Juice Plus+® Health News

Juice Plus+® Holiday Recipes

While there are many foods that we eat during the Holidays that we may not eat at other times of the year, that doesn't mean we have to overindulge with these usually high-in-calorie low-in-nutrition foods.  One suggestion that comes to mind is getting in a Juice Plus+ shake using the Vanilla (or Chocolate) Juice Plus+ Complete® in the middle of the day in order to cut down on your appetite when it comes time for the big meal.  Regardless, there are many foods that we can consume that are more nutrient packed - those that can help in the prevention of sickness and disease. 

There's an added benefit to obtaining these vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals from a variety of foods, since they work synergistically to create positive health effects. 

Here's some foods that may help provide some added nutritional benefits during the Holiday:

1. Sweet potatoes

This root vegetable (especially the dark-fleshed orange variety, typically called a yam) has a high amount of potassium, fiber, and the antioxidant beta-carotene. All three have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Enjoy them year-round: Use in place of pumpkin or banana in recipes for muffins, pancakes, and breads.

2. Pomegranate

This Chinese fruit is one of the most potent sources of antioxidants from the juice plus the polyphenols and anthocyanins also may help reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries, lessening the risk of heart disease. They're also a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Enjoy them year-round: Fresh pomegranates are at their peak this time of year, so use their seeds to add taste and a unique accent, garnishing anything from hot soups to cold salads and cocktails. To reap their nutrition reward all year, look for their intensely sweet-tart juice, syrup, or molasses.

3. Cranberries

High in compounds called tannins, cranberries have been linked to a decrease in urinary tract infections, gum disease, and some types of ulcers because of their antibacterial effect. Tannins also may play a role in reducing the risk of heart disease and some cancers.  Enjoy them year-round: Since fresh cranberries are exceptionally tart, most recipes for sauces and relishes contain a lot of sugar. You can reduce the amount by using sliced or chopped apples to add sweetness instead. Freeze these in bags for year-round use. (By the way, Juice Plus+ has a Berry Blend made with 9 different grapes and berries).

4. Lentils

High levels of fiber found in lentils may help reduce cholesterol levels and maintain blood sugar, while folate helps to regulate homocysteine levels, protecting the heart from disease. Lentils are a traditional New Year's food, especially in Italian, German, and Scottish cultures. Enjoy them year-round: Use them to add protein to soups and salads.

5. Cocoa

In addition to iron and magnesium, a cup of this beverage can provide you with twice the amount of antioxidants found in red wine and triple that of tea, according to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry. If you prefer these benefits in the form of a bar, try eating one to two ounces of dark chocolate containing at least 70 percent cocoa solids daily. Several long-term studies have found that this type of dark chocolate may help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol).  Enjoy it year-round: For a rich, creamy chocolate drink you can sip hot or cold, Jacobi recommends heating one cup of vanilla soymilk, one tablespoon of water, and two tablespoons of sugar. Just before it boils, whisk in two ounces of dark chocolate (chopped) and two tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa powder. (credit)

Note: You can enjoy the Holiday Season without adding extra weight or ruining your health by missing out on healthy foods. So get the healthy nutrients you need while enjoy the Cheer of the Season.

Happy Holidays!

Double Up On Juice Plus +® For the Holidays

I suggest Juice Plus+ because everyone I meet does not eat enough fruits and vegetables (with the exception of 2 people I can think of). Well, you know what happens during the Holidays? We are too busy eating appetizers, stuffing, yams, and of course pumpkin and/or pecan and/or apple pie...to even think about getting enough fruits and vegetables. Ok, yams and stuffing covers some of it, but remember you're cooking those foods. That means a decrease in the amount of live nutrients. Think of it this way: if you took a handful of spinach and burnt it to a crisp, do you think there would be any nutritional value left if you ate it? ....Uh, no. So limit the amount of broiling, baking, frying, grilling, microwaving, or heating of any kind, to your vegetables (and fruits, but most of us don't heat those). And since you're not getting enough fruits and vegetables during this week, most likely, then double up on the amount of Juice Plus+ you're consuming. That means if you're taking 2 capsules of the Fruit Blend and 2 of the Vegetable Blend, the take 4 of each. And, do that through the first of the year, until the 3rd or 4th. You know your stress levels are probably higher than usual, so you're body needs those extra antioxidants. By the way, you can't double up on what you're not taking, so get yourself a box of Juice Plus+ if you aren't taking it - that is, if you're on the list of those who don't eat enough fruits and veggies.

