Ready, Set, JUICE!

Photography By: Michelle Eisen

I recently watched a documentary...
 
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, about a man, who was suffering from an autoimmune disease called chronic urticaria, often resulting in extremely itchy and painful welts all over the skin. This man, Joe Cross, was overweight and had to load up on several pills every day, just to keep his disease from completely taking over his body. Living his life in constant pain, and at the end of his rope, Joe decides to keep to a strict, fresh juice diet for 60 days in hopes of repairing his body, and ultimately ungluing himself from his physiological dependence on medication. Joe buys himself a Breville juicer, and sets off on his journey, helping others along the way.  In short, he succeeds, and as for those he meets along the way, they too rid themselves of debilitating illnesses, all through the power of micronutrients found in fresh juice! 

In my experience, juicing is a fun, efficient, and healthy way to feeling great, both physically and emotionally. For those who scrunch up their faces in disgust when presented with a vegetable, this is a great way to get the NECESSARY vegetable-derived nutrition, without tasting the actual vegetable- it’s true! For those who feel held back from a healthy diet due to a tight budget, juicing will allow you to take advantage of buying in-season fruits and vegetables, automatically lowering your cost on produce.

To be clear, I am not recommending juicing as a meal-substitute.  I am recommending that drinking fresh juice become part of you and your family’s daily routine.

Consuming fresh juice can improve attention and focus, memory, mood, anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and many physiological ailments- including, but not limited to, migraines, viral and bacterial infections, eye problems, insomnia, ulcers, and heart problems.  Juicing can also be used as a preventative measure for cancer, type 2 diabetes, and digestive problems.

Let’s Get Juicing!- Make sure to read on for the nutritional benefit of each fruit and vegetable used.

Juicing allows us to consume more fruits and vegetables than one could normally digest in their regular forms. The following juices are proposed to solve some of the most common roadblocks to healthy eating.

• Eating healthy on a tight budget
• Maintaining a strong dislike for vegetables
• Feeling too tired to prepare healthy meals
• Lacking cooking skills
• Lacking time to eat enough fruits and vegetables throughout the day

The first three recipes are taken from Jack LaLanne’s Juicing Guide and Cookbook: 

1) Immunoblast- Just when you thought you’d never be able to drink a vegetable…

Immunoblast

3 Strawberries

1 Peeled Orange

1 Apple

1 Apricot

3 Broccoli Florettes

3 Cauliflower Florettes 

(don’t be shy, throw in some large veggie pieces!)

**When this juice was given to the group of 16-22 year olds, not one student guessed that they had in fact consumed a vegetable.  Even when debriefed, they didn’t believe it!**

2) Jack’s Fruity 5- Wake up without coffee… you can do it!

Jack's Fruity 5

1 Peeled Orange

½ Peeled Lime

2 Pineapple Spears

3 Strawberries

½ Kiwi

 

    

3) Sweet Surprise- This was voted the #1 favourite amongst my students.

Sweet Surprise

3 Pineapple Spears
1 Peeled Orange
4 Strawberries
1 Bunch Red Grapes

The following recipe was taken from the book, The Juicing Bible, By: Pat Crocker &Susan Eagles

4)    Allium Antioxidant- Spice it up!

Allium Antioxidant

4 Stalks Celery*

1/3 Onion*
1 Clove Garlic
1 Stalk Broccoli
2 Apples*

*I have made some adjustments to the quantity of ingredients in this recipe, as most people find the recommended amounts of onion and garlic to be too strong.

The final juice was taken from Mr. Cross. The one and only… 

5) Mean Green
 

Mean Green

 

1 Bunch Kale

1 Cucumber

1 Granny Smith Apple

4 Stalks Celery

1 Small Piece of Ginger

½ Lemon

**Don’t be afraid of all these vegetables.  This juice is actually sweeter than you may expect.  For those who are not used to consuming vegetables, I would recommend giving this one a few chances to allow your taste buds to retrain themselves.  It is a biological mechanism that allows us to be able to train our taste buds to enjoy and crave certain foods.  For Bob Cross, the transition only took a few days, but the transition itself wasn’t the most positive experience. When we are used to eating processed foods, we often crave salt and refined sugar.  Give yourself at least two days to become accustomed to the new diet.  Your body will thank you!**

Health and Nutrition Specs: Success in Overall Health AND Academics

Apples- cleansing, lowers cholesterol, keeps blood sugar levels up, anti-rheumetic, & aids digestion. Good source of vitamin A, contains vitamins C, B, & G

High in Boron- deficiencies in boron have been found to cause drowsiness, reduced mental alertness, and impaired memory (Penland, 1994).  Ensuring regular intake of boron allows for proper cognitive function- a primary key to academic and personal success!

