Daily Mail asks if #juicing is making you #fat? Not to mention #rotting your #teeth and #starving your body of nutrients! The article goes on to say that the new fad might not be so healthy after all. The juicing craze is hugely popular- with #Alisters and #royals said to be fans. Advocates claim juice is an easy way of getting huge amounts of #nutrients. But experts have warned of its dangers labelling it ‘as bad as Coca-Cola. They claim juice is to blame for #weightgain, #diabetes and #dental problems. The Food Doctor says we need to be clear that the main culprit for causing #toothdecay is fruit juice which contains highly concentrated levels of #sugar. There is added risk with citrus fruit juice because these are high in sugar but also contain citric acid and it’s the combination of acid and sugar together that is particularly powerful at damaging tooth enamel. Aside from tooth decay we also need to bear in mind that childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate and whilst fruit juice is healthy in one respect because it contains vitamins like vitamin C and antioxidants which help to boost immune function it does contain a staggering amount of sugar. For instance, a 250ml glass of orange juice contains on average 26g (that’s four teaspoons) of sugar and a whooping 120 calories. It does pose that thought that if your child is overweight then encouraging them to eat as much fresh fruit and vegetable rather than having to rely on a glass of fruit juice a day to achieve their 5-A-Day should be an absolute priority. The real benefit of switching to eating whole fruit is that it also provides fibre which research has shown to have a balancing effect on blood sugar and also helps to increase a feeling of fullness two important factors involved with weight management. That one 250ml glass of orange juice contains the juice of 2-3 oranges, all if the sugar with none of the fibre. It’s very unlikely that a child would munch their way through three oranges in one sitting because the fibre contained in each orange would fill them up. Some fruit juice drinks are not 100% fruit juice and may also contain artificial sweeteners, flavourings, colourings, preservatives and other synthetic ingredients. Best advice is to always water down fruit juice to at least 50:50 with filtered water and to only drink juice with a main meal. Avoid giving it without food and limit it to a couple of times a week. Eat whole fruits instead so as to get all the nutrients contained in fruit rather than just the sweet juice. The five-a-day advice is vital for health and this news story should not deter people from always trying to reach it. The risk of developing numerous twenty-first century diseases are also strongly linked to the levels of fresh vegetables in the diet. The risk of #cancer, #heartdisease, diabetes and obesity may all be significantly reduced if the 5-A-Day message is achieved. Indeed 5-A-Day should be seen as a minimum amount not the optimum. Tips to achieve 5-A-Day! • Snack on sticks of carrot, celery, fennel, broccoli, sugar snap peas, chicory and cauliflower. Add a yummy dip such as guacamole, salsa or humous to make them even more delicious; • Add chopped banana or a handful of berries to breakfast cereal or try with yoghurt. • Add grated carrot or courgette to stews and soups. This works very well with bolognese type sauces where they are easily hidden. • Soups are a great way to eat lots of vegetables in one go. • Frozen vegetables and berries are great to have in the freezer. They can very easily be heated up and included in meals or added from frozen to smoothies.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 07:20:01 +0000
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