The Juice Craze: Not As Sweet As You Think

While many start their day by ordering a sizzling venti skinny peppermint mocha at Starbucks, our generation has initiated a new breakfast routine: juicing.

 

Walking across campus, you may notice quite a few people sipping green liquid from a straw. Why? Fitness experts report that juicing is a healthy way to obtain vitamins and antioxidants, especially if you do not enjoy eating your veggies the “old-fashioned” way. With a plethora of positive marketing and consumer reports, juicing appears to be a healthy alternative to other sugary beverages. As a result, people have become obsessed with this new craze, and juicing has transformed into a lifestyle.

 

However, where do we draw the line between a healthy habit and an overpowering consumer trend?

 

Attempting to cash in on the sweeping fad, several companies have created their own juice blends for the market. These brand names have become giant sponsors for popular events, including several fashion shows and performances. Models prepare for the runway through a “cleansing” process, where they only consume these juice beverages for days. This type of diet is often supported by the masses, but what type of message does this send to girls? While juicing may have its benefits, these beverages are certainly not meant to be one’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

 

 

While green juices and fruit smoothies may be a delicious and beneficial option on the surface, drinking all of your meals may not support healthy weight management. Stuffing your blender with everything in the cupboard will only add calories to your diet, and it can often cause disruption to the digestive system. Furthermore, juicing eliminates nutrient-rich skin from vegetables and fiber-filled pulp from fruits; so liquid dining may not always be a smart choice. Not to mention, juicing can also be quite expensive. If you thought forking over four bucks for a Naked smoothie was painstaking, you may be horrified to know that that a standard Vitamix blender is marketed at a whopping five-hundred dollars. While it may be fun to make your own colorful creations at home, it is probably more economical to save your cash for pricey textbooks for the semester.

 

So, before you indefinitely trade in your coffee dependency for a blender, be cautious about what you are putting into your body. While society continues to support the advantages of juicing, be aware of the many pitfalls and dangers of this liquid diet. Otherwise, you may just juice your way into the doctor’s office.