If you're worried about taking too much, well for safety sake you can talk to your doctor. However, I will tell you that I've taken 10 Fruit Blend in the morning, 10 Berry Blend at lunch, and 10 Vegetable Blend in the early evening....just to know a) how my body would respond; b) what my body would 'feel' like; and c) so I could gauge the absorption rate (very unscientifically, of course). How did it go? Great. I felt great, no harm, and the amount that was not getting absorbed was minimal. What am talking about? Well, think about what happens when you urinate after taking a megadose vitamin -- very yellow, right? Well, that wasn't the case for me.

So be sure to try and eat healthy during the Holidays, and double up on your Juice Plus+ fruit and vegetable nutrients. If you want an added dose of nutrients, get the Berry Blend too. 

Have a happy and blessed Holiday season!

Dr. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

NOTE: Juice Plus+ is not meant for nor is any suggestion being made that it can help cure or treat any sickness, disease, or medical condition.

Juice Plus+® ... Nutrients Without The Sugar

Something you better know about the consumption of glucose - the sugar that is most commonly consumed. Restricting the amount you consume can be "LIFE SAVING!" One benefit of Juice Plus+ is for those who have to limit their sugar intake, there isn't the worry of glucose or other sugars, because Juice Plus+ doesn't have the sugars that are present in those whole foods. Read on about why you may want to think twice when it comes to how much glucose you're consuming --- 

Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) have discovered that restricting consumption of glucose, the most common dietary sugar, can extend the life of healthy human-lung cells and speed the death of precancerous human-lung cells, reducing cancer's spread and growth rate.

The research has wide-ranging potential in age-related science, including ways in which calorie-intake restriction can benefit longevity and help prevent diseases like cancer that have been linked to aging, said principal investigator Trygve Tollefsbol, Ph.D., D.O., a professor in the Department of Biology.

"These results further verify the potential health benefits of controlling calorie intake." Tollefsbol said. "Our research indicates that calorie reduction extends the lifespan of healthy human cells and aids the body's natural ability to kill off cancer-forming cells."

The UAB team conducted its tests by growing both healthy human-lung cells and precancerous human-lung cells in laboratory flasks. The flasks were provided either normal levels of glucose or significantly reduced amounts of the sugar compound, and the cells then were allowed to grow for a period of weeks.

"In that time, we were able to track the cells' ability to divide while also monitoring the number of surviving cells. The pattern that was revealed to us showed that restricted glucose levels led the healthy cells to grow longer than is typical and caused the precancerous cells to die off in large numbers," Tollefsbol said.

In particular, the researchers found that two key genes were affected in the cellular response to decreased glucose consumption. The first gene, telomerase, encodes an important enzyme that allows cells to divide indefinitely. The second gene, p16, encodes a well known anti-cancer protein.

"Opposite effects were found for these genes in healthy cells versus precancerous cells. The healthy cells saw their telomerase rise and p16 decrease, which would explain the boost in healthy cell growth," Tollefsbol said. "The gene reactions flipped in the precancerous cells with telomerase decreasing and the anti-cancer protein p16 increasing, which would explain why these cancer-forming cells died off in large numbers."

The UAB research into the links between calorie intake, aging and the onset of diseases related to aging is thought to be a first of its kind given that it used the unique approach of testing human cells versus laboratory animals.

"Our results not only support previous findings from the feeding of animals but also reveal that human longevity can be achieved at the cellular level through caloric restriction," Tollefsbol said.

