When I was married in 1973, the first breakfast I prepared for my new husband was an omelet with alfalfa sprouts, and a glass of fresh apple, carrot and celery juice. He thought I had lost my mind. However, little my little, as I introduced more juices into our meals, he began to notice how much better he was feeling. He had more energy, better attitude and slept more soundly. Juicing has been a part of my family’s way of life since the 1970’s. I have gone through many juicing machines, and have found the one I am happiest with. Juicing today is a lot easier than it was even a few years ago. They are more efficient, easier to clean and extract as much of the ‘good stuff’ as possible. Juicing is a part of our everyday routine.
Most people who are ‘into’ juicing know that a man named Dr. Norman W. Walker in the 1930’s introduced the first juicer. He lived to be 109 years old and healthier than most of us are in our twenties. Juicing is one of the oldest forms of getting the benefits from fresh fruits and vegetables and the use of juices as medicine dates back thousands of years to biblical times and ancient cultures in India, Polynesia, Peru and Native America.
A friend of mine recently had a severe acid/alkaline imbalance, being way over acidic. Juicing is one of the best things you can do to restore balance to your system by creating a more alkaline environment. It is a well-established fact and backed up by years of research and numerous studies that eating green foods will help restore the body’s ph to a balanced state. If you do not believe this, buy yourself a good juicer and some ph testing strips. You will see the difference for yourself. Diseases such as cancer, candida, and viruses cannot live in an oxygenated, alkaline environment. Most people today are over-acidic because of the foods we eat. We don’t get enough fruits and vegetables and eat too much meat. Some of the conditions related to a ph imbalance on the acidic side are: arthritis, cancer, chronic fatigue, depression, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), osteoporosis, skin conditions, weight gain and numerous other symptoms. I test my ph every day. I usually know before testing I am acid because my skin breaks out and I just ache all over. There are many things that will cause an over acid imbalance including stress, toxins and pollution.
It is the chlorophyll in the plants that help alkalize the body. There is no way we can eat enough green vegetables to get the benefits of the amount of chlorophyll needed to balance out the ph. If you are over acidic, then you will want to juice green vegetables. Celery is particularly affective in bringing the body to the alkaline side. When I know I am acid, I juice a cucumber, four or five stalks of celery, and an apple. After thirty minutes I will test my ph again and it never fails to be perfectly balanced. Restoring balance to the ph system of your body is just one of the many benefits of juicing.
The National Cancer Institute recommends eating five serving of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day. Juicing provides a quick, easy way to get the recommended daily servings of fruit and veggies. The nutrients from juice are more easily absorbed and results seen faster than eating the fruit or vegetable.
In a quote from The Natural Way to Vibrant Health, Dr. Norman Walker says, “I can truthfully say I am never conscious of my age. Since I reached maturity, I have never been aware of being any older, and I can say with equivocation or mental reservation, that I feel more alive, alert and full of enthusiasm today than when I was 30 years old. I still feel my best years are ahead of me. I never think of birthdays or celebrate them. Today, I can truthfully say I am enjoying vibrant health. I don’t mind telling people how old I am: I AM AGELESS.”
How many of us can say that at any age?