Summer is Looming, Get Juicing!
5 April 2016
As sales of juicers and smoothie makers go through the roof, it seems that more and more Britons are now answering the persistent calls made down the years to consume more fruit and vegetables.
Indeed, according to a government survey a few years ago, fewer than a third of adults hit the long-recommended "five-a-day" target, with only one in 10 children also doing so.
Inevitably, as temperatures rise and the daylight hours lengthen, more of us will also be getting out in the sun, and satisfying the increasing need to quench our thirst with fresh fruit juices. However, the good reasons for juicing extend far beyond mere hydration, also including the following...
It's an easy way to get fruit and veg into your diet
Most of us know about the health benefits of fruit and veg, with even just one piece of fruit a day sufficient to reduce your risk of heart disease by 20%. But if you aren't the type of person to reach for a banana at lunch time when you could have a bag of crisps instead, your diet may be badly lacking all of that goodness.
Enter the smoothie maker or fruit blender - there are so many models around these days from reputable manufacturers like Kenwood and Russell Hobbs, they have never been more affordable or easier to operate and you can have one of the healthiest drinks of all within mere minutes - one with low fat and plentiful vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Different juices offer different benefits
One of the great things about juicing is the scope to experiment with different combinations of fruit and veg, not least given that each of these offer potentially very different health benefits.
Did you know, for example, what a great vitamin C source and digestion aid pineapple juice is, or that grape juice really helps to cure constipation? What about the potential for watermelon juice to reduce the risk of kidney problems, especially the formation of kidney stones?
Indeed, the different health benefits of different juices help to make them especially suitable for certain circumstances or times of day. A glass of orange juice, for instance, is a great way to start the day given its richness in antioxidants, while we would recommend chilled watermelon, grape and cucumber juices for the afternoons and early evenings when many people feel the heat worst.
There are so many different recipes to try
There are always new fruit juice recipes being advertised around the Internet, all designed to make blending or smoothie-making more interesting and help give you the full breadth of health benefits that different fruit and vegetables can offer.
What about combining two apples with a handful of spinach leaves, a slice of cucumber, slice of lime and half a celery stick - among other things - to give yourself a great 'Turbo Express' drink bursting with potassium, iron and vitamin C? Or what about a carrot-based drink to help lower your cholesterol, or something stuffed with fresh greens like parsley and watercress, in order to thoroughly detox your tummy?
It's all possible with the right fruit juice combinations, so don't be afraid to 'go juicing' this summer when you sign up to those tough weight loss retreats and fitness boot camps!
