Juicin Up…

Morning folks.

Still going raw, and still going strong. Lost 2 1/2 pounds last week and I’m really feeling great. I’m going to start my day off with a great blast of carrot/apple juice with a hit of ginger. AAAAAAH! Check out my sexy carrot juice pic! (look at it… you know you want some…) I paid good money for it, but it’s very filling and keeps my hunger at bay for most of the day and it’s better for me than a muffin and coffee from Starbucks.

Now most people think when it comes to juice, you can simple pick up a box of Tropicana orange juice or some other fruit juice, and you’re drinking something that’s relatively healthy and nutritious for you. And you may also think you’re staying true to your raw food regiment. But, most fruit juice you buy in a store is loaded with one main ingredient which is just horrible for you… SUGAR! And sugar is the devil. The other thing you need to consider when drinking fruit juice is look at the label, and if there’s anything in the juice that isn’t natural, then you shouldn’t consume it.

Here are the ingredients for Dole Strawberry Kiwi Juice as posted on the Pepsicola site (which makes Dole fruit juice… that should tell you something)

• FILTERED WATER
• APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• CLARIFIED PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• NATURAL FLAVORS
• STRAWBERRY JUICE CONCENTRATE
• KIWI JUICE CONCENTRATE
• ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C)
• COCHINEAL EXTRACT (COLOR) AND CITRIC ACID

Um… there’s nothing natural about this juice at all. Oh wait, there are natural flavors… and all the concentrate.. and something called cochineal extract (which is described as a color… I’ll have to look it up in the next j Crew catalog). Nonetheless, the one thing I want you to really “concentrate” (that’s a joke, folks, laugh with me) on is the lack of any real juice you may be potentially consuming if you drink a bottle of strawberry kiwi . And it’s the same story for all of the other juices Dole/Pepsi serves as well…

Here’s another example. This is a list of ingredients for Dole Orange Juice with Pulp.

• FILTERED WATER
• APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• CLARIFIED PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• PEACH PUREE CONCENTRATE
• GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE
• MANGO PUREE CONCENTRATE
• CITRIC ACID
• NATURAL FLAVORS AND ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C)

So, what am I saying? Ultimately you’ll pay a little more for real juice, but when it comes to drinking fruit juice or vegetable juice, just look for REAL ingredients… a bottle of orange juice should simply have “Orange” and “Squeezed the Crap Out Of Them” on the label and nothing else. Carrot juice should simply be “Carrots”, and that’s really it. Nothing else added… no ascorbic acid or anything else. How else can you drink and eat healthy unless you know it came directly from the fruit or vegetable itself? Thinking about a V-8?  Well Campbells tells us we consuming…

RECONSTITUTED VEGETABLE JUICE BLEND WATER AND CONCENTRATED JUICES OF

• TOMATOES
• CARROTS
• CELERY
• BEETS
• PARSLEY
• LETTUCE
• WATERCRESS
• SPINACH
• CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: SALT, VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID)
• NATURAL FLAVORING (which doesn’t have to really be defined but it’s most likely chemicals)
• CITRIC ACID

You can also read more about “natural flavors” at the following site.

So, my advice… buy juice from a juicing vendor or buy yourself a juicer (I have a Breville juicer) and make your own natural juices. Juicing is a great way to lose weight and deliver the nutrients your body needs directly from the fruits and vegetable. And it’s simply healthier and better than anything you can drink (besides water)