Why Juice?

I remember hearing about the nutrition-packed power of fresh juice when I was young. Jack LaLanne, a well-known fitness pioneer, often talked about the benefits of juicing on television. For you younger readers, you may be thinking, “Who is that?” At the time, I simply tucked that information away and went on with life.

Years later, after hearing the words, "You have cancer," those memories came rushing back.

Nutrition! I need nutrients to flood my body so I can get well! If I was going to fight for my health, I wanted to give my body every opportunity to heal.

I began reading books, searching websites, and listening to others who had walked a similar path. As I learned more, I decided that fresh juice would become an important part of my daily routine.

One of the things that fascinated me was learning that fresh juice provides vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in a form that can be absorbed without first digesting all of the fiber found in whole fruits and vegetables. (That doesn't make fiber unimportant; I continued eating plenty of whole fruits and vegetables every day. Juicing simply became an addition to my diet, not a replacement.)

As I researched, I found that fresh fruit and vegetable juices have been associated with a number of potential health benefits, including supporting healthy blood pressure, helping reduce food cravings, encouraging a healthy weight, lowering inflammation, and increasing antioxidant intake. The possibility of increasing antioxidants especially caught my attention because I wanted to support my body in the way God designed it to heal. My immune system needed help!

I also read about people who incorporated juicing into their cancer recovery plans. While I knew juicing was not a cure in and of itself, I believed it was one more way I could nourish my body as I pursued healing.

I'm not a physician, and this isn't medical advice. I'm simply sharing the choices I made, what I learned along the way, and why fresh juice became an important part of my healing journey.

In future posts, I'll share the juicer I chose, the recipes I made most often, and a few lessons I learned after making hundreds of glasses of fresh juice.

My experience:

I am sharing what became part of my healing journey. Every person's situation is unique, so always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your treatment or health routine.