Whether you’re strolling through the local supermarket or picking up a double-shot of espresso at the coffee shop, chances are you have already stumbled across a bottle of cold pressed juice. Cold-pressed juices have now become the new health-craze because not only are they packed with healthy goodness, for many cold-pressed juices have made the consumption of all the detestable fruits and vegetables an easy guarantee. Through being blended with an assortment of other fruits and vegetables and compressed into a handy small bottle, these liquefied bottles of goodies have become a virtue for all fruit and vegetable avoiders all the while tasting delicious!
Whether you are looking to incorporate a new detox cleanse, a new way to gobble all the fruits and vegetables in a hassle-free manner on a daily basis or simply feeling adventurous and want to try something new and out of the ordinary, cold-pressed juices are the new health-hero we are loving and they are here to stay.
Cold-pressed is the name of the process for extracting maximum juice out of fresh fruits and vegetables through the use of a hydraulic presser. This mechanical extraction is achieved through exerting a force on crushed fruits and vegetables and because this method releases minimal heat as opposed to other methods of juice blending such as a centrifugal juice extractor, the vital and prised nutrients of the ingredients are kept intact.
In the absence of heat and a fast spinning blade, IFIC states that this process supposes 100% retention of the important components, vitamins and minerals of the ingredients as heat causes the break down of enzymes and when the blade spins aggressively, oxygen is folded into the blend, causing oxidation and further loss of nutrients.
This is an important distinction amongst the different juice yielding methods available today hence the brightly emblazoned scores and reviews in the books of a wide array of individuals ranging from avid health experts to the city worker who once chose a can of fizzy drink with his daily lunch deals from the supermarket.
As mentioned earlier, cold-pressed juices capture the raw and pure virtues of the ingredients as the whole fruit and vegetable, in some cases even the skin (when appropriate) is used with this process. Under such degree of rigorous pressure, this ensures maximum juice yield and it is precisely this raw and pure juice that carries the beneficial factors to not only flood the body with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants but can also help deep-cleanse our internal organs, aid metabolism and provide an energy boost claims Michael T. Murray, author of The Complete Book of Juicing.
Supermarkets haul a variety of different juices with bright-toned labels proclaiming different things however Murray argues these are simply a fancy add-on and that the real concentration of goodness are from homemade fresh juices as those juices produced under mass production tend to be saturated in sugars and other obnoxious chemical elements such as salts, preservatives and flavourings.
Turning away from a relationship with these harsh chemicals to start afresh with an organic store-bought or homemade cold pressed juices will allow you to experience an authentic taste of fresh juice. Despite what the colour of the juice after blending spells out, the taste is truly delightful and one that will keep you magnetised to these super drinks because once you taste freshness, you cannot go back.
The fundamental to a healthy immune system begins with diet. Growing up, the common saying goes “an apple a day keeps the doctors away” because fruits and vegetables are sources of an abundance of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which are required in maintaining orderly body functions and heavily recommended by the NHS.
As discussed by Carolyn Denton, LN from the University of Minnesota, while vitamins and minerals assist digestion, phytonutrients are another compound present in plants, which provide anti-inflammatory benefits to strengthen the body’s immune system and resistance against illnesses. An additional finding from the paper is that phytonutrients have been discovered amongst hundreds of different plants so it is important to mix a variety of different fruits and vegetables in our glass of cold-pressed juice to give our immune system the supercharged boost.
Other than enjoyment experienced by adults, pressed juices play a great medium bridging children with their greens. A child’s reluctance towards their greens is a common struggle for most parents and the reason for their distaste is due to inherited taste preferences towards sweet tasting foods as claimed by Edward Abrahamson PhD from California State University and author of ‘It’s NOT just baby fat’.
So how can cold pressed juices repair the relationship? With the convenience of making cold-pressed juices from the comfort of your own home, you are granted the flexibility of choosing which ingredients to blend together so if your little boy or girl is not particularly fond of spinach, broccoli and lemons, experiment with different recipes to find a formula that bides with your children and once perfected, because of the high concentration of vitamins and minerals that can be extracted from cold pressing, one glass of cold-pressed juice = daily intake of fruits and vegetables, making green duty complete! The same goes for adults finding difficulty to measure their daily fruit and vegetable intake through this super-shot of multivitamins called cold pressed juice.
As the trend for cold-pressed juices continue to grow, it is important to note that despite a number of health benefits, a glass of cold-pressed juice cannot stand in place of a full meal due to the low calorie, fat and protein content and although liquefying the fruits and vegetables into a tasty drink inhibits the burden to recount our fruit and vegetable intake, regular meals and a balanced diet are still ever as important.
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