The Juicy Truth

I'm going to tell you something that is a big secret, that no one seems to know...

Juice is just SUGAR water.

It's true.  All this time you thought you were doing your body good by drinking a glass of apple juice, or giving your kids loads of "fruit punch".  I am in fact even referring to 100% fruit juice, it is still just flavored sugar water.  Here are some facts.

Fresh squeezed juice is much healthier than juice from concentrate because it does retain the minerals and vitamins from the fruit.  Before you drink down the juice from 5 oranges, please think about it... could you eat 5 oranges all at once?

Juice from concentrate has been cooked down so much there is really not much left but the flavor and sugar.  Plus it is usually highly filtered removing any chance of any fiber being left and sometimes has preservatives in it.

According to livestrong.com, one cup of Apple juice has 31 grams (7.38 teaspoons) of sugar and virtually no protein or fiber.One  cup or orange juice has 17.8 grams (4.2 teaspoons) of sugar, and grape juice has 28 grams (6.66 teaspoons)  of sugar.  In comparison, a Fuji apple has 17 grams of sugar, but it also has 5 grams of fiber.  When the sugar is bound inside the apple to the fiber it digests more slowly, thus reducing the impact of the carbohydrate on your blood sugar, and digesting it more slowly so your body gets a nice even supply of sugar rather than a huge spike.  When your blood sugar is high, your body converts the excess to fat and then stores it because it can't use it all immediately for energy.  So, basically your morning apple juice is going straight to your butt.  Even though the calories in a cup of juice is relatively low, around 140 calories, most people cannot use 7.38 teaspoons worth of sugar energy right away and so you will gain weight.  

This same principle goes towards eating refined flours (white flour) and things like soda.  It doesn't even matter what you call it, corn syrup, table sugar, agave, honey, if it is more sugar than your body can use right away it will store it, and if it keeps getting more and more high carbohydrate foods it keeps storing more and doesn't need to use the stored fat as energy so you just keep getting fatter and fatter.

So, for all intents and purposes I say: Juice. Is. Sugar. Water.  I am trying to get you people off of the massive amounts of sugar you consume, and fruit juice is definitely one way to get too much nutrition-less sugar.  Drink it for a treat, and in a small glass.  Stop pretending like it is healthy. It's not. 

Get out your juicer machine and make it fresh with some vegetables mixed in and then we'll debate the health of juice.  

-Val

DIY, Natural Deodorant Recipe

There are several health concerns with store bought deodorant. The main concern is that the antiperspirant kind contain aluminum which may cause, mostly likely, cancer and dementia.   Deodorant is relatively expensive as well, considering what you are buying, which is about .5 ounce of mineral salts, fillers, oils and artificial scents.  I used to buy a popular brand of antiperspirant because it would help prevent razor rash, but this simple recipe has been more effective at doing so.  It works simply by the arrow root absorbing excess moisture and wicking it away from the body and the baking soda kills the bacteria that create the odors.  The essential oils are mostly for scent but depending on which you choose, may offer additional benefit such as additional bacterial control.  I have been very impressed with the results from this easy recipe and I think you will be too.     

It's so easy to make healthful, natural and effective deodorant. There are simply 2-3 ingredients and it will take you only minutes.


Take 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Coconut oil and melt it in a double boiler with 2 Tablespoons of Shea Butter. 
Add 3 Table Spoons of Baking Soda
Then 2 Table Spoons finely ground (in a mortar and pestle or blender etc) Magnesium salts. You can use epsom salts or ancient minerals.   It should be pretty glopy.  You can put it in a small tupperware or a push up container, and place it in the fridge to set.