Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • October 1, 2014 Juicing: A closer look at a very juicy activity Juicing provides many health benefits, and is far better than other methods of food preparation because cooking and processing food destroys micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. In addition, juicing is an easy way to help ensure that individuals will consume the recommended six to eight servings of vegetables and fruits per day. Juicing helps the body to absorb more nutrients from the vegetables. This is important because many people have impaired digestion as a result of making less than optimal food choices over many years, causing the body to have limited ability to absorb all the nutrients from vegetables. Juicing helps to “pre-digest” those nutrients, so most of the nutrition is absorbed rather than excreted. Juicing allows individuals to consume an optimal amount of vegetables in an efficient manner. People can also use juicing to add a wider variety of vegetables to their diet. Many people eat the same vegeta- ble salads every day. This violates the principle of regular food rotation and increases their chance of developing an allergy to a certain food. Juicing allows people to consume a wide variety of vegetables they may not normally enjoy eating whole. Vegetable juice has very little protein and virtually no fat, so it is not a complete food. It should be used in addi- tion to regular meals -- not in place of them, unless one is involved in a juice fast for a designated amount of time. It is critical to start juicing vegetables one enjoys eating. The juice should taste agreeable. Here are a few simple tips for those who want to try juicing. Use pesticide-free veggies. It is wise to choose organic whenever possible. Following are the vegetables that are the most pesticide-loaded ones according to the Environmental Working Group. Try to purchase these vegetables if they have been organically grown. They are listed in order, with the first listing being the most important to purchase in its organic form: celery, spinach, kale, collard greens, lettuce, carrots, and cucumber (not as bad if peeled). Try these secret ingredients. Use lemons and limes for green drinks. Use a quarter to a half of a lemon or lime for every quart of juice when experimenting with bitter greens, since lemons and limes effectively counter that bitterness. Lemons or limes taste better to juice than carrots, beets, or apples, which have more fructose. Those who want to avoid peeling the citrus fruits can juice the skin. Add cranberries. Researchers have discovered that cran- berries have five times the antioxidant content of broccoli, which means they may protect against cancer, stroke, and heart disease. In addition, they are full of phytonutrients, and can help women avoid urinary tract infections. Limit the cranberries to about four ounces per pint of juice. Try fresh ginger to give the juice a little kick! Research- ers have found that ginger can have dramatic effects on car- diovascular health, and may help prevent atherosclerosis, lower cholesterol levels, and prevent the oxidation of low- density lipoprotein. Drink the vegetable juice right away, or store it very carefully. Vegetable juice is highly perishable, so it is best to drink it immediately. When stored carefully, juice can be kept for up to 24 hours with only moderate nutritional decline. A few tips for storing juice follow: • Put juice in a glass jar with an airtight lid and fill it to the very top. There should be a minimum amount of air in the jar as the oxygen in air will “oxidize” (read damage) the juice. • Purchase a food vacuum pump. Pour the juice into a pint jar and put the lid on and use the vacuum pump to suck out the air in the jar. This will remove most of the oxygen that would damage the juice. • Immediately store juice in the fridge and consume it within 24 hours of juicing. This article was submitted by Alison Witzmann, nutri- tional counselor, fitness instructor, and professor of kine- siology. She is the owner of One Body Matrix, 44 South Maple Avenue, Suite 2, in Ridgewood. Call (201) 286-2213 or visit onebodymatrix.com for more information.