Why You Should Start Juicing Now ~ Complete With Recipes
Did you know that when you make juice from raw vegetables, your body absorbs the nutrients within 15 seconds? Talk about an energy shot! No need to buy those sugary and chemical-ish concoctions from your local drug-store or mini mart. Juicing is an all-natural way to boost your energy and feel amazing. When you juice your fruits and veggies, you end up extracting all the water and nutrients from them and leave behind only the plant fibers. By separating the fruit or vegetable from its fiber, we gain access to all of the amazing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytonutrients which are much more easily assimilated by our body than if we were to eat them.
This allows your body to absorb the nutrients more quickly, without having to digest the dense bulk of the plant. You can also fit an amazing amount of veggies into a single glass of juice, making it a great way to use up those extra veggies from your garden or CSA share. PLUS, you will end up with a glass of deliciousness that packs a powerful nutritional punch. Although some would also say that the cost of stocking enough fresh organic vegetables to make daily juices can be somewhat expensive, my feeling is that if you stop buying all of the pre-packaged foods/snacks you were buying, you will end up saving money in the long run on your food AND your doctor bills.
One more thing before I go: while you can control the quality of ingredients when you are making fresh juice at home, always read your labels when it comes to buying store-bought juice. These juices can be high in sugar and have a high glycemic load, which may cause blood sugar imbalances.
RECIPES!
DIRECTIONS: Juice all of your ingredients through a juicer. All juices are made for 1-2 servings. All just be made in a juicer unless you use a Vitamix to blend and then use cheesecloth to strain. If you like fiber, I add in a touch of water to my Vitmix and drink my juices that way.
Simple Liquid Greens
1 green apple
6 Swiss Chard leaves
1/2 lemon (with rind)
1 - inch piece of ginger
The Farm
1 small apple
1 head lettuce (organic)
1 carrot
Liquid Blood
1 carrot
1 beet
8 celery stalks
1 cucumber
1 apple
juice from 1 lemon
The Green Fire Starter
1 handful of spinach
1 handful of parsley
1 head of lettuce
1 cucumber
10 celery stalks
2 lemons, juiced
dash of cayenne
Not Your Momma's Green Juice
1 pear or green apple
2 cucumbers
8 stalks of celery
1 handful of parsley
1 head of romaine
2 lemons, juiced
Carrot Apple Spice - careful on the ginger and cayenne with this one!
2 carrots
1 apple
1 cucumber
pinch of cayenne
1-inch peice of ginger
2 lemons, juiced
The Green Machine
1 cucumber
1 green apple
8 celery stalks
1 handful dandelion greens
1 handful of cilantro
2 lemons, juiced
Love My Liver
2 cucumbers
10 stalks raw asparagus
1 handful of parsley
1 handful of cilantro
1 hanful of watercress (wash well)
2 lemons, juiced
Baby Greens
1/2 cup spinach
1 apple
1 kiwi
1/2 cup pineapple
1 lemon, juiced
5 mint leaves (optional)
