If you don't enjoy eating vegetables, there is an alternative - you can drink them.

Vegetable juice bars are becoming increasingly popular as we experience the health benefits of freshly-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices.

Go on, be adventurous: Instead of your usual glass of plain orange juice, juice an apple and a few chunks of raw carrot and beetroot. For your efforts, you get an instant energy and immune booster which looks glorious and tastes delicious, too.

When shopping in Brighton, I used to get my nutrient fix from the juice bar just outside Churchill Square, located in a converted tram. However, the family-run business had to relocate after the rent was increased.

Sheila McDonald, the owner of Bar Juicy, managed to find alternative premises at 1, Bartholomews, directly opposite Brighton Town Hall. I decided to go along or a healthy juice and a chat.

Sheila's sons Leo and Rory run the bar, making a variety of different fresh fruit and vegetable juices on the premises. In winter, organic porridge and home-made soup are added to the menu.

The juices are whizzed up there and then, are completely fresh, additive-free and unpasteurised. You can even ask for a combination of ingredients and create your own unique blend.

Organic wheatgrass juice is particularly popular with customers and sold in small shots because of its high concentration of essential amino acids, vitamins (A, B, C, E and K) and minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc and sulphur).

One of the richest sources of oxygen-rich chlorophyll available, the grass grown from organic wheat berries is believed to have profoundly cleansing, detoxifying and healing effects.

It is a safe, effective way to supplement your diet. One small shot three times a week is sufficient for most people.

Try to drink fresh juice on an empty stomach - it only takes minutes to absorb as much of the digestive processes are bypassed.

Beginners and children should always dilute their juices with water because rapid detoxification can cause temporary side-effects such as headaches.

Apple and carrot are good bases and can be mixed with all other fruit and vegetables. Try celery, spinach, pepper, watercress, sweet potato, cucumber, tomato or parsnip.

Go easy on large quantities of sweet fruit juices as they may upset blood sugar levels.

Vegetable juicing offers an efficient method of extracting sugars, starches, proteins and enzymes in a concentrated form that is easy to consume and absorb.

Enzymes assist in the digestion and assimilation of food, sparking off chemical reactions in the body that are needed to produce energy and repair tissue.

Our cooked and convenience foods lack live enzymes, depleting our reserves because the body has to utilise more in order to digest "dead" food. Scientists believe this is one reason why we age faster and are prone to degenerative diseases.

Once you've experienced the real thing, the plastic affair that calls itself orange squash will never again pass your lips.

Martina Watts is a qualified Nutritional Therapist at the Crescent Clinic of Complementary Medicine, Brighton (call 01273 202221), and the Dolphin House Clinic, Brighton (call 01273 324790), or visit www.thehealthbank.co.uk