Apricots- can prevent heart disease through preventing the formation of plaque deposits in arteries.

High in Potassium, Boron, Iron (prevent anemia), Magnesium (improves cognitive function: memory & learning) (Wang et al., 2008), & Fiber.

Broccoli- Antioxidant

High in Vitamin E- rids of free radicals in tissues.  Free radicals break down normal functioning molecules in our body, which makes consumption of antioxidants (found in vitamin E) essential.  

Carrots- Antioxidant, counter formation of kidney stones, relieve arthritis and gout, cut cancer risk, lower blood cholesterol, & protects from cardiovascular diseases.

High in Vitamins A, K, & C, beta carotene (repairs cognitive functioning (Grodstein et al., 2007)), iron, calcium, potassium, & sodium.

Cauliflower- Antioxidant, cancer prevention (bladder, breast, colon, prostate, & ovarian), nutrient support for the body’s detox, antioxidant, & anti-inflammatory system.  Chronic imbalances in these systems can increase risk of cancer, cauliflower can strengthen these systems leading to cancer prevention.

High in Vitamins C (an antioxidant which helps to block some of the damage caused by free radicals- see Vitamin E above), B6, folate, & potassium.

Celery- relieves blood pressure, antioxidant, reduces severity of inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, & asthma), lowers cholesterol

High in Phthalides- help to relax muscles around arteries by reducing stress hormones, allowing for lowered blood pressure.  

Cucumber- Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer

High in Flavanoids (rids damaging free radicals from the body) & Cucurbitacins (may block cancer cell signaling pathways).

Garlic- Antibiotic, antiviral, protects the heart, reduces blood pressure, lowers blood cholesterol and sugar levels, and promotes digestion.

High in Allicin (lowers risk of inflammation- inhibits activity of imflammatory messenger molecules, and oxidative stress), Manganese, Vitamin B6, & Vitamin C.

Ginger- Anti-nausea, stimulate digestion, & ulcer-prevention.

Grapes- Anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-cancer.

High in Ellagic & Caffeic Acids- inhibits DNA binding of specific carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) and oxidative stress (which can contribute to dampened cognitive performance- memory, learning, attention, etc.).

Kale- Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, & anti-cancer (bladder, breast, colon, ovary, & prostate).

High in Vitamins A, C, & K- Kale provides more vitamin K than almost all other vegetable sources! Vitamin K is essential for keeping inflammation lowered in our bodies.

Kiwi- Antioxidant, anti-cancer, & aids digestion

High in Vitamin C, & flavonoids- protects DNA in human cells from oxygen-related damage. **This is a unique benefit of kiwis!**

Lemon/Lime/Orange- Antioxidant, anti-cancer

High in Vitamin C (rid of harmful free radicals in body), & contain Flavenoids (stops cell division in many cancer cell lines). 

Onion- lowers blood-pressure, anti-cancer, antioxidant, stimulates circulatory system and digestive tract, protects heart, increases bone density.

High in Flavenoids (stops cell division in many cancer cell lines), & Vitamin C (rids of harmful free radicals in body). 

Pineapple- Aids digestion, & anti-inflammatory

High in Vitamin C- helps rid of damaging free radicals which could eventually lead to heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other oxidative-stress-related diseases. 

Strawberries- Antioxidant, anti-viral, anti-cancer (breast, cervical, colon, & esophageal), blood-sugar regulation.

High in Phytonutrients- help to rid of harmful free radicals in body, decreased levels of circulating fats (decreases LDL fats- the bad kinds!).

Final Thoughts...

The healthier our bodies are, the better we will feel.  The better we feel, the better we will function. Nutrition is important for both body and mind. Try juicing for yourself and your kids on a regular basis.

Stay tuned for my next post, “Disguising the Vegetable!” where I will not only talk about fruity vegetable juices, but the cost and time effectiveness of juicing at home.

Also check out www.whfoods.com for a great nutritional and easy cooking resource!

Sources:

Chin-Thin W., Yingjeng JL., Fu-Jin W., Yi-Min S., & Bee-Tsu L., (2008). Correlation Between the Iron, Magnesium, Potassium and Zinc Content in Adolescent Girls’ Hair and Their Academic Records. Chang Gung Medical Journal, 31, 358-363.