"The hope is that this UAB breakthrough will lead to further discoveries in different cell types and facilitate the development of novel approaches to extend the lifespan of humans," he added. (source)

Bottom Line: There are plenty of books, studies, conclusions, researchers, scientists, and experts who will tell you that one of the biggest "killers" of our society's health is sugar. Not the kind that is consumed when eating a fruit or vegetable, but the kind that is in processed foods or drinks. Think of all the products that contain some type of sugar. If you really want to try to improve your diet, start keeping a journal of what you're eating. You may find that if you have to write it down, you'll be less likely to eat it if it has sugar (unless it's fruits or vegetables).  High fructose corn syrup is one of the most consumed sugars in beverages that is contributing to poor health and obesity.  But if cutting back on the consumption of glucose could mean killing some cancer cells, or even preventing the risk of cancer, don't you think that would be a good action to start taking?

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Independent Distributor

While we do not suggest that anything will 'cure' cancer, we do recommend Juice Plus+ for added nutrients from fruits and vegetables that may help in the prevention of health conditions.

Reducing Memory Loss With Grape Juice?

Juice Plus+® cannot prevent memory loss or can it?  At least there is no study that indicates that it may do so...not that I can remember anyway.  The Juice Plus+® Vineyard Blend that contains nutrients from 9 different grapes and berries (including Concord grapes) could possibly be helpful in the prevention of memory loss as we age. Here's a study using grape juice that indirectly could lead one to that conclusion --

Scientists from the University of Cincinnati's psychiatry department carried out a study which involved 12 people with early memory loss drinking pure 100 per cent Concord grape juice for 12 weeks. During the trial participants were split into two groups, one which drank juice and one which didn't.

Both groups' memories were regularly tested in the form of learning lists and items placed in a certain order. The results showed an improvement the longer the trial went on in the half of the group who were drinking the juice, which is made from grapes grown in the Concord region of New Hampshire, USA.  Experts believe this proves the brain-boosting powers of antioxidants contained in the skin and juice of the grapes.

Dr Robert Krikorian of the university presented the results of his study at the International Polyphenols and Health conference in Harrogate, Yorks, on Tuesday.

He said: ''While there were no significant differences between the groups at baseline, following the treatment, those drinking Concord grape juice demonstrated a significant improvement in list learning. And trends suggested improved short-term memory retention and spatial, non-verbal memory. 'The results involving Concord grape juice are very encouraging and certainly warrant an additional study.

''A simple, easy-to-incorporate dietary intervention that could improve or protect memory function, such as drinking Concord grape juice, may be beneficial for the ageing population.''

The study gives further weight to the suggestion that the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods and beverages, such as fruits and vegetables, and their 100 percent juices may help preserve cognitive function and slow or reverse memory decline in certain populations.

Dr Krikorian lead the study, which was carried out earlier this year, as part of ongoing research into the link between fruit and vegetables and the prevention of mental decline. His trial involved a dozen older adults between the ages of 75 and 80 already suffering from early memory loss.

Each participant drank 100 percent Concord grape juice or a placebo for almost three months, during which time they were followed for measures of memory function including both verbal and non-verbal tasks.

A 2006 US study conducted at Vanderbilt University revealed drinking fruit and vegetable juices frequently could significantly cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

US researchers followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years – providing a powerful set of results. They found the risk was 76 per cent lower for those who drank juice more than three times a week, compared with those who drank it less than once-a-week. (source)

Conclusion: I believe it is safe to say that a diet rich in whole food fruits and vegetables is beneficial in the prevention of many health problems, including something as simple as memory loss. More importantly a diet that consists of mainly fruits and vegetables, as opposed to processed foods or fast-foods for example, will increase the likelihood of maintaining a healthy body and mind for more years than living with an unhealthy diet.

And it may be assumptive to believe that the nutrients in the Concord grapes could provide the same benefits as drinking the juice from those grapes. Yet, there are nutrients from those types of grapes as well as 8 other different grapes and berries in the Juice Plus+ Berry Blend.  At the very least, you know you're getting nutrients from 9 different grapes and berries.  And grapes and berries are known to be high in antioxidants, which we know are needed to reduce the damage caused by free radicals.

