In 2017, the World Health Organization published a study (1) stating the total number of people living with depression in 2015 was estimated to exceed 300 million – an increase of more than 18.4% since 2005. And depression aside, almost all of us have, at some time in our lives, experienced abnormal tiredness, brain ‘fog’, loss of enthusiasm and difficulty focusing on the matter at hand.
How often do we hear ourselves saying… “How can I get more energy? I just feel so run down all the time.” Unfortunately, this all-to-common situation occurs when a lot is expected of us, and many are simply running on empty.
While energy drinks, espresso shots and continuous coffee may give us the quick bolt of energy and awareness to make it through a business meeting or a 4-hour road trip, what do you do when you want a sustained energy and focus without the crash and fatigue?
Fortunately for us, nature has a remedy for this. A regular juice cleanse (such as our Revitalizing Cure by juices) can help bring us back into focus, and provide us with the support, motivation and energy to break this cycle of physical and mental fatigue.
Juicing vegetables and fruits are a great way to not only clean and flush our bodily system, but depending on what type of juice you blend you can even have sustained clarity and focus throughout the day.
Just exactly how can juicing on a regular basis remove the mental fog and give you more clarity and focus? It’s simple. Juicing cruciferous vegetables in particular, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, watercress, horseradish, bok choy and mustard greens, have a cleansing characteristic. They contain sulfur, nitrogen and glucosinolates and have been proven to remove heavy metals and toxins from your body. (2)
When you add a small amount of fruit like, melons, grapes, apples, pineapples and oranges to the juicing recipe, the increased antioxidant levels can improve brain function and clarity.(3) And if you add a pinch of turmeric to the mix, it has been shown to even remove some of the plaque that builds up in the brain over time from everyday eating which has been linked to progressed stages of Alzheimer’s disease.(4)
With the addition of a variety of high quality ‘super foods’ (such as spirulina, dandelion root, burdock root, seaweeds, herbs and living sprouts) to our juices and broths, we can nourish and support our body and brain at a level difficult to attain with our daily eating patterns.
There are many ways to make juicing an energizing part of our lives – either by including a daily juice, or by taking part in a juice retreat, such as a 4- or 8-day cleanse. What a great pleasure it is for me here at Spa Eastman to observe the cloud lifting for our participants as the days progress during a juice cleanse (Revitalizing Cure by juices). To observe a healthy colour return to faces, to see eyes brighten and smiles broaden, to see the surprise with which everyone notices these changes! And how new participants are amazed that they are rarely, if ever, hungry during this time – what a discovery – but feel revitalised and energetic on all levels. Take part in the next Revitalizing Cure by juices from March 5th to 8th or from April 17th to 24th.
Try this simple recipe of green vegetable and rosemary juice.
Sources
(1) WHO/MSD/MER/2017.2
(2) Romilly E. Hodges and Deanna M. Minich. Modulation of metabolic detoxification pathways using foods and food-derived components: A scientific review with clinical application. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4488002/
(3) Keservani RK, Sharma AK, Kesharwani RK. Medicinal Effect of Nutraceutical Fruits for the Cognition and Brain Health. Scientifica (Cairo). 2016;2016:3109254. doi:10.1155/2016/3109254
(4) Mishra S, Palanivelu K. The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer’s disease: An overview. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2008;11(1):13–19. doi:10.4103/0972-2327.40220; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/