With the holidays behind us, many look to juicing as a way to "detox" from all of the indulgences.  We've called upon Lauren Boggi Goldenberg, owner of juice company Lithe Foods as well as creator of the Lithe Method® fitness regimen, to share her reasons for juicing and how it can help clean up your act. Lauren is a big believer in juicing and consumes at least one fresh-pressed juice every day.

Lauren's Views on Juicing

Lauren Boggi Goldenberg
Owner of Lithe Foods

Cold-pressed juice is hot, and I am happy to see it becoming mainstream with more and more people enjoying the health benefits.  With this increase in popularity, however, I find that juicing is also often misunderstood, falling exclusively under the category of “fasting” and “cleansing” in the minds of many.  I feel that it is really important not to get too wrapped up in the trend of juice fasting for days on end.  A juice cleanse is a great way to clean up and reset bad habits, but before you go all liquid for days on end, keep in mind that vegetable and fruit juice has very little protein and virtually no fat, so by itself, it is not really a complete, balanced food.  For long-term results and benefits, I recommend juicing twice a day in addition to a healthy, balanced, mostly local, whole food diet.   

Thinking of juicing?  Here are 5 benefits:

The Metamorphosis

I like to say that juicing is like a gateway drug to healthier living.  I love to juice in the morning and again around 2-3PM.  I love coffee, but a green juice will clear my head and often give me more energy than caffeine ever will.   Juicing can de-fog your brain, make you feel lighter (spry!), and you’ll have boundless energy.  You’ll notice that your sleep improves and your mood stabilizes.  In my world we call it “getting Lithe.”  People often report that when they change their diet to include fresh, cold-pressed juices, they feel like their body undergoes a transformation similar to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

Great Skin 

If you do a juice cleanse for a number of days, or include 2 juices a day in your diet for two weeks, you’ll most likely notice that your skin glows from all those nutrients and antioxidants.

pH Balance

We (and our cells) thrive in a balanced, slightly alkaline environment (a pH between 7.365 and 7.45).  Seven on the pH scale is neutral. Our body becomes more acidic as our pH drops below seven, and more alkaline as it rises above seven. The good ‘ole American diet is filled with acidic foods, like processed sugars and grains, coffee, dairy, meat, and alcohol.  Green juice has a pH of seven or above!

Sun energy (Biophotons)

It may sound hokey, but sun-ripened fruits and veggies are rich in light energy (biophotons).  Biophotons energize cells by supplying fuel for the mitochondria (the energy furnaces of your cells that pump out adenosine diphosphate, the fuel that is used by cells). Practically speaking, this means you feel more energized and your metabolism revs up.  Fresh-pressed juice is chock-full of biophotons.  Unfortunately, pasteurization (99% of commercial juices are pasteurized, even the ones in store display cases) destroys biophotons, along with their energizing benefits.

Enzymes

Raw juice is a rich source of enzymes.  Enzymes are essential for digestion and absorption of food, for conversion of food into body tissue, and for the production of energy at the cellular level.  Since the enzymes in your juice begin to break down immediately, it’s ideal to drink it within 20-30 minutes of pressing.

Ready to try juicing for yourself? Try this recipe for Lithe's Sweet Basil Cucumber Juice! 

About Lauren
A former USC cheerleader, dancer, and Pilates instructor, Lauren created her own proprietary Cardio-Cheer-Sculpting® technique and took her passion for fitness to new heights with her workout phenomenon, the Lithe Method.  Now with four studios in Philadelphia with a fifth location coming soon to NYC, Lauren also is the creator and founder of Lithe Inc., Lithe Wear, Lithe Escape®, Lithe’s revolutionary Higher Power Band System®, and Lithe Foods, a line of lean, local, seasonal, and (mostly) vegan a-la-carte items and meal plans.  Widely respected as an industry expert, Lauren has appeared in VOGUE, BusinessWeek, Lucky, and more.