So Now that were all enlightened with the basic principles of juicing from Part 1 of this post, we're ready to move on to Part 2 where we will be chatting about Juicing Ingredients!
So, when you decide to start juicing and after you’ve purchased your juicer, you will obviously need some Ingredients to start juicing! (Click "Read More" Below to Continue)
There are many choices when it comes to this, depending on your particular situation, taste for certain ingredients, and also what you’re exactly looking to accomplish regarding your new juicing adventure.
When they say that fruits & veggies are important for wellness, healing & beauty, they are not kidding ! The ingredients that are available & awaiting you are a mind blowing force! Most all ingredients you would be juicing (raw produce) are loaded with Live Enzymes (especially if you drink your juice right after its made), which is one of the primary reasons that juicing is so beyond beneficial ! Fresh juice from your juicer is considered Live Food (because the ingredients are Living, grown in nature, and are in their raw & unprocessed state) and the enzymes and nutrients contained in your juices are life & cell regenerating. Enzymes are proteins that provide massive repair to our bodies and are quite simply the body’s Life Force. Juicing ingredients are also highly Alkalizing to the body (which has been found to be a state potentially associated with decreased Inflammation, disease and overall increased health) while promoting detoxification & cell renewal. They are also loaded with vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants (which are compounds that neutralize free radicals & oxidative damage in the body that is almost similar to rust on a car ) & thus potentially limit the risk of many conditions & diseases. As juice is easily metabolized and takes little of your bodily energy to process, it gives much back in return. It delivers immense benefit as it energizes, fortifies, beautifies and much much more! If you're looking for wellness and or radiant beauty no need to look further... There is just nothing like delicious fresh juice made in your juicer! Every juicing ingredient has it’s benefits. A variety of juices and ingredients, loaded with various nutrients will likely assist in building wellness & warrior defenses ! The ingredient options of juice recipes are limitless ! In addition, I’ve even found that a few of these incredibly beneficial ingredients that are not typically my favorites to eat in solid form are easy to camouflage in combination with other ingredients and somehow taste absolutely amazing in my juices ! In order to give you an idea of the incredible properties contained in these ingredients and possibly assist and inspire you to warrior up your juice & wellness game, here are a few examples of what Power is awaiting you in the produce aisle, farmers market or garden. Seize it my Friends !
*SOLID INGREDIENTS*
These ingredients generally hold a lot of liquid and yield a lot of Juice! Centrifugal Juicers will handle these solid ingredients well, as will Masticating Juicers, which handle pretty much Everything well !
CARROT
Carrots are one of the most popular juicing ingredients and for good reason! Carrot Juice by itself is amazing, as it tastes delicious and is highly nutritious, but additionally, carrots sweeten up and add nutrition to almost anything else you choose to juice. They add sweetness to any slightly bitter veggies in your recipes and they yield a lot of juice, so they work wonderfully as a solid juice base for literally Any combination of ingredients !
Its true! Carrots really are great for your vision, loaded with beta carotene (beta carotene is a plant based pre curser that converts to vitamin A) (Take a look Here). Carrots also contain good amounts of vitamins C & K, mineral potassium as well as calcium and phosphorous, and other powerful secondary plant phytonutrients. Carrots have been found to be potentially beneficial for heart health & have been found to reduce cholesterol (Take a Look HERE) and blood pressure with assistance from their previously mentioned high potassium content). Due to their amazing combination of plant phytochemicals they've also been found to be potentially anti-inflammatory, anti aging, antibacterial, cancer preventative (Take a look Here), and assist in weight loss & overall beauty (hair, skin & nails)! In addition, as we really hope most of us here do not smoke cigarettes (as it is really devastating to ones health), it has been found that carrot juice is likely quite reparative to DNA damage and a powerful preventative in the risk of chronic illness in smokers. (Take a look Here). Carrot has also been found to contain a potentially powerful prebiotic (compound that induces growth of beneficial gut organisms) that may be beneficial to health regarding immunity and the all important human microbiome through a pectin derived polysaccharide extract called cRG-1 (Take a look Here) & (Here), that is also additionally utilized as an ingredient in supplement formulation (Take a look Here) . To top it off, carrot juice has been shown to have the potential strong ability to dissolve fat & bile in the body thus it being powerfully detoxifying and an amazing tonic for your gut, liver & gallbladder. When I first started juicing heavily a number of years back, I was juicing mostly carrots and drank 2 to 3 juices a day. After just a few months of this my skin was bright, smooth & completely clear, my digestion improved, & and fat seemed to have just melted off my body, and by six months I literally felt like a new person ! To juice your carrots, wash them, chop off the tops, and then if needed (and proceeding with caution), cut them into thin enough slices to fit into your juicer spout using ultimate samurai focus ! *You can also juice Carrot Greens, which are highly nutritious & will juice best in a Masticating Juicer... CELERY
Celery from the Apiaceae family of plants (that also contains carrot & parsley) is an intense powerhouse of healing. Especially when juiced. It is packed with nutrients including vitamins A, B2, B6, B9(folate), C, E & K and is loaded with minerals like potassium, calcium , magnesium, iron & zinc. It is also packed with water and is highly hydrating.
