All About Juicing
Juicing is very popular right now, and I have seen a lot of new juice bars in my area. But are juices too high in sugar?
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Juicing is all the rage right now, with proponents touting benefits such as weight loss, detoxification, increased energy, improved mood and radiant skin. These are all desirable qualities, and juicing fruits and veggies is a great way to boost your body with ample amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The problem with juicing is that although it hydrates and supplies nutrients, it concentrates the natural sugar in fruits and vegetables; the sugar content will depend on what fruit and veggie combination is selected. The downfall is not necessarily the high amount of sugar, but the lack of fiber and nutrients lost in the skins and seeds extracted in the juicing process. Fiber is what helps slow the absorption of sugars. Without fiber, sugar will quickly absorb into your bloodstream, spiking your blood sugar levels.
Nutritious juice can be beneficial in small amounts (4 to 6 ounces a day), along with fiber-rich foods, healthy fat and/or protein for balance and to slow the absorption of sugar. Better yet, add whole fruits and vegetables with unsweetened almond milk, protein powder, nuts, seeds, avocado and/or Greek yogurt in a high-powered blender to retain fiber, boost nutrients and stabilize blood sugar levels. We’ve got beautiful examples of juicing recipes that implement these foods. Bottoms up!
Registered dietitians Tiffani Bachus and Erin Macdonald are the co-founders and creators of URockGirl.com, a website dedicated to promoting wellness and a healthy, balanced lifestyle.