My First, My Last, My Everything
Desiree Winans on Friday, May 20, 2011 
Ok, so this is my very first ever blog post. whew- feels good! I think this morning I'll talk about what's at the forefront of my mind. Breakfast. They say that Wheaties™ are the breakfast of champions. Or maybe it's bacon and eggs?
From what I'm learning at school and in my own adventures in eating, it's neither. The true breakfast of champions is a bit on the boring side, maybe even a bit further to the granola side. And no it's not granola either.
It's juice. 100% freshly squeezed vegetable juice with a small amount of fruit. If you don't have a juicer but you've thought about the investment even once, put down your half-cafe soy latte and go get one! It really doesn't matter the brand at first, I got mine at Costco about 5 years ago and she's still juicin' strong.
Juice IS the breakfast of champions for 3 main reasons.
The first and most important of reasons is ENZYMES. Fresh vegetable & fruit juices contain the exact enzymes you need to carry out their own digestion. What does this mean? It's a cinch for your body to digest them unlike the bacon, eggs or Wheaties for that matter.
The second reason is that vegetables and fruits are packed with life giving sodium. Yes, that is what I said- Sodium, our old friend Na. This is COMPLETELY different from table salt or even highfalutin sea salt (i heart sea salt btw). Sodium that exists in fruits in vegetables is the lifeblood for every cell in your body. Your body needs natural sodium ONLY found in fruits and vegetables to contend with every piece of meat you eat, every cup of joe, and every glass of red.
There is a hugely long explanation for this, but the short version is that meat, joe and red, create acid in the body. You going for a jog creates acid in the body. Every cell in your body creates acid with every function. That's what they do! The body, in it's infinite wisdom has to maintain pH balance so that we don't keel over and die. So with an onslaught of acid the body requires Sodium (a perfect neutralizer) to buffer this acid abundance. As I said this is the super- duper short version, if you want more on this I'm happy to oblige.
The last reason is "Juicing in the morning prepares the body for everything else you eat in a day." For example, Beets. I juice one small beet every morning and as gross as that sounds it's the cornerstone of my juicing. Beets create hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The stomach is the only place in the body where acid is a good thing. We need it (contrary to what the Tums™ people will tell you)!
Creating an environment in the stomach that promotes the breakdown of our food efficiently is the basis for health. Poor digestion=poor health.
And if it's not poor yet, it's certainly coming down the pipe.
- Carrots
- Beets (small amounts)
- Broccoli (small amounts)
- Apple (small amounts)
- Celery
- Kale
- Romaine Lettuce
- Grapes (small amounts)
The rule of thumb with the "how much?" question is this: How much could you eat of this fruit or vegetable in a sitting. Would you eat 3 apples, probably not. Juice the amount that you would eat in a sitting and your on the right track. If you want to dilute with water feel free. It's not necessary though. However, for those of you with blood sugar issues it may be a good idea at first to dilute until you become accustomed to juicing.
There are many more veggies and fruits that you can juice. Pick up a juicing book and go wild!
Let me know your experiences and Healthy Eating to You:)
Reader Comments (2)
Oxalic acid binds with minerals like Calcium in the body. Therefore if you eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can actually create nutrient deficiencies.
For example; Spinach is high in Calcium. It should be a good source of calcium for us, right? BUT, It actually has enough Oxalic Acid in it that binds to the Calcium and interferes with our absorption of this vital bone mineral.
Furthermore if you have kidney issues of any kind, gout, osteoporosis or rheumatoid arthritis, you should avoid eating high amounts of these Oxalic acid rich foods WITH calcium rich foods. For example never juice broccoli (calcium rich) with spinach (oxalic acid rich). This can contribute to the formation of Calcium Oxolate (which are what most kidney stones are made from).
There are a number of foods that contain this naturally occurring acid; buckwheat
star fruit (carambola), black pepper, parsley, poppy seed, rhubarb, spinach, chard, Beets and beet greens, banana, cocoa, chocolate, most nuts, most berries and beans.
As you know when you juice or make a green drink in the blender, you are typically using alot of whatever vegetables and fruits you have in the fridge. If you're doing spinach & berries in the smoothie, a spinach salad for lunch and nuts for a snack, followed by dinner; your getting a substantial amount of Oxalic Acid. I would try kale or dandelion greens instead for a while, see if they grow on you:) Plus they are SO easy to grow!
I don't want to give you the impression that you should avoid spinach completely, it is very nutritious. We just shouldn't be eating it as our staple everyday salad green. Get a variety of bitter greens, mixed greens, romaine, green leafy lettuce, etc,etc, is best.
Variety is truly the spice of life:)
You can juice with Spinach, I would use no more than a handful a few times a week because chances are your getting more than enough Oxalic Acid from this and other foods.
Hope that helps!