Celery was originally known as a medicinal herb. Because of it’s many secondary plant phytonutrient compounds, celery has been found to be to be potentially beneficial for many actions and issues such as inflammation, cholesterol & blood pressure, immune system fortifying, gut healing, helpful to asthma, allergies, arthritis, diabetes, digestion, ulcers, vision, urinary tract issues, diabetes, healing to many skin issues (including acne, eczema & psoriasis), weight loss and potentially helpful in preventing oxidative damage (which is imperative to health), and also helpful to conditions of the kidney, liver, pancreas and gallbladder. It has also been found to possibly reduce the risk of birth defects and is noted as antibacterial & fungal (Take a look Here). Incredibly along with its antimicrobial capabilities, celery has also been found to be potentially antibacterial even towards antibiotic resistant pathogens such as MRSA (Take a look Here). Celery also contains a powerful plant flavonoid called apigenin (as does parsley) with many actions including potential benefit to human gut bacteria and microbiome (Take a look Here), and as many are somewhat aware, the powerful link between gut microbiome & health is becoming more evident every day (Take a look Here). Celery, especially juiced is calming and a good anti-anxiety tonic due to it's high mineral content. It is also a potent natural diuretic (on a personal note, a few years back we were able to eradicate my beautiful Mom's fluid swollen post surgery ankles with celery), & therefore great for water retention. It is also low in calories and highly detoxifying to the body. Personally speaking, It is the most intense & detoxifying thing (other than dandelion greens) I have ever juiced solo. Prior to juicing celery by itself (which i did for 6 months straight every morning at 5:45 AM ), I would just add a few stalks in with my other juice ingredients, which is what i am currently back to doing. I found that the energy from juicing celery solo was a bit more mellow & zen than straight out green juice (which immediately gives a lasting jolt of energy, ..to Me anyway), but celery juiced alone was amazingly detoxifying & fortifying, made me feel like meditating, made my stomach super flat, and my skin perfectly clear & smooth, and I definitely dropped a few pounds ! If you’re considering juicing celery all by itself you may want to ease into it because it is very potent & intensely detoxifying... perhaps just juicing a small amount / few stalks at first, or mixing it in with a bit of apple &/or carrot to start, or even diluting it with a bit of water, then working your tolerance up to a greater amount of it alone, especially if you have a sensitive stomach. Just to get an idea of quantity, I was juicing an entire bunch of celery every morning which came to about 12 oz. of juice when I was juicing solo celery in my omega masticating juicer. Celery Juice alone obviously tastes just like celery, but is actually quite on the mild neutral tasting side overall, especially the lighter colored green stalks - I’ve pretty much found that the lighter green stalks are quite a bit milder (less bitter & salty tasting) than the dark ones. You can certainly juice celery leaves also (which i've always personally done), but i have found them at times to be a bit more on the bitter side as well. Once I got used to just throwing it back every AM though, I just chugged it like it was nothing, regardless of whether it was mild or Not :-) . When juicing celery in combination with other ingredients it is quite mild & generally not overpowering in the taste department. Anthony Williams AKA The Medical Medium is known for his protocol for solo celery juicing (amongst other healing things) and is the individual responsible for the celery juicing craze that took the world by storm with countless people helping themselves to heal by juicing endless stalks of…Celery! You can find him HERE . CUCUMBER
Cucumbers are an amazing & alkalizing juicing ingredient! They are incredibly healing, detoxifying and beautifying all in one quite mild tasting & refreshing elixir! Super hydrating (they contain over 90% water) and able to cleanse the body and especially the kidneys, they even have the potential ability to wash and dissolve uric acid and its build up out of the body. Hence, they are noted for potential benefits regarding gout, and they are also potentially beneficial in preventing and or even dissolving accumulated kidney & bladder stone matter. Cucumbers & their diuretic action combined with their high potassium content are noted for this reason to result in lowering sodium, resulting in additionally assisting in potentially regulating high blood pressure (Take a look Here).
