Juice Alive, Second Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Juicing Remedies

Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite 1000-Watt Juice Extractor This is an excelent book for your library and a must read for anyone with health issues. It bridges the time from N. W. Walker's RAW Vegetable JUICES (1936) to the present with references to other masters in the art of juicing. A very much welcomed addition to my alternative health care collection. Jerry Thompson Lake Butler, Florida

This book is an excellent example of naturopathy's essential vitalism belief - that a 'purposeful life spirit' bioagency is responsible for one's health, disease, and physiological functioning. I quote: "'vital' or 'life energy.' This concept can be found in many of our spiritual traditions, and is known by many names. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known as qi, while in Japan it is called ki. In ayurveda [...] vital energy is referred to as prana. In Hebrew, it is known as chai, and the ancient Greeks called it pneuma. All these terms can be equated with the animating spirit that makes life possible [...] vital life energy is also a central element in a variety of nonconventional healing methods, including acupuncture, reflexology, certain types of body work, naturopathic medicine, and the emerging field of 'energy medicine.' Homeopathy also recognizes the existence of vital energy, both in humans and in primarily plant-derived homeopathic medicine [p.016]." -r.c.

If you are serious about "juicing" it is must have book. It gives a lot of detailed recipes for the various fruits and vegetables. It relates how the various ingredients produce different results for different ailments or how they promote health. I highly recommend it!

Those who buy books on juicing tend to do so mostly for the exotic combinations listed. In JUICE ALIVE, Steven Bailey and Larry Trivieri provide that and far more. Their text is a primer on the art of juicing, one that is written for the layman. For those who wish to first read about juicing recipes, they can turn to the second half of the book for the many recipes indicated. What is on interest is that Bailey and Trivieri examine juicing as if it were a mixture of art and science. They begin with an erudite chapter on the basic need for juicing, and how juicing fits in with the larger scope of a healthy diet and lifstyle. They follow with a history of juicing beginning with the ancient Greeks and continuing up to the present day. This historical overview was a little detail heavy yet it serves to remind the reader that juicing is not simply a modern health fad reserved for the Hollywood elite. Their chapter on the nutritional benefits of juicing is of concern to readers who wish to know how enzymes and amino acids interact with digested food to produce energy, which is an area not generally well understood by the layman. I found the digression on the acid-alkaline balance to be of particular use since the choice of fruits and vegetables juiced will dictate whether the juice absorbed will be acidic (unhealthy) or alkaline (healthy). The authors follow with a lengthy list of juicing machines and price ranges, and for those who watch infomercials, the LaLane Power Juicer heads the list. Since juicing is more than just inserting fruits and vegetables down a chute, it is incumbent that any juicing author explain what to juice and how to juice. This is the authors' strong point. They insist on the need to buy only organic products, and to mix them in combinations that will produce a desired result, most often an optimal acid-alkaline balance that is a requisite for vibrant health. Along the way, they include a staggering variety of herbs that one may add for flavor and health. They also suggest that juicing ought to be part of a periodical fasting in which the user can purge his system of accumulated toxins by eschewing solid food for a week in favor of selected juices. This part of the book was detailed but still the average user can design his own juice fast based on the paradign given. Bailey and Trivieri conclude with a listing of common health problems from acne to allergies to whooping cough and yeast infections. In this section, they include relevant juicing ingredients tailored to that medical issue. Part of the problem I had here was that their juicing ingredients excluded nutritional supplements that ought to round out any self-employed health regimen. Still, in JUICE ALIVE, Bailey and Trivieri present a text that is clearly written and authoritative such that the neophyte juicer can literally drink himself to good health.