ASK A QUESTION

Wow, my blog has been going for two weeks and the feedback has been fantastic. A list of questions is already starting to build up. Please be patient and I will work my way through them. This weekend I am going to be writing about the fantastic properties of coconut oil as well as comparing agave with honey and coconut sugar. Stay tuned!
Oh, and do keep the questions coming.

Juicing at work.

In talks with some corporate groups at the moment. Good to see businesses realising the potential of educating their staff on foods to boost their performance as well as their health. It is a win-win situation really. Educating people about the power of juicing and incorporating raw foods into their diets helps with their own self esteem, well-being, as well as performance at work and less sick days. Who could ask for more!!

Boost Your Metabolism

A client of mine recently shared with me the powers of juicing in relation to his metabolism. He relayed the story of in the years he has been swimming he feels the coldness of the pool and never really warmed up while swimming. He had only been juicing for one week when he next ventured into the pool and noticed it was a lot warmer. He asked the pool attendant when he finished his swim as to why had they turned up the water, but the response was that the water temperature was the same as always. Why did he feel so much more warmer. Read on for more information if you are interested!!

When we eat a typical western diet we are consuming an alarming amount of processed, stoggy foods. Whenever I am out shopping I find I always have to pack my lunch due the limited availability of fresh foods. I will leave the average food debate for another time, but for now I am talking about your metabolism and how to boost it. The secret is to TURN OFF the sluggish metabolism and TURN ON your metabolism to maximise your full potential.

It is the processed, high carbohydrate, high sugar (and all those Sugar Free's ) foods such as hot chips, hot dogs, pies, bread rolls, lasagne, the list is endless really,,. that is slowing the metabolism. You need to switch to raw foods to BOOST your metabolism.

Juicing is one of the best ways to get raw food into your diet. All it takes is one week of pure goodness and you will see the changes.

Spring is nearly upon us and now would be a great time to move your sluggish system into a Turbo Charge.

To fructose or not to fructose

There is a lot of information out there on the different types of sugar “substitutes”. As far as I am concerned there is no substitute for sugar. You either ban it outright or you decrease your intake. Having a substitute is simply allowing you to deceive yourself that you are doing yourself good, but in reality you may be putting the body under more pressure than is healthy. Another major problem with using substitutes is that people seem to eat more servings. They feel seeing as they are being “so good” they can have more.

Fructose is one of those products I am going to write about. Fructose has made a household name for itself, especially in the diabetic world, as being a great SS (sugar substitute). The mechanism behind fructose is that it does not go directly into the bloodstream after you eat it (as what happens when glucose and sucrose is digested). Fructose heads straight to the liver where it gets metabolised and is slowly released into the bloodstream. What happens is that insulin levels do not increase BUT it does increase your insulin resistance, which is a major contributor to Type 2 diabetes.

When large amounts of fructose are ingested, it is rapidly converted into fatty acids which are then added to your fat stores, especially in the liver and around the stomach. These fatty areas are very hard to get rid of and also are major contributors to developing Type 2 diabetes. When you ingest fructose you do not get the satiety feeling in the brain. Fructose does not cross the blood/brain barrier, hence you can find yourself eating more sweet foods sweetened with fructose because the brain has not registered that it has had enough sweetness.

Lastly, fructose can raise triglyceride levels, thus increasing resistance to heart disease. A study published in The Science Daily (2009) , found that obese people who drank a fructose sweetened drink with a meal had nearly 200% higher triglycerides levels than those who drank a glucose sweetened drink with their meals. I am not advocating drinking glucose sweetened drinks but you can see my point.

Steamers

I have been asked to discuss the merits of steamers. I have a steamer and use it most days. I like the versatility of a steamer. No more food being boiled dry was my main focus to begin with (how many have done that when we multitask and answer the phone or help with the kid's homework!).
So why steam? Steaming our vegetables helps to retain more of the nutrients. Vegetables need to be cooked for a very short time to try and retain most of the vitamins and minerals. Juicing is great for retaining the nutrients, but during the cold winter months juicing does not really warm us up in the evening.
If I was to recommend a steamer I would recommend that you physically go into  a shop and see what there is available. There are so many on the market and is all depends on your finances etc. What I would recommend is that you see the steamer out of the box. Does it stack easily? Some are so flimsy that it is hard to get the layers to sit properly. I once had a preset timer on ours so that we could put everything in the steamer in the morning, had it sitting under the exhaust fan (also put on a timer) and then we would have them steaming before we arrived home.
Rice can be made in a steamer so make sure to buy one that allows for this. Again it was the best way to cook rice with no rice sticking to the bottom of the pan!
Any casseroles made up the night before could be put into the rice container also, this is a fantastic alternative to the microwave for reheating your meals.

South Melbourne Market

Just had a great meeting with Janet about doing Juice Demonstrations at the South Melbourne market LG Kitchens. Any one interested in coming to these talks stay tuned to my blog for all the details which will be revealed in the coming week.

