Can juicing change your life?

I have to be honest… I am not a big fan of vegetables. I will tolerate spinach and I do enjoy asparagus but it has to be bathed in olive oil, garlic, red pepper and Italian seasonings. If it is a salad, it has to be buried in bleu cheese dressing and a mountain of croutons. Huh, my stomach just growled.

I sort of stumbled on to juicing. A friend of the family has been battling cancer and I began doing more research into diet and how it relates to disease. I was surprised to find tons of research and documentation that links our diet to ailments like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and maybe even Alzheimer’s. To be honest, it scared the crap out of me because historically, I have not had the best diet. Movies like “Forks over Knives” further my juicing cause.

About two years ago, a friend gave us his Jack Lalanne Power Juicer and I was amazed by what you could actually juice and how you can make it taste good! It can become addictive! A good addiction for that matter! The drawback to the Jack Lalanne juicer is that it does not use the pulp. Recently I upgraded to a Vitamix which uses everything including the pulp – The Vitamix is actually a very impressive contraption. You can even make hot soup and ice cream with it!
Here is the point: It is all about anti-oxidants, natural vitamins, minerals, beneficial enzymes and phytochemicals. All of these natural qualities fight free-radicals in our system that can cause cancer and other life threatening ailments. The more food is preserved, altered and processed the less it is good for you. Here are some other benefits of juicing fruits and veggies:

• · Increases metabolic rate
• · Promotes healthy tissue and red blood cell growth
• · Promotes regularity
• · Anti-aging benefits
• · Alleviating symptoms of depression.
• · Disease prevention
• · Higher energy levels
• · Weight loss

I have two juice recipes that are great for any type of juicer – depending on your model; you can add ice, cold water or fresh organic juice to accent any concoction. I strongly recommend only organic fruits and veggies because of pesticide concerns – but it is not a necessity.

Morning Blend
Frozen Blueberries (handful)
Frozen Strawberries (handful)
Banana (one)
Carrot (one)
Beet – just a small amount – a little beet goes along way!
Green Veggie (a handful of spinach or kale)
Apple (only need one – cut away the core)
Notes: The fruit will mask the green veggies and the beet will give it a nice red color!

Evening Blend
Carrot (one)
Celery (one shaft)
Green Veggies (a handful of spinach or kale – or a bunch of both!)
Fresh Ginger (just a couple slivers)
Apple (only need one – cut away the core)
Beet – just a small amount – beet goes along way
Notes: Again the fruit (apple) will take the bite away from the veggies and the beet will give the drink a pleasant color.
Always explore new fruits and veggies: I juice bell peppers, tomatoes, red cabbage, frozen raspberries and fresh oranges. Remember, the brighter the fruit or vegetable, the better it is for you!

Change your health, change your life!

John C. Bader
www.responsiveuniverse.com