Old-school juicing methods have been around for a long time, but what’s the new kid on the block, cold pressing, and is it a better way to juice veg?
WHAT IS COLD-PRESSED JUICE?
Cold-pressed juice may sound like it is made in the North Pole, but the extraction means it is different from ‘regular juice.’ That is, how the raw fruits and vegetables are turned into juice.
Traditional Juicing Methods
A ”traditional” or ”centrifugal juicer” uses a fast-spinning blade to essentially cut up the fresh fruits and vegetables, which isn’t all that great at maximizing the health benefits of the juice.
The spinning process incorporates air into the mixture, which oxidizes the juice. When exposed to oxygen, essential vitamins and minerals begin to break down and lose their benefits.
It also starts to decompose relatively quickly. Think of how quickly a freshly cut apple starts to brown even when left just a few minutes. Yeah, yuck.
The other drawback to the centrifugal method is that the fast process generates heat. The important enzymes found in raw fruits and vegetables break down when exposed to heat and are lost during the centrifugal juicing process.
The Cold Pressed Juicing Method
A ‘cold-press juicer’ or ‘slow juicer’ extracts the raw juice in a very different way. A hydraulic press essentially uses thousands of pounds of pressure to squeeze raw, cold-pressed juice from the fresh produce. This method eliminates the problems of heat and oxidation and helps retain all the delicious and nutritious elements found within the raw produce.
What you end up with is a fresh, delicious, healthy juice that has retained 100% of the enzymes, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals found in the fresh produce. It makes an easy nutritious choice or a great on-the-go option.
WHY ARE COLD PRESSED JUICES BETTER FROM OTHERS?
The cold-pressed method results in a superior juice. None of the goodies from the original product are lost during the process and you end up with a refreshing drink chock full of all the best parts of the vegetables and fruits. In fact, our cold press juice actually contains 3 to 5 pounds of non-GMO fruits and veggies in every bottle! That’s why it tastes oh so delicious!
However, there are a massive amount of juice options on the market these days. Not all cold-pressed juices are created equally, and it can be hard to know what you are looking at, let alone which option is right for you.
Whether you are shopping at your local supermarket or juice bar, it is important to remember exactly what is in your juice and to know exactly what you are putting in yours and the bodies of your loved ones.
Here are some key points to consider next time you feel overwhelmed when looking at all those colorful bottles.
Unpasteurized
The process of pasteurization is essentially heating a liquid for long enough to kill bacteria and preserve it for long periods.
This is what allows us to drink and preserve cow’s milk, and store juice in those carton blocks you find in the supermarket.
While it greatly increases the shelf life of a juice, it also kills most of the vitamins and minerals and you end up with a vastly inferior product. We recommend selecting unpasteurized raw juices where possible.
Preservative-free
Cold-pressed juice will only have a shelf-life of about 72 hours – anything longer than this and nutrients will start to break down and the juice will lose its qualities. Long-life juices will be full of artificial preservatives, colorants, and additives.
Healthy juice consists of raw, fresh fruits and veggies and contains only ingredients you can actually pronounce! If you don’t recognize an ingredient listed on your juice bottle – don’t buy it.
No-added sugars
We all know why we need to avoid added sugar, and to look out for the health dangers of sweetened beverages like soda and sweet teas. But many of us may not consider that a lot of juices also contain added sugars and sweeteners.
Any fresh or pasteurized juice that contains added sugar should be avoided at all costs. Make sure you check the label for words like ‘fructose’ or ‘naturally sweetened’.
Fresh cold-pressed juice made with quality organic products won’t need to have any sugar added – the ingredients will be able to speak for themselves.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF COLD PRESSED JUICE.
Fresh cold-pressed juice is much more nutritionally dense than regular juice – so its health benefits are likewise so much more potent. As part of a healthy and balanced diet, cold-pressed juice improves your overall health and keeps you feeling healthy, happy, and active.
If you are looking to target specific areas of your health- it really depends on what ingredients you choose. A peach is not a pineapple and different fruits and vegetables will provide different health benefits, depending on what you are looking for.
Check out our quick guide to see what cold-pressed juice is best for you!
Boosting the immune system with Vitamin C
The recent Covid-19 situation has made us all re-consider the need to take care of our bodies. One proven way to give your immune system a boost is by upping your daily dosage of Vitamin C. Vitamin C supports the immune system and aids in the creation of white blood cells.
A cold-pressed juice rich in Vitamin C is a great tool for the prevention of colds, flu, and other viruses. You can consume vitamin c easily with SOUL KICK. This amazing cold-pressed juice serves 30% of the vitamin C that you need daily.
Anti-inflammatory
Do you want to reduce inflammation but don’t want to take pills you can’t even pronounce? Switching up your diet is a great way to help. Changing that cheeky soda or cold one for a fresh cold-pressed juice is a great way to prevent the damaging consequences of inflammation… all while still treating your taste buds to something delicious.
To maximize the benefits, consider the anti-inflammatory properties of the specific ingredients in your cold-pressed juice. For example, our GOLDEN GIRL contains organically grown cold-pressed turmeric root. Turmeric root is a superfood that has a whole range of benefits including potential potent anti-inflammatories. Try it out for yourself and see how much better you feel.
