After blogging about whether going vegan can help IBD, a few of you told me how much juicing has been helping your digestion ! I realised I’d been neglecting to juice as much as I used to- so decided to get back into to it and blog about my efforts.
I recently came down with my first winter cold and felt juicing really helped me get over it quickly! So today I am offering my tips for juicing to boost your health this winter and making your own juice. You might also want to read some of my previous juicing posts: such as the best vegetables for juicing or my juicing for digestive health ebook.
1. Focus on vitamin C rich fruit and veg.
Vitamin C is vital for warding off colds- but think beyond oranges! Vegetables such as pepper and broccoli are also rich in vitamin C and won’t cause a blood sugar spike. My favourite cold-boosting recipe is: 1/2 pepper, 1/2 an apple, 1 courgette and of course a thumb-sized piece of ginger.
2. Juice leafy greens
Green vegetables high in vitamin A and Beta Carotene are great for energy and good for your eyes too! With Winter comes more time in front of our screens and straining our eyes.
The team at Vision Direct suggesting adding Kale, spinach and collard greens to your juice as they contain the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. These important nutrients help prevent eye conditions such as macular degeneration and cataracts.
3. Take a juice with iron supplements
Iron is much better absorbed with vitamin C, so always take iron supplements with a morning juice! Remember never to take iron with tea or coffee, as the tannins in them prevent iron being absorbed.
4. Stick to an 80-20 veg-fruit ratio
Stick to 80% vegetables to avoid sugar spikes. Juicing removes lots of fibre so the contents are quickly absorbed by the bloodstream. Basing juice around vegetables can prevent this.
5.Be aware of grapefruit!
Grapefruit is often in juicing recipes but it can actually interfere with certain medicines! Grapefruit can prevent the medicine leaving the body properly so it builds up in the body. Always check if you can eat grapefruit with medicine that you are taking.
6. If buying juice, always check it’s cold pressed
If you’re making your own juice, the type of juicer is less important as long as you’re drinking it quickly. However, for something to be effective on the supermarket shelf it really needs to be cold pressed. Cold pressing juice makes it last longer, so if you are purchasing a juice, always check it’s cold pressed- otherwise it’s unlikely to do good.
7.Can’t stomach a whole juice? Try a shot!
Shots can be a way to get some juice into your system if you don’t fancy the whole thing. One shot I like to make is 1/2 apple, 2 chunks of ginger and a sprinkle of turmeric. I also love Moju boosters– which are the next best thing to homemade ones!
8. Stir in some goodness
If you want to make the most of your juice, consider adding some powders to it too. Psyllium husk can provide a soluble fibre boost while adding a collagen powder can help with the gut repair. Cabbages are great for gut healing too- just go slowly as too many of them can cause an upset stomach.
9.Go organic where possible
Organic can be really expensive but it can help. Things like pineapple and cabbage are naturally lower in pesticides so it might not be worth splashing out on organic versions. But apples and peppers contain much higher amounts, so it might be worth investing in organic versions.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post.
Never take iron with tea or coffee? Whoa! Never knew that. But I will pay more attention. My son has crohn’s disease and family history of low iron. I’ll let him know.
I loved this post your tips on juicing in winter make seasonal health feel delicious and totally doable even when fresh produce feels limited. I especially appreciate how you blend winter-friendly ingredients with clever flavor combos that still boost immunity and warmth during the colder months.