I made a promise to myself to start juicing more in the New Year. I've got this great juicer and it wasn't getting the attention it deserved. I'm not really interested in juicing just oranges, red apples, grapes or other high glycemic fruits because a) I don't drink the juice versions of those fruits anyway and b) they're high on the glycemic index (GI). If you're at all struggling with weight loss or have a tough time managing your blood sugar levels, it might be a good idea to eat these fruits in moderation and drink the juice rarely - if at all.
The focus here today is on what I concocted. How the concoction could benefit your body follows below.
I juiced:
- a couple amazing spices - ginger and turmeric
Four (4) 1" tubers of turmeric, peeled
1 1/2 inches of ginger root, peeled - a couple tangy fruits - cranberries and lemon
1 1/2 c cranberries
1 1/2 lemons, peeled - added lots of H2O and stevia, too
3 c. cold water
2 packets of stevia**If you don't like the taste of stevia, substitute honey. Don't use any other form of artificial sweeteners. All the good stuff in this juice will be negated by the yuck of artificial sweeteners.
So what's so great about the juice?
Ginger: Yes, ginger is a popular for soothing a queasy stomach, but it also contains the mineral copper, which has been shown to be the super star of bone health, particularly when it comes to osteopeosis. Copper can't be produced in the body, so we need to get it from our diet. A recently University of Ulster Study (UK) showed that women age 45 - 56 who consumed 3mg of copper for 2 years had no change in bone density. The placebo group of women from the same study who took no copper had significant bone loss in the same period of time. Oh, and one more super bonus in using fresh ginger - it's helps with collagen production (a.k.a. wrinkle fighter)!
Turmeric: You may or may not be familiar with turmeric, but you've probably tasted it and have certainly seen it! Turmeric has been used to give cheese an orange color, and is one of the many spices that make curry. Of all the benefits of turmeric, the anti-inflammatory and circulatory effects are a couple of the strongest. In fact, turmeric has been used to ease the aches and pains of arthritis. A word of warning: turmeric is bright orange and has will stain. Keep clothes you love far, far away from this spice if you cook with it or juice it in it's whole form.
Cranberries & Lemons: I pooled these two together because they're both high in vitamin C, and both are loaded with anti-oxidants. The citric acid of lemons help to absorb minerals (plenty of which you'd get from this juice) and cranberries are a well-know urinary track infection (UTI) fighter. I used whole raw cranberries, and fresh lemons. You could probably get away with using lemon juice, but I wouldn't recommend using any other form of cranberry ans they're typically canned or somehow loaded with tons of sugar.
How does it taste?
It's tangy - and a little spicy (in a ginger sorta way), but good! To be honest, my 5-year-old said, "I tried it and I just don't like it." I think she heard the word "juice" and expected something that tasted like, well, her kinda juice. So, if you've got kids, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, don't be offended if they turn their nose up at it.A really nice bonus about this homespun juice is that it's cheap. All of the ingredients cost me about $3 from Whole Foods. When do you ever hear that? Nice!
It's tangy - and a little spicy (in a ginger sorta way), but good! To be honest, my 5-year-old said, "I tried it and I just don't like it." I think she heard the word "juice" and expected something that tasted like, well, her kinda juice. So, if you've got kids, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, don't be offended if they turn their nose up at it.A really nice bonus about this homespun juice is that it's cheap. All of the ingredients cost me about $3 from Whole Foods. When do you ever hear that? Nice!As I mentioned above, I own a juicer. Not everybody does, and they can be kind of expensive. I didn't know just how committed I'd be to juicing when I first started, so I went with a mid-range masticating juicer by a company called Omega. It's great. Kind of a pain to clean, but great. I get a lot of juice and very little pulp. Check out the color of that juice!
If I stick to my guns, you'll see more and more juice posts. I think they're worth it! I'll certainly keep things posting on Facebook. If you're not yet hanging out with me on Facebook yet, connect with me here!
