In my previous article, I explained why fresh, live juicing should be a staple in the diets of those looking to achieve optimal health. I talked about the benefits of the living enzymes that are extracted during the juicing process and why they are so beneficial. I answered the question of why fruit or vegetable juice, versus just eating them whole and explained the digestion and assimilation process.

I am now following up my previous article with one that explains the benefits of juicing certain vegetables, as well as include some recipes that you can enjoy.

Carrot juice

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about raw carrot juice first. It is one of the most important, if not the most important vegetable that you can juice. It is an incredibly rich source of Vitamin A, as well as Vitamins B, C, D, E, and K. Carrot juice is a digestive aid as well as being resistant to infection, particularly in the eyes, throat, tonsils, sinuses and respiratory organs. It also protects the nervous system in addition to cleansing the liver and intestines. You should make carrot juice the base for most of your juices.

Beet juice

Another major player in the juicing line up is beet juice. Beet juice is very helpful in boosting and improving the blood, particularly the red corpuscles. It can assist women during their menstrual cycle as well as during menopause. Beet juice is 50 per cent sodium and only five per cent calcium. These percentages are beneficial for maintaining the solubility of calcium, in particular the build up of inorganic calcium as a result of eating large amounts of cooked food. An over-abundance of inorganic calcium will form deposits within the blood vessels which will harden the arteries and could lead to high blood pressure or other heart issues. One note here, you will want to limit the amount of beet juice that you consume per serving to approximately three ounces, or less than a wine glass. Beet juice is a very potent cleanser and consuming large quantities of it at one time can make certain individuals feel a little nauseous.

Spinach juice

Spinach is possibly the most important juice for the entire digestive tract, not only the stomach and small intestine but the large intestine or colon as well. It can often effectively solve constipation if consumed daily which is infinitely better than using a drug like a laxative or suppository, which cause far, far more damage than good.

Celery juice

Celery has an abundance of organic sodium, which is vitally important for our bodies. Don’t get confused with the harmful sodium that is present in many of our ‘western’ processed foods. The beneficial sodium found in celery juice is very important for people who have consumed or are still consuming foods that are high in concentrated sugars and starches. Items such as pasta, sweets, breads, muffins, cereals etc. all fall into this category.

There are so many other vegetables that are beneficial when juiced that it would take up this whole newspaper if I were to list them all. Above, I have listed just a few key choices. Cucumber, cabbage, lettuce, parsley (in very small amounts), and apple are also staples.

I can’t stress enough how important fresh, live, juicing is in order to help reverse sickness and ill-health as well as achieving optimal vitality. Start today and make it a daily routine in your life for the rest of your life.

Adam Francilia is the president and founder

of the Fitlife Centre for Health and

Performance in Maple Ridge

(www.fitlifesportsperformance.com).