Hello everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This weekend I spent a lot of time away from the computer. We had vacation Bible School at our church last week, and my daughter, and I were able to attend every day. We both had a fabulous time. This weekend we took it easy.I had a great time hanging out with my daughter.
Check out the above picture, aren’t the juices lovely. Beginning the second week in July, I’ll be having a week long juice cleanse.
What’s a Juice Cleanse?
When you are on a juice fast you are only consuming raw vegetable and fruits in liquid form. People do juice cleanses for a variety of reasons ranging from detoxification to weight loss. Juice clenases are just one of the ways I occasionally take a break from eating solid foods. I do enjoy the extra energy boost I receive too.
I Eliminate A Lot More
When I’m on a juice fast I notice the amount that my urine and bowels movements increase. I normally have a bowels movement shortly after I eat a meal. This is ideal, but it’s something that many people aren’t doing in westernized culture since a lot of us have strayed away from a whole food diet to a highly processed diet.
Giving my juicer a workout
I’ve been juicing for several years. During that time, I’ve went through a few juciers. I learned to avoid the tougher vegetables since my juicers couldn’t handle them. I vividly remember burning up a motor on one as I tried to juice a beet. About four years ago I purchased the Green Star GS-1000 Juice Extractor. It uses the twin gear technology and blasts thought anything I put into it even the hard vegetables. The pulp come out of the spout, and the juice goes into the little pitcher.
Initially I bulked at the price… almost $400, are they crazy! However, I knew I would be using it a lot, so I went ahead and made the purchase. It’s definitely one of the best investments I’ve made! I don’t have to go to a juice bar, just so I can get them to juice the harder vegetables that my cheaper juicers couldn’t handle. I love convenince, and the fact that I can make freshly prepared juices at home was the biggest selling point for myself. It would have been nice if the juicer didn’t cost as much, but I’ve more than made up for its purchase with the amount of juicing I’ve done. Smoothies, teas, raw juices, and water are the only things we consume in this household. The majority are made by myself.
One of the questions I’ve heard a few people ask was what to do with the juicing pulp. I’ve listed a few of the things I do below.
What to do with the juicing pulp?
- Use it in a sauce
- Use it to make raw cookies
- Add it in a stir fry
- use as garden compost
What will I be juicing?
- Carrot – These are an excellent source of provitamin A. I usually mix carrots with greens, daikon, beets, and celery. Occasionally I’ll toss in cucumbers.
- Celery – I use this in small amounts although very tasty it is also high in sodium.
- Beets – Considered a blood builder/blood purifier. It’s considered to be a powerful cleanser. Do not drink this alone. I mix mine with greens, celery, and daikon or carrots. It’s important to note that beet juice can color your bowel movement.
- Cabbage – I like the taste of cabbage juice mixed with other vegetables. Cabbage juice was used by Dr. Garnett Cheney, M.D. to cure his patients of peptic ulcers. They drank it daily and were cured in half the time. The American Cancer Society has been urging people to eat more cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli) because of their protective effects against cancer.
- Cucumbers
- Zucchini Squash – I love eating this raw and it’s also tasty when it’s juiced.
- Garlic
- Habenero Pepper
- Ginger
Although I drink freshly made juices often, I don’t do juice cleanses as much perhaps four to six times yearly?
Question? Have you ever done a juice cleanse?
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