So get as many fruits and vegetables in your diet each day (at least 5, but up to 13 would be more beneficial if you're an active adult). And if you don't, won't, or can't, then add Juice Plus+® fruit, vegetable, and berry nutrients to your diet.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Distributor

Juice Plus+® cannot prevent memory loss or can it?  At least there is no study that indicates that it may do so...not that I can remember anyway.  The Juice Plus+® Vineyard Blend that contains nutrients from 9 different grapes and berries (including Concord grapes) could possibly be helpful in the prevention of memory loss as we age. Here's a study using grape juice that indirectly could lead one to that conclusion --

Scientists from the University of Cincinnati's psychiatry department carried out a study which involved 12 people with early memory loss drinking pure 100 per cent Concord grape juice for 12 weeks. During the trial participants were split into two groups, one which drank juice and one which didn't.

Both groups' memories were regularly tested in the form of learning lists and items placed in a certain order. The results showed an improvement the longer the trial went on in the half of the group who were drinking the juice, which is made from grapes grown in the Concord region of New Hampshire, USA.  Experts believe this proves the brain-boosting powers of antioxidants contained in the skin and juice of the grapes.

Dr Robert Krikorian of the university presented the results of his study at the International Polyphenols and Health conference in Harrogate, Yorks, on Tuesday.

He said: ''While there were no significant differences between the groups at baseline, following the treatment, those drinking Concord grape juice demonstrated a significant improvement in list learning. And trends suggested improved short-term memory retention and spatial, non-verbal memory. 'The results involving Concord grape juice are very encouraging and certainly warrant an additional study.

''A simple, easy-to-incorporate dietary intervention that could improve or protect memory function, such as drinking Concord grape juice, may be beneficial for the ageing population.''

The study gives further weight to the suggestion that the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods and beverages, such as fruits and vegetables, and their 100 percent juices may help preserve cognitive function and slow or reverse memory decline in certain populations.

Dr Krikorian lead the study, which was carried out earlier this year, as part of ongoing research into the link between fruit and vegetables and the prevention of mental decline. His trial involved a dozen older adults between the ages of 75 and 80 already suffering from early memory loss.

Each participant drank 100 percent Concord grape juice or a placebo for almost three months, during which time they were followed for measures of memory function including both verbal and non-verbal tasks.

A 2006 US study conducted at Vanderbilt University revealed drinking fruit and vegetable juices frequently could significantly cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

US researchers followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years – providing a powerful set of results. They found the risk was 76 per cent lower for those who drank juice more than three times a week, compared with those who drank it less than once-a-week. (source)

Conclusion: I believe it is safe to say that a diet rich in whole food fruits and vegetables is beneficial in the prevention of many health problems, including something as simple as memory loss. More importantly a diet that consists of mainly fruits and vegetables, as opposed to processed foods or fast-foods for example, will increase the likelihood of maintaining a healthy body and mind for more years than living with an unhealthy diet.

And it may be assumptive to believe that the nutrients in the Concord grapes could provide the same benefits as drinking the juice from those grapes. Yet, there are nutrients from those types of grapes as well as 8 other different grapes and berries in the Juice Plus+ Berry Blend.  At the very least, you know you're getting nutrients from 9 different grapes and berries.  And grapes and berries are known to be high in antioxidants, which we know are needed to reduce the damage caused by free radicals.

So get as many fruits and vegetables in your diet each day (at least 5, but up to 13 would be more beneficial if you're an active adult). And if you don't, won't, or can't, then add Juice Plus+® fruit, vegetable, and berry nutrients to your diet.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+® Distributor

Juice Plus+® ... A Better Choice For Canadians?

In Canada, there are a large percentage of people who take vitamins and nutritional supplements because, most likely, they realize they aren't getting enough good nutrition from fruits and vegetables. This is why we recommend Juice Plus+, because it has nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables. But resorting to just single or multiple vitamins or synthetic supplements is leaving out literally hundreds of phytonutrients that are present in those foods. Here's what's going on in Canada and most likely the US too --

It's estimated that 40 per cent of Canadians take vitamin and mineral supplements each day. Yet according to a report in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the formula for optimal health isn't in the supplement aisle of a health-food store.

