The Juice of Life is – Juice! 4 Reasons To Juice

The Juice of Life is – Juice! 4 Reasons To Juice

The Juice of Life is – Juice! 4 Reasons To Juice

Last December, I was sick as a dog for over a month- the worst cold/flu I have ever had in my life.  Cough, congestion, headache, fever, chills & chest pain.  A few times I really thought I was going to die & it was scary!  My friends, family, coworkers & bosses were concerned because I was off work for so long.  Neil gave me the order to drink lots of coconut water, eat, sleep & stay home in my jammies until I was well enough to get back to work.  Then, I met Jack….

I was introduced to Jack through my best friend of 30 years, Jodie, & I was instantly in love.  He nourished me back to health in the sweetest way, cured my illness & hasn’t left me since.  Jack (not Daniels!) is in my kitchen as I write this, sitting on my counter waiting for me to cram fruit & veggies in his mouth.  Oh, did I mention that he’s my Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express?  Yes, I’m in love with my juicer!  Jodie bought Jack for me because she was mad that I was so sick & now I’m a true believer that Jodie & Jack know best.  While I know that Neil’s direction got me on the right track, Jodie & Jack led me to health redemption.

Why juice?  The book The Joy of Juicing by Gary Null, PhD says “…juicing is absolutely essential.  Even if you improve your diet radically and take all the right supplements, while you’ll be getting some measure of preventive benefit, you still won’t be doing enough to reverse existing damage. Add juicing to the mix, though, and you can actually begin to repair damage.  Juicing is the key to reversing the progress of disease.”  And you know what else?  Juicing is FUN!  I love coming up with my own potions that are absolutely delicious. I got well & feel more healthy & energetic than ever before!

Here are 4 of the best reasons you should juice & what produce to use to achieve juicing greatness-

1. Detox your body –  Our immune systems can’t work properly when it’s working so hard to fend off the junk we eat.  The processed foods that are such a part of our diet do huge damage to us on a cellular level, killing us slowly by clogging our cells with chemicals, not allowing them to function well between themselves. You can clean your cells by juicing grapes, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, watermelon, cherries, blueberries, aloe vera, wheat grass, garlic, collard greens, kale, chard, asparagus, cabbage, beets & spinach.  I recommend experimenting with the juice combinations to suit your taste or getting a juicing recipe book to ensure you get a great mix.

2. Weight loss  Adding juice to your diet will set you on the right track to losing weight.  Fad diets simply don’t work long term– you may lose weight initially, but you end up deficient in important nutrients & your progress stalls or reverses.  Drink a 12 ounce glass of juice 30 minutes before a meal & you will find that you eat less, feel satisfied & instantly have more energy.  For weight loss use the juice of apples, watermelon, lemon, grapefruit, papaya, aloe vera, celery, cucumber, kale, ginger root, carrots, parsley & artichoke hearts.

3. Stress relief Stress is incredibly damaging to our body’s well being.  Some studies consider it the root of all disease & illness- stress must be taken seriously!  Drinking a glass of juice at least twice a day has been proven to reverse disease & illness caused by stress but you must also pair it with healthy de-stressing behaviors.  Exercising, meditating, reading or simply resting after having your juice is a great plan.  For stress relief drink up some green beans, cabbage, tomatoes, wheat grass, celery, carrots, cucumbers, pears, ginger root, cantaloupe, watermelon, raspberries, apples, strawberries & passion fruit.

4. Beauty We all want to look beautiful, but it’s when you FEEL beautiful that your true loveliness shows!  Juicing can help clear up skin problems like acne, dryness/flakiness, fine lines & dull skin.  Juice can even help you sleep better so you look & feel refreshed.  For inner & outer beauty juice up some parsnips, yams, zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus, black olives, spinach, celery, cucumber, carrots, pineapple, grapes, apricot, huckleberries, blueberries, cherries, cantaloupe & lime.

How can YOU become a juicer?  Get a good quality machine like my Jack LaLanne Power Juicer Express at Bed, Bath & Beyond or Costco & read the book that comes with it.  Shop for your favorite produce to make the juices you want then prep it into the perfect sized chunks or bundles.  Feed that raw produce thru your juicer, mix it to your taste then fill a bunch of mason jars, seal them up tight & stick them in the fridge to chill.  You’ll have tons of pulp left over from this process but don’t throw it away!  Mix the fruit pulp into yogurt, cereal, pancake, waffle or muffin batter.  Veggie pulp can be added to soups, sauces, eggs, casseroles or dips.  Make sure you get every benefit from that your just-juiced-produce has to offer!  Jodie even feeds the pulp to her dogs!

Now that I’ve shown you how AWESOME juicing is- are you going to give it a try?

Or are you already an experienced juicer?

Give me your feedback & let’s share some recipes!  And now please excuse me while I have some fresh peach, plum, strawberry & orange juice – YUM!!!

Molly Keating
Molly Keating
Hello! I'm Molly and I run & manage the Blog here at O'Connor. I grew up in a mortuary with a mortician for a father who's deep respect for the profession inspired me to give working at a mortuary a try. Work at O'Connor has brought together two of my deep passions, writing & grief awareness. In 2016 I earned Certification in the field of Thanatology, the study of Death, Dying and Bereavement. I am honored to be able to speak on these taboo topics with knowledge, compassion, and a unique perspective. I want to sincerely thank you for following & reading the blog, I hope that this is a healing place for you.

20 Comments

  1. Sharon says:

    Carrie

    I also have Jack sitting on my counter, but he hasn’t been used in a long time. I just haven’t gotten back in the habit of using him. I hope to talk to you more about this and have you help me get back “on track” to better health!

    Thank you for the reminder of how to stay more healthy…..let’s talk!

    Sharon

  2. Amy says:

    Carrie,
    Thanks for this amazing blog. I never would have imagined that you would get so much from juicing. I am going to definitely have to look into juicing. If I need any tips or pointers I know where to come.
    Here’s to juicing.
    Amy

  3. Lori says:

    Hi Carrie,

    What a great topic!!
    I was committed to making smoothies with my blender for awhile. I did feel great from all of the wonderful nutrients.

    I think I need to take the plunge and have an actual juicer to get a better juice consistency.
    I know you will have some delicious recipes I can try!!

    xoxo Lori

    • Carrie Bayer says:

      Lori, you are already quite experienced in this area since you make smoothies so it would be very easy to transition into juicing. I say give it a try- I’m sure that you will love it just as much as I do! XOXO! Carrie

  4. GREG FORSTER says:

    Carrie,

    Now I know why you have that special aura about you and your smile and eyes are so bright!
    Thanks for the info. and I will definitely consider taking this up.

    Also, I have a question. Some manufacturers offer juicers that juice the whole item, skin and all (except for the core and seeds of course).
    Do you have any thoughts on this?

    Thanks

    • Carrie Bayer says:

      Greg, you are too kind! Yes, juicers that can handle the skin/peel, etc are the best because there are so many nutrients in those parts, it’s good to get the full benefit from them. I hope you get one & give it a try, you will love it! Carrie

  5. Karilyn Leslie says:

    Carrie,

    Great content!! I don’t juice nearly as much as I should, and like you I LOVE it!! Jack lives at my house too. He’s been hanging out in the garage since we’ve moved. I think I will reintroduce him to the family.

    Thanks for the inspiration!!
    Cheers to your health!!
    Karilyn

    • Carrie Bayer says:

      Karilyn, I’m so glad you have Jack, too! I hope you start up w/ juicing again soon so we can toast to good health- cheers! Carrie

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