A few of cucumber and it's other amazing attributes are its good source of vitamins A, B9(folate), C & K , along with minerals magnesium, manganese, potassium (as previously mentioned), zinc, and silica. Silica (silicon dioxide) which is a a compound made up of silicon and oxygen, is an important mineral that significantly supports connective tissue in the body including muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage & bone. It stimulates collagen synthesis and is well known for its powerful beautifying powers including improving the health, strength, growth & appearance of skin, hair & nails (Take a look Here). Silica Is actually also my favorite beauty supplement from both cucumber juice (skin on) & supplemental form! Silica is additionally known as being potentially helpful for detoxification, heart and digestive health. Just to further mention the fact that the combination of silica and hydrating content of cucumber indeed make it incredible for radiant skin ! In addition to all of this, cucumber juice is also known for its powers of being potentially anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, calming & anti-anxiety, cancer preventative, gut healing, skin & tissue repairing, beneficial for teeth/gum health, and beyond amazing for weight loss. (Take a look Here) & (Here). To juice them, leave the skin on, as the cucumber skin is highest in nutrients, but be sure to wash them well especially if they're non organic ! Cucumbers are amazingly fresh and mellow tasting mixed in with virtually any juice recipe, as well as by themselves! I absolutely love them added in with any type of melon with added mint, or any combination with pineapple, celery, greens, lemon & or limes. Once again you can check out the Medical Medium for his solo cucumber juice protocol / info ( in addition to celery juice & overall informative info) HERE. ... & whether by themselves or in combination, just juice those cukes ! You will Not regret it ! BEET
Beets are a highly nutritious root vegetable that are loaded with healing powers! The beet Root (bulb part) is full of vitamins such as vitamin A (beta carotene), C, & B3, B5, B6 & B9(folate), along with minerals such as potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium. They are also super rich in antioxidant phytochemicals including carotenoids such as lutein & zeaxanthin (known as great for vision) & phenolic compounds including flavonoids (which are amazing antioxidants). Beets also contain betaine (also known as trimethylglycine), which is potentially detoxifying, highly cellular regenerating, therapeutic to the liver & kidneys, incredibly anti-inflammatory & integral to a bodily process/cycle called methylation (see Spinach below), & betalain, the pigment which gives beets their amazing red color and has been found to also possess strong antioxidant, detoxifying & highly anti-inflammatory activity as well as many other powerful benefits (Take a look Here) & (Here) !
