Benefits of Juicing and Juicers
Health drinks especially fresh fruit and vegetable juices as well as smoothies have in recent years become increasingly popular. Because of this more and more juice bars are being set up in many high streets. But you need to be aware that some don’t offer the same wholesome drinks as others. As more and more people want to drink fruit smoothies so these can be found it just about any food outlet and complete fridges in supermarkets are used to show off the packaged versions.
As a result there are all sorts of denatured potions and frozen fruit syrups being blended and then sold to us as being healthy, and as a result it can be difficult to determine what you are actually getting. In some cases the products you buy contain high amounts of sugar in them. These types may be convenient for the food outlets but the quality to us is bad.
Raw Juice Drinks – Help Reduce Cravings and Help You with Weight Loss
It was Darwin who showed us how complex evolution is and explained where we came from and showed us the way our bodies adapt and evolve over time in relation to natural environment and the food we eat. But evolutionary time goes slowly, but the way we obtain nourishment has changed very quickly during the last few thousand years. No longer do we eat fresh fruits, nuts, roots and leaves that we have sought out in nature. In fact the majority of use don’t know how wonderful it is to grow our own vegetables, and the nearest that most of us get to being hunter gatherers is when we quickly rush around the supermarket getting the groceries we need.
Along with natural foods, now we have an industry known as “food manufacturing” that spend time processing the foods we eat so that they can provide them to us in more diverse and interesting forms. But unfortunately yes we have all these different varieties of foods but the problem is most of the nutritional value of the original natural ingredients they use will have been loss during the manufacturing processes.
As yet evolutionary processes have not caught up with the rapid changes made to our natural diets in the developed world. In evolutionary terms it isn’t that long since we learnt to use fire and cook food. Today there is plenty of evidence that shows how destructive eating lots of cooked food can be to our health. We are still meant to be getting the full range of nutrients from the foods that nature offers us. If we don’t get these then we continue to crave and look for those foods which will hopefully provide us with what we need. As an extreme example, you can get all you want in a fast food outlet but you will still be undernourished if this is all you choose to eat and you will put on weight.
Your hunter gatherer instincts may have you seeking out convenience foods that are cooked and have little or no nutritional value and you will still have cravings even when your hunger has been satisfied. This is because you haven’t been able to get the raw vital nutrients that your body needs.
The number of people in the western world who are obese or have diabetes has risen alarmingly because of our depleted diet which is high in sugar and fat. So if you really want to take care of your body you need to make sure that it is getting a good range of living nutrients and you are far less likely to suffer cravings which will mean you are far less likely to heat foods that don’t have such nutrients in them because they are reduced through heat and processing. By drinking raw fruit and vegetable juices you are giving your body super doses of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phyto-nutrients which would be in a form that Darwin feels would be ideally suited for the human digestive system.
By making your own raw, nutrient packed healthy drinks using a juicer and blender at home is a cost effective form of health insurance. Many people who juice various ingredients often report that they start to lose weight because their food cravings have been reduced.
The main objective is to improve one’s health for any juicing enthusiast. But you will be surprised to learn that along with helping to control weight vegetable juices taste delicious, especially if you have only ever drunk the preserved bottled juices from your local supermarket. For those who are trying to lose weight by have a juice or smoothie for breakfast or lunch is not only healthy but is a risk free way to achieve your weight loss goals. However, for most people the real benefit of this type of healthy lifestyle activity is you won’t actually need to diet.
You should use your juicer regularly and be selective as to what foods you eat and eat more of them in a raw state. Plus you should do some moderate exercise and you should find your natural body weight without having to make it your main goal in life.
You Should Use Your Juice and Blender As Often As You Use Your Cooker
This is a very simple piece of advice as it show how important that eating foods in their raw state if you want to be get closer to a natural diet that we have evolved to consume. If you want to improve your healthy then you need to own a good juicer and fairly powerful blender or smoothie maker so that you can create a wide array of living nutritional foods in liquid form in your own kitchen.
Juicers and blenders carry out different functions and the advantages they provide can be easily misunderstood. Juicers separate the fibre or pulp of the fruit or vegetables from the liquid juices. You need a good quality juicer so that most of the goodness gets extracted into the juice rather than left with the pulp. In fact when it comes to non organic fruit and vegetables any residue agrochemicals will remain in the fibre, so getting rid of the pulp is a good thing. As the fibre is removed so your body is able to absorb the raw fruit and vegetables juices more quickly and easily and less energy is needed to help digest them.
