Juice-bars and stalls are popping up everywhere!
They are usually very brightly coloured to draw your attention and normally "appear" very healthy. They have fruit and vegetables in them and each company will promote this fact normally with pictures or large lettering.
Are they actually healthy or beneficial for fat loss though?
Many of the drinks that you can purchase at a juice bar/stall will have some if not all of the following properties found within them: High levels of sugar (This is normally fructose, which is a natural sugar found in fruit), low quality protein sources, processed ingredients and artificial flavourings/colourings.
I can't tar all these companies with the same brush because I don't know for sure that they are all not ideal for health. I'd like to believe there are many companies out there which do provide beneficial juice drinks, however many of them don't.
I walked past one quite recently and witnessed a shake being made. My eyes nearly fell out of my head when I saw how much fruit was being put into it. It wasn't just the amount of fruit either, they types of fruit being used were all fruits that hold high levels of fructose.
Having such a large amount of fruit in one go is not healthy. You wouldn't eat 2 apples, 2 pears and a 1/4 of a pineapple in one go would you? I certainly wouldn't, and I feel that i would be hard pushed to find someone who did.
The amount of sugar that would have been released into the blood after such a drink would be huge. This would cause a big sugar spike and then the release of insulin.
Drinking a shake like this once per day will have a major effect on your insulin sensitivity, meaning that you will become more likely to store body fat.
Its not all doom and gloom though!
By making you own juice drinks you can moderate sugar levels and also include more beneficial whole food ingredients.
Start with some water. If you prefer a thick shake use less water and if you prefer a thiner shake use more (this will take a few attempts to get the consistency you want).
Add a scoop of low carb protein powder. You can find all types of flavors.
Add some vegetables. Try to include dark leafy greens - such as kale and spinach
Add some fruit. (remember to remove the core/skin/stone where appropriate) Bananas will give your shake great texture but has high levels of fructose. What has worked best for me is berries. They have a low glycemic index and taste awesome!
Finally add a small handful of nuts or nut butter. They will add a rich consistency.
Add all of the above and blend it up to get a great well rounded shake! :)
Enjoy!