Grodstein, F., Kang JG., Cook, NR., & Gaziano, JM. (2007). A randomized trial of beta carotene supplementation and cognitive function in men: The physicians’ health study II. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167 (20), 2184-2190.

Penalnd, JG. (1994).  Dietary Boron, Brain Function, and Cognitive Performance. Environmental Health Perspectives, 102 (7) , 65-72.

FeedingTheNeedToSucceed@gmail.com

-Michelle Eisen BSc. MA in Child Study and Education

Follow @Feed2Succeed

Juice Your Way to Health!

Photography By: Michelle Eisen

An Introduction...

I remember watching infomercials for the Jack LaLanne Juicer, as a child.  Although I thought that juicing looked like a lot of fun, I was quite skeptical about drinking broccoli and cauliflower.  Furthermore, I just couldn’t see myself drinking something that was green, no matter how good it tasted! I have to say, that through a number of experiences, I am now a huge fan of juicing, and also now own my very own Jack LaLanne Juicer.

Over the years, juicing has become a more popular method of ensuring proper nutrition; however, not everyone has caught on. My first attempt at drinking vegetables in a glass (besides the high sodium, but delicious V8), was during a break while volunteering at a hospital, about five years ago.  I was feeling exhausted from a long day at school, and had two hours left at the hospital, making my rounds as a patient visitor.  As I had never held a grudge against fruits or vegetables, and had heard the rumours about their abilities to provide energy, I thought I would give Booster Juice a try.  I ordered the “Green Hornet,” which is composed of spinach, carrots, celery, and parsley. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! The drink tasted sweet and refreshing. I also found that I was not hungry after, and did indeed have the energy required to successfully finish my shift.  Throughout the following weeks, I picked up a Booster Juice every Monday before my hospital shift, and truly felt a boost of energy!  

Shortly after my Booster Juice discovery, my mom purchased the Breville Juicer, as she had been researching the benefits of juicing for some time.  Additionally, she purchased a number of informative, but easy-to-read resources on vitamins in relation to the different fruits and vegetables out there.  I would highly recommend two of these easy-read books:

1)    Prescription for Nutritional Healing 5^th Edition: A Practical A-To-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements, By: Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

2)    The Juicing Bible, By: Pat Crocker & Susan Eagles

Three years after I began my relationship with fresh juice, I had the opportunity to run another study involving nutrition. I was working with a group of marginalized youth as part of a literacy research project, and was given the opportunity to arrange for yet another, but more involving nutrition intervention.  Given the time and money constraints, I needed to figure out a way to provide the students (ages 16-22) with healthy meal opportunities.  I knew I had a challenge ahead of me.  The first challenge was overcoming the fact that many people are scared off of anything labeled HEALTHY.  The second challenge was overcoming the stubbornness to change that often accompanies youth between the ages of 16 and 22!  How was I going to “trick” these students into eating broccoli and spinach? You may have guessed….JUICING!

On a tight budget of $125/week, I fed 15 students, two juices 4 days/week, and one meal 3 days/week.  That works out to an average of $2.08/day for each student! 

**Stay tuned for my post on the effects of the healthy lunch-time meals, and shopping on a budget!**

Throughout this intervention, without the students knowing, they drank broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, celery, and bell peppers, all disguised in fruits such as cantaloupe, kiwi, apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, lemons, limes, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, pineapple, cranberries, mangoes, peaches, apricots, and grapefruits.

Photography By: Michelle Eisen

Students not only reported feeling more energetic and able to focus after consuming the juices, but they became more interested in nutrition, and consuming healthy foods!

From the journals the grade 7 and 8 students filled out in my first study, my own observations working in classrooms, and the food intake packages I asked these youth to fill out, it is obvious that there are too many children and youth who are not eating enough fruits and vegetables.  I am guessing the same is true for adults. How can we expect children and youth to eat fruits and vegetables if they are not provided with them?  How can we expect parents to provide their children with an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables if they do not understand the benefits of doing so? And finally, how can we expect parents to provide their children or themselves with an adequate amount of fruits or vegetables if they do not know how to prepare them in effective ways?  Over the next few posts, I will be addressing these issues.  As I have seen the most immediate results in attitude change, as well as mental and physical health, through juicing, I have decided that this would be the best place to begin.   

Get ready to juice your way to a healthier body and mind!
-Michelle Eisen BSc. MA in Child Study and Education

Follow @Feed2Succeed