Raise your hand if you and your family eat enough vegetables daily? What about once a week? Or even once a month. Do any of us EVER eat enough vegetables?
Here’s another question for you. Why is it that none of us really ever eat enough vegetables, especially knowing that they are among the most healthful foods we can eat and are low in calories? I think it’s because in order for us to eat “enough” vegetables, we would be eating them all day long every day. It’s just nearly impossible to eat enough.
Drinking raw vegetable juices bridges the gap between how many vegetables we should consume and how many we actually eat. Eating your vegetables takes on a whole new meaning when you begin juicing. The brilliant colors alone are fascinating to watch as they come through the spout of your juicer. Vegetables you never really thought of as beautiful, such as carrots, beetroot, and baby spinach, come pouring out the juicer spout in hues that literally make you feel better just seeing them.
Here are some health benefits that have been attributed to vegetables you are probably familiar with. These all make for great juice ingredients. Try them in different combinations — be creative. Many vegetables you wouldn’t think of eating together, juice well together.
Best Raw Vegetable Juices
The following list is certainly not exhaustive, and it is not claiming to provide medical advice. The intent is to illustrate the wide spectrum of beneficial nutrients believed to be available in vegetables and vegetable juices.
Arugula is considered one of the most anti-cancer foods
Asparagus is a super food, good diuretic, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and contains folic acid
Beets, also called beetroot, helps to cleanse the blood and support the liver
Bell peppers contains chromium and lots of phytochemicals with good antioxidant value
Broccoli is high in vitamin C, vitamin K, beta-carotene, and promotes health vision
Cabbage – both red cabbage and green – coat and help protect the colon and digestive system
Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A, chromium, carotene which prevents free-radical damage to the body
Celery helps cleanse uric acid from digestive system, and is very alkalizing
Chard (aka Swiss chard or silver beet) is high in vitamin A, potassium, and manganese
Collard greens provide calcium and protect against colon diseases
Cucumbers are a natural diuretic and are a good source of silicon, which is good for skin and hair
Parsnips contain chromium, which regulates metabolism
Parsley has high levels of chlorophyll, fights parasites, and cleanses the liver
Radishes are known for opening up the sinuses
Rutabagas help increase stamina
Spinach is high in vitamins A and K, as well as folic acid
Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, and help with arthritis and other types of inflammation
Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a strong antioxidant
Turnip greens have vitamin K, calcium, and zinc, which is associated with lower body fat levels
Turnip is traditionally used as a remedy to strengthen lung tissue
All rich green vegetables contain some chlorophyll. (Do you remember that term from high school Biology??). This can help clean our elimination systems, which can then clean our blood and lymph systems. Chlorophyll can have other positive effects on our bodies as it helps to improve our circulation, relieve inflammatory pain, destroy bacteria and purify our livers.
Because chlorophyll, via green juices, is such a powerful benefactor to our bodies, you should strive to get some green juicing in on a regular basis. Starting out with greens combined with other juices (fruits, milder vegetables) may make it more palatable for you if you are a beginning juicer.
The nice thing about juicing is that by combining fruits and vegetables that contain specific nutrients, you can target certain concerns, like inflammation, urinary tract infections, or high blood pressure, while getting in the amount of nutrition from vegetables that you are not likely getting today.
Unless you are dealing with a specific medical problem, and are seeking a remedy through juicing and/or raw foods, enjoying a wide variety of these foods through juicing could provide you with vitality and natural protection from serious illness. My own personal testimony of improved symptoms of autoimmune disease is enough to make a believer out of me.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at some of the specific healing properties of many vegatables!
Juice of the Day
My favorite veggie juice is this modified recipe for V-8 juice. I call mine V-10 Juice
V-10 Juice
Ingredients:
- 2-3 carrots
- 2 ribs of celery
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1 handful baby spinach
- 1 handful kale
- 2 inch piece of broccoli stem
- 1 beetroot
- 1 tomato
- small handful parsley
- 1/2 lemon
Directions:
- Wash all produce well
- Peel the beetroot and lemon
- Add all ingredients through juicer and enjoy (I recommend Breville)
Yield: 20-24 oz
Find more juicing recipes.
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Please know that this is my own personal story and the information I have gathered from my own research and experience. I am not a nutritionist or a doctor (nor do I play either one on TV). If you have any chronic conditions, are under the care of a doctor for any diseases, or take medication, please see your doctor before making changes in your diet or embarking on a juicing fast.
