful weight loss.
But before you peel off to Target to snag your first juicer, there are a lot of other things you need to understand before choosing to “juice” as a weight loss method.
Juicing Cons
First, juicing cleanses are a quick-fix. This approach is incredibly hard to sustain. Keep in mind that the lost weight resulting from a juice cleanse is bound to reappear as soon as you return to your normal diet.
Second, since protein is pretty much absent in a juice cleanse, a lot of the weight you lose is not actually from your fat stores, it’s from muscle. In other words, the number on the scale may creep down, but you won’t improve your physique.
Next, fiber is often left behind in the juicing process. Fiber helps to keep you feeling full and lends a hand in keeping your blood sugars from spiking. Without the fiber of fruits and vegetables, the juice will cause a rapid spike in your blood sugar, releasing insulin, and ultimately leading to a sugar crash. This means you will be tired, hungry, and probably cranky, too.
So, what now?
The good thing is that there is a better juicing strategy you can use to allow you get the benefits and avoid the cons.
Try this instead:
Eat real fruit and pair it with good sources of protein and fat. A great example of this would be having a banana or apple slices with a nut butter of your choice. This way, you get the sweet, fruity satisfaction and the nutrients of juicing, but without an uncomfortable sugar crash.
Or, if you absolutely can’t go without your daily juice, try a homemade smoothie instead. This way you’ll get a concentrated variety of produce, while not eliminating the fiber. In addition, you can add ingredients like flax, chia, nut butter, or protein powders, all which help you to feel full for longer.
Try the following steps for a smoothie overflowing with nutrition:
- Start with fruit and a mild vegetable such as spinach, kale, beets, carrots or cucumbers. Frozen fruit works great because you can use less ice and still attain that desirable creamy texture.
- Combine your fruit and veggies in a blender with a liquid base. Water, coconut water, skim or plant-based milk alternatives. (Note that soy and dairy milk are the only ones that provide a substantial amount of protein.)
- Next, add in a source of protein. This could be found in dairy or soy milk, silken tofu, or unsweetened yogurt. You can even use your choice of protein powder.
- Last, add some healthy fats. Avocado, nut butter, nuts, chia or hemp seeds are all great selections. Ground flaxseed, coconut milk, or almond milk are also yummy sources of fats.
Throw some ice in there and blend until smooth! It’s that easy!
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By: Morgan R. Davis, RD, LDN (Updated on February 28th, 2017)