Instead, the best strategy for staying healthy and lowering your risk for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers is to eat a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods – a practice that for many people is not a habit.

Still, the report recognizes that some people do require vitamin and mineral supplements. Knowing which ones to take – and how much – can be confusing.

The fact is, the maintenance of good health is related more to the types and amounts of foods you eat than to the amount of certain vitamins or minerals you consume. When obtained from foods, certain nutrients have been demonstrated to guard against a number of health conditions. But studies investigating the effect of supplements on health outcomes have turned up disappointing results.

Foods are complex, providing more than just a single vitamin or mineral. Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains also contain fibre, along with hundreds of disease-fighting compounds called phytochemicals. It's thought that vitamins and minerals work in concert with other components of food to exert health benefits.

You've heard it over and over: Choose mainly whole grains, get seven to 10 daily servings of fruit and vegetables, eat beans and lentils more often, and so on. Yet a very small percentage of Canadians lives by Canada's Food Guide.

According to national survey data, Canadians of all ages don't get enough magnesium, folate or potassium from their diet. Most adults don't get enough calcium from foods. And women under 50 consume too little iron.

While it's ideal to try to meet your daily nutrient requirements from food, for some people this is hard to do. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, strict vegetarians, people with food intolerances and allergies, and elderly adults often need to fill dietary gaps with a multivitamin and mineral pill.

People with certain health conditions, or who take medications that alter their need for some vitamins or minerals, may also need to rely on supplements. And older adults, people with dark skin and those with inadequate sun exposure require extra vitamin D.

If you fall into one of the following categories, consider taking certain supplements in addition to eating plenty of nutrient-rich foods. (source)

Bottom Line: Look, you can't expect any type of supplement to make up for unhealthy habits - tobacco, unhealthy foods, sugary drinks, too much alchohol, and so on. However, maybe you're habits are average or better than average and you're just not getting those last couple or few fruits and vegetables you need, or maybe your life has a bit more stress than you'd care to have, or maybe you just live in an environment where the water and air aren't as clean as you'd like them to be. Well, you do need more antioxidants to help keep you healthy. Ripened, raw fruits and vegetables are the way to get those antioxidants. But since most people don't get enough (or won't), then add a nutritional supplement that contains nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Juice Plus+ is one such supplement. Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from 7 different fruits and 8 different vegetables. It may just help you get those antioxidants that you're lacking to keep you healthy.

Dr. J. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Distributor

The Power of Antioxidants .... Juice Plus+®

The Power of Antioxidants

What is an antioxidant? According to the National Cancer Institute “antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Examples of antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C and E, and other substances. Many of these antioxidant substances come from fruits and vegetables.”

• Fruits and vegetables contain a powerful array of antioxidants that offer protection for our bodies. Beta-carotene is found in many fruits and vegetables that are orange in color, including carrots, Some green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are also rich in beta-carotene.
• Lutein, best known for its association with healthy eyes, is abundant in green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, and kale.
• Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in abundance in tomatoes.
• Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables such as apples, oranges, pineapple, acerola cherries, papaya, carrots, parsley, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach and tomatoes.
• Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.

Juice Plus+® - Reducing Your Risk

Experts agree: the best way to reduce your risk of disease is to eat healthier. Almost every day, another piece of research or another news story touts the disease-fighting power of our dietary choices -- especially the benefits of eating more fruits and vegetables.

Whether it's a new vitamin, an antioxidant, or some other phytonutrient not yet "discovered" by science, fruits and vegetables contain an unparalleled array of nutritional elements that offer protection for our bodies -- nutrition that we simply can't get from vitamin pills. And, the thousands of nutrients found in fruits and vegetables work together in ways that science is just beginning to explore.

The message is clear: we need more of the healthful whole food nutrition of fruits and vegetables in our diets, every day. It's the one thing everyone agrees we can do to improve our health and reduce our risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Juice Plus+ provides nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables.

We suggest a diet rich in raw, ripened, whole food fruits and vegetables as your best means for supporting a healthy body, a strong immune system, and therefore your best way to help prevent sickness and disease. Of course, avoiding all the unhealthy foods and products (like tobacco) is necessary too.

