Is Juicing good for weight loss?


What is Juicing anyway?

Juicing is basically a process of extracting juice from vegetables and fruits with a small kitchen appliance. Consuming juice basically means that you are gulping the water content that includes the mineral and its essential nutrients in the purest manner available. However, in the process, the pulp or fiber content that also possess good health benefits are removed. Many juicers whisk away these pulp and deliver you with limited nutrients only. Hence it is best considered to consume fruits raw and vegetables (raw or partially steamed).

Few opt to drink straight from the carton juice that are readily available but it is worth knowing that these juices are processed to increase the shelf life and in the way lose many of the vital nutrients that are important to health. The addition of artificial flavors and sugar can worsen the product as a whole. Two words – stay away.

What to expect

With a lot of hype doing arounds about juicing, here is what you can expect when it comes to weight loss.

Nutritionist Jennifer Barr, RD of Wilmington, DE says that if you are not a big fan of vegetables or fruits, this is the best way to get them in. However you can still consume 2 whole fruits and 3-4 veggies a day. Infuse your creativity and toss lot of colors that appeal to the eye as well curb your craving. In this way you get a good blend of minerals and vitamins.

If you do not want to miss on the fiber content add the pulp back to the juice or you can use it while cooking as well such as broth, soup or pasta.

Calories are important when you are consuming juice. It is important to balance the calorie intake for instance vegetables have only less calories. So if you are using 3 veggies, throw in an apple or kiwi. You can increase protein to make the juice more balanced such as almond milk, flaxseed, peanut butter, yogurt etc. This will help in maintaining boosting muscle without losing on muscle mass.

Downside of Juicing

On the con side, juicing might seem like an easier option but it can have reverse affect. When you are on a juice only diet, you will not get enough fiber or protein that is necessary to make you full. At some point you will give up.

Barr says, “If you are going for a juicing diet, you will be very much tempted to eat something like a cake or doughnut since you have restricted yourself”.

Lack of Protein can lead to loss of muscle mass which can be detrimental for your body. As for the fact of cleanisng or detoxifying the body with juice, there are not much studies to prove this point. Just so you know, your liver and kidneys are doing their job of detoxyring even if you are not juicing.

I agree there are other health claims that having a plant based diet means less risk of health problems such as CVD, cancer etc. but that has nothing to do with juicing as specific.

Bottomline, it is better to stick to proper dieting program such as Paleo diet that provides you with better option to lose weight correctly. However, if you are planning to go ahead with juicing, consult your medical practitioner before taking on juicing diet especially if you are under any medication.

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