Let’s be clear. Juicing is not as bad for your health as you may think, especially when coupled with a well-balanced diet. Fresh juices give you a radiant and energetic life and help in cleaning your system. Yes, they shouldn’t be substituted for your daily meals but every once in a while it’s good to give your system a break. Moreover, there are some vegetables and fruits like those rich in Vitamin C that tend to lose their nutrients on cooking and therefore, it’s best to consume them raw or better still, juice them up.By now, a lot of studies have shown that eating seven or more servings is what is required for a healthy lifestyle and overall well being. There’s a lot that nutrition scientists around the world don’t agree on, but most of them seem to advice that you should consume more vegetables than fruits.Bottle gourd has always been regarded as one of the healthiest veggies. This very versatile vegetable is full of water (about 92%) and minerals and keeps your body hydrated. Also known as Lauki or Doodhi in India, it definitely doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. “Bottle gourd is a vegetable high on water and is a rich source of vitamin C, K and calcium. It helps in maintaining a healthy heart and brings down bad cholesterol levels. The juice is also beneficial for diabetic patients as it stabilizes the blood sugar level and maintains blood pressure. The best time to have it is in morning. A small glass would just be perfect. Also, one needs to consume the juice immediately as it oxidizes quite fast,” shares Bangalore-based Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood.
Still not convinced? Perhaps, these incredible benefits of drinking bottle gourd juice will change your mind:
- Cools your body
Bottle gourd juice has a cooling effect on your body and keeps your body hydrated especially during summers. It keeps your stomach cool and reduces body heat. Since you tend to sweat a lot during summers, drinking bottle gourd juice regularly helps in replenishing the water loss. In her book, Back to Nature with Ayurveda’, Asha Devi suggests that bottle gourd juice is a great remedy for any kind of heat related ailment like nose bleeding, pimples or ulcers.
2 Helps in weight loss
Bottle gourd juice is widely used for weight loss. It is packed with fiber which helps in keeping you full for longer and it is also low in calories. In her book, ’25 Fat Burning Juice Recipes’, Asha Thorat explains that bottle gourd has been prescribed in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce flab. “Fiber is the key to weight loss. Bottle gourd contains less calories with no fat. It also contains essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C Vitamin B, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Iron, Folate, Potassium and Manganese,” she says.
- Treats urinary tract infections
Drinking freshly squeezed bottle gourd juice mixed with some lime juice is one of the bets natural remedies to treat urinary tract infections.
- Cures tummy troubles
Bottle gourd juice helps in curing constipation and also treats diarrhoea. The water and fiber content help in cleaning your digestive track and allows easy bowel movement. To treat diarrhoea, drink bottle gourd juice with a pinch of salt. This concoction helps in maintain the electrolyte balance of the body. According to Ayurveda, bottle gourd juice is great for digestion.
- Keep your heart healthy
Regular consumption of bottle gourd juice on an empty stomach every morning helps in lowering your blood cholesterol levels and maintains healthy heart functions.
- Relieves stress
Bottle gourd contains a good amount of choline – a kind of neurotransmitter that helps in improving the functions of the brain and helps in preventing stress, depression and other mental disorders.
- An excellent post workout drink Bottle gourd juice acts as a natural post
Workout drink due to the presence of natural sugars in the vegetable which help in restoring the glucose levels and also replace the carbohydrates lost during your training session. Being rich in protein and other nutrients, bottle gourd juice also improves the efficiency of your muscles.
Quick tip: Bottle gourd juice should always be consumed fresh. Peel and gourd and try a bit of flesh before blending, it shouldn’t taste bitter. If it does, discard it. Also, it is advised to have bottle gourd juice alone and not mixed with other vegetables. However, you can add amla, ginger, fresh mint leave and some rock salt to spruce up the flavour.