Children and Juicing

When I talk about my new business and passion, the first reaction I get from people is, "Juicing, why juicing?" Or "What do you mean? Do you SELL juicers?" Every time I talk to someone new about juicing, I get a similar response and a look of puzzlement. Why? Everyone seems to want to know why and very few people seem anything less than shocked initially. However, once I begin talking about juicing and how it has changed my life and the life of my family, people begin to listen a little more closely.

The process of taking fresh vegetables and fruits and turning them into a delicious, nutritious juice is a very heartening process. It feels good to know that the best produce is going into the glass and all of the nutrients are being saved and put into our bodies. There are so many combinations of juice possible, all of which are nutrient rich and can be used in healthful, restorative ways. Depending on your needs, there is a juice that can be made to help your body in ways that eating fresh vegetables and fruits may not be able to achieve. For example, it is not possible to eat the sheer number of vegetables and fruits that can be taken in through juice. One delicious recipe includes 5 carrots, two apples, 2 pieces of celery, a beet and a sliver of ginger. Imagine the amount of time it would take to eat this amount of food, yet juicing these vegetables and fruit is a delicious and easy way to intake a great number of vitamins and minerals.

With children it has become popular for parents to buy cookbooks that "trick" kids into eating vegetables and fruits by hiding them in creative recipes. I have to admit I have tried some of these recipes and the kids have responded to them favorably. However, they did not know what they were eating and therefore were not gaining any sort of consciousness about health and wellness. It is not enough to just feed my children good food, I want my children to understand the value of what they are eating and to look forward to and crave eating healthy snacks and meals. I fear that by "tricking" them into being healthy I am actually underestimating their intelligence and establishing poor habits. I want my children to look forward to eating healthy, I want them to participate in their wellness and contribute to it by shopping with me and helping to pick out the healthiest of ingredients.

Just like cooking with children can be a great way of engaging them in the process of enjoying food in creative combinations, juicing can be a very enjoyable process for children. My children love to add the vegetables and fruits and watch what happens as they mix the different colored ingredients and variety of flavors. Eating beets was not a possibility prior to juicing and now if the beets are not included, the kids are missing the taste and the deep purple color. Juicing is a family experience and one that can not only encourage healthy eating habits, but also encourage bonding. Creating delicious juices together can help create a family of health-minded people all working together toward greater wellness and health.

Our family has become healthier together and this has made us all closer and more active together. We all have more energy, stronger immune systems and a shared desire to be active and more adventurous. Not only are we more adventurous in our food choices and our shopping, but we love to try new activities and get out and move together. I cannot explain how excited I am about my new business. I love that my family has become even healthier than we were, but that there is the potential to help other people learn new and creative ways of changing their lives is an additional benefit. Juicing is just one way of increasing one's intake of vegetables and fruits, but also a means of contributing to the health and well-being of society. I am growing accustomed to the responses of people when I talk about my new business, but I am also encouraged by the number who are interested in learning how creative, nutritional, and exciting juicing can be. For more information, see my website information in the author box and get out and start juicing.

Posted in: Children,Juicing