Do you depend on your morning cup of coffee to help you get going at the start of your day, only to feel you need another �pick me up’ only a few short hours later? Consider replacing your caffeine habit with a dose of fresh, healthy juice to provide nature’s source for energy.
Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not provide you with extra energy. Caffeine is a drug and its major action is to stimulate your body’s adrenal hormones. Stephen Cherniske, author of Caffeine Blues, underlines that the perceived energy one receives after consuming caffeine products is a result of the increased adrenaline level in the blood. Thus, your body is in �fight or flight’ response stressing out your adrenal glands. Basically, you are trading a short term jolt for long term jitters and fatigue.
Fruits and vegetables are full of natural enzymes which are responsible for the production of energy at the cellular level. Juicing allows you to access the full benefits of the enzymes in your fresh produce for two major reasons. First, the enzymes haven’t been destroyed by heat. Cooking your vegetables in heat higher than 114 degrees Fahrenheit denatures the enzyme, or changes its shape so that it can’t perform its function. Eating raw produce means that you are getting live food into your system. Second, juicing releases nearly all of the enzymes that are trapped in the indigestible fibers of your fruits and vegetables and makes them available to your body in a form easy to absorb. As a result, you feel a boost of energy almost immediately that lasts longer than a cup of coffee.
If you are ready to put juicing to the test, finding the right juicer will be essential. There are many fruit and vegetable juicers on the market, but look for one that will produce higher yields of juice as well as one that works on lower RPMs – this will prevent the juice from being heated up. You want to preserve those enzymes! Twin gear juicers will produce the best quality juice, but are also the most expensive. Single gear masticating juicers are probably your next best choice as far as juice quality goes, and they are reasonably priced.
Take the coffee pot off the counter and replace it with your juicer. Getting your glass of fresh juice in the morning will take less time than brewing a cup of coffee and the health and energy benefits will last you longer.