Pat Crocker

Juices and juice smoothies can be nutritious and delicious additions to your diet, and you don't need to go to a smoothie shop to get them. With very little equipment and time, you can make your own juices and smoothies at home.First, you need to know the difference between juices and smoothies. Then you need to know the benefits of juices and smoothies.

Juicing has many, almost too many, benefits to list. And you may find that some benefits you just can’t know until you experience them. If you get into the habit of making and consuming fresh juices twice a day, you’ll sense the juice instantly release nourishment into your bloodstream. © Maridav / Shutterstock.

Here is a list of the top ten juice and smoothie ingredients for boosting immunity that may be main ingredients or easily added to smoothies and juices.Antioxidant black fruits©iStockphoto.com/ra3rn All antioxidants, especially black fruits, such as black plums and blackberries, are powerful tools that work to protect your cells from damage so that viruses can’t find an easy way to infect cells.

Antioxidants found in plant foods stop free radicals from doing their damage, but you have to eat enough of them in order for them to work their magic. The best antioxidants are found in the pigments that give plants their color. Here is a list of the very best antioxidant fruit and vegetables. Choose one or two from this list to use as an ingredient in a smoothie or juice or eat them fresh in salads or as a snack — just be sure to get lots of them every single day!

If you're focused on your health, it stands to reason that you want to start with the finest produce so that you get the highest-quality vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Don't compromise. Get the freshest fruits and vegetables you can find. Here's how: Shop for organic produce. There's a reason why certified organic food production is growing all over the world.

Making smoothies and juices from enzyme- and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables means that you’re releasing these virtual sponges into your body. Antioxidants and enzymes work together on the inside of cells to protect against free radicals, and antioxidants also circulate through the blood to neutralize free radicals outside the cell structures.

Freezing fruits and vegetables when they’re at their peak is one of the easiest ways to preserve them for use later. If you grow or pick your own or purchase fruits and vegetables when in season and in quantity, you can save a considerable amount of money in the winter, when the same produce is being transported from warm climates.

You already know that juicing and smoothies will deliver concentrated vitamins and minerals, as well as some protein, carbohydrate, and fat, depending on the ingredients you choose to add. And you know that those nutrients pass directly into your blood from fruit and vegetable juices because the fiber has been removed.

Your digestive system, especially your liver, is important to maintaining overall health and, specifically, to maintaining optimal body weight. That's because the liver is the primary organ for filtering out pollutants and chemicals from your food and, just as important, metabolizes fat. Detoxifying and cleansing the liver makes it more efficient so that nutrients are absorbed, waste and toxins are cleared, and fat is burned more effectively.