I have just seen powerful proof of the benefits of juicing during periods of illness. One caveat: If you have any physical ailment, you need to consult your doctor before you begin a juicing program. Also, never take your medication with freshly made fruit or vegetable juice, as there can be serious interactions and absorption problems.
Back to my story. I recently went through about 2 months of pain and ill health, due to inflammation throughout my body. I struggled to eat my regular meals. I was constantly nauseous and without any appetite. As the weeks went by, I began to be very concerned about my nutrient intake, as I was losing weight rapidly.
Luckily I was able to continue with my normal juicing routine, although I couldn't manage it every day. I cut it down to roughly four days a week. My juicing recipes usually make use of produce such as celery, broccoli, cucumber, apples, carrots, cabbage and beetroot. Even though I didn't feel like eating and had trouble keeping food down, my body still tolerated the freshly made juice well.
When I had blood tests done after 8 weeks, I asked my doctor to check my vitamins as well. I was pleasantly surprised when the results came back. All the levels were within the normal range, in spite of weeks of eating very little!
I think that juicing can be a superb tool to use during illness, provided that you check with your doctor first. The thing is that our bodies find it extremely easy to assimilate the vitamins, minerals and live enzymes from fresh juice. No tiring or demanding digestive process is involved. It is almost as if you are giving your body nutrient-rich intravenous feeding without the ouch of a needle stick!
And you get a whole bunch of good-for-you stuff in one glass of freshly made juice. It is very easy to get this down - you don't even have to chew!
So, next time you feel too ill to eat or the kids are sick and without appetite, check with your doctor. If he or she gives you the OK, go ahead and try to fill up on veggie juice for a health and vitality restoring nutrient punch. Juicing and my reliable Breville Juicer really pulled me through this time round...
