This may seem like a silly question. Juice is good for you—or is it? The answer to the question “is juice really part of a healthy diet?” is—not necessarily.
True, juice is better than sodas, which are loaded with empty calories. But there are a number of factors that you need to consider.
When people try to keep track of the calories they consume, they tend to overlook liquids. But, except for water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea, all liquids contain calories. And because liquids take up less space than solids, it’s possible to consume a lot more than you realize. By the time you feel full, you may have taken nearly a day’s worth of calories.
In addition, psychologically, we associate chewing food with having a meal. If you don’t chew anything, you think you haven’t eaten and so haven’t consumed any calories. In reality, you may have consumed as many calories as if you had eaten a whole meal.
Juices do contain vitamins and minerals that are part of a healthy diet. But those are the pure juices. Beware of “juice-like” products. Most contain only a small percentage of actual fruit juice and contain added sugar, coloring, and additives. And they have almost as many calories as sodas.
Even pure juices contain calories. Having a glass of orange juice with breakfast is fine, if you stop there. But if you drink several bottles of juice during the day, or even one large one, you can be adding several hundred calories to your total daily consumption. Your body doesn’t think “Oh this is liquid; it doesn’t count”. Excess calories are stored as fat, no matter what their source.
You are better off eating the actual fruit. By eating an orange, you get about one fourth of the calories of a glass of orange juice, and you get the added bonus of fiber.
If you can’t imagine breakfast without orange juice, go ahead and have it. But then modify what you have for the rest of the day. Instead of apple juice, eat an apple. Instead of more orange juice, eat an orange. Drink water instead of juice-like beverages.
So, is juice really part of a healthy diet? It can be, in moderation. You just have to remember that healthy mean doesn’t calorie free. Want to learn more about what makes up a healthy diet? There is a program that will not only show you how to eat healthy, but also develop a whole new healthy life style. To get started today, go to http://finallyadietthatworks.html.