The Juicy Gossip
Critics claim it’s unhealthy, while advocates sing its praises. Who’s right?
By Mallory Arnold, Ohio University
It’s the Hail Mary of dieting.
Some people swear by it, others have sworn off it, but for years, juicing has been steadily climbing in health trends, making its way into businesses and homes everywhere. People have been scraping the bottoms of their Magic Bullets trying to figure out if there is a right answer to the ever daunting question: To juice or not to juice?
The fact is, there is no right answer. There is only a balance. Exactly what you wanted to hear, right? It’s like those infuriating “dad answers” that never make any sense but seem to vaguely be acceptable. Although there is no right or wrong answer, there is a choice. Your choice.
Woah. Let’s not get too serious about carrots and peas, shall we? Let’s talk about juicing.
“Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” is documentary that follows a man who was determined to regain a healthy lifestyle by only drinking the juices he made for 60 days straight. Sounds like good TV, huh? Well, apparently the rest of the country thought so because juice cleanses have become more popular than ever after the special aired. “It worked for him, why couldn’t it work for me?” people ask themselves, stocking up on colorful bouquets of expensive juicers and organic vegetables.
And yes, in theory, juicing is perfectly wonderful for you. The problem is, people take it to extremes. Fad diets like these are the most popular—and can be the most dangerous. There is no evidence that a juice cleanse is a magical cure-all for any health issue that you have. In fact, the common saying that a juice cleanse rids you of toxins is false. That’s what your liver and kidneys are for!
It’s extremely harmful for a person on a regular solid food diet to suddenly jump to a juice cleanse for a long period of time. Side effects of doing this too quickly and for too long include, but are not limited to, headaches, dizziness, gaseousness, fatigue, irregular bowl movements and emotional imbalances. Many people get very sick when they jump into a juice cleanse, vomiting constantly and being confined to bed.
If you experience any of these and find yourself hugging the toilet night and day—stop. Some people’s bodies just don’t react well to the diet, and no matter how many fruits and veggies you shove down your throat continuing on isn’t healthy if you’re puking all day.
But if you don’t take it to intense extremes and you do it the balanced way, juicing can be a very good thing! Make sure your body is healthy enough to go through the diet and that no contributing factors may be dangerous for you. Then prepare your juices with both fresh fruits and vegetables. Some combinations can give poor side effects, so be cautious and do your research!
Juice cleanses can be beneficial—it’s not all talk. It is a good way to get your servings of fruits and vegetables, foods the average person tends to neglect the most. Juicing can strengthen your immune system, providing a powerful boost to fight off colds and the flu. Although not proven for every single person, juicing can lead to have clearer, softer skin.
Although some high-end companies use this as more of a marketing ploy, it’s not 100 percent bogus.
We all want to be healthier people, but we also want to be happier people. Americans tend to have a diet full of refined carbohydrates and trans fats—foods that induce depression. Including vitamin rich juices in your diet can increase your vitality levels, making you a more energized, upbeat person.
Before juicing, dieting or doing any kind of strange weight loss technique, it’s important to figure out why you’re doing it in the first place. Like the brave man in “Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead,” he wanted to go through with the cleanse to be a healthier, stronger person. He needed to make a real change to make sure he lived a long, healthy life, and juicing was the way to do that.
But not all situations are as extreme. It’s not a “fun” diet to try just because you want to drop a pound. It’s not something to participate in just to appease that judgmental monster in your head that tells you you’re not good enough. Don’t take something that can be so good, so beneficial, so tasty (carrots and beets in a juice can actually taste pretty bomb) and turn it into a weapon against your body.
Treat yourself: indulge in delicious juices in your life and taking trendy Instagram’s to show off how much you love your own skin. A lot of people suggest juicing once a week—getting all the healthy nutrients in your body but also not overdoing it. It’s important that you listen to your body. Getting healthy is awesome, but doing it the correct way can not only slim you down, but make you truly a happier person
To juice or not to juice? Sorry folks, that’s a question you’re going to have to answer yourself. Because in the end you’re in charge of what goes into your body and how you feel about
You just got a “dad-ism” free of charge. You’re welcome.
