Smoothie/Juicing Detox

02:18

Sorry for the lack of posting over the end part of 2014, christmas was a crazy whirlwind of revision, work and family time so barely had chance to post. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year!

I thought I'd kick off the year with the new health kick craze that has taken 2015 by storm as a form of detoxing: Juicing. Celebrities like Megan Fox, Gwyneth Paltrow and Millie Macintosh have been seen with vibrant green juices as a daily detox. The real question is, are these juices doing our bodies as much good as celebrities are promoting them to do or are they just another health hype?

We'll start with the benefits. Juicing is a great way to get raw fruit and vegetables into your body with all their raw nutrients. Cooking fruit and vegetables means that you lose a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that the raw products contain. As well as being naturally low in added sugars, fats and salt, they're a great way to kick off the day and give you plenty of energy for the day ahead. For someone like me, who isn't the biggest veggie lover, I find it a great way to get a chunk of my 5-a-day in disguise. Also, it's a good way to clear out your fridge and fruit bowl of any fruit that may be on the turn. Or if you can't use it all in one, freeze it and use it in a smoothie or juice over the next few days!

However with the positives comes the negatives. Juicing diets are often looked at as a quick and easy way to lose weight, however these diets should only be followed for a couple of days and used as a method of detoxing the body. If followed for longer than a few days, you are starving your body of nutrients that are vital to bodily functions. The majority of nutrition from juices and smoothies is carbohydrates, mainly natural sugars from fruits. A lack of protein in the diet means the body doesn't feel as fulfilled and will struggle to maintain the body's metabolism. The majority of fibre found in fruit and vegetables is found in the pulp and skin, which is the part removed when juicing fruits and vegetables. In effect, a juicing diet provides a high-carb, low protein and fibre intake, which is just going to spike blood sugar levels.

So to conclude, juice diets have little or no benefit, however along side a balanced diet are a tasty and healthy way to up your fruit and veg intake. To balance out the high sugar content, try green smoothies or juices with a higher vegetable to fruit ratio. Most days I like to have a smoothie or juice as my breakfast before the gym, it's nice and light so won't feel heavy on your stomach while you work out but gives you enough nutrients to keep you going.

Here are a few pictures that have inspired me through the past couple of weeks of 2015 to juice/smoothie more.