Lose weight drinking natural juices

Juicing is a like a voyage of discovery. First you start with the fruits and vegetables that are most familiar to you, the ones that you always find in your kitchen. But the more juices you prepare, the more adventurous you become and start trying new ingredients and mixtures. I started with the humble orange juice, freshly pressed in the morning, it is an excellent way to kick start your metabolism and start the day. When I got tired of plain orange juice I started adding carrots and then apples and then it never stopped, I discovered that I could juice almost anything I would like to according to my moods. The good news were that the juices were not only easy and fun to make, but they were a healthy way to keep up my vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with very low calories.

Juicing fruits and vegetables is a very good option for those who want to keep their body healthy and in good shape.  Low calorie freshly made juices are an excellent meal replacement when you are following a weight loss regime.  Juices are filling and the slimming properties in some vegetables and fruits can help you lose extra weight. 

Fruit juices are strong body cleansers, specially citrus fruits.  Fruit and vegetable juices are ideal for detoxifying your system, if taken to replace a meal they give your body a much needed rest  while still providing nutrients and energy from their natural sugars. 

Natural juices to lose weight. 

For one serving you will need:

• 25g gooseberries
• 1 peach
• 1 passion fruit

Juice each of the ingredients and then blend with a spoon. If you prefer, you can dilute with water for a less thick juice.

The gooseberry is fruit indigenous to Europe and western Asia. It is also known as groseille and uva spina. A gooseberry may be green, white, yellow, or shades of red from pink to purple to almost black. This small berry is one of the most abundant sources of vitamin C available among all plants and fruits. It is known to be a powerful antioxidant and to boost the immunity system. Other health benefits include soothing the urinary system during infections and fortifying the liver.

Peaches and passion fruits are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. All of them necessary for the correct functioning of the body.

Apricot and blackberry juice:

3 apricots

125g blackberries

1 nectarine

Juice each ingredient and then blend with a spoon. You can dilute this juice with water if you find it too thick.

If you are looking to replace a starter for your lunch or dinner it is a good option to go for a vegetable juice to create a sort of gazpacho.

My favourite vegetable juice has:

3 stalks of celery

2 tomatoes

A handful of watercress.

Juice all the ingredients and mix with a spoon.

Celery has a mild salty tasting juice very good for mixing with stronger juices. To use, wash the stalks, get rid of leaves and juice. The celery is rich in folic acid.

Tomatoes are excellent mixers, its juice is pinky/orange. To use just wash and cut into chunks.

Watercress gives a strong juice with a piquant flavour that needs to be mixed with other juices.

To relieve water retention in women, caused as a result of hormonal changes, there are several juices that act as diuretics helping to eliminate excess fluid through urination. The best vegetables to use for combating water retention are celery and cucumber and the best fruits are watermelon, cranberries and strawberries.

The best juices to combat water retention are:

Carrot and celery juice. For one serving you will need:

2 large carrots

3 stalks of celery.

Cucumber and parsley Juice. For one serving you need:

¼ cucumber

50g parsley

Diuretic fruit juices:

Apple and cranberry juice:

2 apples
150 g cranberries.

Watermelon Juice

1 small watermelon

Strawberry and Pineapple juice:

175g strawberries

2 tick slices of pineapple.

Once you have tasted your own fresh fruit and vegetable juices, you’ll realize that there is little comparison between the juice that flows from your juicer and that which you buy ready made in cartons or bottles.

Apart from flavour another thing to take into account is the addition of sugar and salt. Most ready made juices contain additives, salt and sugar or edulcorants. When you make your own fresh juice in your kitchen you are skipping on all those additives and you are drinking only natural sugars contained in the fruits you are using. This fruits rich in pectin in turn help your digestive system to eliminate waste.

Drinking home made juices you will easily consume the number of fruits and vegetables advised to consume in a daily basis. For example, in one glass of juice you can consume 2 apples and 3 carrots, which already make the advised 5 fruits and vegetables a day.

Fresh juices have remarkable cleansing and restorative powers. In addition, all fruits contain acid, which can help remove toxins from the digestive tract. Some fruits, such as oranges and apples, also contain pectin which can absorb fat and toxins from the digestive tract system.

• Do not mix vegetable and fruit juices, or you might experience bloating.  The only exceptions are carrots and apples.
• Vary your juice intake during the week.
• Do not overdo the strong green juices or citrus juices which have a very strong cleansing effect.
• If you are diabetic stick to vegetable juices. 

Once you have finished with your juicer make sure it is scrupulously clean and dry.  Bear in mind that some vegetables like carrots will stain your juicer if you don’t wash it immediately.  Every once in a while use a little bit of bleach to clean your juicer, get rid of stains and kill any germs accumulated in the pulp container.   

If you are making a lot of juice clean your juicer once or twice to remove the pulp accumulated in the pulp container. 

Step 1 - Via the Health Express Link Health Express Link carry out your online consultation. Simply provide your medical details, and be sure to be entirely accurate.

Step 2 - A registered UK doctor will then review your details to make an informed diagnosis which you will receive in an email if you are eligible.

Step 3 - If suitable, you will have access to a secure online member’s area, and a personalised login, from where you will be able to place your order and receive it within as little as 24 hours.