OVERFED AND UNDERNOURISHED

By Julie Dargan RN, ND, BHSc

1.       Do you want to lose weight?

2.       Do you want to feel good about yourself?

3.       Do you want to change your diet to a healthier one but lack the motivation, the know how or just need some simple direction?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions then Natural Juice Therapy can help.

NATURAL JUICE THERAPY: ü  Removes toxins, blockages, excess weight ü  Restores health, vitality and energy ü  Allows you to make the choice between living life with energy and vitality as opposed to one of lack of energy and over-weight.

What is Natural Juice Therapy?

Natural Juice Therapy (NJT) has been around in one guise or another for centuries. It has been used by some of the most renowned leaders in nutritional therapy and is slowly becoming recognised, even in the medical profession as a safe, natural way to supply the body with the right elements required for the prevention and treatment of disease.

At our classes you will experience the great tastes of  juicing vegetables, chance to ask any questions, work with different types of juices, see how easy the Juice Machines are to clean and how to store your juices.

Unlike conventional medicine, NJT is 100% natural, works with the body and has no adverse side effects. NJT relies on the natural healing harmony between nature and the body’s natural desire to get well and prevent disease. Within the fibre of all fruits and vegetables there are unique vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, polyphenols and more that can never be recreated in a laboratory.

By incorporating NJT into your life you are tapping into the healing properties found within the natural fruit and vegetable juices to assist your body into achieving optimal health. Your are furnishing your body with the perfect balance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, anti-oxidants and enzymes, the way nature intended for us to receive them and NOT in the form of processed, adulterated foods that the body is under extreme pressure to breakdown and absorb.

NJT believes in the philosophy of 1 disease, 1 solution. We believe that disease/ailments are caused by either toxicity and/or deficiency. By removing the incoming toxicity, such as junk food, cigarettes, processed foods, alcohol, additives and preservatives, and replace nutrient deficiency, you will improve your health and decrease the signs and symptoms associated with your disease/ailment.

NJT addresses each individual deficiency vs. toxicity and how to go about incorporating raw juiced and blended foods into your life.

Our aim is to decrease the toxicity in the body and allow the body to absorb nutrients you ingest. What you absorb can be more important than what you eat.

AN EXAMPLE OF HOW JUICING CAN HELP IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS

DIABETES REALITY CHECK
BEING ACCOUNTABLE AND TAKING RESPONSIBILITY	NOT BEING ACCOUNTABLE OR TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
Accessing information on healthy foods that taste good, are easy to prepare and are inexpensive.	Refuse to address diet, suffer erratic blood sugar levels which can be difficult to stabilise.
Limit the amount of complication associated with diabetes	Suffer complications associated with high blood sugar levels.
Limit the amount of medication to a minimum level.	Risk of increased medication levels which can lead to more complications associated with side effects of the medication.
Money saved by getting your health back on track.	Saving money, less doctor visits, less medication.
Less sick days.	More time off work.
Being able to spend time with family and friends.	Too tired to socialise, go for walks etc.

*Please note we are not making any claims to cure diseases such as diabetes or any other disease, but are making claims of trying to improve your ability to cope with such illnesses and somewhat improve your quality of life.

Cost analysis of starting up juicing and completing Juicing Programs.

Many people are surprised by the sheer volume of fruit and vegetables in order to make “one glass of Juice”. The cost for the weekly shop of fruit and vegetables have to be compared with the cost of how much you would spend on “take away”, coffee mornings, alcohol in the evening, soft drink with lunch, the list goes on.

There is an upfront cost of a juicer, but this is an investment that is going to change the way you address your eating habits. A juicer is meant to stay out on the work top in the kitchen and used every day, just as you would use the kettle every day. Nobody stores their kettle in a cupboard, do they? By keeping the juicer out on the work top and not tucked away in the cupboards, in order to prevent the “hassle” of having to get the juicer out, hence a juice is not done.

	3 DAY DETOX PROGRAM	7LB IN 7 DAYS PROGRAM
Juicer	Starts at $179.99 up to $899.00	Starts at $179.99 up to $899.00
Blender	Philips $110.00	Philips $110.00
Book	$19.95	$19.95
All Food Required	Using Coles online $30.00	Using Coles online $90.00
Supplements	Juice Master Discounted package $85.50	Juice Master Discounted package $85.50
Sigg flask	0.6L x 1 $35.00	0.6L x 2 $70.00

The majority of this is the upfront cost of the juicer and blender which are a necessity but you may already have. Make up a Christmas wish list, birthday list perhaps. Supplements should always be included in the program as they assist with the cleansing process, supply vital nutrients and amino acids. We do recommend Juice Master Products for their purity and excellent absorption factors. By making juicing an integral part of your daily routine it will soon pay in abundance in return in terms of health and vitality as well as a slimmer waistline.

Some documented results with past Juice Enthusiasts;

Weight loss, clearer skin, increased energy, improved sleep patterns, clearer head, able to tackle difficult deadlines,  no energy slumps in the middle of the day, less colds, the list is endless.