Juice up your life
MALLIKA JANKIRAMAN
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Make 100 per cent fruit juice a part of your daily diet and watch the benefits pile up.
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The “experimental, health-conscious, nutrition-savvy” youth is always on the run. So much so that they rarely grab the most important meal of the day: breakfast. But little do they understand that a fruit or a glass of juice is an easier
and healthier alternative to sustain good health.
Some experts believe that the mantra to healthy food and good living is ‘Five a Day’; i.e one needs to have a five-portion meal of fruits-cum-vegetables in any form.
Benefits
The trick lies in the intake of numerous varieties of fruits and vegetables so that our overall nutrient requirement is met. Fruits are packed with vitamins and minerals and are an excellent source of fibre and antioxidants. They not only help maintain a healthy weight but also help reduce risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Another way to stay healthy and cleanse your body is through Detox, a dietary regimen that removes toxins through intake of fruits and vegetables. But it must be followed with utmost caution and only under the supervision of a doctor.
Pack a punch
Juices can be obtained from vegetables like celery, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper; greens like parsley, kale, beet greens, chard, spinach, dandelion leaf; fruits like dark grapes, apples, citrus, blackberry and herbs like yucca root, fennel, spearmint, peppermint, basil, ginger, garlic and green onion.
Moreover, being devoid of added sugar, colour or preservatives, fruit juice is naturally fat-free and cholesterol-free. Many people wrongly believe that juice intake can lead to obesity. But, in fact, 100 per cent juice is a valuable contributor of nutrients to one’s diet, as long as there is no added sugar or preservatives.
Being health conscious, generation next often hits the gym. Fresh fruit juice not only gives them energy but restores and rejuvenates them after a heavy workout. With juice becoming the rage among the young and old, the next fad might just possibly be juice cafes: Health and nutrition joints that will serve only fortified fruit juice and healthy snacks!
The writer is VP, Health and Wellness, PepsiCo India.
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