Beets are perhaps most well known for their role in vascular health, due to their high nitrate content. Nitrates are metabolized after ingesting and then converted in your body into nitric oxide (NO) via your saliva, circulation & stomach. Nitric Oxide is known to be potentially highly beneficial to your vascular system and heart health (Take a look Here), as it increases blood flow and may possibly result in lowering blood pressure (Take a look Here) along with assisting athletic performance (Take a look Here) & other potential vascular benefits ! Along with their incredible potential heart / vascular capabilities, beets & their juice are noted for their potential beneficial role regarding diabetes, as well as insulin resistance, kidney function and possible abundant effect on the all important gut microbiome (Take a look Here) ! Additionally, studies have reported that beet juice can potentially protect against oxidative damage to DNA, lipid & and protein structures. It has also been found that beets may exert their highly antioxidant effects via their ability to scavenge free radicals (damaging radical species in your system). Beets and beet juice have also been found to be a a possible promising option for other conditions that are associated with inflammation and oxidative stress such as liver disease, arthritis and even cancer, and have been found to possibly exhibit an anti tumor effect (Take a look Here). Lastly (and as is well known to juicing enthusiasts), beets (and especially their concentrated dose when juiced), are known to be one of the most powerful liver detoxifying and cellular reparative ingredients on the planet, perhaps due in part to their potent nutrients possessing the capabilities of activating important antioxidant creating signaling pathways in the body such as Nrf2 (Take a look Here) & (See Cabbage Below). Beets taste amazing too & add a bit of sweetness to any recipe! Wash them, cut them up & toss them in your juicer with pretty much anything else. I especially love them combined with apple, celery, parsley & lemon ! They are absolute Power !!! *Beet Greens are also great juiced & we will discuss a bit later ! APPLE
Who doesn't Love Apples?
If you're one of the infinite number of us who does, you literally won't believe how delicious they are when juiced ! It's also easy to love them in terms of their nutritional value.... Apples are rich in vitamin C, B’s & E, as well as minerals calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur and in smaller quantity zinc & copper. They are a rich source of plant phytochemicals such as catechins (think the curative benefits of green tea) & rutin (noted as potentially cancer preventative, neuro & cardio protective and beyond) (Take a look Here). They are also rich in flavonoid phloridzin (which has been noted for it’s likely anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, diabetic, cancer & neuro protective abilities) (Take a look Here), and amazing flavonoid quercetin (which is a pigment that apples have a whole lot of) (Take a look Here). Quercetin has an endless array of potential benefits to areas including allergies, inflammation and immunity, as well as visual, cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer and is noted as antimicrobial & more, but it's surprising to further discover its possible power and ability to even improve the damaging effects of BPA (in plastics), which is a known endocrine (hormone) disruptor and it’s harmful effects on the body. (Take a look Here) ! Apples also contain high levels of pectin which is a polysaccharide (a large carbohydrate molecule composed of many smaller monosaccharides (simple sugars)) with gelling properties associated with potential digestive, blood sugar regulating, cardiovascular & potentially cancer fighting benefits (Take a look Here). Interestingly enough, sour apples contain more pectin than sweet ones. Overall, many compounds contained in apples are beyond powerful and have been linked to countless potential benefits (Take a look Here) ! When compared to other fruits consumed in the united states, apples rank second only to various berries for their antioxidant activity and are associated with possible increased immunity. Apples are also noted for their fabulous powers regarding weight loss ! Many of the antioxidants are more concentrated in the peels of apples. Due to the fact that apple crops are highly treated with pesticides it would make sense to purchase organic apples when possible. For sweeter tasting juice combinations go for apple varieties such as Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji or McIntosh and for less sweet & more tart ones go for Granny Smith (Green) or Pink Lady . I personally love Green Granny Smith apples in with my Green Juices !! Try and choose crisp & brightly pigmented apples for the most high yield & nutritious Juice. The core of the apple is the only section that needs to be removed & Not juiced. After washing them well, leave the skin on (especially if organic) for higher nutrient value. You literally won't believe how incredible your juicing of fresh apple’s taste ! Juice them alone or along with Any other ingredients. Apple/ Lemon /Ginger is a delicious & nutritious place to start ! PINEAPPLE
As well as being a mouthwatering treat juiced on their own, pineapples add a delicious sweetness to any juice combination! They are literally one of my favorite ingredients to juice!
