As the number of people who are overweight increases, so are the numbers of products that claim to assist in losing weight. Some of the methods are said to be more effective in losing weight than others. One of the methods that are known to assist you in shedding off those pounds is juicing.
What is Juicing?
Most of the foods –
fruits and
vegetables – are taken in solid form. Juicing is a diet in which solid foods mostly fruits and vegetables are converted into liquid using a juicer and then drunk. Depending on its purpose, juicing can be done for days or even hours. It can also be done per meal where you replace one of the meals – lunch or supper – with a juice.
Juicing: How it helps in Weight loss
Originally,
food was meant to be taken raw – without cooking. Cooking has a lot of effects on food. For one, it makes more calories to be available for absorption by the body. Juices are raw and therefore have less calories leading to
weight loss.
Fruits and vegetables contain many enzymes that are often destroyed by cooking. Most enzymes work best at body temperature – 37C. Some of these enzymes are known to increase the rate of metabolism. Again, since juices are uncooked all these beneficial enzymes are delivered directly to your body.
Juicing with a juicers aims at separating the solid from the liquid part of fruits and vegetables. It is the liquid part that is used in the
juicing diet. Most of the minerals, enzymes and vitamins are separated with the fluid part. The solid part is mostly made up of calories. This way, you maximize on the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables while avoiding the many calories in them.
Most people
lose about 10 to 20 pounds. Though most of the weight loss in the first week is mostly inform of water, it is still weight lost. After the first week, you will lose weight depending on your level of daily activities and the calories in your preferred juice.
Apart from weight lose,
juicing has other advantages:
- Juicing cleanses the digestive system
- It is easier for the body to absorb nutrients from juice Juicing rejuvenates your body
- Most diseases originate or can be traced back to the digestive system.
- Juicing helps to keep your body off diseases
For maximum benefits, it is advisable to make the juice from fresh vegetables and fruits. Chemical and juices containing preservatives should be avoided.
Types of Juices
Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe Vera is a succulent plant that is adapted to living in the Northern parts of Africa. The extracts from aloe Vera have been used as herbal remedy since the first century AD. Apart from helping you to lose weight, Aloe Vera juice has other advantages:
- It has an ingredient called alloin that is known to be a laxative for the digestive system.
- It boosts the immune system.
There are many species of Aloe. Consequently, it is wise to use the correct one as some species are known to be toxic.
Lemon Juice or lemonade For Weight loss
Lemonade can be drunk as a juice on its own. However, since most of the juices used in the juicing for
weight loss diet have an unnatural taste, lemonade is used to improve taste. Lemons contain about 5% to 6% citrus acid which gives that sour refreshing taste. As a member of the citrus family, lemons are rich in vitamin C. The citric acid in the juice is useful in that it changes the PH of the digestive system thus killing the some toxic bacteria.
Carrot Juice
Carrot is a root vegetable that is orange in color. Its juice is rich in many nutrients such as beta-carotene which is a good source of vitamin A. Vitamin A is known to improve eyesight as well as prevent night blindness. Carrot juice is also rich in:
- Folate
- Calcium
- Copper iron
- Potassium
- Magnesium
Compared to other oranges and lemons, carrots yield very little juice. You will find that it is difficult to separate the pulp from the main juice. Carrot juice does not need to be sweetened as carrots are naturally sweet.
Acai Berry Juice
This juice is derived from the Acai palm tree which is a native of Central and South America. The main benefit derived from this juice is antioxidant activity. It reduces oxidative stress on organs thereby reducing the chances of developing cancers.
Acai berry juice contains two main ingredients: anthocyanins and flavanioids. When you are faced by stressful situations in life; the body produces harmful free radicals. These two powerful ingredients in acai berry neutralize the free radicals and thus reducing the process of aging. The oxidative ability of Acai Berry is more powerful than that of other berries like cranberry, blackberry and strawberry.
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Acai Berry for Your Weight Loss