Carrot/Beet Juice

[robertin75]

Hi Shelley:

What are the benefits of drinking this kind of juice?

Is it ok to drink this juice daily?

I know that too much vitamin A can cause orange skin but would like to know if this could be toxic.

Also, I have read that it's not good to eat too much beets, but I really don't know the side effects of doing so.

Thanks for your help,
Roberto

[shelley]

Hi Roberto! Great question. I'm a huge advocate of carrot juice. I can't drink tons anymore because of my kidneys, but I credit carrot juice with being a big help when I had candida.

Keep in mind that it is possible to overdose on anything. Beta-carotene overdose is a benign overdose, turning your skin orange but no known negative affects due to this have been reported. Stop drinking for 2-3 weeks and it goes away.

The main nutritional benefit of carrot juice is the beta carotene, which requires oils and fats in order for the liver to convert it into Vitamin A, so it's best to drink carrot juice with a bit of cream, or creme fraiche, or butter. No known instances of Vitamin A toxicity due to eating foods have been reported, they are always caused by synthetic vitamin pills.

Carrot juice has a marvelously cleansing affect on the liver and bile. It will strip old, bad fats like margarine and deep-fried oils out of the bile, making it less caustic so it no longer creates leaky gut. It's like cleansing a fuel-injection system. Your car runs better and burns more efficiently when the gasoline flowo isn't impaired. Carrot juice makes sure bile has all of its digestive power. When bile is contaminated, it fails to emulsify fats so that they are not properly digested or assimilated, clogging us up, giving us acne, the like. It's a great way to keep the liver clean or make it cleaner in between flushes.

Carrot juice fiber/color is quite soothing to the bowels. A fast transit time, a goodly amount of carrot juice will ensure fast transit times, reducing constipation. A good deal of fiber/color makes it into the juice, especially if you don't use a strainer.

Beets also have a cleansing affect on the liver, mostly by helping it to create new bile salts. They are also a good source of B vitamins. But beets also are high in a certain acid that the kidneys must excrete, and so large amounts of unfermented beet juice is exhausting to the kidneys over time. It is recommended that you only eat/drink 1/2 a beet at a time, and not every day. Fermented beet juice (Kvass) is different. It is a tonic.

Hope that answered your question!

[robertin75]

Shelley:

Thanks for your detailed response.

I have another question. Will the color of your stools be affected by this juice? Maybe orange stools?

Thanks,
Roberto

[Troy McClure]

Roberto,
beets *will* discolour the stools, turning them redish.

I can't think of any reason to limit beet intake - its a truly fantastic food. Do you remember where you heard to limit intake?

Try it grated along with carrot, olive-oil & lemon-juice as in shelley's cleansing salad. Its a great recipe.

[robertin75]

Hi Troy:

That's exactly how my stools looked like the day after drinking the juice, redish.

I was beginning to worry if that was blood. I've never seen my stools redish before.

I really don't remember where I read about beets. It's just that everytime I ask for a vegetable juices in some places, they just add very little beet juice telling me that it's not good to put much beets in the juice.

Maybe drinking beet juice in moderation is not bad. Just like everything !

Thanks,
Roberto

[Doolange]

Speaking from experience:

I did not read any juicing books before I juiced 4 whole beets. Boy, was I sick!!! Apparently you can only juice 1 oz. of beets at a time.

Well, I broke out in sweats and thought I was dying. Almost drove myself to the hospital. I made about 1/2 a glass. Never again. So, be careful and only do 1 ounce at a time. Don't make the same mistake I did.

[shelley]

yeah, 2 ounces of raw beet juice is the maximum. That stuff is a STRONG cleanser, and the acids are tough on the kidneys.

Both will color stools. Orange, blood red.

[Dawn]

Hi all. I started drinking carrot juice just last week. I finally found a place that stocks it. I have been having only 6oz. every second day and this morning I noticed that my tongue is totally pink; even at the very back. That's a good sign isn't it???

Dee

[shelley]

Yep! That's a great sign that it cleansed out all the bad fats that were sticking around. Way cool! Now you don't need so much pungent therapy, can go back to blander foods if you wish.

[buffboi26]

Hi,

does bottled carrot juice (the kind in health food stores, mostly organic, unrefrigerated) deliver the exact same benefits as freshly pressed carrot juice???

I am drinking freshly pressed carrot juice everyday. want to make it a habit, but it's a real hassle. I chop, blend and strain. I don't want to buy a juicer as I am a student and I might fly to another country when my course ends soon. dont want too many worldy possessions.

Shelley, you said you don't drink tons of carrot juice any more bcos of yr kidneys??? what disadavtages does overdrinking of carrot j. brings??

Also, this question is a little personal, so ignore if it is too forward. what problems are you having with your kidneys?? I am very watchful and guarded towards my kidneys (history of stones + athlete, hence high protein consumption). i would like to know all possible problems and symptions about the kidneys so I would know immediately if something goes wrong. please shed some light if you can. many thks.

[shelley]

Hi buff boi!

Bottled doesn't deliver the same exact benefits, but still better than reaching for a soda! The problem with bottled is chances are it's been pasteurized, and that kills off the enzymes and some of the nutritional value too. Plus you have no control over what gets juiced and who juices it.

I explain about my health experiences and kidneys in the "Who is Shelley?" post in the first forum. Basically, I can't overdo plants anymore because my blood potassium levels tend to be too high and that's pretty dangerous. When blood pH gets out of whack too far you end up with a heart attack.

The kidneys regulate blood pH and electrolytes like potassium, and my kidneys are only operating at about 80% due to a Lupus like condition that I had due to severe stress/adrenal exhaustion and an abcessed molar I couldn't afford to treat. Of course if I'd known then how cheap it is to have teeth extracted I would've just done that. Live and learn!

[buffboi26]

I'm am terribly sorry to hear about the condition affecting yr kidneys and incredibly terrified.

I have always wondered: how do pple know at what percent efficiency are their kidneys functioning?? what kind of test did you do? i would like to do one for myself to ascertain the conditions of my kidneys.

I am terrified to hear that severe stress and adrenal exhaustion contributed to your kidneys. i think I am always stressed and tense. I better lighten up.

Final note: isn't there a way we can reverse your kidneys, like how the liver would rebuild itself??? cleansing the stones, wouldn't that help your kidneys to heal itself???

once again, i really wish you the best with yr kidneys. with th vast amount of knowledge and experience, you will be able to overcome them.

[shelley]

Standard blood tests can give you an idea as to how well your kidneys are functioning. If your levels of creatinine are within normal range than all is fine. I have other ways of finding things out thanks to my MAP team, but you have to have your own MAP team to use that method.

I'm been assured that I can restore some functionality, but kidneys are not like the liver. The liver is the only organ we have that can regenerate. I don't have kidney stones at all. Kidney stones, if they aren't calcium, are actually very very easy to cleanse - my Cleansing Drink will take out stones in an instant.

It doesn't pay to underestimate the negative ramifications of stress. The adrenal glands sit right on top of the kidneys, and they tell the kidneys what to do. It's all part of the "fight or flight" response. Google those keywords, plus adrenals, and you'll see how much of the body changes in response to stress.