Juicers provide us with much of the goodness to be found in fruit and vegetables when extract the juice. As much of the fibre is removed this means the quantity of goodness we get from the fruit and vegetables are far greater than if we were to eat them in their raw state. If you were to put 1lb of carrots, half a head of celery and an apple through a juicer in a matter of minutes you would have most of the goodness your body needs in an easily digestible drink, which is not only full of minerals and vitamins but tastes delicious. Whereas chewing and digesting the same ingredients would be a very arduous task.
With a juicer you are providing with a way to help improve your western diet by providing you with easy access to large amounts of living nutrients that cooking takes away from the food we eat. You must ensure that you still consume an adequate amount of fibre in your diet, stripping this out with a juicer allows you access too many different nutrient rich drinks which can improve your health.
With a blender the fibre is left in and makes a thicker drink which we call a smoothie. In recent years this is what most blenders in kitchens are used for and some manufacturers of blenders now market theirs as “smoothie makers”, which adds to our confusion. Simply put there is no difference between a blender and a smoothie maker; they are in fact the same machine.
You need to be aware that these blended health drinks take much longer to digest than fresh juices do and offer different advantages. These are more fruit based and the typical kind of health smoothie you would make at home would have apple, melon, and orange or pear juice from your juicer as the liquid base. Then added to these would be frozen fruits such as bananas or berries which add texture and flavour. These kinds of mixtures are easy to process in a good blender and smoothies go well with other healthy ingredients such as natural yoghurt, wheat germ and oatmeal.
Many raw food enthusiasts will purchase commercial grade blenders as these can blend fibrous raw vegetables in to raw soups along with make smoothies and other types of nutritional foods. Fresh juices from a juicer can be satisfying but a smoothie made in a blender is more like having a meal in a glass. This machine offers you the facility to blend different ingredients and super foods. The smoothies and juices you drink can be customised to provide specific nutritional goals say for cleansing the body, providing energy, to help it repair and heal, to build up blood and much more.
So What Are You Waiting For?
By getting a juicer and blender which are built to be used on a daily basis will help to ensure that you are getting the health benefits in your own home from smoothies and fresh juice. Remember fresh is best. Yes you could walk into a juice bar each day to get what you want, but you will find it much more fun making your own juices and smoothies at home.
With the economic situation at the moment you can squeeze quite a lot of juice without it affecting your finances when you make them yourself. Along with the possibility of losing weight you are going to be spending far less because you are going to be having more natural ingredients in your diet instead of relying on the convenience of processed foods that cost more. In all likelihood you will begin to benefit in other ways as well, you will have more energy and vitality, you will get far less colds and sniffles in the winter, plus you won’t become so tired and your immune system will have been boosted.
If you haven’t started already then the sooner you get juicing or making your own smoothies the sooner you will start to reap the benefits that these healthy drinks have to offer. Remember that no juicer and blender is the same so you should invest money in the tried and tested models which will make juicing and blending more enjoyable.
If you need a blender that will be required to regularly blend frozen fruit then make sure it is powerful. In fact you should consider getting a masticating juicer as these will extract more goodness compared to the common centrifugal kinds of juicers which are readily available on the high street.
Today UK Juicers Limited offer a delivery service across Europe on a wide selection of juicers and blenders that are proven to work. Plus they offer a bespoke email and phone advice service to help you decide which would be the right juicer or blender for you.
- UKJuicers
Smoothie Recipes: How to Make Healthy Vegetable & Fruit Smoothies : Final Smoothie Making Tips: Recipes for Healthy Vegetable & Fruit Smoothies
Get smoothie making tips & recipes, including healthy vegetable & fruit smoothies, in this free health foods & nutrition video.
- expertvillage
Smoothie Recipes: How to Make Healthy Vegetable & Fruit Smoothies : Immune Booster Smoothie: Recipes for Healthy Vegetable & Fruit Smoothies
Learn how to make an immune booster smoothie & other recipes, including healthy vegetable & fruit smoothies, in this free health foods & nutrition video.
- expertvillage
Dr. Smoothie Taste Test: Sports
www.drsmoothiebrands.com Dr. Smoothie 100% crushed fruit smoothies Test Taste of sports activities. Soccer and tennis teams. Taste test took place in La Verne CA.
- drsmoothie1
Things you didn’t know about Raw Food Blenders
Raw Food Blenders
A crucial piece of equipment one needs to have in your raw food kitchen is a high speed food blender. This allows you the opportunity to make various raw food recipes such as soups, fruit smoothies, green shakes along with nut milks and butters etc. In fact you would find it very difficult to commit to leading a raw food lifestyle if you don’t have this crucial piece of equipment in your kitchen.