Promoting Weight Loss
Still haven’t managed to budge those lockdown pounds? Not fitting into your (formerly) favorite jeans? Juice can have a bad reputation when it comes to the weight loss world. And this is partially true.
Normal juice or fruit drinks made from concentrate that you find on your supermarket shelves are usually loaded with excess and empty sugars.
They can end up having just as much added sugar as a piece of candy. However, we all know fruit and vegetables are staples of any healthy diet – this is where cold-pressed juice is the answer!
Cold-pressed juice is 100% fresh produce, so you get all the goodies with no nasties. If you are looking for weight loss specifically, a cold-pressed green juice rich in vegetables is a tasty low-calorie option. Green juice will help to suppress your appetite, while still providing your body with the nutrients it needs to keep you energized.
We recommend drinking your cold-pressed juice in the morning, after a glass of hot water but before breakfast. This will help to keep you feeling full and less likely to overindulge during the day. It also helps your body to flush toxins more easily, promoting weight loss.
Cold-pressed juice may also be used as a nutritional meal replacement option for those serious about shedding some pounds. Of course, when trying to control your weight, never forget the importance of staying hydrated and getting adequate exercise. Healthy juices can help, but only as part of a balanced lifestyle.
Improving skin imperfections
Aging changes our bodies in many ways. One of the most obvious, and unwelcome of these changes are the effects on our integumentary system – that is, our hair, skin, and nails.
As we get older our skin tends to dry out. Less collagen and elastin are produced in the body, which leads to the skin becoming thinner and less elastic. Skin imperfections can result as our largest organ not only becomes less resilient but lose its ability to regenerate at the same rate.
Amino acids and antioxidants such as vitamins C & E can help stimulate elastin production and collagen synthesis to help fight against skin imperfections.
Amino acids can be found in foods such as eggs, fish, and soy. Rich sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, and kiwi fruit. Vitamin E can be found in other fresh produce including green leafy vegetables – think kale and spinach.
Keep your skin glowing with a cold-pressed juice rich in antioxidants and nutrients, and notice how your skin looks – and feels better.
Lowering cholesterol
Fighting against cholesterol? A healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals is key, and cold-pressed juice can be a great shortcut if you are struggling to incorporate healthy foods into your diet.
Apples, grapes, and citrus fruits all contain pectin, which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol (that’s the bad kind) while leaving HDL cholesterol (the good kind) alone. The antioxidant properties of cold-pressed pomegranate juice can also help to combat cholesterol.
In fact, pomegranates are one of the highest sources of antioxidants- more than 3 times as potent as green tea!
Cold-pressed juice hits the system quickly – so try a juice rich in these ingredients, and notice how your body immediately reacts.
Defending against disease
Poor nutrition is a leading cause of a variety of diseases – from hypertension to diabetes, the foods we consume have a lifelong impact on our likelihood of developing any of these diseases. Improving the quality of your diet can dramatically reduce your likelihood of developing any one of these conditions.
Like taking a multivitamin, consuming fresh cold-pressed juices made with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is a great natural prevention against disease. Try a juice that contains a variety of fruits and vegetables, to get the range of benefits all those delicious ingredients have to offer.
Easy to Digest
There are many ways to facilitate this process, promoting digestion and overall good gut health. Avoiding processed foods and choosing a diet rich in natural digestive enzymes (found in fresh produce, such as fruits and oranges) is key.
Drinking cold-pressed juice provides an added advantage because it lacks the fibrous pulp of whole fruits and vegetables. Because your body doesn’t have to break the fiber down in the digestive system before being absorbed, cold-pressed juice is like a lightning bolt to the system. The nutrients immediately enter the body and you feel the benefit straight away. That’s why when you take a sip of cold-pressed juice, you immediately feel a kick of energy.
Cold-pressed juices can do wonders for your digestive health. Give your gut a break. Try one of our delicious cold-pressed juices for yourself, and ask your tummy what it thinks.
BUNCH OF NUTRIENTS:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Iron
Folate
Vitamin K
Magnesium
Potassium
Zinc
DOES JUICING CLEAN OUT YOUR SYSTEM?
The popularity of juice cleansing has been on the rise in the last couple of years, and for all the right reasons. When you think about all the packaged food, added preservatives, carbs, alcohol and pollutants.
We end up consuming as part of the modern lifestyle it’s no surprise that we can end up feeling lethargic and run down. A juice cleanse is a great option to restart your body.
A juice cleanse works by flushing out your system by either only consuming juice for a period of time, or consuming juice in combination with a limited amount of solid food.
Of course, in order to maximize the benefits of any juice cleanse it is important you fill your body up with healthy, vitamin-rich juice like a raw cold-pressed juice.
As cold pressed juice is more nutritiously potent compared to regular juices you can be sure that you are still providing your body with all the vitamins and minerals it requires during your cold pressed juice cleanse. Interested in a healthy cleanse? Check out our juice cleanses guidelines and see how your body thanks you.
