DO YOU KNOW HOW TO JUICE?
Is
“juicing” a fad or is it here to stay? What is most important to know
about juicing are provenance, preparation and combinations. Where is
the food item sourced from, who is handling it, how is it processed, and
what combinations of food are important medicinally? There are so many
juices out there. Each city has local favorites such as Easy Being
Green, Juice Generation, Evolution Fresh, Jugo Fresh, and Blue Print.
Sipping your nutrients has been popular for several years. And it's no
surprise—the “It drink” can provide you with loads of health benefits by
upping your intake of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The
problem is, there's a lot of confusion about how to juice. Dr. Michael
Hall is a general practitioner and founder of The Hall Longevity Clinic
in Miami Beach. Dr.
Hall cautions that, “One must be savvy and know how to read between the
lines at a super market or juice bar.” Dr. Hall decodes some of the
common “juice” terms and points out common mistakes “juicing junkies”
make.
“Contains 100% Juice”
Everything
in the bottle came from fruit or vegetables, but not necessarily the
ones front and center on the label. For example, a cranberry juice might
have pure cranberry juice diluted with apple or pear juice. This is
still considered “100% juice.”
HPP: This
stands for high pressure processing and is a non-thermal pasteurization
process. This method is used to give juice a longer shelf life by
deactivating certain microorganisms and enzymes.
“Raw”
At
the present time, this term is either used to refer to unpasteurized
cold-pressed juice that has a shelf life of two to three days or
HPP-treated cold-pressed juice with a shelf life of up to 45 days. Check
the label to see if and how the juice has been pasteurized.
“Unpasteurized”
A
very small percentage of commercially sold cold-pressed juice in the
United States is unpasteurized, though it is gaining popularity. Imagine
the fresh-squeezed apple cider at a local orchard, or premium green
juice blends made at popular juice bars like NYC-based Juice Press and
Liquiteria. These juices have a shelf life of a mere two to three days
and are usually created with organic ingredients, making them about
three times more expensive than your average lunchtime juice box.
“Pasteurized”
Usually
referring to thermal pasteurization, where a product is heated,
pasteurization is used to prevent spoiling and to kill harmful
pathogens, like E. coli. In addition to juice, milk, cheese, canned
foods, wines and syrups are commonly pasteurized. Some companies use
“flash pasteurization,” which supposedly maintains the color and flavor
better. HPP is sometimes considered a form of pasteurization, though it
does not use heat.
Cold-Pressed: This
juice is created with a press and slow pulverizer. Because the process
is slow and doesn't cause heat, it helps to preserve enzymes and
therefore, important nutrients. This is a popular method used for
store-bought juices.
“From Concentrate”
Many
companies create a shelf-stable pasteurized juice product by extracting
water from juice and creating a “concentrated” juice product. To make
“reconstituted juice,” either the consumer or the manufacturer will add
in water to dilute the concentrated juice before serving.
“Not From Concentrate”
Used
by numerous brands including Tropicana and Florida’s Natural, this
phrase was coined in the 80s to distinguish pasteurized juice from juice
made from concentrate. Though no water has been removed from this
product, some larger producers strip the juice of oxygen, to keep juice
stable while oranges are out of season, which reduces some natural
flavoring. Some companies add in proprietary “flavor packs” so the
product has the taste and aroma of just-squeezed juice. The FDA does not
currently require that companies list flavor packs on a product’s
packaging.
Common Juicing Mistakes
Going All Or Nothing
Some
people get so caught up in a new diet trend that they think going to
the extreme will provide better, faster results. In reality, that often
sets one up for failure. For most of us it's extremely difficult to
sustain an all-juice diet for any extended length of time. Dr. Hall says
that, “The key is to incorporate juices into your diet without totally
replacing your meals. For most people, a breakfast juice is a great
place to start.”
Adding Without Subtracting
Another
common mistake is adding juices into your diet without subtracting
other foods. Dr. Hall states that, “While juicing does provide
antioxidants, it's important to keep in mind that they still have
calories. Some are better than others—for instance, green juices tend to
have fewer calories and sugar than fruit juices—but if you're adding
these to your diet every day, well it adds up. Instead, add a juice to
your diet while subtracting another food. But remember, the trick is to
incorporate them, not use them to replace meals altogether.”
Picking the Wrong Produce
The
best part of juicing is that each drink you make is hand crafted from
the fresh produce you put into it. Unfortunately, this leaves a fair
amount of room for error. But this doesn't mean that you should load it
up with so many fruits or fruit juices that it tastes like a milkshake
from a fast food restaurant. If you find yourself adding entire fruit
baskets to your morning drink, it's probably time for a new plan. You
might end with so much sugar and calories that it negates the health
benefits. Dr. Hall’s tip? “Make sure your juices follow the 80:20
ratio- 80% greens, 20% fruit. Essentially, the fruit is there to cut the
bitter taste, not to dominate your drink.”
Juicing (and Storing) in Bulk
It's
important to store your produce properly before juicing, but it's also
crucial to drink any juice you make at home as soon as possible. Once
all of the raw nutrients are exposed to oxygen, they have a tendency to
break down. At a maximum, juices should be stored for just a few hours
before drinking. After that they lose a huge amount of their nutrients
and may cause you to become ill if pathogens grow from oxidation. So, if
you want to reap the most benefits, drink up right after you juice up.
Dr. Michael Hall
Dr.
Michael Hall is a Miami Beach, Florida general medical practitioner
specializing in longevity, anti-aging, total body wellness and
rejuvenation. With over twenty years of experience in medicine; Dr. Hall
is a credible resource offering his expertise on a wide array of
popular health topics such as: Brain function, organ function, joint and
muscle pain, stem cell therapy, tissue repair, testosterone replacement
therapy, sexual health, hormonal imbalance, travel illnesses, travel
vaccinations, substance abuse treatment, weight loss, skin care and skin
rejuvenation.
Volunteerism:
Dr.
Hall's approach to life embodies the true essence of achieving balance
and good health. Caring for people, he organized relief and aided
victims of 2004 Boxing Day tsunami by founding a medical mission in
Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.
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