Those who choose to eat raw foods are looking to create very smooth soups and sauces from fibrous raw vegetables so that they absorb as many nutrients from them as possible. They will need ways that allow them to break up seeds and nuts completely to allow them to be blended into nutritious shakes and milks with other foods. In fact they are looking for a blender that is able to meet such exacting demands than normal kitchen equipment can.
Meeting the Demands In The Raw Food Kitchen
When it comes to blenders, raw fooders use theirs every day and will place them under a greater workload than would generally be expected in other households. Along with being used more frequently, their blenders will be required to carry out tasks that are more heavy duty, for example they will use theirs for blending dry ingredients, frozen fruits and raw vegetables to create smoothies. It is for this reason that many who have only recently taken up this form of lifestyle will find that their normal blender doesn’t provide the results they desire. They also don’t work for very long and the blade may disintegrate or the motor blows whilst being used.
If you choose to replace like for like this is going to end up costing you considerably more over the long term as most conventional blenders when given to raw fooder’s life span is considerably shortened. Therefore in order to achieve the desired results when it comes to raw food recipes and to get a return on your investment when it comes to blender it pays to carry out some detailed research to discover what your options are allowing you to choose much more wisely.
Entry Level Raw Food Blender That Packs Power
If you happen to be someone who may not stick to a raw food lifestyle or your budget is limited then you may not want to consider spend hundreds of pounds on a commercial grade blender. Is it actually possible for one to start this type of lifestyle when your budget is limited and as a result puts blenders with raw food capabilities out of your reach?
Up until recently the answer to these questions would be no. Most household blenders wouldn’t last very long when you wanted to follow such a regime and would need to be replaced often. So over the long term it would cost you considerably more than if you were to by a more expensive model straight away. However, L’Equip an American health brand has produced a new kind of blender which can produce good results and you won’t end up breaking the bank.
The L’Equip 428 Mill blender is a new kind of blender that’s jug configuration has been altered allow two blades to fit into the drive shaft. In the jug is a clamp arrangement which incorporates a safety switch ensuring that power is correctly locked down prior to use. As the name suggests this one can mill dry ingredients as well being more than capable of blending frozen or wet ingredients as you can simply swap the blades.
This certainly cannot achieve the same results of commercial grade blenders, yet the 18000 rpm blade speed is amazing for a blender that will only cost you £99. As for the jug this looks like the design you find on a food processor and a traditional blender yet still manages to complete the functions admirably well of both these machines. In a matter of 30 seconds I have seen it decimate dried chick peas and grind grain into flour. Plus the results it provides making smoothies and nut milks is good and it’s not far off producing smooth raw soups like the larger models. When it comes to the price, this is pretty much unbeatable and often leaves the conventional blenders found in households smoking after trying to carry out the kinds of tasks that the L’Equip 428 Mill blender copes with efficiently.
Premium Choices
When cost isn’t an issue you can think about going for a big hitting commercial grade blender instead costing anything from £350 or more. What you need to consider is that this is going to be effectively replacing the cooker in your home anyway so the money you spend on yours doesn’t seem so high.
You can if you want go for the simple commercial grade blenders available but many choose the commercial models that have been repackaged for the home market. They often come with simple instructions a useful guide and recipe book. Within the raw food community there are two contenders in the premium market and both are made in the USA. These are available through VitaMix and Blendtec also known as K-Tec.
But what is offered by VitaMix can leave one confused as this company seems to have a policy where they reskin or rebrand home use blender very frequently. The one that is most often used by raw food enthusiasts is known often as TNC (Total Nutrition Centre), The VitaMix 5000, The VitaMix 5200, The VitaMix Turboblend and to further add to your confusion this is the same blender with the same motor is also available as part of their commercial range using various names and with various differences to them.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t have anything against VitaMix they are extremely competent powerful blenders suited to meeting the demands of a raw food kitchen. Yet this is simply them marketing something as innovation. In fact over the years there has been nothing new about this blender other the name change and new packaging. It still has some old fashioned appear but there is a great chance of the protruding switches becoming gunged up when food spills over some time and they are difficult to clean behind. The controls are simple and unsophisticated yet it works which is great but for me the way it is marketed is somewhat dishonest and for that reason I wouldn’t want one.
If I had to purchase a VitaMix then I would opt for the powerful VitaPrep 3. The VitaPrep comes from the separate commercial arm of VitaMix and so isn’t plagued by the nonsense of sales and marketing as with the home side. As it is more powerful the VitaPrep 3 doesn’t need to work as hard and so can last longer carrying out the same tasks, but it often retails for around £600. So if you can afford to this blender is more than you will ever need and can last forever.
