A new-born infant is often fed and nurtured on mother’s milk but, after the infant crosses six months he is given apple, orange and lime juice, though in a very moderate and measured quantity, to supplement his growth requirements, in addition to supplementation by liquified cereals. As the child grows, his food requirements are also changed.
In case of old and aged persons, who often have digestive, mastication problems, due weak loose teeth, and deficient immunity syndrome (not AIDS) general wear, tear and run-down condition of physical system, use of fruits and vegetables juice will always prove a boon for them and, thus, they may have a feeling of renewed vigour and vitality. Both for infants and growing children, as also for the aged and infirm ones, quantity and number of servings should be decided, keeping in view physical condition and requirement of the person.
Juice of fruit/Vegetables or their use in raw form should form an essential part of one’s routine dietary menu. It should be part and parcel of daily meals, though, to avoid monotony or use, some of them may be substituted by alternate substitutes which have equal food value.
For fruit juice, and also for vegetable juice, age is no bar. Since continuous use of drags and often overuse of some of such drugs, coupled with other intoxicants, shatters health-state of a person, it is necessary that all such toxins, generated by continuous use of harmful drugs, are purged out from the body. This can be done by juices which are both nutritive and corrective ways to rid the body of such toxic effects and reactions.
Juice is an infallible and harmless vehicle to restore lost health, restore vigour, vitality and provide fresh look to the body. It not only corrects defective metabolism but is also capable of repairing torn, worn out, fatigued and exhausted tissues.
As already indicated, most of the dreaded diseases, like diabetes, cancer, asthma, most digestion-related disorders (like flatulence, diarrhoea, gastritis, gastralgia, colic, acidity, nausea, vomiting etc.) and other respiratory diseases owe their causation to wrong and indiscreet use of food. Very often imbalanced, fat-enriched, imbalance in protein-carbohydrate intake, lack of water-intake are often held as attributes of food-related disorders.
In low-income groups, use of green and fresh vegetables and raw fruits and/or their juices rarely forms part of their dietary habits and style of living. The rich use them as a ritual only or use them not in natural form but to satiate their taste buds. There is, however, no denying the fact that nature’s green vegetables and fresh fruits, or still better their juices, must be an essential and regular part of one’s diet.
As far as cost is concerned, as also affordability, Carrot, Lemon, Radish, Beet, Mint, Salad, Pulses, Soyabean are not costly as compared to other costlier ones. So, one can always substitute the costlier ones with less costly items. In the same manner, meat cannot be afforded by all classes alike. To solve this disparity meat and fish can be substituted by pulses and soyabean etc.
Juice For Infants
Digestive system of an infant is very sensitive because he is fed on mother’s milk or cow’s milk or on tinned milk. No solids are given to an infant, upto the age of six months, for obvious reasons. After six months, juice of Mousambi, Orange or Grapes or mashed Banana can be, and is, generally given, of course in addition to usual intake of milk and cereals.
Care must be taken to ensure that any kind of juice, to which the infant resists and shows any disinclination or dislike (or still worse, if he vomits) should never be forced upon the infant. It is advisable that fruit should be slightly luke warmed to infant’s tolerance, in the afternoon or evening. Never force upon any food item upon an infant if he shows even remote revulsion or dislike.
Juice for Growing young children
As is well known, from 5 to 12 years, a child embarks upon growth stage and, thus, his body requires plenty of repeated servings of essential food nutrients. Young ones must be given plenty of fresh green vegetable and fruit juices— once, at least in the afternoon (just an hour or so prior to lunch) and once in the evening, after they return after playing.
This will restore their energy, exhausted during course of playing. Timings can be adjusted as per individual suitability and need. It is a myth that costlier fruits and vegetables carry more nutrients. In fact, other less costly ones are equally capable of giving similar, if not bettor, results. Do not allow your pseudo social status and symbol to take better of actual requirements of the child. Main aim is, and ought to be, in providing maximum nutritive values, instead of harping on high-cost factor of the nutrient.
Juice for the Adolescent & Grown up Young People
From 12 years onwards a young one enters the age which shows changes and expansion of various organs. This is rightly called a ‘Critical Stage’ because changes noticed and experienced baffle the young ones and their food habits, habits, attitudes, likes and dislikes undergo a sea change. It is particularly true of young girls, having their first menstrual flow. Let the young person be made aware of physical changes and consequences flowing therefrom.