And if you need more fruit and vegetable nutrients in your diet, add Juice Plus+. Try it for 4 months, and even 1 year is helpful in getting more data to compare to your previous year's health. Try it risk free.

You can visit Juice Plus+ for more info, or feel free to use the contact information below.

Dr. Patrick Havey
The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

Amazing Juice Fast, Detox Diet - Could it Starve Cancer?

Embarking on a detox diet or a juice diet (juice fasting) seems to be "in" today. Recently popularized by Carol Vorderman and Kim Wilde, the detox diet is praised for health benefits. There is plenty of information on a detox diet, a juice diet or juice fasting, and using vegetable juice. Of course, using fruits and vegetables juice plus berries too are good for your source your juice fast.

Let's explore the basics. Vegetables are most nutritious when as near their raw state as possible. This includes raw vegetables, fresh vegetable juice, and steamed vegetables, although some nutrients are lost in steam. We recommend Juice Plus+ as a way to get nutrients from those foods, but not as a source of all the fiber, water, and full gamut of what a whole food offers. But nonetheless, Juice Plus+ may be the next best thing to the actual foods (you can even open the capsules and add the nutrients to your juice drink if you're doing a juice fast!).

For a detox diet with juice fasting, people consume fruit and vegetable juice recipes while fasting (or abstaining) from other foods for a short period of time. The bloodstream absorbs the juice plus the nutrients from solid foods without actually consuming the solid foods themselves. A juice diet should never be continued for long periods of time because it does not provide all the nutrients you need.

Caution is urged! Pregnant or nursing women, children, people with anemia, heart problems, diabetes, low blood pressure, ulcers, epilepsy, cancer, eating disorders, or other health issues should never undertake juice fasting, juice diet plans, or any detox diet without consulting a doctor.

Can fruit and vegetable juice plus abstainence from whole foods provide significant healing for a disease or condition, including a mental illness (notice we DID NOT use the word cure!) ? 

The medical community does not have a consensus. Stories abound of miraculous healings of cancer, mental illness, depression, and other illnesses from juice fasting, detox diets, spiritual fasting, and fruit and vegetable diets. Spiritual people also fast to deny self, and to draw closer to the spiritual realm and higher consciousness.

In 1993, Edie Mae Hunsberger's book, "How I Conquered Cancer Naturally" was published. The main regimen she presented was wheat grass juice and a natural diet. Others claim healthier diets and sugars cause cancer growth, and any benefit is from starving the cancer. (Click here: "starve cancer" to be taken to a search in Google for results on "starving cancer" and see what you come up with!)

What is a detox diet?
A detox diet is a cleansing regimen to rid the body of toxins (detoxification). Some say cancer is a toxic condition, but it's unproven. That you can detoxify your body is well documented. There are many detox programs for drug addicts, for example.

The key to good health seems to be a healthy balance of foods that are as near-natural as possible. Moderation is a good rule, along with the ideal nutrient balance, since vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause many illnesses. (See Mayo Clinic.)

Popular vegetable juice blends:

• Carrots, wheat grass and kale
• Carrots seasoned with garlic, onion and ginger
• Tomato, cucumber, parsley, celery and broccoli
• Tomato, green pepper, celery, cucumber, parsley and sea salt
• Carrots, parsley and celery
• Carrots, cucumber and celery
• Carrots, spinach and kale

Keeping fruit and vegetable diet juice fresh
To prepare juices ahead, buy glass canning jars. Pour your juice into the jar until full, press down the sealing lid, then screw on the top. Place jars into the refrigerator. Vegetable juices should keep five days and fruit juices will keep three days. Drink juices within 20 minutes of making them or opening your jars, since exposure to air destroys the enzymes.