I must confess that I do love my gadgets and technology. But there practical reasons why I would choose the Blendtec HP3A Total Blender over what VitaMix have to offer for the same price. Blendtec offer real innovations when it comes to raw food blenders rather than providing a new name and box for it. They have a waterproof touch pad panel the surface of which is easy to wipe clean should you spill anything on it. Plus it looks far sleeker than the more dated ones from VitaMix.
However when it comes to innovation the motor is full of computerized technology. Along with the normal pulse and variable speed functions the Blendtec Total has further 20 separate pre programmed cycles that allow you to ramp the speed on this blender up and down in relation to the task required to be carried out. So everything required for a healthy kitchen is covered by these programmed cycles yet if you need to it allows you to customize them to create your own cycles as well.
Not only does this remove the guesswork but this one button function means that you are able to do other tasks as the blender can think for itself rather than you having to vary the speed or twiddle with a smoothie stick as with the VitaMix. Also when it comes to the jug the design used by BlendTec eliminates the need for the smoothie stick and a separate jug for using with dry ingredients. You could expect to pay around £400 for this machine in the UK.
Today in the UK there is a great selection of raw food blenders as well as commercial models suited for a raw food lifestyle from www.ukjuicers.com. In fact this is your one stop online shop for every piece of equipment that you need for your raw food kitchen such as spiralisers, blenders, juicers, wheatgrass juicers and supplies, sprouters, sprouting seeds plus much more including dehydrators.
- UKJuicers
Health benefits of Fruit Smoothies
More people are discovering the healthy benefits of freshly made juices and smoothies every day. They have realized how healthy diet can have a positive impact on our health and our general well being. And there is even more. Freshly made juices and smoothies retain the highest level of nutrients, which the body can digest readily. Raw juices and smoothies drunk on an empty stomach are absorbed into bloodstream within 15 minutes.
So what is a fruit smoothie?
The fruit smoothie is a blend of fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. No additives, or preservatives, just a fruit. The fruits that you use in your smoothie will have a massive impact on the flavor of your drink and its quality too. Remember, the drink that comes out of your juicer or blender will only be as good as the ingredients that you put in. Try to shop with this in mind. If you’re making a healthy smoothie it makes sense to avoid fresh produce that is likely to have been sprayed with pesticides. If you’re going to take the time to make your own drink, make it as good quality as they possibly can be.
Processed soft drinks often contain 90 percent water, a huge hit of sugar and/or sweeteners and chemicals to add flavor. “Pure” juices and smoothies are frequently reconstituted concentrates that have been heat treated to prolong shelf life, which means they provide very few nutrients. Even “freshly squeezed” juices and smoothies have been kept on the shelf for several hours (if not days) and they are less nutritionally valuable than freshly prepared juices and smoothies because many vitamins lose potency when exposed to light, heat and air. Only freshly made juices and smoothies retain the highest level of nutrients.
Fresh juices and smoothies are also abundant in enzymes responsible for the digestion and absorption of food into the body, ensuring optimal metabolism and high energy levels. Cooking fruit and vegetables destroys these enzymes, whereas juicing and blending releases them and allows the body to utilize them easily. Another important health benefit is that juices and smoothies are generally low in fat and many of them are completely fat free.
It is also true that much of the beauty comes from within, so it is as important to cleanse the inside of your body as it is the outside. Many of the nutrients found in the fruit and vegetables help to rid the body of toxins, which in turns lead to cleaner, brighter skin and fewer pimples. Getting a nutrient rich diet from regularly drinking juices and smoothies will also give you healthy hair and nails, naturally. Stress, ill health and lack of sleep will eventually take their toll on appearance and that is why juices and smoothies banishing stress and boost immunity are so beneficial. Finally, you can watch the pounds disappear if you opt for low calorie, fat burning juices and smoothies.
- Stephanie Taylor
if you drink a fruit smoothie, is it as good for you as eating the equivalent fruit?
i mean the smoothies you get from shops, like innocent.
- qChilli
Acai Berry Breeze To Drop Pounds and Inches
Lots of folk have started to use acai berry breeze to shed pounds. And they rave about this amazing acai diet product. The acai berry is high in fiber and protein so helping to reduce hunger. You can buy acai berry any many forms from juices to diet supplements, and if you add exercise and a healthy diet, you will be bikini and sundress prepared.
