Juicy Stuff

CEBU, Philippines – Getting on a juice diet is something all of us can try and make a habit with. Fresh juice from carrot, tomatoes and grapes can do wonders for the skin, eyes, digestive system and overall well-being.

Sometimes we trust so much pills and drinks that purport to give as all the vitamins from A to Z even if we don’t know what ingredients actually get into these. Rather than be misled or deceived, fresh juices guarantee vitamins with no chemical adulteration. The costs come more of the same whether you buy a bottle of pills or a kilo or two of carrots and tomatoes. But then drinking fresh carrot and tomato juice gives your body the pampering and assurance that you are not taking “chemically manufactured stuff” into your body.

C is for Carrot

Beta carotene in carrot juice gives the body Vitamins A. B, E and other minerals. Carrot juice is known to prevent cancer because when beta carotene changes to Vitamin A in the body, these have antioxidant property that helps eliminate cancer-causing free radicals.

“Radicals” in the body are like rebels — these can destroy and produce a chain reaction of radicals meaning like creating and multiplying cancer-cells. Anti-oxidants just like anti-rebel or counterinsurgency movements, stop these radicals from multiplying. Vitamin C and E from beta-carotene in carrots are strong and aggressive anti-oxidant operatives that stop radical intermediaries from multiplying.

Although oxidation reactions are crucial for life, these can also be damaging. Plants and animals maintain complex systems of multiple types of anti-oxidants. But human beings are a different lot. The lifestyle and food we eat sometimes kill the anti-oxidants that are supposed to help us. With carrot juice, we do the anti-oxidants in our bodies a favor.

Deficiencies in Vitamin A can cause dryness and damage to the skin, nails and hair. Drinking carrot juice strengthens bones and teeth because of its Vitamin A content.

Vitamin A has cleansing effects for the liver because it reduces bile and fat. For the liver to be cleansed regularly, drinking carrot juice must be done regularly rather than occasionally. The liver can store Vitamin A.

Drinking carrot juice is also thought to improve eyesight due to Vitamin A creation in the body.

Here Comes the Tomatoes

Just like carrots, tomatoes are effective and brave anti-oxidants. Tomatoes can either be prepared as juice, eaten raw, mixed in salads or added ingredients in cooking. Because tomatoes are low in carbohydrates, tomatoes or tomato juice control the percentage of sugar in the urine of diabetic patients. It is also good for people who are on a weight loss program.

It is the lycopene properties in tomatoes that make these strong anti-oxidants. It is said that lycopene is more powerful than beta-carotene in protecting blood lymphocytes. Because of these, tomatoes or drinking tomato juice are useful in reducing high blood pressure and even dissolving animal fats in food like eggs, cheese, pork, and beef which are the major cause of artery clogging. Researchers have found that lycopene prevented cancer cell growth when introduced in cancer cell cultures. Fresh tomato juice prevent cervical, rectal and cancer of the stomach.

Because tomato juice is high in potassium, it is an integral mineral in human nutrition. Low potassium level in our nutrition leads to weakness and the tomato is the ideal natural supplier of potassium. And owing to its high level of Vitamin C, tomatoes help bolster the immune system and fight infections and viruses. Doctors recommend tomato juice during flu like symptoms.

Mixing carrot and tomato make a great nutritional cocktail.

Then after getting all those vitamins from carrot and tomato juice that will keep you energetic, there is another juice that helps you fight fatigue. Grape juice replenishes the body’s iron supply. Iron deficiency can cause severe fatigue and leaves one to feel completely tired. For the best iron boost, light grape juice replenishes iron lost from sweating. Drinking grape juice gives more energy and helps relax muscle fatigue. In life, sometimes it’s the juicy stuff that keeps us juiced up. (THE FREEMAN)