Any way you can get more raw whole food fruits and vegetables into your diet, is going to be a plus for your health. The next best thing may be Juice Plus+ but make your focus on the whole foods first.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC

Juice Plus+®....Antioxidants For Health

While the best source fiber comes from the whole food fruit and/or vegetable - because you also get a good source of nutrients and water - there is an addition you can put with your diet in order to be sure you get extra nutrients and antioxidants. And that is Juice Plus+. With nutrients from whole food fruits and vegetables, Juice Plus+ can help bridge the gap of what may be missing in your diet. However, you can even drink fruit juice from those foods but you've got to be careful that it's not from a concentrated source (that is, where unnatural sugars are added). Here's more --

Where the distinction falls apart is that 100 percent fruit juices do have significantly more health benefits than soda, sports drinks and juice drinks. The reason why orange juice initially, and other juices later, got a “healthy halo” is because of their antioxidant content.

Antioxidants are complex carbohydrates that can stop the cellular damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are produced by your body in its normal metabolism, but are also caused by pollution, UV rays and cigarette smoke. Antioxidant damage can lead to cancer, stroke, heart disease and diseases of aging, according to the National Cancer Institute. Given this knowledge, we would want to maximize the antioxidants we consume, even though they don’t show up in the “Nutrition Facts” panel.

Certain juice drinks — 100 percent juices directly from the foods — contain significantly more antioxidants than sports drinks, low juice drinks or sodas. These 100 percent juices have 20 times the antioxidants of drinks, energy drinks and sodas. Even raw fruit antioxidant levels are fairly low. There is even a research paper that indicates consuming a glass a day of 100 percent fruit juice goes hand in hand with other healthy dietary behaviors.

So what is one to do? Most people should get more fiber in their diet.  People who consume large amounts of any food type will show it on the scales. But go on a water and whole fruit diet? I don't think you'll be doing that anytime soon, but it sure wouldn't hurt. And, you'd probably lose weight and get to a healthy weight with such action.

Either way, be sure you get enough good nutrition from whole food fruits and vegetables. If you don't, add Juice Plus+ until you do.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC 

Vitamins, Nutrients, and Soil Restoration For Health

Restoring the health of our world's soil has been a subject of concern by many for some time. The reason that we need to supplement with products like Juice Plus+ is because even at the minimum consumption of fruits and vegetables each day, we are probably still not getting the nutrients we need for optimal health. Juice Plus+ can help with that goal.  Here's more on an detail assessment of the health of our soil and how the foods grown on these "stressed" lands may be adding to our health problems --

This is not a new idea, but the work of French research scientist, Francis Chaboussou. He outlined plant responses and increased pest susceptibility way back in the 1980s as part of his "Theory of Trophobiosis" in his book, Healthy Crops: A New Agricultural Revolution Jose Lutzenberger, former Minister for the Environment in Brazil, calls Chaboussou's work, "the most important discovery in agricultural chemistry since Liebig," the 19th century German chemist known as the "father of the fertilizer industry."

But the agro-chemical companies don't want you to know this. They want you to think you need their fossil fuel-based, toxic and unsustainable products to grow food. Agribusiness is even lobbying at Copenhagen to receive funding for these practices.

Here is how Choboussou explained why soluble fertilizers work to increase disease and pest vulnerability. The soluble fertilizers cause plant proteins to break down into amino acids and change the carbohydrate to sugar ratios, affecting the plant's metabolism. This change makes plants more vulnerable. Pests and disease rely on malfunctioning plants for nutrients that are not available in healthier plants. When imbalance occurs, circumstances are ripe for infestation and infection. Further, chemical fertilizers inhibit the growth of life-sustaining fungi in the soils, damaging the biological health of the soil as well as that of the plant.

Chemically-treated soils produce weaker plants that are more physiologically stressed, and these plants become more susceptible to disease and insects as well. There is, perhaps, little difference for humans. Just like plants, scientist Dr. Warren Porter at the University of Wisconsin has informed us that as a human becomes stressed and is fighting disease, he or she will break down blood proteins, which creates a similar environment to what the imbalanced plant experiences with the application of fertilizers.

When plants get nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) as manufactured soluble salts--instead of from biologically released nutrients from a healthy, biologically alive soil--the plant becomes dependent on chemical applications for nutrition, instead of the soil. Increased applications of herbicides (to kill weeds) over time only further weakens the plants, creating more opportunities for weed resistance and pest infestation. For humans, it's the same as our immune systems are weakened by eating over- processed and corn syrup/sugar-based diets.

