NATURE CURE
Raw Juice Therapy
Raw juice therapy is a method of treatment of disease through an exclusive
diet of juices of fruits
and vegetables. It is also known as juice fasting. It is the most effective way
to restore health
and rejuvenate the body.
During raw juice therapy, the eliminative and cleansing capacity of the organs
of elimination,
namely lungs, liver, kidneys and the skin, is greatly increased and masses of
accumulated
metabolic waste and toxins are quickly eliminated. It affords a physiological
rest to the digestive
and assimilative organs. After the juice fasting or raw juice therapy, the
digestion of food and the
utilisation of nutrients is vastly improved.
An exclusive diet of raw juices of fruits and vegetables results in much faster
recovery from
diseases and more effective cleansing and regeneration of the tissues than the
fasting on pure
water.
Dr. Ragnar Berg, a world-renowned authority on nutriton and biochemistry
observes :
"During fasting the body burns up and excretes huge amounts of accumulated
wastes. We can
help this cleansing process by drinking alkaline juices instead of water while
fasting. I have
supervised many fasts and made extensive examinations and tests of fasting
patients, and I am
convinced that drinking alkali-forming fruit and vegetable juices, instead of
water, during fasting
will increase the healing effect of fasting. Elimination of uric acid and other
inorganic acids will be
accelerated. And sugars in juices will strengthen the heart. Juice fasting is,
therefore, the best
form of fasting. "
As juices are extracted from plants and fruits, they process definite medicinal
properties. Specific
juices are beneficial in specific conditions. Besides specific medicinal
virtues, raw fruit and
vegetable juices have an extraordinary revitalising and rejuvenative effect on
all the organs,
glands and functions of the body.
Favourable Effects
The favourable effect of raw juices in the treatment of disease is attributed
to the following facts :
Raw juices of fruits and vegetables are extremely rich in vitamins, minerals,
trace
elements, enzymes and natural sugars. They exercise beneficial effect in
normalising all
the body functions. They supply needed elements for the body’s own healing
activity and
cell regeneration, thereby speeding the recovery.
1.
The juices extracted from raw fruits and vegetables require no digestion and
almost all
their vital nutrients are assimilated directly in the bloodstream.
2.
Raw juices are extremely rich in alkaline elements. This is highly beneficial
in normalising
acid-alkaline balance in the blood and tissues as there is over-acidity in most
conditions
of ill-health.
3.
Generous amounts of easily assimilable organic minerals in raw juices
especially calcium,
potassium and silicon help in restoring biochemical and mineral balance in the
tissues
and cells, thereby preventing premature ageing of cells and disease.
4.
Raw juices contain certain natural medicines, vegetal hormones and antibiotics.
For
instance, string beans are said to contain insulin-like substance. Certain
hormones
needed by the pancreas to produce insulin are present in cucumber and onion
juices.
Fresh juices of garlic , onions, radish and tomatoes contain antibiotic
substances.
5.
Precautions
Certain precautions are, however, necessary in adopting an exclusive diet of
raw juices. Firstly,
all juices should be made fresh immediately before drinking. Canned and frozen
juices should
not be used. It will be advisable that one should have one’s own juicer for
extracting fresh juices.
Secondly, only fresh ripe fruits and vegetables, preferably organically grown,
should be used for
extraction of juices. Thirdly, only as much juice as needed for immediate
consumption should be
extracted. Raw juices oxidise rapidly and lose their medicinal value in
storage, even under
refrigeration.
Fourthly, the quality of the juices has a distinct bearing on the results
obtained. In
case of incomplete extraction of juices, their effective power is
proportionately reduced due to
the absence of the vitamins and enzymes which are left behind in fibre and the
pulp. Finally, if
juices are too sweat they should be diluted in water on 50 : 50 basis or mixed
with other less
sweet juices. This is especially important in some specific conditions such as
diabetes,
hypoglycemia, arthritis and high blood pressure.
Fruit and vegetable juices may be divided into six main types. These are : (i)
Juices from sweet
fruits such as prunes and grapes. (ii) Juices from sub-acid fruits like apple,
plum, pear, peach,
apricot and cherry, (iii) Juices from acid fruits like orange, lemon,
grapefruit, strawberry and
pineapple. (iv) Juices from vegetable fruits, namely, tomato and cucumber. (v)
Juices from green
leafy vegetables like cabbage, celery, lettuce, spinach, parsley and
watercress. (vi) Juices from
root vegetables like beetroot, carrot, onion, potato and radish.
Generally speaking, fruit juices stir up toxins and acids in the body, thereby
stimulating the
eliminative processes. Vegetable juices, on the other hand, soothe the jaded
nerves and work in
a much milder manner.
They carry away toxic matter in a gentle way. Owing to their differing
actions fruit and vegetable juices should not be used at the same time or mixed
together.
It is desirable to use juices individually. In any case not more than three
juices should be used in
any one mixture. The following broad rules apply when using mixtures of juices
:
Juices from sweet fruits may be combined with juices of sub-acid fruits, but
not with those of acid fruits, vegetable fruits or vegetables.