Pineapples are as nutritious as they are delicious, as they contain amazing vitamin C, beta carotene (A), & B1, B2, B3, B5 & B6 as well as minerals magnesium, potassium, manganese & copper and other powerful plant phytochemicals. They also contain an extra special enzyme called Bromelain (Take a look Here) ! Bromelian (Take a look Here) is in a family of protein digesting enzymes called proteolytic enzymes (a term for enzymes that extradite the chemical breakdown of proteins by severing the bonds between its amino acids) and along with papain (from papayas) are in a proteolytic enzyme category called cysteine proteases (Take a look Here). Bromelian is concentrated in the stem of the pineapple though some also exists in the rind (skin) and flesh as well. Bromelain is known to be an amazingly anti-inflammatory and potentially immune system assisting enzyme (Take a look Here). Bromelain is a seriously impressive compound that has been noted as potentially helpful regarding many issues and conditions from arthritis to cardiovascular & infectious diseases, fibrinolysis (breakdown of fibrin) disorders & possibly even cancer to just name a few (Take a look Here). Quite remarkably, it has even been found that pineapples with the possible assistance of their bromelain content may have the potential power to have impact in the area of diminishing the presence of eye floaters (Take a look Here)! Hence, bromelain and it's presence alone in pineapples make them an absolute powerhouse of a juicing ingredient ! In addition, pineapples have also been found to hold very high antioxidant activity along with their anti-inflammatory effects as they have been shown to have potential capability to reduce cardiac disease risk / oxidative damage / lipid profiles, hepatic (liver) injury & weight gain when consumed daily (Take a look Here). Its literally hard to believe that something this warrior beneficial can possibly taste so amazing! After washing it well, you can even leave some of the rind on to juice it especially If your pineapple happens to be organic (the rind contains a good amount of bromelain)! Just cut off the top & bottom of your pineapple and cautiously slice (again using samurai focus :-)) the body into narrow spears, leaving on some of the inner rind if you so choose. My current favorite juice recipe fun is using pineapple as a base for my green juices, but as mentioned previously, it’s also amazing solo, or literally in combination with any other ingredients. Ginger & mint as well as cucumber & apple also taste particularly amazing with it ! Anti-inflammatory Up !!! MELON
Melons are another ingredient on the top of the list that are incredible to juice, as similarly to pineapple, they are so beyond delicious as well as nutritious.
Cantaloupe, honeydew & watermelon are amazing juiced on their own or with other ingredients added, as well as to sweeten up any recipe. All three of these melons contain beta carotene (Vit A), vitamin C and minerals such as uber important potassium & magnesium as well as an abundance of powerful plant compounds/antioxidants. They are also amazingly hydrating due to their super high water content. Cantaloupe ranks the highest when it comes to vitamin C as well as B vitamins niacin (B3) & folate (B9) and also contains more carotenoids beta carotene (vit A), lutein & zeaxanthin (strongly known regsrding eye health) (Take a look Here) compared to other melons. Cantaloupe and honeydew are both noted for being potentially helpful in lowering blood pressure likely due in part to their high potassium and low sodium combination, as well as for bone repair with their high magnesium content (Take a look Here). They are also a good source of vitamin K which is additionally known as helpful regarding bone density & health (Take a look Here). Additionally and as previously mentioned they contain folate (vit B9) which for starters (along with other B vitamins), has been noted to have the ability to assist in the neutralization (methylation) of homocysteine (an amino acid in your blood that mostly comes from animal protein) in the body that at high levels is known to cause inflammation along with other potentially damaging effects possibly including cardiovascular disease, and has also been studied regarding it's connection to osteoperosis & weak bones (Take a look Here) & see Spinach/ Betaine below …. And lastly, Watermelon is the most hydrating of all the melons and is known for its high levels of plant pigment lycopene, which acts as a powerful antioxidant and is important for cellular repair. Watermelon is also noted for being potentially beneficial regarding high blood pressure (along with other melons), partially due to its conversion of amino acids L-citrulline to L-arginine that is a pre curser of nitric oxide (NO), which as mentioned earlier (beets), potentially impacts vascular health & the dilation of blood vessels (Take a look Here). ... And on top of all this… Melons are great for your skin due to their high water, beta carotene (vit A) & collagen building vitamin C content !!! All this in a drink that you can’t believe the fresh deliciousness of ! Talk about packing a punch in warrior ways… Considering their mouthwatering taste, melons are not as high in sugar content as some other fruits. Of the melons, watermelon is the sweetest, where as cantaloupe & honeydew are to a much lesser degree, and make super delicious, but a bit more mellow tasting Juice. Watermelon Juice is just about the most refreshing & delicious thing you’ll ever consume ! They are seriously all my favorites and especially in the summertime !!! I like to cut out the seeds (although occasionally i leave them intact juicing watermelon), but leave a bit of the rind on when juicing especially if the melons are organic. I usually slice the outer rind off but leave a bit of the inner rind on since the rind contains many nutrients. Either way, wash your melons well first, then mindfully cut into slices that will fit into your juicer & enjoy about the most refreshing thing you’ve ever tasted !! * I absolutely love melon of any variety juiced solo, as well as combined with cucumber & or lime, and absolutely everything melon juice tastes amazing with Mint !!!! CITRUS
Citrus as in lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits etc.are a Juicing ingredient I personally add to my juices consistently, as they are amazing at freshening juices up & somehow pulling all ingredients and tastes together, even those on the more bitter tasting side !
