Even though my diet is primary based around high fat and protein, there are a wide variety of philosophies and theories. One person’s “healthy” could be the opposite of another. Yet almost every dietary philosophy agrees that a diet rich in vegetables is a good thing.
Due to responsibilities in modern life, getting enough of these vegetables is often incredibly difficult. As a business owner and blogger with a variety of hobbies, getting enough vegetables is rarely high enough on my priority list. Lately, I have found a method of improving nutrient intake from vegetables without spending hours cooking and stuffing myself.
Using green juice is a highly effective method of consuming high quantities of vegetables for maximum nutrient density. The benefits include cancer prevention, reduced cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and even enhanced muscle mass.
Benefits of Green Juice
I’m a fan of science, but the number one benefit of green juice is how it makes me feel. When I break my fast, it usually starts with a huge 16 – 24 ounce helping of green juice. The producers of Popeye were right when they made spinach his secret weapon. This stuff is nearly as invigorating as cold showers.
Beyond the blast of nutrients, there are a variety of other green juice benefits as well.
Variety
Even when people can get enough vegetables, it always seems like they are the same ones. The same salad greens every day might be better than nothing, but if you are not getting a wider range of vegetables, you are probably missing out on a lot of what nature has to offer.
Not only is it useful to make green juice for a variety of different vegetables, but you can incorporate some of your least favorite vegetables as well. In juice form, masked by many others, it might not taste as bad (or last as long!) as you think.
Nutrient Density
The term “nutrient density” has been used often in Paleo circles, but green juice offers a different take on a similar theme. By removing most of the fiber and maintaining a high volume of nutrients, it is possible to consume far more. When I wash all of the different greens that will go into my drink, there is no way to consume that volume daily and be happy.
Cancer
A variety of studies show that low blood-oxygen levels can be perfect conditions for cancer. Green juice is full of chlorophyll and oxygen. In fact, high quantities of green juice can improve levels of oxygen in the blood and make cancer growth unsustainable.
This isn’t just useful for elderly people. Youth who maintain an oxygen rich environment in their blood will see many of the benefits as well. For young people like me who consume higher than average quantities of meat, it is imperative to use green vegetables. Colon cancer is associated with cytotoxic effects of haem (in red meat), but can be mitigated with adequate green vegetable intake.
Diabetes
Evidence suggests that green vegetables are also responsible for improving hemoglobin A1c, which is a primary health indicator for patients with type 2 diabetes. With only a total dietary intake of 200 g total vegetables and 70 g green vegetables, it is possible to reduce HbA1c and improve metabolic health. Although 70 g of green vegetables is nothing, imagine with the green juice from huge quantities might do!
Heart Disease
Diets that are high in green (and yellow) vegetables seem to provide support against heart disease as well. While the only relevant study was done on mice, it does remove some confounding variables; in a human trial, a diet high in greens would probably be only one of the healthy practices. However, studies on humans do show that diets high in green vegetables can reduce triglycerides, which are a common heart disease causing factor.
Muscle Mass
Surprise! As someone interested in improving muscle mass, finding this study was exhilarating. Although the study focuses on older adults, alkaline diets (lower pH / basic) showed enhanced lean tissue in participants. This is mere speculation, but I always thought that improved oxygenation and nutrients in the blood could provide an environment for anabolism.
Green Juice is an Art
Even though any kind of green juice is healthier than no green juice, there are correct ways of doing things for maximum efficiency.
Fruits and sugar
Green juice is healthy, but half the mixture should not consist of sweet, sugar laden fruits. Try to keep sugary fruits to a minimum because fructose is actually one of the least healthy types (as far as fat pathways are concerned). To make it palatable, I typically incorporate ¼ or ½ of a green apple and ½ a lime. It isn’t much sugar, but it does the trick.
Drink on an empty stomach
If you are going to get the most out of green juice, drink it on an empty stomach and let your stomach stay empty for a while. This will allow your stomach to better absorb the nutrients and utilize them for the body functions. Don’t rely on the green juice to be a meal replacement, though. Have a meal ready 20 – 30 minutes afterwards.
Don’t save green juice
Saving green juice is not an effective method of utilizing the nutrients. I understand it is more feasible for some busy people with responsibilities, but it is a lazier method that has less benefits. Is it better than nothing? Absolutely, but enzymes degrade the nutrients as soon as it is exposed to the air. If you must refrigerate the green juice, keep it no longer than 24 – 36 hours.
Rind is optional
If we lived in a world with clean vegetables, I would suggest keeping the rind no matter what. Alas, the world (and America particularly) is rife with pesticides and other toxins. The rind is full of nutrients and when I include limes, I utilize the rind as well. Make sure it is well washed if you take this route, but it isn’t necessary.
Green Juice Yield
There are a few concepts one learns when green juicing for a while. One of the main ones is to balance the high and low yield green vegetables. This parting list will hopefully provide you with some guidance for your juicing endeavors; combine a bit of both for best results. Good luck!
Low yield:
Spinach
Kale
Collard greens
Swiss chard
Arugula
High yield:
Celery
Cabbage
Bok choy
Cucumber
Zucchini
Broccoli
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