According to a recent study, many American adults have reported consuming more alcohol since the pandemic began in March 2020. If you are among this group, Dry January is the perfect opportunity to reset your health for the year. The annual challenge requires you to abstain from drinking alcohol for the month of January. But what began in 2012 as a public health initiative in the UK has since grown into a world-wide phenomenon with millions of people participating across the globe. Furthermore, many people don’t stop there. Dry January can serve as an incentive to cut out or decrease alcohol consumption throughout the year.
What better way to quench your thirst than by swapping your favorite alcoholic drink for a glass of 100% fruit or vegetable juice? Mix and match juices with spices, herbs and seltzers to create a range of flavors – sweet, tart, bitter, fruity or citrusy.
In addition, you’ll be upping your fruit and vegetable intake too. In fact, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines state that up to half of your daily fruit or vegetable intake may come from 100% juice, that is about eight ounces of juice a day for adults.
One hundred percent juice is a healthy nutrient-dense beverage that contains a number of important vitamins and minerals which are essential to overall health. The primary nutrients found in most 100% juices are:
- Vitamin C– Vitamin C is crucial for the growth and repair of cells. It helps build strong bones, healthy teeth, skin, and cartilage, and is critical to a healthy immune system. Sources of vitamin C include orange, grapefruit, pineapple, beetroot, carrot and tomato juice.
- Vitamin A – Vitamin A and its plant form, beta carotene, is important for a healthy immune system, reproductive and eye health. Sources of beta carotene are carrot and tomato juice.
- Thiamin (also known as vitamin B1) – This vitamin helps the body process energy from the food we eat. Sources include grapefruit and orange juice.
- Folate- Folate helps the body produce healthy cells and genetic material such as DNA. Sources of folate are orange juice.
- Potassium- Potassium is one of the most common minerals found in juice and it is essential to manage the body’s fluid balance and support healthy blood pressure. Orange, tomato, pomegranate, carrot, beetroot and pineapple are great sources of potassium.
Still not convinced of the power and health benefits of juice? Try these JPA approved recipes , Non-Alcoholic Summer Punch and Citrus Berry Cooler , and we guarantee you will feel the difference!
