My Answers to the Cons of Juicing

Donna McGee, studio manager at Life's Journey Yoga & Wellness, shared this article with me: The Pros and Cons of Juicing by Jo Cavallo.

Below, I've quoted some of the cons that the writer lists followed by "my answers" to them!

Here goes...

Article: "However, there are some drawbacks to juicing. For one, the process of juicing eliminates fiber."

My answer: Because we would typically balance juicing with eating whole foods or making smoothies (in blender) that retain fiber, it wouldn't be as if we are completely eliminating fiber from our overall diet. The chance to nourish the body while eliminating the process of heavy digesting...giving the digestive system a well-needed break...is invaluable, I think.

Article: "One of the health benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables is to increase your source of heart- and digestive-healthy fiber."

My answer: It's all about balance: eat some, blend some (the smoothie made in blender keeps the fiber). Then, juice, too, for that instant-dose-of-nutrition opportunity! I think the optimum word here is "balance." Juicing doesn't have to take over the whole diet, unless one is juice fasting or such for a certain period of time.

Article: "Also keep in mind that unless you drink your home-squeezed juice right away, you run the risk of contamination by exposing it to air and pathogens."

My answer: I think this juice-and-immediately-consume-it process is a beautiful thing! Fresh juicing, fresh drinking! Why wouldn't we want to get the nutrients from the juice into the body as soon as we can? Isn't that far better than drinking juice that has sat on a store shelf for weeks? Plus, we don't need a huge glass of fresh juice to receive the nutritional benefits, so it shouldn't be tough at all to get the fresh juice consumed soon after juicing the produce.

Article: "And then there is the expense of buying a juicer and the time investment needed to prepare the fruits and vegetables you're using and the cleanup afterward."

My answer: There are juicers to fit varying budgets. For anyone who is a regular consumer of store-brought juice, well, before long or over time, they'll eventually end up paying the cost of a juicer for juices they've been purchasing. Plus, with juicing, there are no bottles or containers to dispose of after juicing, so it's easy to see why juicing would be an eco-friendly choice when it comes to consuming juices.

Regarding the time investment element, is it really that bad to take a little bit of time out to push some produce through a juicer and clean the equipment when we're done? Many people spend far more time cooking a full-course meal in front of the stove/oven...which often requires far more prep and cleaning time than the overall juicing process? And, by the way, quite often, that one fresh juice is far healthier than the full-course cooked meal. I think the "time investment" is something that can be viewed differently with a little shift in perspective.

Happy Juicing! :-)

Penny