We were introduced to Dr. Josh Axe’s expertise during a recent telesummit called “7 Docs in 7 Days,” where health and fitness guru JJ Virgin picked her top 7 dream team of doctors to interview.
Dr. Axe is the author of The Real Food Diet Cookbook, the host of a weekly radio show promoting health solutions, and just a really cool guy! He even has a really powerful story of helping his mom heal from cancer through dietary changes – which is the type of story we love here at Fooduciary! He also works with professional and Olympic athletes as a physician and trainer, and he’s the founder of DrAxe.com (an amazing resource for healthy living and quick, healthy recipes) and burstFIT.com.
In fact, Dr. Axe just launched a burstFIT home fitness program this week that you can preorder right now for over 50% off! I just ordered it myself and am so excited to have this program to effectively get fit, tone my body, and blast some fat. I’ve been really interested in this form of exercise for a while now. Check it out here.
With all this going on, Dr. Axe was still willing to take the time to share a fantastic article about the benefits of juicing, some great tips and fabulous recipes. Get out your Omega Juicers!
Juicing for Super Health
By Dr. Josh Axe (www.draxe.com)
Just one 16-ounce glass of real juice provides 4 servings of vegetables!
One of the best ways to boost your health and begin to repair years of damage is with juicing. Now when it comes to juicing I’m not talking about running to the grocery store and buying a bottle of juice straight off the shelves. What I’m referring to is fresh juice made in your own kitchen. That’s right, juice as fresh as fresh can be.
Juicing Basics
The benefits of juicing everyday are becoming more understood by consumers today. Juicing is an easy way to get a whopping heap of fresh veggies (and fruits) into your diet in one easy shot – or however many you want a day. You can consume far more of these veggies and fruits with juicing than you could probably eat in the same amount of time.
Another great benefit of juicing is that it’s easy to digest and thus your body absorbs so many more nutrients so much faster. This is one of the reasons juicing has become so popular with health enthusiasts.
In addition many juicer enthusiasts are fond of the process as they say it is of great benefit to the heart. Most fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins C and E, which are great for boosting your immune system. In fact, studies indicate that both of these important vitamins help to fight free radical damage on the artery walls and help to lower triglyceride levels.
As you probably know certain vegetables and fruits contain higher levels of specific vitamins than other fruits and veggies. For instance, if you really want to boost your intake of vitamin E consider juicing with asparagus, kiwi, spinach, and blackberries. Blackberries are also a great source of potassium and magnesium.
But these aren’t the only benefits of juicing. Liver detoxification is one of the main reasons people juice too. The liver works on overload on a regular basis. We are constantly bombarding our bodies with toxins in what we eat, breathe, and put onto our bodies. Juicing offers the body a chance to aid in detoxing the liver.
There are certain nutrients you can focus on for a thorough liver detoxification by juicing specific fruits and vegetables. The body needs the following nutrients to detoxify the liver:
■ Beta-carotene
■ Vitamin C
■ Vitamin E
■ N-acetyl cysteine
■ B vitamins
If you want to create a liver detoxing juice try all or any of the following:
Liver Detoxing Foods
■ Cabbage
■ Brussels sprouts
■ Cauliflower
■ Milk thistle
People who juice have different goals in mind when they do. Another great reason to juice is to alkalize your body. Today, most Westerners have highly acidic bodies. Diseases grow abundantly in acidic environments and scientists have long stated their belief that creating an alkaline environment could be one of the best ways to fight off disease.
There are juicing recipes you can make to help to alkalize the body. Keep in mind that all vegetables are alkalizing but not all fruits are. Fruits, in general, are acid in nature. Use some or all of the following ingredients to create a delicious, alkalizing drink:
Alkalizing Juicing Recipe
■ Beets
■ Carrots
■ Cucumbers
■ Cabbage
■ Spinach
Another great benefit of juicing is the ability it gives you to up your intake of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants. Chlorophyll can help to strengthen the blood and rebuild red blood cells. The molecular structure of chlorophyll is almost identical to a component of red blood cells called hemin, and in fact scientists have recently found that chlorophyll in the body actually is converted into hemin.
If you want to get more chlorophyll into your body consider creating the greenest juices you can. Add in the following for a green juice full of life giving, blood rejuvenating chlorophyll:
■ Kale
■ Spinach
■ Swiss chard
■ Wheatgrass
■ Cucumber
■ Celery
■ Romaine lettuce
■ Greens of beets
■ Parsley
Ginger and Juicing
One way to add a little life to your juice and a plethora of health benefits is by adding some ginger. Ginger has been slotted as preventing heart attack and strokes because of its ability to prevent blood clotting. It is also helpful (and used often) as a dietary aid to prevent indigestion and nausea.
In addition ginger is used as an anti-inflammatory and to improve circulation. Here are two recipes that include a hearty helping of ginger.
Ginger Recipes
Beetroot and Ginger
■ 2 beetroots
■ 2 carrots
■ 2 cucumbers
■ 1 lemon
■ 2 inches of peeled ginger
Ginger Carrot Juice
■ 1 inch peeled ginger
■ 8 medium carrots
■ 4 green apples
When it comes to juicing you can create any recipe you want. Just follow your taste buds. Juicing may seem like a complex undertaking but once you find the right juicer and experiment with juicing some of your favorite vegetables and fruits you’ll be hooked.
