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By Cat Smiley
The faded vision of force-fed babies burping up pureed peaches leaves less to be desired. The child reaches preschool and faces fruits presented in gelatin-enhanced cavity catalysts, and pastry-laden pies. Fruit and vegetable enticement has become a multi million dollar venture, as offerings of altered nature’s candy pop up in all forms - feeding the confusion of consumers with healthy intentions.
Daily fruit and vegetable consumption is vital, yet is juicing is answer to the liquid in question?
Not all our upbringings were in a Brady Bunch-style home where dinner was wholesome and nutritiously balanced. As a result, many of today’s grown ups have no idea how to eat properly, although they may know there is a glitch in their eating system.
The good news is that just as smoking is out, healthy eating is in. Crazed youth armed with misleading attitudes are now downing fruit smoothies at the skate park, reaching for energy drinks and super vitamins to find the hype. The decade or so where basic eating patterns became chemically engineered and fat-free America turned increasingly obese, is fast being fazed out by healthy simplicity.
Simplicity however has a flip side - becoming less attainable for those on an average pay check. Organic is hip and the price for ‘natural’ is high. Growing up on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, living off the land was pretty much the only thing we knew. Once, a town 30 miles away opened up McDonald’s and a class trip to the ‘great American chain’ was organized.
Like visiting Disneyland, amidst the excitement was the feeling of a one-hit wonder that never materialized into anything greater. Revisiting that sleepy community ten years later, organic remains an essential way of life, juicing/cooking is simply the control unit to avoid fruit falling and rotting into the soil.
Fruit and vegetable crops grow without even being planted, exotic fruits are gathered (like garbage pickup day) in family wheel-barrows. Processed and packaged foods were ironically fashionable, therefore expensive. Arriving in North America, yet striving to eat the natural foods that my body recognized, proved to be costly venture.
Kay Ahadi (BSC Nutrition, Acadia University), is a well regarded nutritionist and owner of Quantum Vitamins Ltd. Natural beauty is the first thing that pops to mind when you meet Kay, who enthusiastically shares her thoughts on juicing.
“Freshly squeezed juice with no added colors or preservatives is obviously the top consumer choice. Try to avoid anything that looks unfamiliar - look at the shelf life and choose the freshest. Whole product remains the superior choice. If you are looking at including juicing as part of a weight loss diet, include higher protein options for your other meals. Juicing can be a great inclusion for cancer treatment as patients are usually looking to gain weight and live nutrients/enzymes are digested, also serving as a great blood cleanser if using the correct juice combination (example, half a shot glass of beet to 6 apples).”
The ISSA (International Sports Science Association) has long been established as the America’s leading health and fitness authority. They believes in a "Good, Better, Best" philosophy. It's good to grab the minute maid OJ for $2 (versus the sugar filled Coke). It's better to juice fresh fruits/vegetables. It's Best to pick up a whole fruit or vegetable. Simple!
They explain, “People who have cancer need all the energy they can get. Juicing is effective for those with low immune systems because it takes the fiber and roughage out of the vegetable/fruit, thereby making it pure nutrients for the body to handle. It's easier on the kidneys, liver and other internal organs because they don't have to work hard to process the fiber. With juicing, it allows their bodies to process the nutrients, without having to work hard to process the roughage. There are vast differences between fresh orange juice and concentrate. The amount of processing of concentrate decreases the amount of nutrients (including antioxidant) significantly. You lose close to 50% of the nutrients by the time concentrate gets to the consumers hands.”
Juicing could be a good habit to get into (as long as the rest of your diet has adequate protein) yet should not replace eating whole produce. Bottoms up!
Cat Smiley is a well known fitness personality and pro-athlete. Her award winning company (Cat Smiley Personal Training) helps people of all abilities maximize their athleticism. Watch for “the Cat Smiley show” talk show candy set to launch mid October. Contact (604) 488.7466 or www.catsmiley.com. Phone orders through Kay at Quantum Vitamins (604) 905.7790.
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