7 Ways Florida Orange Juice Benefits Your Mind and Body
Discover the wellness benefits of Florida Orange Juice.
The Benefits of Florida Orange Juice
From sipping Florida Orange Juice at brunch with friends to ordering it chilled on ice for a first room service experience, Florida OJ has played a role in many happy life moments. But it’s so much more than a thirst-quenching drink. In fact, 100% orange juice provides many essential nutrients needed for good health.
If you’re not sipping Florida OJ as part of your wellness routine, you’re missing out. Here’s how 100% orange juice supports your healthy lifestyle.
Support your immune system
Stay hydrated with Florida Orange Juice and help support your immune system, especially during cold and flu season. Florida OJ is an excellent source of vitamin C, which is a dietary antioxidant that promotes the production and function of immune cells and may offer other health benefits as well. One 250 mL glass of Florida OJ provides more than 100% of your recommended Daily Value! Researchers are also studying the potential immune system benefits of vitamin D, which can be found in fortified OJ, as well as other beneficial plant compounds in Florida Orange Juice, such as flavonoids and colourful carotenoids.
Maintain a healthy weight
Except for fibre, 100% orange juice contains the same beneficial nutrients and compounds as whole fruit. Sipping a cold glass of Florida OJ may even help curb cravings. It tastes sweet and juicy but 100% orange juice has no added sugars. The sweetness you taste is from naturally occurring sugars that develop as the oranges grow on trees.
Plus, there’s the fact that a balanced diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals will help you maintain the energy you need to stay active and exercise consistently. “Florida Orange Juice keeps me fueled and provides key nutrients I need to train hard, recover even harder, and keep finding out what my body is capable of,” says Jennifer E. Crawford, winner of MasterChef Canada 2019 and an athlete who is currently training for their first pro-wrestling match.
And, consuming vitamin C-rich foods such as Florida Orange Juice, alongside plant-based foods like lentils and green leafy vegetables may help increase absorption of iron into your body, which helps build red blood cells. The iron from plant-based foods is not as well absorbed as that from animal-based foods, which is why it’s important to combine them with foods rich in vitamin C or citric acid.
A morning or midday pick-me-up
Much like a quick walk in the sunshine, Florida Orange Juice does the mind and body good. The naturally sweet taste is invigorating and offers a quick boost of energy and convenient and unique package of key nutrients without added sugar.
For Cam Lee, a yoga instructor and healthy living enthusiast, there are two key times of day she likes to enjoy Florida OJ: “Early mornings are often my enemy, so if I’m trying to fit in an early yoga session before a jam-packed day, I love grabbing a quick glass of Florida OJ first. The flavour gives me a little boost, and I love that it doesn’t fill me up too much either,” she says. “The late afternoon can be known to squash a productive day, so before I start to drag I often grab a quick glass of Florida OJ. The sweet flavour is something I look forward to, and I feel good about loading up on vitamins and nutrients as I push to close out the work day on a high note.”
Support your brain health
Florida Orange Juice includes several nutrients and plant compounds that are part of a healthy, balanced diet to support brain health, including flavonoids, such as hesperidin, vitamin C, folate (vitamin B9), thiamin (vitamin B1), and vitamin B6. Flavonoids found in citrus may help maintain cell health in brain tissue, while additional research suggests that some B vitamins, such as vitamins B1, B6 and B9 may play a role in brain health. More specifically, a deficiency in these vitamins may affect the nervous system which may result in memory loss, confusion, dementia, and other nervous system issues.
Need to sharpen your mind and improve concentration? Drink up. A clinical study in healthy older adults reported that those who consumed 100% orange juice scored better on combined tests for global cognitive function compared to the control group.
Build strong bones (to support your muscles!)
Drinking Florida Orange Juice is a great way to fuel your body with important nutrients like vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D (in fortified), potassium, folate and magnesium. A healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, as well as regular physical activity, helps to achieve strong bones which may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. In fact, a cup (250 mL) of fortified Florida Orange Juice has similar amounts of calcium and vitamin D as a cup of milk.
After all, maintaining a proper diet and getting enough nutrition is just as important as what you do in your workout. “It’s great to be consistent with our fitness routines, but we can’t forget how we fuel our bodies,” says Lee. “I like to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and when I’m extra active I make sure to mix in more lean proteins and grains to help my muscles recover.”
Sonia Jhas, a fitness trainer and health and wellness speaker, agrees: “To see real “gains”, you have to fuel your body with the right nutrients,” she says. “Overall, eating a balanced, nutrient-dense diet, which includes Florida Orange Juice, will allow you to have the energy to push through your strength-building workouts and enable you to build lean muscle mass.”
Hydrate for health—and glowing skin!
“Dehydration can really impair your muscles’ ability to repair themselves, so be sure to get in those fluids,” says Jhas. Florida Orange Juice consists of about 90 percent water, helping to keep your body and skin hydrated while also providing nutrients such as vitamin C and colourful plant pigments called carotenoids like beta-carotene.
“When it comes to a post-workout wellness drink, you’re really looking for something uncomplicated. You want something that will hydrate you while giving your body some vitamins and electrolytes to help replenish and repair your muscles. One of my favourite go-to’s is Florida Orange Juice. Not only does it boost your body’s system with carbs and potassium, but it also packs a punch with some serious vitamin C,” says Jhas.
Enjoy what you love
The key to staying active is to find something that you actually like to do, says Jhas. “If you don’t like running, don’t make that your primary form of exercise because once your initial motivation dwindles, you won’t want to do it anymore. Explore a variety of options to keep the enthusiasm going!”
The same can be said for your nutrition and post-workout recovery drink. If you don’t like something, you’re not going to want to consume it. Similarly, restricting yourself from enjoying the foods you love is unlikely to work and can even backfire leading you to binge and later feel guilty. Instead, practice moderation and enjoy yourself!
“After a workout, I need something both delicious and nutrient-rich to nurture recovery,” says Crawford. “OJ in a protein smoothie with a bit of cocoa is my dream scenario!”
Delicious and nutritious—nothing beats that combo.
