Juicing for Pregnancy and beyond

During pregnancy, we are told to eat many different foods to help grow a healthy baby. Although many of us think we are eating healthy, we may not be telling ourselves the truth. Think about this, what did you eat in your last meal? Did it contain a fish high in omega 3s? Something that had vitamin c? Or vitamin d? Did you have any vegetables and iceberg lettuce does not count as it contains little nutritional value. Did you have bread that was rich in fiber and was wholegrain?

Makes you think how much work it takes to plan out a nutritious meal for you and your growing baby! It takes thought and some planning, but in the next month, I will address many of these issues to make it more stream-lined and easy for you now and after the baby is born.

Recently I have started to juice. For me its an easy way to get lots of vegetables and fruits in without much effort. Also, it prevents from overcooking the vegetables which can take away much of the nutritional value in them. For example the other day I made a passion fruit, pineapple juice, mango, spinach, green pepper smoothie. It took less than 10 minutes to wash, chop, and blend a delicious smoothie that was packed with vitamins.

So what is juicing? Juicing is the process of extracting the juice from raw foods. This process can be done by a juice machine, a hand held blender, or by hand. Fresh juice from raw fruits and vegetables is easy to digest and is packed with nutrients that you need during pregnancy. According to the University of Minnesota, by juicing you can absorb 90% of the nutrients!

Below are some key ingredients and recipes you can use for juicing during pregnancy and beyond.

Apples: Antioxidant packed, they are one of the best fruits for juicing. They help to reduce cholesterol, cleanse digestive system and help to boost the immune system. They go well with almost any fruit or vegetable (softening any bitter or strong juice

Celery: Great at cleansing the digestive system of uric acid. So if you have gout issues, definitely include celery in your diet daily. It’s great for lowering blood pressure because of it’s high potassium content. If you retain water daily and have lots of bloating, celery is your #1 go to veggie! It’s diuretic effect is powerful. There is potassium in the tops of the stalks so juice them too.

Carrot:  Contains many nutrients that help develop good eye sight and cleanses the liver, this vegetable juice is good for it is rich in vitamin A and E that gives healthy glowing skin, nails and hair as well. It also prevents having problems with the thyroid glands. It is also high in sugar than most of the other vegetables, so please use in moderation.

Cucumber: Contains alkaline-forming minerals and is an excellent source of vitamin C and A (anti-oxidants), folate, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, silica, sulfur, and lesser amounts of vitamin B complex, sodium, calcium, phosphorus and chlorine.Has an impressive amount of water (about 96%) that is naturally distilled, which makes it superior to ordinary water.  Its skin contains a high percentage of vitamin A, so should not be peeled off. (But make sure you clean it thoroughly)

Grapes: Contains Phosphorus, Niacin and calcium  which is good for the growing baby

Kiwi: Being rich in Vitamin C, raw kiwi fruit juice boosts our immune system, helps with iron absorption, and the prevention of anemia.

Kiwi juice helps to enrich your diet with valuable antioxidants that protect cells from free-radical damage. Contains Folate, or folic acid, plays an essential role in making new body cells

Lemon juice: 1 Tablespoon delivers 7mg of Vitamin C that aids with tissue repair and keeps nausea at bay. It also helps the baby develop collagen and cartilage, as well as assist in mental development. For some women, they find it helps with constipation; a common symptom of pregnancy. If you suffer from heart burn or have calcium-oxalate stones, you should consult your doctor before adding this to your diet. Also, please use this in moderation, as too much can cause damage to your enamel. I have been using ½-1 tablespoon 3-4 times a week in my juice.

Melons: Are super nutritious. Many are natural diuretics which make them powerful cleansers and detoxifiers. They have a high water content so they are great to re-hydrate your body, especially after a workout. Cantaloupes are high in beta carotene(the orange gives that away) and all of them are antiviral and antibacterial.

