By now you probably have been exposed, through one way or another, to the all-too-popular “Juice Cleanse”. If you’re not on it or haven’t tried it, you (at the least) know someone who has. All the beautiful people from Beyonce to Gwyneth Paltrow swear by it and with all these stores popping up offering anywhere from a 2 to a 7-day juice cleanse, it has become so easy to shell out good money and drink the Kool-aid. To add to that, bottles and bottles of fresh, cold-pressed juices are conveniently delivered daily to what could be more than a thousand doorsteps that I can’t help but wonder, is it really worth the squeeze?
The juicing trend has rapidly gained popularity a few years back when the documentary “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” came out. It showed how overweight men and women have transformed their bodies, changed their lifestyles and regained their health through juicing. Soon enough everyone in Hollywood was doing it and after one or two years, the health trend reached our shores and startups began offering a week’s worth of fresh pressed beverages for a few thousand pesos. Brands you’ve probably never heard of before have also generated enough funds to market and advertise their latest models of juicers—ones that don’t just process fruit but also the nutritious dark green, leafy vegetables. Sales must have started to pick up because now, nearly every home has a juicer and what used to be online stores are now established juice bars you can actually visit and order your juices and meals from.
Contrary to popular belief, drinking fresh pressed juice does not make you lose weight. It cannot rid your body of toxins better than a couple of things you already have—your liver and kidneys. Although fresh, pressed juices are packed with vitamins and nutrients, they do not provide enough fiber and calories, therefore changing your body setting to “starvation” mode. A 7-day juice cleanse is no different from a 7-day crash diet. Headaches, irritability and most of all, hunger are all red flags. They’re the body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. The smartest move is to EAT something filling yet healthy and nourishing.
MEET THE THICKER COUSIN OF COLD-PRESSED, SKINNY JUICES
I personally prefer blending over juicing for a good number of reasons. First off, a good blender is cheaper than a good juicer. A good juicer, is one that can juice leafy vegetables such as Moringa, Lettuce, Spinach and the popular Kale. Not only is the machine cheaper, but the actual process of whipping up smoothies costs much less. Why? You throw in less ingredients into the blender and come up with the same goodness. A juicer leaves out the skin and pulp and therefore requires more stuff to process in order to produce the same amount a blender would.
Growing up in a country so rich in delicious tropical fruits, I have been used to fruit smoothies and ours are mostly smothered in creamy milk and sometimes even topped with chocolate syrup and sprinkles as if the fruits weren’t sweet enough. That’s okay if you’re feeling indulgent but watch out. This is the point where the bad—which, in this case is a ton of sugar, starts to win over the good thing about consuming fresh fruit. So if it’s this kind of smoothie versus the cold-pressed juice, which one would you choose?
SIPPING SMARTLY
If you admit to being a health junkie, you’d understand that the rate at which trends in the industry are growing today are insanely quick. Media plays a huge role at that, social media currently being the number one culprit. You see a friend’s Instagram post and you instantly sign up for the latest fitness program or diet without doing your homework. It’s a cycle that sadly sends your money right down the drain.
[Learn about how a couple of health trends negatively affects other people on a global scale. Read the articles on Kale and Quinoa shortage.]
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE cold-pressed juices and some days I really find myself craving for them. You don’t have to worry about sticking to just fresh juice or green smoothies. But you do have to know how to consume them in a way your body will truly appreciate. A few things you may want to take note of:
- Juices are like shots of espresso and smoothies are your regular brewed coffee. Juices are nutrient-dense and are awesome for an extra BOOST. Smoothies are fiber-rich making it so good for your digestive system and good digestion is equal to good health (better metabolism included).
- Drink cold-pressed juice in place of soda, sugar-laden/artificial juices and other beverages aside from water and pure brewed tea.
- EAT! There is no reason to go on a liquid diet unless ordered by a doctor for medical reasons. Cleansing and detox can be done without having to skip solid food.
- Since smoothies are rich in fiber, they’re much more filling than regular liquids. Drink them with meals or use them to replace up to two meals in a day.
- Feel like you’re coming down with a cold? Juice Moringa and lemon for an extra vitamin boost. Feeling okay? Good. Have a green smoothie.
- Juice more vegetables and add fruit for flavor. You probably won’t like the taste of pure Moringa or Kale juice. Juicing pure fruit leaves you with nothing but fructose or sugar. The best way to consume fruits is with the skin and pulp. Either eat them or throw them in the blender with some greens and superfood such as Spirulina and Maca.
- The difference between drinking a smoothie and just eating the stuff you throw in is that food is broken down into much smaller pieces even before you consume them making it easier for your body to digest and absorb the nutrients.
Whatever health goal you have in mind, know that the key to successfully reaching and maintaining it lies in an eating habit that goes beyond a week of pure liquid consumption. Add really fun and challenging sweat sessions and you’re sure not a centavo goes to waste.