What happened to eating whole foods that are toxin-free- and possess actual nutrition, whole proteins, complex carbohydrates? No person in their right mind would try to survive solely on vitamin supplements—why do we think our food supply can? Crops, and humans, demand a complexity of nutrients for optimum wellness that can only come from biologically derived nutrients. (read more...)

Bottom Line: We've got to focus more on whole food, plant based nutrition, than processed foods that come in bags, boxes, or jars. If we don't, the world's nutritional supply will continue to deteriorate. Even taking a supplement like Juice Plus+ helps the demand for better quality fruits and vegetables. But either way, we can't rely on foods that are almost always sprayed with chemicals. Nor can we count on healthy crops grown on soil that has not had time to replenish the nutrients as well. Top soil is being depleted and won't just last forever when there is too much overturning of it too often. Think of it this way - you can't drive on a concrete road forever without having to put down or repair it. Unfortunately, we can only do so much, where Mother Nature has to intervene. Prevention and care is our best hope.  Just start thinking in terms of eating a healthy diet so we can put the demand on better care for our soil.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC
Official Juice Plus+ Independent Distributor

Juice Plus+® - Study on Cranberries Shows Promising Results

While all fruits and vegetables are not equal, which is why a variety of them should be eaten daily, and why Juice Plus+ contains nutrients from a variety of them (because different foods have different nutrients for various benefits). But according to the leader of the cranberry business, the health benefits of cranberries include mouth, bone, urinary, and stomach.   The fruit has long been considered an effective method of fighting urinary tract infections, something that has led to almost one third of parents in the US giving it to their children, according to a recent study.

In 2004 France became the first country to approve a health claim for the North American cranberry species Vaccinium macrocarpon, which states that it can 'help reduce the adhesion of certain E.coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls'.

A health claim has also recently been awarded in Korea for Decas Botanicals’ PACran product. “PACran is the only cranberry ingredient in the world to have a health claim,” said Dan Souza, director of sales and marketing.

Recently, researchers from St. Francis College, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, and New York University reported that the anti-bacterial benefits may be matched by anti-viral benefits.

Stomachs, and possibly anti-cancer

In terms of stomach health, the focus has been on cranberry’s effects on the Helicobacter pylori bacterium - the only bacteria that can survive in the acidic environment of the stomach and known to cause peptic ulcers and gastritis.

Several reports have shown that the berries and their constituents are effective at inhibiting adhesion of the bacterium to the stomach wall. [Does this mean that Juice Plus+ nutrients could provide the same benefit? No. This has not been proven, although one could make the indirect connection.] 

There are also some reports in the literature for other health conditions. For example, researchers from Ohio State University and the Blueberry and Cranberry Research Center at Rutgers University reported that a proanthocyanidin-rich cranberry extract was found to inhibit the growth and spread of human oesophageal adenocarcinoma (a cancer in glandular tissue) cells (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

And earlier this year, a lab study from the University of Prince Edward Island in Canada reported that extracts from cranberry may prevent colon cancer via an anti-inflammatory mechanism (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Vol. 89, pp. 542-547).

Finally, a study presented earlier this year at the Experimental Biology conference by Ted Wilson from Winona State University found that sweetened dried cranberries with a reduced sugar and increased fibre content may benefit type-2 diabetics by delivering healthier glycemic and insulin responses. (source)

Bottom Line: There seems to be mounting evidence on the effectiveness of cranberries and cranberry extract on the health, prevention, and even help with health conditions that may be present. The thing to take from this is that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and yes berries are important in the prevention of sickness and disease. When it comes to extracts, Juice Plus+ contains extracts of cranberry in both the Fruit Blend and the Vineyard Blend. Actually, cranberry is the only one that appears in both and the above article should provide evidence as to why. It's importance to good health seems obvious.

So, if you're not eating enough fruits, vegetables, and berries, then start adding Juice Plus+ Fruit, Vegetable, AND Vineyard Blend to your diet.

The Health & Wellness Institute, PC