Juice Vs. Eggnog for the Holidays

This is the time of year where food and drink are the stars of the season. Options and choices abound, and poor folks who watch their waistlines are confronted with eggnog and fig butter, apple pie and roast beef, cheese plates and dips, cookies and cocktails. Oh my.
Some people are turning to a more healthy alternative. They’re choosing to use juice to improve health and cleansing their bodies by filling up on liquid produce–all in the form of bottle juices.
Whether you believe in the latest juicing fad or not, most Americans could use diet that involves eating a lot more fruits and veggies. We’re a country with serious health problems, particularly in more rural and poorer areas, and fast food is the staple for many people’s diets.
Here’s a few stats of the state of health of many Americans:

• More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese.
• More than 1 in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity.
• More than 1 in 6 children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be obesity.

Obesity is a major cause for increasing your risk for a number of health issues: heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, infertility, back pain, cancer,and ulcers to name a few.
We recently spoke with Lori Kenyon Farley of Ritual Wellness. Farley’s the co-founder of one of Southern California’s most popular and all-organic juice lines.

“Juicing doesn’t have to be used with the goal of weight loss in mind. Juicing is also simply a great way to re-set your eating habits. It revs up your metabolism, and at best makes you become more thoughtful about what you’re putting into your mouth every day.”
Farley doesn’t claim to be a medical practitioner, but she’s pretty sure drinking 20 pounds of organic fruits and veggies daily isn’t going to hurt you if you juice responsibly–and Ritual juices are all organic–which is critical to juicing in the most healthy way.
According to the Food and Drug Administration juicing can, in some cases, lead to food borne illness. All raw food can harbor pathogens that cause vomiting, diarrhea, and in worst case scenarios conditions like E.coli, hepatitis, and even kidney failure. The pasteurization process most packaged juices commonly goes through, kills many of these dangerous organisms; fresh juices aren’t pasteurized. Raw juice needs to be consumed immediately after it’s or kept cold and enjoyed within three days to minimize risks. Pregnant women are advised to be especially wary of drinking unpasteurized juice.

The Mayo Clinic says that it’s essential to drink fresh juices as soon after they’re made as possible because of their increased vulnerability to bacteria when stored.
 “The antioxidants and other phytonutrients start to break down almost immediately once they are exposed to light and air,” says nutritionist Monica Reinagel.

How to use juice to improve health

Lori Kenyon Farley of Ritual Wellness Juices

Farley’s line of juices are a SoCal celeb staple. From Kim K, to Sophia Vergara, Charlie Sheen, to Camila Alva, the Hollywood set loves to juice. “Our celeb clients usually do the three day cleanse which includes: 3 super-green veggie juices, one fruity one, and one protein nutty one. The actors use our juices to lose weight for roles or as replacement for caloric-rich desserts like ice-cream. Even I grab one around the holidays to avoid eating high-calorie junk.”
When we asked Farley about the expense of her juices (we all tasted them and they were absolutely delicious), she admitted that juicing isn’t cheap, but neither is being sick. Good point! But, she also suggested buying a juicer, which saves a lot, and allows you to get creative within your juicing preferences.
For all the juicing doubters about juicing versus simply eating fruits and veggies,  and we were apart of that group, the Department of Agriculture study, researchers analyzed 12 fruits and found 90 percent of the antioxidant activity was in the juice, rather than the fiber. In other studies people who drank juices were less likely to develop Alzheimers, cancer, or to develop heart disease.

There is one point that everyone agrees on. Considering the fact that the average American is eating less than a fifth of the recommended five servings of vegetables and three fruits a day, if grabbing a juice can help make up the shortfall, juices can play a vital role and possibly save your life.