A Closer Look at Juicing

BY CATHERINE MCKINNON                                                                                                                                                   ONLINE CONTRIBUTOR

Promising quick results and an overall health improvement, juicing has become the newest fad for lifestyle consumers. The multimillion dollar industry has allowed for a large number of juiceries opening up in many cities across Canada, including our very own Kingston, that now houses several juiceries such as SimplyWell, who have been gathering quite the following since their 2015 opening. Juicing’s popularity is undoubtedly due to its branding as a quick fix, one-stop-shop of nutrients from various fruits and vegetables crafted into one, tasty drink. Rather than prepping, cooking, and eating these foods throughout the day, consumers have been offered an easier alternative: chug them all in one go. The establishment of a “juicing culture”, has been influenced by social media and consumer culture that promotes healthy living and eating. All over Instagram and Facebook, you can find fitness bloggers promoting juicing due to its convenience. Naturally, there are many benefits associated with juicing, such as getting a healthy intake of nutrients from fruits and vegetables that our bodies can absorb much more easily and quickly. Juicing has reportedly even been able to also boost health, mood, and even appearance. And if you're not keen on spending the big bucks on a drink while you’re out (juicing does come with its own, organic-thus-expensive price tag), it's not that hard to make some creations of your own. The key to getting the most from your juices is using the right ingredients to jumpstart your health and maximize your vitamin intake. Superfood ingredients to add to your juices include: apples, which are rich in antioxidants; citrus fruits which boost vitamin C; cucumbers which are water-based and help to clear skin; kale, which has many added benefits such as being rich in iron; celery - which gives you added energy; and lemon and water- which can boost your immune system.Although juicing is a great alternative for adding nutrients to your diet, remember that simply eating whole fruits and vegetables will give you 100% of available nutrients which is actually necessary for our bodies. Most fibre is lost through the juicing process and since fibre retention is one of the most important benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, only consuming juices is not enough for full nutrition and may negatively affect digestion over time.There’s nothing like sticking to the basics of healthy eating, but if you feel like you may not eat enough fruits or vegetables on their own, then juicing is a great way to consume a variety of nutrients!