In this age group, plenty of raw and fresh fruits and vegetables, and advise, indue the young one to prefer natural eatables to canned, fried, foods, canned or tinned / bottled juices and soft drinks and foods. They benefit none but the sellers. One has to shell out plenty of money, but, in turn, they gain nothing except a mental and psychological satisfaction that they have consumed costly eatables/drinks.
Adolescents and grown-ups must have, at least, a glassful of fresh juice, either of fruits or vegetables, in the afternoon or as a substitute with supper. During both principal meals, they must take leafy and green vegetables or juice or soup or such items. If that be not feasible, they may have the same in raw, but natural form.
Those, who have impacted and constipated bowels should, as a matter of routine, take lemon juice in luke-warm (glassful) water and those whose bowels are sensitive should take juice of Bael or Papaya—once in the morning and once in the evening or at bed-time and such person should avoid taking spinach (Palak), Lady finger (Bhindi)—rather any vegetable/fruit which abounds in starch and iron content. Since we are discussing benefits of juices, we are trying our best to avoid reference to other useful vegetables which also carry plenty of useful nutritional value.
Juice for pregnant (Confined) Ladies
In our country, an overt or covert attempt is on to replenish food-deficiency by medicinal substitutes. It should be remembered, if the diet is poor and devoid of essential nutrients, no pill or syrup of vitamins etc. can ever provide required quantity of such essential elements to the mother. Further, it is also pointed out that any health restorative tonic, however costly or nutritive that might be or claimed to be so, derives its potentials from the foods we eat. It is wrong to suggest that such tonics generate such benefits. It is a myth and all patients and healthy person should always bear in mind this stalk truth, howsoever unpalatable it might seem.
Digestion of a pregnant woman is generally impaired due to lack of physical movement and proper/suitable exercise. Keeping this fact, in view, it has to be stressed that she should avoid all heavy, starchy, fatty, fried and spicy food. Instead, the emphasis should be laid on calorie based, suiting an individual’s requirements, liquified diet like fruit and vegetable juices, milk, pulses etc.
As far as possible meat-based diet should be avoided, still better if totally eliminated. A pregnant mother’s diet is partaken by the foetus in her womb, hence food should be almost doubled. She has to take care of her own health, as also of her off-spring’s developmental aspect.
Keeping aforesaid points in view a pregnant lady should take plenty of juices, extracted from Oranges, Lime, Lemon, Apples, Mangoes, Grapes, Guava, Water-melons, Musk-melon, Leechis and all such green vegetables from which juice could be extracted. 250-350 ml. of Juice of fruits/ vegetable, should be taken at least twice daily—before or after meals.
Mango-shake is an excellent nutrient, as it is rich in many nutrients. Those, who do not or cannot take juice, should take them in their raw form. But fruits and vegetables, especially those vegetables rich which are in leafy substances, should essentially form part of regular dietary pattern, unless any one of such eatables are medically prohibited. The problem arises with working class which has meagre resources. Such ladies should go in for cheaper, but equally nourishing, food substitutes. Juices keep you young, slim, trim, smart and glowing with vigour.
Juice for the Aged Persons: In old age, many physical problems like, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, gout, cough and cold, asthma, stiff and painful joints and other allied disorders, respiratory problems, heart ailments, urinary and digestive problems and many other diseases continue to torture and torment the aged, leading to physical and menial inactivity and inertia.
Major problem lies in weak digestion, reduced food intake, lack of exercise. It is very difficult to recommend a particular type of juice therapy for each and individual person separately. Problem arises because a particular juice extract may be beneficial to one, but not to the other.
Keeping infirmities and limitations of the old and the aged, easily digestible fruits like Grapes, Lime, Mangoes, Leechis, water-enriched fruits, Tomatoes, Spinach, Mint, Garlic, Coriander, Lemon, Beet and leafy vegetables, should be used for juicing purposes. One has to be rather decisive what suits a person and what not. Only such vegetables/ fruits or their juices should be used which do not create any health hazard or still worse do not aggravate already existing ailments.
Meat diet should never be used. Dry fruits should also be rarely used, especially which are rich in oily contents. Disease based and need-based juice diet should always be preferred to starchy, fatty, greasy, spicy, fried and meat diet. It should always be borne in mind that main criterion should be towards consumption of light, juicy, liquids which respond to physical needs, correct metabolism; improve general well-being, do not create aversion and monotony and, above all, provide a sense of satiation to the individual.