Juicing Cautions: Is the Whole Foods Juice Bar Organic?

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The healing benefits of juicing are important and to maximize this it makes sense to use organic vegetables and fruits when juicing. Juicing is a great way to detox or as a part of a daily clean eating regimen. I drink only organic juice when I juice throughout the week and love how good it makes my body feel.

Drinking organic juice is a must to get away from ingesting tons of pesticides contained in conventional fruits and vegetable. Some pesticides are legally allowed in commercial organic farming since they break down more rapidly than common chemicals such as, Sevins, Malathions and 2,4,Ds.

Of course the best way to avoid all chemicals in juice is to grow your food and use natural methods to control pests. But, if you’re in a hurry or don’t want the hassle of juicing at home you may stop at a health food store for juice.  When buying juice from a juice bar—even in a health food store, caution should be used to make sure the juice is organic.

 

So…is the Whole Foods Juice Bar Organic?

 

For all of you that go to the Whole Foods juice bar for organic juice: the juices are NOT organic. I assumed they were until I asked at the location on Roswell Rd. in Atlanta several months ago. The Whole Foods employee told me that the juice wasn’t organic.

I’ve seen some people bring organic produce to the juice bar to be juiced. But this isn’t organic juicing since their juice machine also juices conventional produce. The machine would have to ONLY juice organic produce 100% of the time for Whole Foods to make the claim of serving organic juices.

I believe that a lot of people, like I did, assume that the juice at Whole Foods juice bar is organic. I’m not sure if all the Whole Foods locations have this same juicing practice, if this is done only at the location I went to, or if this practice has changed since my last visit. Just be informed and call or go in and ask if the juice is organic. It’s always good to be cautious.

 

Other Juicing Cautions

 

Be Careful of Fruit and Vegetable Combinations

While juicing is mostly beneficial, there are cautions to be aware of. Certain vegetables and fruit shouldn’t be combined as it can result in adverse reactions, so research should be done before you start throwing together combinations.

**For example: You shouldn’t use more than one sweet fruit in a juice recipe** Using two or more sweet fruits together, like pineapple and watermelon, can cause a spike in insulin. If you’re diabetic, then you most certainly want to avoid that.

 

Be Careful of Detoxing “Die Off”

Also, because of its detoxing ability, juicing can sometimes encourage “die off” symptoms as the toxins are eliminated.  You want to eliminate toxins while minimizing die off. Of course if you have a serious illness then you will have severe reactions until toxins are cleared. For me, I sometimes have increased bowel movements (not diarrhea), or changes in my menstrual cycle, and the die off isn’t too bad.

Most common symptoms associated with die-off are:

  • Rashes
  • Itching
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea

For example, be especially careful of drinking wheat grass for the first time since it’s known for its strong detoxing ability.  I suggest starting off by drinking one ounce to see how your system tolerates it.

 

Example of Liquid Chlorophyll Juice Detox Mishap!

Years ago I added too much liquid chlorophyll to a spinach and carrot juice blend and began to feel high, in fact, high as a kite! I never have used drugs but can imagine this must be how it feels like to be on cocaine. I couldn’t stand still and my skin was very itchy. Needless to say, I learned my lesson and was much more careful with trying new juice combinations.

So keep these juicing cautions in mind when maintaining your health. Now go enjoy some fresh organic juice and bask in good health!

 

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Dee Doanes is an alternative health advocate, nature photographer, and Editor-in-Chief of Health Plus Style. Health Plus Style gives the latest Alternative Health Lifestyle Tips For the Body, Mind and Spirit. Natural Health. Holistic Health. Better Health.
Currently Dee is developing a sustainable eco-Community for senior citizens and veterans in Atlanta, GA