I have been “cleaning” up my diet for so long, my insides should be Mr. Clean-sparkling. Unfortunately, they are not. After failing to adhere to many New Year’s resolutions, this time I’ve decide to ratchet my expectations down a bit. Rather than deny myself anything, I’m going to add something--a nutrient brimming, daily juice.
The NCI, National Cancer Institute, recommends 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Juicing is an excellent way to reach that goal. Early in our cancer journey—actually between Jim’s lobectomy (that's lobectomy not lobotomy) and the time he started chemo (6 weeks)—I incorporated juicing into his daily routine. I started with the more palatable carrot combinations and eventually cajoled him into drinking three, eight ounce glasses a day. My hope was not to cure the cancer but to build him up before he began treatment. Evidently, it worked.
Once he started chemo, we gave up juicing. With the loss of appetite, nausea and mouth sores, getting him to eat anything was an accomplishment. Over the last 10 years, during periods of remission, I tried juicing again. We bought a Blendtec to make fruit smoothies into which I would sneak an occasional handful of spinach. Fruit combinations go down easy—vegetables, not so much.
My friend, Jess Ainscough, The Wellness Warrior, who is fighting cancer with the Gerson method has some excellent advice on juicing. This is her recipe for basic green juice.
1 stalk kale
1 stalk silverbeet or Swiss chard
1 leaf Cos (Romaine) lettuce
1 frozen banana
Coconut water or purified water
1 tsp spirulina
What to do:
1. Add green leaves to the blender and cover with coconut water and/or water. Blend until smooth.
2. Add frozen banana and blend again.
3. Add spirulina and blend again.
4. Enjoy!
The first three steps are easy enough, but the last step gives me trouble. I don’t really enjoy the concoction. The addition of fresh lemon juice helps somewhat.
Juicing—even once a day—is a chore for me. During the busy holiday, on a trip to Costco for more processed, fat laden foods, I noticed a bottle of familiar looking green sludge on the shelf in the refrigerator section. After examining the list of ingredients, I decided to give “Naked-The Green Machine” a try.
I recommend it, not as a replacement for fresh juice, but as an option for those days when you are in a hurry. And, it tastes good—so good that I wonder how much of the beneficial greens are included in the fruit mixture. Evita Ochel, editor of Evolving Wellness and a certified nutritionist, biologist and educator, says about Naked, “This product is way better than 99% of all the other bottled beverages out there,” but it still loses something in the processing.
If you are a novice juicer you might give Naked a try. I’m hoping this tasty alternative will prepare my picky palate for the more potent home-brewed potion.
Hi Cyndi
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the recipe and your experience with us. It is so true, juicing is not the quickest of things depending on the method used. It can be a little daunting too, especially at first when we start.....but the benefits are incredible and I find within a short time, become well worth it for most.
An easier way to go is definitely the "smoothie" route. It is much less time consuming as the contents do not have to be strained through the milk bag. You would just blend and serve. Another option to making juicing easier is to buy a good "user friendly" juicer like the Omega series or the Jay Kordich series.
Either way, both green juices and smoothies have their own benefits...it all depends on what the personal needs are, and I often share that for optimal health benefits, incorporating both into our lives is a great idea.
p.s. Thank you so much for the mention...it is true, nothing beats freshly, homemade juice or smoothie products :)