Taking juices may be compared to eating a balanced diet. No one would contemplate trying to live on one single foodstuff. In the same way, most Juices tend to work better in combination than alone. The values of one will complement the deficiencies of another. The very best raw materials should always be used. There is nothing to beat freshly gathered produce from your own organically cultivated garden. But for many crops and for most people, that is not possible. The next best is to buy good looking, fresh fruit and vegetables from the local supplier. Take care to always wash bought produce with clean, flowing water in case there is any contamination. As soon as a plant is picked, the nutrient value begins to diminish. Canning and bottling both involve cooking which further reduces the vitamin and mineral content some of which also leaks out into water (that is why you should always try to cook with as little water as possible and to use any left over as a basis for soup, gravy or sauce). Drying foods will of course make them impossible to juice as well as reducing the nutrients. The only answer is to store high quality materials in a deep freeze. Although there is still a loss, it is not as serious as in other methods of conservation. You may also freeze the actual juice. How much juice should you take? Some are powerful, and are usually taken in combination with the basics such as carrot juice. Less than pint a day is unlikely to be effective. So the rule to adopt is: FROM ONE TO EIGHT PINTS OF JUICE A DAY, BUT NEVER MORE THAN IS COMFORTABLE. It is not always true to say that the more juice the quicker the result, but there is certainly not much benefit to be derived from consuming juice in too small an amount or for a period of less than a month. An experienced practitioner can achieve his results with more or less juices than are recommended here, but he has the benefit of contact with the patient. |
