They have been used through out the ages to heal people through
quite desperate and seemingly hopeless health situations.
Dr Sandra Cabot's (author of 'The Liver-Cleansing Diet') grandmother
had a severe kidney disease, glomerulo-nephritis which causes wide
spread kidney inflammation and allows blood and proteins to pass
in the urine. The hospital of the day sent her home saying they
could do nothing more to save her life. Luckily Sandra's grandfather,
who was a man ahead of his time and a hospital dietician, took his
partner home and started her on raw juices. Juice from vegetables
above the ground and then from those below the ground, alternating
them every hour. After 6 weeks of this treatment, her kidney function
was regained and her immune system came back into harmony. How powerful
is that?? And remember, this was back in the days when there weren't
any fabulous juicers around. Talk about dedication. I wish there
were more hospital dieticians like this these days! Imagine how
different recovery could be.
Nowadays everyone in the land has the ability to have a juicer
at their finger tips. Organic vegetables and fruits are becoming
easier to obtain. Good health lies right under our noses in the
kitchen! Fancy that!
Why are juices so good? Juices are easily digested and absorbed.
They are perfect for those with a poor appetite, nausea, chronic
fatigue, digestive problems, inflamed stomach or intestinal tracts.
If someone is feeling fatigued and not interested in chewing their
way through stacks of vegetables then juices are a perfect way to
get them back on track.
People of every age can benefit. You could be in a peak
state of fitness or in the midst of a serious illness - juices will
benefit all. Because juices are packed with living enzymes they
assist the digestive process, which allows your liver and pancreas,
stomach and intestines to function more easily and achieve better
absorption, means you will get almost all the nutritional value
out of the juices you ingest. Assisting the digestive process in
this way allows your body to conserve vital energy so you won't
feel weighed down after having them like you might after eating
a meal.
If you find the juices too strong, you can simply dilute them
with water (not ice cubes) to a strength you can handle. They are
potent phyto-nutrients so diluting them with one third water is
quite okay. Our modern diets which may include many processed foods
like breads, pastas, cakes, pies, softdrinks, tea, coffee and alcohol,
cause a build up of acids and metabolic waste products which in
turn increases inflammation.
( note on Inflammation : - If the surfaces of the digestive
membranes, like small intestine lining, are inflamed then it cannot
fully perform it's first function which is to facilitate the absorption
of nutrients in to the blood and out to where it needs to go to
help build and maintain muscle tissue, bones, organ function, etc.
If your body is constantly being aggravated by foods/activities/lifestyle
choices that inflame it then your system will not be able to recover
quickly. It will get slower and slower until at some stage the tissue
will not be able to respond anymore because it is too overwhelmed
with inflammation response and disease will ensue.)
This tendency to have a high acid build up can be neutralised by
drinking raw juices. Celery, cucumber and cabbage are three veggies
that help reduce acidity. They will help keep the acid in check
and increase your energy and sense of well being. Raw juices will
tend to stimulate the function of the large intestine (bowel), liver
and kidneys which allow greater elimination of waste products. Juices
also affect the flow of bile made in the liver.
The Liver pumps toxins and fats out through the bile, so by having
juices you are lessening your chances of liver problems (like
fatty liver) and gallstones.
A recent research study in the American Journal of Medicine has
shown that Juices 'may cut Alzheimer's risk'. In the study
the US researchers followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years
- providing a powerful set of results. 'They found the risk was
76% lower for those who drank juice more than three times a week,
compared with those who drank it less than once a week. ' 'Alzheimer's
is linked to the accumulation of clumps of beta-amyloid protein
in the brain. There is some evidence to suggest that this process
may be controlled by the chemical hydrogen peroxide. Various studies
have suggested that polyphenols - chemicals available in many foods
- might disrupt these processes and provide some protection against
Alzheimer's disease by neutralising the effect of damaging compounds
called free radicals.' 'Fruit and vegetable juices are particularly
rich in polyphenols. Lead researcher Dr Qi Dai, of Vanderbilt University,
said: "We found that frequent drinking of fruit and vegetable juices
was associated with a substantially decreased risk of Alzheimer's
disease. '(BBCworldnews website)
There are so many good reasons to have fresh juices! On the next
pageI have listed a few good juice combinations that you might find
useful.
Remember
