To my family, I am affectionately referred to as the 'health obsessed' brother, grandson, nephew, son, or cousin - and that is how they introduce me to others as well. This can set the stage for either an awesome or awkward exchange between me and the stranger. Mostly because the person may love or hate health and fitness.
Earlier this week I walked into the kitchen during a family gathering and I overheard two friends of the family (they were into fitness) talking about juice. Not steroids, not O.J. Simpson, plain ol' juice. They both considered juices EVIL and swore them off completely from their diets. Interested to know what I thought, they asked me my opinion.
To me, juices are evil...evil as Doctor Evil.
What do I mean?
Well, let's look at his relationship with his son, Scott Evil.
In small doses Scott can co-exist with his father just fine while they plot to take over the world. But, when Scott gets too much of his father, he usually breaks down and freaks out.
This relationship is the same for YOU and juice. In small doses, juice is cool... it can help you get more servings of fruit per day and intake extra vitamins. On the other hand, if you are drinking large amounts of drinking juice throughout the day, you are bound to have a blow up like Scott Evil too- but more on the scale than with a temper tantrum.
Here are the factors I presented to my family's friends about juice so they can make a more informed decision:
Think Before Your Drink
Ask yourself, 'What did I already eat and drink today?' and 'What are you going to be eating and drinking later?' If it's not shaping up to be one of the healthiest eating days or if you have been drinking quite a few caloric beverages - better be safe and save it for another time.
Servings of fruits and vegetables per day
Its recommended to aim for 3-5 and in some cases up to 9 servings of fruits and veggies each day. A small glass or cup (8 ounces) of juice can help add another serving of fruit if you are not on target.
% Juice
Only drink 100%...the majority of juices in the store will not have this %, so check out the back of the bottle before you buy it.
Whole Fruits Beat Juice
Although there are pluses for drinking 100% juices, it does not substitute for whole fruits. Whenever possible try to have an apple rather than apple juice, orange rather than orange juice, etc. You miss out on fiber and possibly other nutrients by consuming only the liquid form.
Lance’s Final Thoughts:
On a typical day, I feel that 1 to 2 reasonably sized glasses of 100% juice are okay. Some may worry about the sugar content, but I believe there are more benefits of vitamins you are consuming than the risk of weight gain.
To my family, I am affectionately referred to as the 'health obsessed' brother, grandson, nephew, son, or cousin - and that is how they introduce me to others as well. This can set the stage for either an awesome or awkward exchange between me and the stranger. Mostly because the person may love or hate health and fitness.
Earlier this week I walked into the kitchen during a family gathering and I overheard two friends of the family (they were into fitness) talking about juice. Not steroids, not O.J. Simpson, plain ol' juice. They both considered juices EVIL and swore them off completely from their diets. Interested to know what I thought, they asked me my opinion.
To me, juices are evil...evil as Doctor Evil.
What do I mean?
Well, let's look at his relationship with his son, Scott Evil.
In small doses Scott can co-exist with his father just fine while they plot to take over the world. But, when Scott gets too much of his father, he usually breaks down and freaks out.
This relationship is the same for YOU and juice. In small doses, juice is cool... it can help you get more servings of fruit per day and intake extra vitamins. On the other hand, if you are drinking large amounts of drinking juice throughout the day, you are bound to have a blow up like Scott Evil too- but more on the scale than with a temper tantrum.
Here are the factors I presented to my family's friends about juice so they can make a more informed decision:
Think Before Your Drink
Ask yourself, 'What did I already eat and drink today?' and 'What are you going to be eating and drinking later?' If it's not shaping up to be one of the healthiest eating days or if you have been drinking quite a few caloric beverages - better be safe and save it for another time.
Servings of fruits and vegetables per day
Its recommended to aim for 3-5 and in some cases up to 9 servings of fruits and veggies each day. A small glass or cup (8 ounces) of juice can help add another serving of fruit if you are not on target.
% Juice
Only drink 100%...the majority of juices in the store will not have this %, so check out the back of the bottle before you buy it.
Whole Fruits Beat Juice
Although there are pluses for drinking 100% juices, it does not substitute for whole fruits. Whenever possible try to have an apple rather than apple juice, orange rather than orange juice, etc. You miss out on fiber and possibly other nutrients by consuming only the liquid form.
Lance’s Final Thoughts:
On a typical day, I feel that 1 to 2 reasonably sized glasses of 100% juice are okay. Some may worry about the sugar content, but I believe there are more benefits of vitamins you are consuming than the risk of weight gain.