Pick vegetable juices over fruit juices

Amateur naturopaths across Indian metros are offering homemade vegetable juice shots to joggers along promenades and parks.

For the last few months, joggers, laughter therapy loyalists and gym rats along Mumbai's Marine Drive promenade have kept a 7 am date with Anthony Devarajan, who stands near a car parked under a flyover, doling out vibrantcoloured drinks from steel canisters. Each one holds a different pureed vegetable mix minus frills. While an elderly gentleman downs a Beetroot-adrak (ginger) shot to help his sluggish liver, the Neem-karela-louki (Margosa leaves, bitter gourd, bottle gourd) is a hit with diabetics.

"It's the fastest selling juice since diabetes is on the rise, even among the young," says the retired naval serviceman, who wakes up at 4 am to whip up natural elixirs before driving across the city to do what he calls "morning seva". "Customers tell me they have tried a battery of medications to combat frequent illnesses, and they eventually found their immunity improving after drinking my juices. Busy office-goers don't have the time to prepare these mixes at home," he says.

Television anchor and actress Mandira Bedi is a daily jogger at Bandra's Carter Road. This is where she grabs her Kesarvariyali (saffron and fennel seeds) juice shot every day. "I can miss my morning chai, but I wouldn't let go of my juice fix," she says about the concoction that aids digestion. On some days, Bedi has an additional wheat grass shot, that experts claim, is the equivalent of five helpings of green veggies. "No better way to build immunity on the go," says Bedi.

At Ahmedabad's Parimal Garden and Law Garden stretch, and Pune's Kalyani Nagar Jogger's Park, fitness enthusiasts sit on benches, sipping on veggie shots. Badminton champion Saina Nehwal is also a fan of the idea. "I've tried orange and lime versions, but would like to taste tulsi, karela and neem," says the Hyderabad resident.

Nutritionist and weight loss consultant Naini Setalvad sees it as a way of returning to nature. Raw vegetable juices, she says, play an active role in aiding weight loss, since vegetables are zero-fat, and keep you satiated longer. "They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making them natural immunity boosters."

Expert take "Pick vegetable juices over fruit juices, since they contain fibre, not sugar. Make the juice in a blender by adding a bit of water, rather than a juicer that takes away the pulp of the vegetable. Drink without running through a sieve."