Let's get juiced!

Blending, Juicing, & Loving It—

Getting started, from Mimi Kirk's raw food recipe book: Live Raw

(Chapter Five)

Power Greens drink 
(The blueberries were an extra, not an ingredient)

I've been making fruit and green smoothies for several years now, plus juicing here and there—with a few recipes that are very similar to Mimi's in her book. But I tend to make the same few recipes over and over again, so I was happy to experiment this past week with some interesting ideas, different fruits and veggies, and power-plus nutrients from Live Raw. Today I'll share three drinks that I will add to my list of make-again-juices and -smoothies. But first I want to mention something about why I am doing this. 

What motivates me? 

Certainly, it takes some doing to prepare healthy foods. I'm already in the kitchen a lot anyway. In fact, I don't juice as often as I think I should for that very reason—I'm a little lazy sometimes. I like instant! I like fast food! I want to tantalize my taste buds now! 

Well, see? I need motivation to move in a different direction if I want to see a change. And believe me, I need a change. That's why I'm always reading a book or two that is inspiring to my health, both physically and spiritually.

I want to stop the disease processes that are happening in my body from making me feel old. Yes, I am half-past the day I go poof and meet my Maker, to be sure, but I don't like the condition I am in today, or what apparently has already transpired in past years. 

My eating and health practices for most of my life were not the best. In the last ten years great improvements were made, which came from new found knowledge, but there were a few early years when peanut butter, hamburgers and boxed macaroni and cheese were my staples along with sodas and an occasional candy bar. I recently talked to a young woman in college who said she lives on string cheese and Mountain Dew! I'm not familiar with string cheese, but that's scary!

So each year I did something different to improve eating habits and ultimately our health and here I am today. Doing better, but you can't overnight what took many years to acquire in the first place.

So on with some new healthy drinks.

Here was something out of the ordinary . . . The Power Greens drink recipe used 1/2 of a fennel bulb.

I didn't even know what fennel looked like. I had to ask for it at the health food store.

1/2 fennel bulb used in recipe 

I thought perhaps the fennel bulb would have a strong taste and overpower the juice, but I didn't find that to be the case. Yes, the drink tasted green, but I liked it and had no problem drinking it. I added a bit of stevia to sweeten just a bit too. (I still need to find out what to do with the upper herb part of the fennel, the part that reminds me of dill.)

What are the benefits of fennel?  

Here's some of what I found on the web . . .

Fennel contains vitamin C, fiber, manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and vitamin B3. The vitamin C from the bulb of the plant is antibacterial and beneficial to the immune system. The high fiber content reduces cholesterol levels. Fennel can eliminate toxins and potential cancerous substances from the intestines. The high potassium content will help lower high blood pressure. 

So in adding this to your green juice, you are upping some important nutrients to support a healthier and happier body.

The juicing process

I share my green drinks with hubby.

This What a Pear smoothie recipe was my favorite! I love ripe pears which are the basis of this smooth delightful drink. It also has celery which I have never put in a blender before—I've always juiced it. Celery is great to reduce high blood pressure, so it's important for me. BTW, you have to use a high-powered blender for these smoothie recipes. I love my Vita-Mix and I highly suggest you invest in one if you don't already have one!

 What a Pear ingredients ready to blend

This drink includes ginger, a typical ingredient I use when juicing. Ginger, a potent spice, has been used as a natural medicine for centuries. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties, and improves digestive health. A 2004 article in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (researchers from  Johns Hopkins) showed that a ginger extract has the potential to slow the progression of brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s disease (related to its anti-inflammatory nature). Good stuff for folks with nausea, arthritis, or migraines.

What a Pear Smoothie . . . delicious!

Trip to the Moon called for water from a Thai baby coconut. OK, so lazy me bought canned coconut water from the health food store.

Trip to the Moon ingredients before blending

It's widely known about the benefits of coconut oil, but what about the coconut's water?  

Coconut water is the new sports drink!   

Here is a list of the benefits of coconut water :

• It's full of electrolytes! It contains calcium, magnesium and potassium, and is low in sodium.
• It's low in calories and fat, and contains no cholesterol. 
• It detoxifies. Research finds that it can improve immunity, and increase your metabolism. 
• Helps clear your complexion.
• Helps cleanse and improve intestinal and digestive systems.
• Helps lower blood sugar level (great for diabetics).
• Helps balance PH level.
• Helps balance thyroid.
• Fights infections.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Is an aid to lose weight naturally.
• Replaces fluids lost. (Hydrates and nourishes.)

 Trip to the Moon Smoothie . . .  loved it!

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way."

- Napoleon Hill