Oranges: To avoid common illnesses like flu and colds during pregnancy, it is advice to intake orange juice as daily drink for its number one to boosting up the immune system. This fruit is rich in vitamin C and a bit of potassium.

Papaya: is at the top of the list of the best fruits and vegetables when it comes to digestion. It contains papain, an enzyme that helps to breakdown protein. If you have digestion problems, try juicing some papaya juice daily, especially after meals. You don’t need a lot, but adding any type of mint to your papaya juice will strengthen the properties even more. Papayas also help to replenish vitamin C in the body.

           

Peach and Juice: Highly recommended for pregnant woman since peach juice is rich in iron and potassium preventing anemia during pregnancy. According to studies also, peach juice act as laxative. It can wash out toxins away from the bladder and kidney to thwart kidney stones and nephritis. This type of juice is said to complete the well being of pregnant woman. It prevents blood problems, constipation and indigestion during pregnancy.

Pepper: Very good source in folic acid. are rich in vitamin c and have lots of antioxidants. They help to keep arteries decongested and help conditions like asthma, bronchitis and the common cold. They also help the hair, nails and skin because they are high in natural silicones.

Pineapple: An excellent source of vitamin C, they are also anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial. They help to dissolved blood clots. They also contain a digestive enzyme called bromelain with is really important for the body to digest protein.

Romaine Lettuce: Excellent source in Folic Acid

Spinach: Excellent source in Folic Acid

Strawberry – during pregnancy woman losses the natural glow of their skin thus consumption of strawberry juice is recommended because it has high water content to maintain the natural glow of the skin since dehydrated skin is a no no for woman. Strawberry also filled with soluble fiber for a healthy heart. Folate is necessary all throughout pregnancy. Strawberry juice is perfect to provide your baby with the right nutrient to development a strong bones and teeth.

Tomatoes: is good for the heart due to its high amount of lycopene. They blend very well with many vegetables and are pleasant tasting. When cooked, they become acidic, so if tomato sauce bothers you, don’t assume that juice would do the same. It’s completely different when it’s raw.

Recipes: 

Orange Carrot

8 Large Fresh Cleaned Carrots
2 Large Fresh Peeled Oranges
3 Granny Smith Apples, quartered and cored
1 Cup of Green Grapes

1 Lemon Slice, peeled                                                                                     

The Green Carrot – Juice cucumbers with their skins on. The dark green skin is a great source of chlorophyll that can help build red blood cells

1 Cup of spinach

1/2 Cucumber

2 Stalks of celery including leaves

3 Carrots

1/2 Apple

Green Energizer Bunny – This one will keep you on your toes for hours!

2 Apples

1/2 Cucumber

1/2 Lemon (peeled)

1/2 Cup of kale

1/2 Cup of spinach

1/4 Bunch of celery

1/4 Bulb of fennel

1″ of Ginger

1/4 Head of romaine lettuce

Heartburn Reliever – This combination is very efficient in soothing the pain of heartburn. These highly alkaline produce neutralize the acidic environment, are very cleansing and building.

1 Cup Spinach

6 Carrots

Summer Refresher

1 cup of pineapple

½ cucumber

 Lastly, I just wanted to mention other bases you can use such as milk, soy milk, any sort of nut milk such as almond milk, yogurt, apple juice, as a base to make your juice thicker or thinner. 

The recipes are only some suggestions I have found that are pretty yummy. Play around with the fruits and vegetables; you will be surprised at the tasty juices and smoothies you can make. If you need a little more guidance, please send me an e-mail.  Follow me on Facebook for more inspirations. FB

Resources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/485835-what-are-the-benefits-of-juicing-in-pregnancy

http://www.juicer-guru.com/juicing-and-pregnancy.html

http://www.juicingcafe.com/which-juices-are-best-during-pregnancy

http://www.all-about-juicing.com/best-fruits-and-vegetables.html

http://zestycook.com/the-power-of-juice-juicer-recipes