Juicing the Total Fitness Way

By Catherine Carrigan, catherine@totalfitness.net

I am a big fan of juicing – let me make that perfectly clear!

Juicing is A-plus health behavior. Although many will hear about juicing, the few who are willing to actually do it get to enjoy:

– Increased energy

– Gorgeous skin

– The many benefits of live enzymes

– Better digestion

– Detoxification

– Lowered cholesterol

– Reduced inflammation

– Weight loss

Swiss chard and parsley I grow for juicing in my garden

If you decide to juice, definitely make your own – do not bother buying bottled – or God forbid – canned juices. Your cells will be so happy to receive food with the highest amount of life energy available!

There are many fancy juicers on the market. I personally started with a Jack Lalanne Juicer. I had probably at least three Jack Lalanne juicers, replacing each one as it eventually wore out. The advantage of that one is it’s inexpensive and from an old-time fitness expert, the guy who swam the English channel tugging a barge behind him.

Today I have a Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor. It was given to me as a gift, and the advantage over the Jack Lalanne is that it comes with its own pitcher, as I make lots of juice at one time.

Many people complain they don’t have time to juice – you do!

When clients complain about not having time to do the job, I simply take them up to my kitchen and whip up a delicious glass of juice in about 2 minutes.

If you are new to juicing, I recommend you start with what I refer to as a “beginner juice” – carrots, celery and apple, or celery, cucumber and apple or orange, ginger, lemon and carrot.

Another great juice that just about everyone enjoys is fresh organic lemonade. Buy a bag of organic lemons at your local health food store. Wash them and cut off the ends, but be sure to leave on the peels – the pectin in the peels is great for your liver.

Run the lemons through your juice and save the juice in a large jar.

When you are ready for fresh lemonade, take 1-2 ounces of lemon juice, add the natural sweetener stevia to taste and fill the rest of your glass with filtered or sparkling water. Voila! The best lemonade you have ever tasted.

There are many recipes and many books about juicing, but in my book, the general thought is simple. Half your glass should taste good. The other half should be good for you.

So, for example, half your glass could be fresh organic apple or pear or pineapple juice. The fruit juice will cover up the taste of the sharper vegetables like spinach or kale.

My favorite juice is spinach and apple along with parsley and Swiss chard I raise myself in my garden. I simply juice an entire box of organic spinach that I buy at the grocery, then go out to my garden and cut an equivalent amount of Swiss chard and parsley, juice that and follow up by juicing apples on top.

I always feel great when I juice, and those of you who are following our Total Fitness eating plans will note that when you juice for breakfast, you only need to add a protein and a healthy fat – your juice supplies your vegetables and healthy carbohydrates.

One of my favorite breakfasts is organic turkey sausages and a glass of fresh celery, parsley and apple juice. When I eat this for breakfast, I am not hungry for a very long time and I have tons of energy!

I heard about juicing for many years, but what convinced me to start was meeting a neighbor while out on my walk one day. He was in his mid-90s at the time, had rosy cheeks and a big smile on his face. I struck up a conversation and asked him his health secrets.

“Juicing,” he said.

“What do you juice?” I asked.

“Whatever is in the refrigerator,” he replied.

I have seen for myself what happens at the level of your cells when you start juicing.

A simple way to examine your health is to prick your finger and put a drop of your blood on a slide and look at it under a microscope. You can see the health of your cells and what is happening inside your blood.

I had live blood cell analysis done for years, but when I started juicing, the lady who examined my blood told me, “You have the healthiest blood of anyone I have ever seen!

Juicing can help you lose weight because when you start to juice your body will finally be getting the nutrients it craves at the cellular level. Many of your common food cravings can be healed when you start to give your body the real nutrition it needs. You will feel deeply satisfied and less hungry  because you are giving yourself highly nutritious food.

Although everyone should definitely include five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables in their diet, I recommend you juice also because you can simply consume more nutrients this way.

