Author: Leticia Celentano
Time for reading: ~3
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
Why consume juices and how to prepare healthy and tasty drinks from fruits and vegetables
We all know that fresh juices from vegetables and fruits are useful because they contain many important and necessary elements and substances for human health. This is the main reason why it is good to have such drinks on our menu every day. The juices also contain phytoncides that reduce the growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi. That is why it is recommended to consume them in the spring and after illness to restore vitamin deficiency. In order to increase immunity and prevent frequent colds in winter, it is necessary to drink 2 glasses of juice every day in the autumn (morning and evening).
Specialists even develop special recipes for juices for immunity. You can make one from 2 apples, 1 orange and a handful of your favorite berries. The drink enriches the body with vitamin B1, folic acid, selenium, calcium, magnesium and other substances.
Another reason why it is good to drink fruit and vegetable fluids is the fact that they help lose weight. They are natural laxatives, which, by the way, contain pectins . On the one hand, they reduce the rate of absorption of fat, glucose and cholesterol, speed up metabolism, which leads to weight loss and reduced abdominal volume.
On the other hand, pectins contribute to the formation of a mass that removes toxins and toxins from the body, thus purifying it and enabling it to function smoothly and accurately. In addition, pectin is characterized by a jelly-forming property that creates a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, which is the basis of many diets for weight loss.
You can personally see for yourself what you wrote above by drinking 2 glasses of juice a day for 1-2 months. How quickly the results will be noticed depends on the amount of products you use to make natural drinks.
The third reason why you should seriously consider the proposal for daily intake of juices is to preserve youth for a longer time. It is no secret that fruits, berries and vegetables are sources of antioxidants - substances that fight free radicals. The damage of the latter to the body is great, and in addition - they provoke its premature aging.
In addition to all this, we must say that juices are a wonderful source of energy because they are rich in carbohydrates, which are absorbed much faster than the same in other products. One cup of the drink contains as many carbohydrates as 5-7 teaspoons of sugar (the amount depends on the type of fruit and the degree of its ripening). The best proof of this is the fact that after drinking a glass of juice a person experiences a surge of energy and his mood improves.
Making good juice is close to art. Fruits and vegetables are selected very carefully, with fresh, ripe but not stale ones being suitable. All soft fruits are washed under cold running water, and hard - under warm but not hot. They should not be soaked, because otherwise they will lose their nutrients. Contaminated and damaged areas on fruits and vegetables are cleaned with a brush or cut, all leaves and hard parts are removed.
From carrots additionally cut not less than 1.5 centimeters from the wide upper part. The same goes for fruits and vegetables, which raise some doubts about your quality. Of course, it is true that such products should be peeled, and in the case of cabbage - then its top leaves are removed, as well as the cob.
Immediately before cooking, the fruit is placed in a ceramic, glass or enamel dish and, if necessary, cut with a stainless steel knife. This is necessary simply because the acid contained in the products reacts with aluminum and turns the drink from useful to harmful.
Another important point is the storage of juices. They do not last long after preparation, except for beetroot drinks, which need to be refrigerated before consumption. All others should be drunk within 10-20 minutes after they are done. After 20 minutes, the amount of nutrients may begin to decrease, and this depends on air temperature and light. As a result, the juices darken and toxins begin to form in them, which could lead to serious poisoning.
Juices from sour fruits, berries and vegetables are best diluted with water in a ratio of 2: 1 (juice - water). When the drinks are for children, the ratio should be 1: 1.
The series of materials dedicated to juices will continue with information about the appropriate additives to natural fruit and vegetable drinks, the compatibility between different products, we will tell you how the juices should be used and in which cases they are not suitable for consumption.