Most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables to reap the benefits that they offer. Although the National Cancer institute recommends five servings of vegetables and three of fruits each day, the truth is the average American eats only 1 1/2 servings of vegetables and, on average, no fruit on any given day. Juicing helps provide the solution to our fruit- and vegetable-deficient diets. Juicing provides health benefits for several reasons:

• It is a source of raw food and live enzymes
• It is easily digested
• It often contains chlorophyll and special protective phytochemicals which prevent chronic degenerative disease
• It acts as a substitute for less healthy foods and drinks
• It increases water intake (most people drink too little)
• It can help in weight loss.

Most people do not consume enough raw food, yet a raw food diet leads to major improvements in health and while the reasons are not fully known, the experience is often unmistakable. Although modern commercial food processing results in convenience and cost savings, it does have a very real down side. Most nutritional doctors agree that people who regularly consume processed foods will pay for these seeming advantages, one way or another, sooner or later.

"I am convinced that this is one of the most powerful tools one can use to obtain high level vitality. All of us need raw foods every day, and this is an excellent technique to assure you receive large quantities of them. I see many seriously ill patients and I am always constantly amazed at how potent the vegetable juice is in restoring their health and energy levels." Dr. Joseph Mercola, D.O.

Many of the phytochemicals that nutritional researchers are focusing their attention on are found in vegetables that are easily juiced. Fruit and vegetable juices are also good sources of traditional nutrients, and since juicing removes the indigestible fiber, these nutrients are available to the body in much larger quantities than from whole fruits or vegetables. It is best to mix at least some of the fiber in with the juice and consume it because fiber serves as fertilizer for the good bacteria in the colon and provides bulk, which in turn encourages regular bowel movements.

Fruit and vegetable juice also provides one more substance that is absolutely essential for good health - water. Most people simply do not consume enough each day and many of the liquids that we do drink - such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and artificially-flavored drinks - contain substances (diuretics) that promote water excretion. Fresh fruit and vegetable juice are desirable substitutes for these types of drinks.

So far, the National Cancer Institute’s attempts to promote the health benefits of fruits and vegetables have only affected a small segment of society. As more and more is written about the long-term health benefits of fruits and vegetables and as increasing numbers of people learn about the possibility of preventing and curing cancer, heart disease and a host of other diseases by making dietary changes, the fruit and vegetables trend and the popularity of juicing will continue to grow.

A good source of information and motivation can be found at the Living-Foods website.

My very favorite site for insights and motivation for fasting, whether with water only or with juice, is FreedonYou - for all you are meant to be. There is lots there, as they freely share about this powerful experience. Please consider buying any of their books also, in preparation for the fast that is right for you.

The Master Cleanse (or Lemon Diet) has become popular for detoxification and weight loss. We do not recommend it for weight loss, but is useful as a form of fasting and cleansing. You can make an entire days worth of the drink with this recipe:

60 oz water per day
12 tablespoons Grade B Maple Syrup (the equivalent of 2T per glass)
12 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon / lime juice (2T per glass)
And, just over 1/2t (teaspoon) of cayenne pepper (1/10 t per glass).
Shake it up and drink throughout the day, using as much as you like.

Although it has drawn a lot of controversy, most of it is unfounded. The Master Cleanse is a great resource to help people get back on track with feeling better. Details of how to do this are readily available on the Internet. The book, The Master Cleanser, written in 1976 by Stanley Burroughs details this cleanse, but also contains extraneous philosophical material that is unnecessary to review.