“Eat your fruits and veggies, they’re good for you”.
This is a phrase that we have definitely heard before. While fruits and vegetables are undeniably good for us, we still sometimes struggle to hit our daily vegetable and fruit requirements.
The search for an effective method to encourage people to consume more fruits and vegetables seems to be never-ending.
In recent years, there has been a rise in popularity in methods such as juicing (extracting the juices from fresh fruits and vegetables) with juice products and accessories gaining a large market share in consumable goods.
While this method has unquestionably made consuming fruits and vegetables a whole lot more convenient, is this really the best method of getting our daily micronutrient requirements?
Could there be an even easier way? Let us find out!
What is Juicing?
Juicing is the process of extracting the juice from fresh fruits and vegetables.
This usually removes the pulp, seeds and flesh of fruits and vegetables — leaving behind the liquid containing the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from the fruit and vegetables.
Ways to Juice
There are various extraction methods, from squeezing the fruit by hand to the use of motor-driven juicers.
The two most common types of juicers are:
- Centrifugal Juicers: These juicers use a high-speed motor to rapidly grind fruits and vegetables into liquids.
- Cold-press Juicers: Also known as masticating juicers, these machines press and crush vegetables and fruits slowly to extract as much juice as possible.
One key difference between these two methods is that cold-press juicers do not produce heat when extracting the juices. As such, nutrients and enzymes are not broken down due to heat — which is thought to happen with centrifugal juicers.
Benefits of Juicing
Most people do not consume enough fruits and vegetables to be getting all the micronutrient their body needs. It is proven that fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants — the whole wellness industry is built around the importance of consuming more of them in our diet.
One key benefit that juicing gives is convenience. It is an easy way for you to get in more fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Research has shown that the consumption of mixed fruits and vegetable juice improves bioavailable nutrient levels (e.g. vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, selenium, and folate) which may increase immunity against diseases (1).
Juicing May Not Be The Best Option
Those who advocate for juicing may claim that drinking juice is better than consuming whole fruits and vegetables.
However there could be downsides. Studies have found that the fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables is actually necessary for us to experience the full benefits (2).
Despite the methods used, the majority of the naturally occurring fiber is normally lost during the juicing process.
As a result when compared to eating WHOLE fruits and vegetables we may not be getting all the vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables when juicing.
Aside from this, while drinking juice is more convenient compared to eating the whole fruit or vegetable, the process of preparing the juice can be a cumbersome one.
What’s more there are things you need to look out for when considering pre-made bottled juices.
Although it is convenient to purchase pre-made bottled juice from your local supermarket, beware as, whilst the ingredient profile may seem similar to fresh juices, it is probably packed with lots of sugars.
Furthermore, these pre-made bottled juices are definitely not as fresh as if you juice daily — especially if they have been left on the shelf for a long period of time.
Overall the lack of nutritional value, a high sugar content, and dubious freshness means that you should avoid going for bottled juices.
Juicing‒is it worth the effort?
Let’s think about it, you first need to purchase enough fresh fruits and vegetables to fulfil your micronutrient needs. You need to wash and prepare the ingredients.
Next, you need to whip out your handy juicer and assemble it in order to juice your ingredients.
Lastly, you still have to clean up after yourself. This entire process easily takes up 20 minutes out of your day.
While this is definitely an effective method to get your daily fruits and vegetables, you might ask if the result is worth the hassle.
Is there a more convenient way to hit your daily fruit and vegetable requirement without compromising quality?
Super greens may be the solution for you.
Super Greens: Where Quality Meets Convenience
Super greens are dietary supplements made from a diverse selection of vegetables, fruits, and leafy greens. It is likely that the diversity of ingredients is broader than you would consume in your daily diet.
Studies have shown that green powders have multiple health benefits — from reducing the risk of chronic illnesses, to improving the immune system, to weight loss and more.
Essentially, super greens can offer us the nutritional value of consuming a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, with the added convenience of being in a powder form.
Compare the total time it takes to make a glass of fresh juice to pouring a scoop of super greens powder into a glass of water — notice the significant time saved?
Apart from the convenience, what sets SuperGreen TONIK apart from regular super greens products is the quality of the ingredients we have used.
Our product contains 15 organic ingredients and each ingredient is included in its optimal daily dosage.
For example we have carefully selected superfood ingredients such as spirulina, kale, and ashwagandha root extract.
Spirulina is a tiny algae that, despite its size, is probably one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. A single tablespoon of dried spirulina powder contains proteins, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, copper, and iron. Additionally, it may have positive effects on blood lipids, oxidative damage, as well as blood pressure and sugar levels (3).
Kale is considered one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables. One cup of kale is packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and antioxidants such as lutein and beta-carotene which improves our immune system and lowers the risk of diseases due to oxidative stress (4, 5).
Ashwagandha is a super-herb with multiple health benefits. This herb has been studied for the ability to reduce stress, improve memory, and enhance task performance and concentration (6, 7).
Overall, super greens powders save you time and are easy to use — no longer do you have to spend the time shopping, chopping and cleaning up!
More importantly, with the addition of these powerful superfood ingredients, super greens may offer additional health benefits over traditional juicing, making them a superior way of conveniently hitting the gaps in your daily fruit and vegetable micronutrient intake.
References +
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15190044
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23271615
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-spirulina#section10
- https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2461/2
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614697/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21407960
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28471731