June Group Reboot – Day 2: Juicing On The Go

Hi Rebooters!
I’d like to introduce myself and welcome you to our June Group Reboot here at Reboot Your Life. Some of you may already know who I am, I’ve been a part of Team Reboot for the past few years and a big fan of plant-based diets and juicing for most of my life. In addition to my work with Reboot, I am a senior clinical nutritionist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston and work in private practice including local health clubs as a nutritionist and personal trainer. I love to experiment with new recipes and make juice for my family to sample.

I’m here to answer any questions that you have about juicing, Rebooting, eating a healthy plant-based diet, weight loss, wellness and nutrition. I am so pleased to be joining you in the June Group Reboot experience.

We’re on day 2 of this amazing Group Reboot and I hope it’s going well so far for each of you. Today, you may be feeling a little sluggish or even have a headache or achy flu-like symptoms. This is a common experience that could related to a number of factors, like abruptly stopping coffee or natural detox processes occurring in the body. Any rapid shift in eating patterns, even a healthy one, can elicit this sort of response initially. But hang in there – this will pass and you’ll most likely start to feel pretty incredible soon. Drink more water and plenty of juice to help support your body and give it what it needs to ease your experience. If you are eating and juicing don’t shy away from snacking on vegetables and fruits between meals.

We all know that when drinking juice, fresh is best. But why exactly? And what if you are a busy person on the go and not able to break out your juicer 4, 5 or even 6 times a day? Don’t fret we’ve got the answers.

WHY FRESH?
Once you’ve experienced fresh juice and realize that it tastes SO much better than your average juice off the grocery store shelf; you’re hooked! Fresh juice also looks amazingly vibrant. The reason why fresh juice looks and tastes so incredible is thanks to the high levels of nutrients. Phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and enzymes to be more specific. These plant-based gems do everything from support our immune system to promote healthy looking hair and skin. They are so impressive but also fragile.

Some nutrients are susceptible to being degraded or broken down by exposure to heat, light and air (oxygen).

Heat: Reduces many B vitamins, Vitamins C and E

Light: Lowers Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B1 (thiamin), B6, Folate, Vitamins A and E.

Oxygen: Degrades Vitamins C, A, E, K and many B vitamins

Freezing: Reduces Vitamin C, Potassium, Copper

STORING JUICE
But it’s not all or nothing. While drinking fresh juice is best, storing it for 24-48 hours in the fridge is also a good option and helpful for staying on track. Nutrient levels will gradually decrease from exposure and time but won’t be completely absent from your juice. Drinking juice you made the night before still has tremendous value and can offer health promoting benefits. Plus it’s important to make your Reboot a practical experience in your everyday life; something you can stick with and enjoy for 3, 5, 10, or 15+ days.

Have a dose of fresh juice right when you make it, then store the rest for your meals later that day or the following day. This will help ensure you get the most potent juice possible for at least one serving.

The best ways to store your juice are:

• For 24-48 hours in the fridge (72 hours is maximum time suggested)
• In an airtight container, preferably glass but BPA-free plastic works too
• Seal tightly and fill to the top to prevent oxygen from getting in
• In a dark, cool environment away from heat and light
• Bring a cooler along if you’ll be away from a fridge
• Don’t leave your juice in the car especially on a really hot or really cold day
• Freezing is also an option but less desirable than refrigeration.
• If you do freeze your juice do it immediately after juicing. Thaw in the refrigerator and drink within 7-10 days of freezing.

Check out this video of Joe talking about how long you can store your juice.

*Photo courtesy of Pantry Confidential