Juicing For Energy and Vitality
There are three ‘ingredients’ to using juices to power-up your energy!
- A good-night’s sleep;
- Nitrous Oxide; and
- ATP (“Adenosine triphosphate”).
Let’s see how they work! …
1. It All Begins With a Good Night’s Sleep!
One thing that most people don’t associate with energy is good sleep, and I’m not just talking about the fact that you need to get good sleep to feel energized in the morning — did you know that you actually need good ENERGY to sleep well?
When we’re pushing too hard, feeling frazzled, running the kids around, trying to keep all our ducks in a row, exercise more, and excel at work, and … and … and …
It’s really exhausting! In fact, you probably remember this ‘too exhausted to sleep’ state as your college-finals ‘second wind.’
And, while second winds in your school years can buy you a few extra hours a semester to cram, the reality is that you will likely also remember you ‘second-wind crashes’– that jet-lagged feeling the day after your all-nighter (and the day after that) when all you wanted to do was sleep. Well, in today’s ‘go! go! go!’ world many of us unintentionally place our bodies in practically the same state of sleep deprivation where we are literally too tired to fall asleep.
Our bodies try to let us know when to slow down so we don’t overdo it. Sometimes, sleep deprivation even leads to anxiety and illness and pain, but sometimes we keep on keepin’ on because we have to. And even though we’re thoroughly pooped, we still find ourselves staring up at the ceiling at 2am or waking up to an alarm still feeling like we’ve been hit by a truck. What gives, man?
Dr. John Douillard discovered an irony when he oversaw a study on sleep. Specifically, he found that the very people who had the most trouble sleeping reported systems one would normally associate with falling to sleep fast! He noted “[those] who cannot sleep at night are deeply exhausted and often physically, mentally and emotionally depleted …” But why can’t they sleep? Dr. Douillard believes that these people “may not have enough energy to settle their moods, and the result is that they stay wired.”
So How Does Juicing Help You Sleep, and WHAT Fruits and Vegetables Should You Juice?
Generally, juicing assists in reducing oxidative stress (OS), and fights inflammation. But, beyond oxidative stress, juicing hydrates the body and provides minerals that help the muscles and mind relax — specifically magnesium and calcium. This study found that a diverse, hydrating diet enhances our sleep and energy levels. And, the fastest way to get a diverse diet and consume these magic sleep nutrients in a form your body can absorb is with juicing.
Specifically, juices such as celery are high in magnesium and calcium, as are green leafy vegetables like spinach, chard, and kale. And, if you’re in the mood for a smoothie, a banana provides an excellent source of absorbable magnesium.
Side-Bar:
Did you know that sleep apnea (which is often an side issue in those suffering obesity or other diseases) is considered by scientists to be an oxidative stress disorder? And, Reducing inflammation is the first step to addressing disease-causing free radical damage in the body. [9]
2. Power Up With Natural Nitrous Oxide
One of the newest fads in professional athletics is drinking a juice before intense competition, and juices rich in beet juice are at the top of the legal performance-enhancers list. Here’s why:
About fifteen minutes after ingesting beet juice, bacteria in your mouth transform certain molecules found in beet juice into nitrous oxide. And, nitrous oxide causes the blood vessels to temporarily enlarge and deliver more oxygen to every organ in the body, including the brain!
Beet juice is also known to cleanse and detoxify the liver, and a body cleaned of toxins has a much higher energy level. Energy is strongly tied to the liver and kidneys – so treat them kindly.
3. Your Key to Cellular Power: Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
ATP, being required for all energy transfers at the cellular level, is referred to as ‘the energy currency of life’ in nutrition circles. When healthy, your body processes (not consumes) literally its own weight-equivalent in ATP each day! [1]
So, clearly your body needs ATP — and a LOT of it! But, what can you consume to get more usable ATP into your system?
Here’s where fruits come into play. Freshly juiced fruits deliver ATP on the cellular level of the fruit … truly ‘green energy.’ So, juice some apples, pears, or berries … even fresh citrus.
And, although I usually stick to discussing juices, you’ll likely want to know that raw almonds are a great source of ATP!
Fun Fact: Although the specific nutritional pathways are still being studied, sleep clinics know that certain fruit juices including cherry, tart cherry, and kiwis correlate with better sleep.
So, for more energy, juice for better sleep, natural nitrous oxide, and the all-powerful ATP.
Sources:
- https://www.rebootwithjoe.com/you-snooze-you-lose-and-why-thats-a-good-thing/
- https://lifespa.com/too-tired-to-sleep/
- http://www.cherrish.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Insomia.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2664987/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4406031/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4352186/
- https://thechalkboardmag.com/new-science-health-benefits-of-juicing
- https://www.drcarney.com/blog/entry/crunching-the-science-on-juicing
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2015/234952/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079202902613
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14978604
- https://libres.uncg.edu/ir/asu/f/Shanely_Andrew_2013_effects_of_a_flavonoid_orig.X.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2676354/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5409777/
- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/mar/23/purging-the-body-of-retired-cells-could-reverse-ageing-study-shows
- https://www.huffingtonpost.com/firas-kittaneh/food-sleep_b_6762920.html
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