Radar / WELLNESS
JUICE Life Get your squeeze on this summer with refreshing, nutrient-rich beverages made with fresh fruits and veggies. Here, Dr. Ken Winnard of OneLife Health and Performance reveals how to “juice” safely and reap the benefits.
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by MELISSA PUPPO
uicing” is a hot topic in the nutrition world. Certainly, it’s not for everyone (diabetics, for example, need to take caution). But if done the right way, making your own sweet, tasty beverages at home can provide a host of benefits. “Juicing can be healthy in a lot of ways—if done properly,” says Dr. Ken Winnard of OneLife Health and Performance in Palm Beach Gardens, whose clinic focuses on prevention and education of nutrition and lifestyle. First, Dr. Winnard points out who might not want to juice. “Let’s take, for example, if someone concentrates fruit into a juice but has underlying pre-diabetes and isn’t aware of it—because there are a lot of folks flying under the radar with pre-diabetes or unable to regulate sugars consistently. They may do more harm than good by juicing,” he says. “It’s important to know what’s happening on the
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inside, to have some lab work done and be evaluated by a medical professional.” A juicer takes fruits and vegetables from their original forms and removes components like fiber, so the remaining juice has a higher sugar content and glycemic load. “Even though it’s a natural sugar, it’s still sugar,” says Dr. Winnard. “That means you’re going to get a bigger strike in the bloodstream, and that can be detrimental to certain people. Or, if you’re juicing too often or not in the right setting, it can lead to unfavorable health consequences.” Ruling out food sensitivities and inflamed gut are also crucial before deciding to juice. That said, for the ideal candidate, juicing is a wonderful alternative to grabbing a supermarket juice packed with excessive amounts of sugar. The nutrients in fresh fruits and vegetables can help boost minerals in the body that it might have been lacking.
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6/3/21 2:55 PM
