I am juice crazy at the moment and gearing up to my 5 day juice detox starting tomorrow! I have been watching Joe Cross on repeat, studying his website, stocking up on organic produce and creating some awesome juice recipes to follow. Whenever I decide to go juice only, I aim to up my juice intake the week before and I’m so glad I did as I made the most perfect carrot juice earlier in the week. It was that nice it actually felt like a treat, yet with every mouthful I remembered how many nutrients I was consuming! This is why I just love juicing. I mean, lets face it, you might enjoy eating that ice cream but what about the feeling after? Doesn’t feel so good now does it…
Well, juicing never let’s you down. There’s no catch, there’s no hidden ingredients, there’s no nasty side affects. It is just pure, real, natural and 100% dependable.
Green juice is important (as I’ve previously said) but I think it’s equally important to ensure you juice a variety of vegetables trying to include lots of colours. Eat the rainbow people! Carrots are super sweet so they make a great juicing vegetable, they also taste amazing and produce a wonderful colour. Not forgetting they are jam packed with nutrients!
Carrots are loaded with vitamins – Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B1 and B6. They are also rich in minerals such as biotin, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Lastly, the number of phytonutrients in carrots are endless – Lutein, lycopene, alpha, beta and gamma carotenes and so on. Just imagine how healthy a glass of carrot juice is?! All these vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients help heal the body, help fight illness whether it be a cold or a more serious disease. What I’m trying to say is… No matter who you are or what your health situation is – Go and make this juice! Your body will thank you.
The recipe:
– 4 Large Carrots
– 1 Large Apple
– 2 Celery Stalks
– 1 Lemon
Juice all the above ingredients, pour in a glass over ice and drink up. It’s that simple!
I highly recommend using all organic ingredients so you don’t ingest any nasty chemicals or pesticides. However, if you can’t get hold of organic, at least make sure you use an unwaxed lemon. I just the whole lemon including the skin, however, not all juicers can handle the skin of a lemon so please check your juicer instructions! I not so long ago made one of my juicers smoke uncontrollably due to a lemon skin, so trust me on this one, its always best to check. I think most fast juicers require the skin to be removed prior to juicing.
I think most people presume you juice because you want to lose weight but there are so many more reasons to juice! I often get asked why I go on juicing only days when I already follow a plant based, vegan lifestyle. My main reason is to up my micronutrient consumption, to consume only raw nutrients, to rest my digestive system and allow my body to get on with other more important tasks – repairing, regenerating and healing!
Digestion takes up to 70% of the body’s energy, removing this task for a few days allows your body to focus on more important things and essentially heal the body. Micronutrients are so important if you want your body to operate in its optimal state, these micronutrients are found in all natural plant foods and it is even better if you intake these micronutrients in its natural form (without cooking). So, juicing just makes sense, right?
I haven’t even mentioned that juice detoxing rids the body of caffeine, alcohol, dairy, meat, refined sugar and any other processed junk! If you consume any of the products mentioned above, a juice detox is essential. Otherwise you will become sluggish, fatigued and more than likely poorly whether its catching every bug you come in contact with, increased blood pressure, skin problems, increased blood sugar levels or something more serious. I personally don’t consume any of these things, however like Joe Cross I do suffer from an autoimmune disease (Lupus) so juicing is my saviour! As I have a compromised immune system due to my illness it’s essential I give my body exactly what it needs to stay in tip top condition. That means plants, fruits and vegetables are my best friends! And resting my digestion every so often is so important in order for my body to rebalance and repair.
Go switch your juicer on, grab some veggies and fruit and juice!
Leah xo
loveyourgreens 