Let me just start out with an important fact: I am not a nutrition expert, dietician or medical professional. I'm just a guy who was concerned enough about his health to do something.
I have seen too many reports about how although we think we are eating well, the reality is that most of us don't get proper nutrition. We consume way more animal protein than our bodies need, and we eat a lot of stuff our bodies don't need — like sugars, flour, pastas, white rice and other refined carbohydrate "foods." But we don't eat enough vegetables and fruits — especially vegetables.
As a 40-something adult who was diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure), who works long hours and wasn't getting enough exercise, I knew that if I didn't want potentially life-threatening (high blood pressure = high risk for stroke) medical conditions, aside from being fatigued and out of shape, I had to improve my diet.
I did see a documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead which was inspiring, even though obesity was not my issue — I'm 5'8" and weigh about 150 lbs. (Note: there seems to be a commercial interest between the maker of this documentary and Breville, the brand of juicer used in the film, since that's the brand they're pushing on the film's web site — it's still a good film.) It occurred to me that if I got proper nutrition, in particular potassium — while sharply curbing my sodium levels, that I might be able to naturally lower my blood pressure and stop taking a pill every day.
In the first two weeks, people noticed a change. They said I looked more energetic, that my skin looked amazing. I felt better. I had more energy. I didn't need two cups of coffee to get started in the morning, and I didn't feel like drinking as much wine as I had previously in the evenings.
The logic is simple. We can't eat as many vegetables in a day as it would take to get all the vitamins and minerals we need, and I suspect supplements just don't work as well as getting the real thing. By juicing vegetables, you are getting 95% of the nutrients in them, without all the bulk. Adding this to an otherwise healthy diet improves overall nutrition.
As for my blood pressure, I will be reporting on that in future posts. Even if it doesn't change significantly, I'm sure that all of the extra nutrients I was lacking before will have long-term benefits. There's no doubt that juicing will improve my health. And my life.
My personal chronicles about juicing, including: recipes, reasons, experiences and thoughts about nutrition and health