But what exactly acai berry breeze? I actually don’t think that dieting with this tiny berry is anything like following a traditional diet. With consistent diets, you are restricting calories, fat content, or carbs. Traditional dieting restricts you from eating something similar to chocolate, wine, potatoes, or fried foods. If you want to follow a healthy acai diet plan, you will wish to include an acai product. When it comes to dieting the word inclusion has a much better ring to it than restrictive.
I don’t even truly think of adding acai berry breeze to my meals as dieting. I like all natural fruit juices and delicious fruit smoothies that make me feel charged with energy, and prepared to take on the planet. The better part is that you can find products with acai in most every grocery or health food store. I have stumbled upon juices, and most of them include other healthy berries like raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. I really like to grab a bag of frozen berries, a bottle of acai berry juice, and my fave exotic fruit mixed sherbet and mix up breakfast. To follow this superfood styled diet, you will simply wish to include acai berries into your daily or weekly regimen. It’s so easy!
Acai berry breeze additions are wonderful to add to your smoothies. One extraordinarily engaging healthy smoothie I have seen includes acai berry juice, organic raw chocolate cacao, goji berries, and some fresh berries. Why not kick up the energy factor, and make a delectable healthy dessert. Avoid the chocolate cake, and get your chocolate fix without the guilt. The better part about my acai berries diet is that it is most certainly not a diet, but a healthy way for me to feel great, and keep my weight in check! What You Don’t Know About Acai Berry Side Effects
- Darrin Marks
Encinitas Family Brings Healthy Food FROOTS Franchise to Community
Davie, Florida (April 2, 2009) – Proving that food does indeed bring families together, Simon Holt recently joined his family in opening a FROOTS quick service restaurant in Encinitas, the first FROOTS location in California. Located in the Encinitas Village Shopping Center, this restaurant brings a variety of smoothies, healthy gourmet wraps, salads and paninis to the community.
Simon and his father-in-law, Merv Morris, found FROOTS while researching business opportunities on the internet and were immediately taken by the quality of the foods offered. “Encinitas is our community,” said Simon. “We live here; our children are in school here. Any business we would bring to our own community had to be something special and we’re very proud to be owners of a FROOTS franchise.”
Simon and Merv are joined in their FROOTS ownership by Simon’s brother-in-law, Brett Bohannon, and Merv’s wife Michelle. The Morrises live in Solana Beach but have much of their family in Encinitas. Merv manages his own consulting firm and Michelle is a mortgage broker. “We feel fortunate to have found FROOTS,” said Merv. “We believe it is the perfect fit for this dynamic community.”
FROOTS offers diners a real change from typical quick service menus. “Their tag line is, “Eat. Drink. Be healthy.” Offerings include everything from gourmet soups to jerk chicken or tofu garden wraps, to Greek salad with humus. Specialty beverage choices include fresh squeezed juices and 100% natural mixed fruit smoothies. For those in need of a little extra boost, FROOTS offers Red Bull® smoothies, mixing fresh fruit with the caffeine, vitamin and energy drink. For the body conscious, performance smoothies, combining protein, fat burner or energy enhancing powders, are available. Green tea and wheatgrass shots are also served.
“Encinitas is one of the most beautiful and active cities in the world and we knew that we wanted to offer food that could satisfy active people and health-conscious families,” added Simon. “We hope people will stop in so that our family can welcome theirs.”
About FROOTS
FROOTS is a quick service restaurant offering a variety of fruit smoothies, healthy gourmet wraps, salads and paninis. Using only fresh ingredients, FROOTS creates unique flavor profiles to satisfy a culturally-diverse clientele. FROOTS Franchising, Inc., is headquartered in Davie, FL and is a privately owned company. The concept was created in 2001 by its founder and CEO, David Lopez and has been franchising since 2004. Currently there are over 37 locations in the US and international locations in Honduras, Panama, Guam, Turks & Caicos. Ireland and Puerto Rico will be opening soon. Expansion plans include opening an additional 500 locations in the next five years.
FROOTS was named one of the FAST 55 by the Franchise Times and made the Top 500 list in Entrepreneur Magazine. For all franchising opportunities, call 1-877-FROOTS-1, visit www.froots.com or e-mail Tatiana Molina at tatiana@froots.com.
- Terrie Hall
Smoothie Recipes: How to Make Healthy Vegetable & Fruit Smoothies : Almond Milk: Recipes for Healthy Vegetable & Fruit Smoothies
Learn how to make almond milk, & get fresh fruit smoothie recipes in this free health foods & nutrition video.
- expertvillage
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