L'Equip Juicer - Juicing for good health

It’s been said time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We need to hydrate and fuel our bodies ideally within an hour of waking up, in order to think clearly and perform effectively.

At Elixir, we believe in starting the morning with a freshly pressed smoothie believing it is a fantastic way to get the brain in gear and function at our best. So why not whizz up a smoothie? Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of wonderful antioxidants, which are free-radical scavengers.

So what does that mean?
Imagine cutting a fresh juicy apple in half. Within a few minutes, the fruit will rapidly discolour before your eyes. This is because you’ve cut complete cells in half, triggering a chain of decay as the cells die off. However, if you pour lemon juice on the sliced apple it will remain unspoiled. This is because lemon juice is an antioxidant, which slows down the oxidisation process and prevents this cell break-down.

This is exactly how antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E work in the body - by preventing these nasty free-radicals gained from stress, smoking, alcohol, pollution and lifestyle factors, from causing damage in the body. That’s why fresh fruit and vegetables, with their high vitamin content are often used in anti-ageing skin creams, as like lemon juice on an apple – they could keep the skin looking bright and healthy for longer. Drinking a fresh smoothie would be the ideal addition to your skin care routine – protecting you from the inside out.

Many customers in Elixir Health Foods report that after juicing every morning, their sensitive skin hasn’t burnt during summer as it usually would. Research shows us that antioxidants (particularly vitamin E) promote skin healing, which could make the skin more resilient to the suns harmful UV rays.

How do I go about juicing?
At Elixir, we’ve tried and tested many juicers since we first opened our doors in the year 2000. For fruit and vegetables our absolute favourite has to be the L’Equip 215 XL juicer. It leaves the pulp in the other end of the machine practically dry as it extracts the optimum amount of juice from the fruit or vegetables. Conveniently, you can bung all the elements of the juicer that need to be washed in the dishwasher – no scrubbing involved! This machine is incredibly robust and even comes with a six year warranty.

What do I juice?
We all have our favourites, and what you juice will depend on the season, your mood and the health benefits you want to receive. In spring, I may detox with apple, celery and parsley. Summer, I look forward to starting the day on a refreshing peach, grape and carrot cocktail. In autumn, I may forage for blackberries, add a few apples and maybe some live yoghurt. Winter may be a warming apple, clemintine and cinnamon.
I always add little extras to transform a healthy juice into a super-ultra healthy juice.

Floradix
This is a wonderful iron supplement. It’s a concentrate of fruits, vegetables and herbs. It contains all sorts of other ingredients to help your body absorb the iron, such as B vitamins including folic acid and B12 and vitamin C. I add this one to give my energy levels a boost. Amongst other benefits, it’s also great for hair, skin and nails so you can physically see the benefits from adding this to your diet.

Acidophilus
The digestive system is the root of good health, so it’s imperative to maintain a good balance between the ‘friendly’ and bad bacteria in the gut. Pushing a whole capsule of acidophilus through the juicer three times a week is great for keeping your bowel health in check. I personally love Solgar’s acidophilus, as the cleverly made capsules don’t need to be refrigerated, making it perfect for travelling.

Spirulina powder
This type of algae is full of micronutrients. Carol Vorderman made it popular for recommending it in her detox plan to lose weight and gain energy. It’s a perfect supplement for vegetarians, as it’s 58 times richer in iron than spinach and a great source of protein too. Don’t worry about the shocking green colour of the powder – it tastes fine.

MSM crystals
Methyl Suphonyl Methane, otherwise known as organic sulphur is a great addition to smoothies. Many swear by it for maintaining their joints, some for skin health and others for hayfever. A little goes a long way – just quarter of a teaspoon of the Higher Nature MSM crystals is all you need.
Happy juicing!

Products you may wish to follow up in this article, please click on the following links:

Acidophilus Digestive Aids
Spirulina and Green Superfoods
MSM
L'Equip Juicer

To speak to a customer advisor, telephone Elixir on 01208 814500 for further information.

By Harriet Wild
Elixir Health Foods