Author: Eliane Bejjani

Pulp and Fiction

Not all coldpressed juicers are built the same. As such, the composition of fiber in juice will vary depending on the type of juicer used for extraction. The level of insoluble fiber, which slows down the release of fructose into the bloodstream, is very important for a successful cleanse. Your typical consumer brand juicer emulsifies the pulp and ions into smaller particles that all pass through the mesh. Emulsified pulp is not the same as insoluble fiber.

Most commercial juice presses operate in the same manner. The produce is emulsified then pressed through a tight mesh for extraction. This too is problematic as the insoluble fiber gets trapped behind and is not extracted. The integrity of the ions, too – which houses the fiber, vitamins, minerals and live enzymes – is compromized during the emulsification process, separating the soluble and insoluble fiber and shortening the life of nutrients.

There is only one type of cold press juicer that both separates the pulp, without compromising the integrity of the ions, and allows soluble and insoluble fiber to remain intact during juice extraction. Twin gear masticating juicers do that, and are available for both consumer and commercial applications.

Pulp is used for building materials and paper. No matter how challenged your digestion may be, juicing is the definitive way to maximize the absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Juice has soluble fiber which also reduces cholesterol. Pulp on the other hand minimizes nutrient absorption as food travels through the body and out! But if you want low glycemic, nutrient dense juice, that is live for up to 7 days, you will need juice devoid of pulp and loaded with fiber – both soluble and insoluble. You will need juice extracted with a twin gear masticating juicer.

The HPP Misinformation

HPP or High Pressure Processing goes by a number of different names. Pascalization, High Pressure Pasteurization, HHP or high hydrostatic pressure. All of which are a method of sterilizing food. This kills living organisms both good and bad (pathogens) without altering the taste of the food, unlike that which occurs with traditional pasteurization methods. Consequently, food pasteurized by traditional methods too maintain their nutrients, minerals and vitamins, but taste much different, which requires the addition of synthesized chemicals for palatability.

What are good organisms? Aside from the good bacteria that form our gut micro flora, the fresh, cold pressed juice itself is alive too, until it is steralized. Pathogens feed on good bacteria and other living organisms. Pathogens exist in the air. In high concentrations our bodies are unable to contain and expel pathogens efficiently which causes desease. Pathogens in the air trapped inside the packaging of unpasteurized food multiply exponentially, making it important to consume fresh products early. Steril food may still have nutrients but lack 2 essential components necessary for optimal health and nutrient absorption. We already mentioned the lack of good bacteria for gut microflora. The second is live enzymes. Live enzymes are the catalyst (vehicle) in which nutrient are transferred and absorbed by the body.

Fresh cold pressed juice that is pascalized ceases to be live and lacks the corresponding enzymes required to metabolize nutrients by the body. Some may argue that HPP does not affect the good bacteria responsible for a healthy gut microflora or live enzymes. Even if that were so, HPP does not extend the life of living organisms. It only allows the product to sit on the shelf longer with acceptable pathogen levels for consumption. The organisms will continue to deplete normally if not more rapidly. Once the product is no longer living, it is not worth the the high price tag. As some HPP juice products have 20 to 60 day expiry dates, it is important to know when it was first extracted. For the most part, this information is not made available to the consumer.

For some understanding of the timelines required to get the product to the consumer we start with the extraction date. HPP machines cost in the millions of dollars. Most juice companies do not have access to this equipment in house. Therefore, the freshly extracted juice must be transported to another facilty where it is pascalized. This may add another day before it is shipped to a store. Typically, it is on day 3 that the juice is available for the consumer to purchase. Our experience shows that fresh juice lasts between 3 to 7 days depending on the type of cold pressed juicer utilized for extraction, 3 being the norm. That means, by the time you are consuming the HPP juice it already ceases to be live.

There’s one more bit of misinformation. To further obscure the lines between fresh and sterilized, marketers have introduced an acronym CPP, to mean cold pressed process. Sounds a lot like cold pressed juice. Thusly, they can interchange CPP and HPP, making the consumer believe that HPP and cold pressed go hand in hand. In fact these are completely different and stand alone processes. We want cold pressed. We dont want HPP.

New Pasturization Tricks

Juice that is pascalized must be packaged in plastic materials to allow the 60,000 PSI, pounds of pressure pers square inch, to be applied to the product without compromizing the packaging. Glass bottles will break during this process. An alternative way to extend shelf life is radiation. We immediately shudder at the thought of consuming food exposed to radiation. Food irradiation is an acceptable process for sterilizing food for human consumption by the food inspection agency and the FDA. Much like HPP, gamma rays and x-rays are used to eliminate bacteria (both good and bad). These rays also pass through glass to preserve packaged goods – cold pressed juice included. As these are properties of light, marketers use terms like light filtration to explain the irridation process. A term which is less scary than radiation. Although, there is no evidence to indicate that these rays cause abnormal mutation within the food or adversly affect the consumer, we are still faced with the missing components required for optimal health: live enzymes for nutrient absorption; good gut micro flora; essentially, living juice beyond 3 days from the time of extraction.

Yo Yo Dieting

Cold pressed juice made with any juicer other than a twin gear masticating, that is then sterilized – insufficiently provides the body with the required nutrition. When your body is nutrient difficient for a day or a week or more, it adapts. Your body begins to break down complex molecules into smaller molecules, to release energy to feed cells. These complex molecules are protein stores of which half reside in skeletal muscles, not fat cells. This process is known as catabolism. So, if you’re losing weight, it’s good weight that is being shed. When you eat again, your body attempts to restore these complex molecules. Unmetabolized food matter and toxins continue to be stored within fat cells until sufficient energy is available to cleanse. Everytime this process is repeated more muscle is depleted and more fat is gained. Your body is attempting to become more efficient and survive on less nutrients. But, what you want is the opposite. You want your body to be a gas guzzling muscle car. Muscles use massive amounts of energy to move the body. To build lean muscle requires the right nutrition and excercise. If you’ve ever wondered why some people can eat anything and still be ripped, that’s how. Juice extracted utilizing a twin gear masticating juicer provides the body with the right nutrition: fresh, high fibrous, full strength, cold pressed living juice loaded with nutrients, vitamins, minerals and live enzymes as catalyst for absorption. Don’t count calories, consume a variety of nutrient dense fruit and vegetable juice to promote anabolism and feed your muscles.

Consumer Disillusionment

Juice cleanses reached a popular high point in 2014. Trends attract investors, whom intern fund competing companies, that are pressured to lower prices and mass produce, only benefiting equipment and raw material suppliers and stockholders – to the detriment of the consumer. We, too, were approached by various investors. Fortunately, we declined their offers. What once was working well and aiding in the individuals’ health goals, quickly became placebo. Sterilized emulsified juice used for cleansing is actually more harmful than good. Consumers began to lose trust in juicing and reported varying results. Sticking to a dietary regimen is difficult enough on its own, but when the individual is denied peer and family support due consumer disillusionment, the struggle is amplified.

Profit and Placebo

Some consumers are happy just to believe they are doing something good for their body, and some companies are happy just to temporarily fulfill the happiness of consumers for profit. These companies are reliant on new customers and consistently spend thousands of dollars a day on google advertising. Customers that try the product once and never again. Aside from this being bad business practice, it is unfair to the consumer. Eventually, the industry will run out of new customers. Raw Juice Guru, is the best kept secret that our loyal customers continue to rely on for their health and wellness goals. We use twin gear masticating juicers exclusively for all our juices and smoothies. No water added, never sterilized, no investors to satisfy. Free, willing and able to help our customers attain optimal results.