My herb and vegetable garden

Some common ailments and fruit and vegetable juices found helpful can be found below:

Acidity

Grapes, orange, carrot and spinach.

Acne

Grapes, pear, plum, tomato, cucumber, carrot, potato and spinach.

Allergies

Apricot, grapes, carrot, beet and spinach.

Arteriosclerosis

Grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, celery, lettuce and spinach.

Anemia

Apricot, prune, strawberry, red grape, beet, celery, carrot and spinach.

Arthritis

Sour cherry, pineapple, sour apple, lemon, grapefruit, cucumber, beet, carroty, lettuce and spinach.

Asthma

Apricot, lemon, pineapple, peach, carrot, radish and celery.

Bronchitis

Apricot, lemon, pineapple, peach, tomato, carrot, onion and spinach.

Bladder ailments

Apple, apricot, lemon, cucumber, carrot, celery, parsley and watercress.

Cancer

Kale, spinach, celery, apple, beets, lemon.

Colds

Lemon, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, onion, celery and spinach.

Constipation

Apple, pear, grapes, lemon, carrot, beet, spinach and watercress.

Colitis

Apple, apricot, peach, pear, pineapple, papaya, carrot, beet, cucumber and spinach.

Diabetes

Citrus fruits, carrot, celery, lettuce and spinach.

Diarrhea

Papaya, lemon, pineapple, carrot and celery.

Eczema

Red grapes, carrot, spinach, cucumber and beet.

Epilepsy

Red grapes, figs, carrot, celery and spinach.

Eye disorders

Apricot, tomato, carrot, celery, parsley and spinach.

 Gout

Red sour cherries, pineapple, tomato, cucumber, beet, carrot, celery and spinach.

Halitosis

Apple, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, tomato, carrot, celery and spinach.

Headache

Grapes, lemon, carrot, lettuce and spinach.

Heart disease

Red grapes, lemon, cucumber, carrot, beet and spinach.

High blood pressure

Grapes, orange, celery, cucumber, carrot and beet.

Influenza

Apricot, orange, lemon, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, onion and spinach.

Insomnia

Apple, grapes, lemon, lettuce, carrot and celery.

Jaundice

Lemon, grapes, pear, carrot, spinach, beet and cucumber.

Kidney disorders

Apple, orange, lemon, cucumber, carrot, celery, parsley and beet.

Liver ailments

Lemon, papaya, grapes, carrot, tomato, beet and cucumber.

Menstrual disorders

Grapes, prunes, cherry, spinach, lettuce turnips and beet.

Menopausal symptoms

Fruits and vegetables in season.

Neuritis

Orange, pineapple, apple, carrot and beet.

Obesity

Lemon, grapefruit, orange, cherry, p[pineapple, papaya, tomato, beet, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and carrot.

Piles

Lemon, orange, papaya, pineapple, carrot, spinach, turnip and watercress.

Prostrate troubles

All fruit juices in season, carrot, asparagus, lettuce and spinach.

Psoriasis

Grapes, carrots, celery, beet and cucumber.

Rheumatism

Grapes, orange, lemon, grapefruit, tomato, cucumber, beet, carrot and spinach.

Sinus trouble

Apricot, lemon, tomato, carrot, onion and radish.

Skin problems

Celery, cucumber, watermelon, spinach, kale, parsley.

Sore throat

Apricot, grapes, lemon, pineapple, prune, tomato, carrot and celery.

Stomach ulcers

Apricot, grapes, pineapple, cabbage and carrot.

Tonsillitis

Apricot, lemon, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, spinach and radish.

Varicose veins

Grapes, orange, tomato, beetroot, carrot and watercress.

If you would like help learning about juicing or wanting to find out which nutrients can help heal your body or to set up a seminar for your group to learn about juicing and healthy eating,  email catherine@totalfitness.net or calling 678-612-8816. I am available in person in Atlanta and by phone and skype.