Citrus ingredients are widely known for their high vitamin C content, which is an enormous gift all in itself ! What is not highly publicized however is the fact that they contain far more amazing potential healing property and power than just this incredible vitamin alone. There are astonishing nutrients that reside in citrus fruits & their peels. Besides their previously mentioned high vitamin C content. citrus fruits also contain beta carotene (vitamin A) and minerals zinc & potassium as well as many other secondary compounds, antioxidants & healing properties (Take a look Here). For starters, a compound called d-limonene is perhaps one of citrus fruits most impressive nutrients. Named after "lemon" it is known for its amazing therapeutic properties. D-limonene is an oil called a terpene (monoterpene) found at the highest levels in citrus peels (the white rind & flesh also contains some). D-limonene is the main oil and compound responsible for citrus fruits smell & taste. It is a beyond potent antioxidant that has been studied and found to be possibly helpful regarding a countless array of conditions. To name a few would be… potential reduced risk of cancers such as skin cancer (Take a look Here) ), breast cancer (Take a look Here), lung cancer (Take a look Here) & advanced cancers (Take a look Here). D-limonene has been found to be potentially immunomodulatory (immune function regulating), as well as anti-inflammatory and antiviral (Take a look Here). It’s also been found to possibly assist in controlling injury in the respiratory system due again to its high anti-inflammatory activity (Take a look Here). It is additionally noted regarding gastric disorders such as heartburn/gerd (Take a look Here), as well as potentially helpful for detoxification, dissolving gallstones, liver health, and likely possessing intestinal, anti-inflammatory & antioxidant effects (Take a look Here). D-limonene has also been noted to likely possess potential antidepressant & neuroprotective effects In many areas (Take a look Here) & (Here), as well as anti-anxiety/ anti-stress effects ( Take a look Here). There is also evidence that suggests d-limonene is possibly beneficial towards fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and promoting weight loss (Take a look Here) .. & (Here). Clearly d- limonene is a force !! Additionally, citrus, due to its citric acid content has been found to be possibly effective in the battle against kidney stones by way of having the ability to prevent the crystallizing of calcium and oxalate (the most common type of stone). It’s thought that the more citrate in your urine equates to the less possibility of forming a stone (Take a look Here). Of the citrus fruits, lemons and limes and their Juice contain the highest amount of it ! As is additionally great news for insomniacs, citrus in general has been found to be possibly helpful as a sedative and in inducing sleep (Take a look Here) ! Another compound in citrus called auraptene (a monoterpene (compound from the essential oil of plants) from a family of plant phenolic compounds called coumarins) has been found to show strong possible potential activity as an anti- inflammatory, anti cancer, immunity building, pathogen fighting, wound healing & gum/periodontal disease healing compound (Take a look Here) as well as potentially blood pressure and stroke risk lowering agent (Take a look Here) ! Need to take a deep breath after all that? Do that, because there's more ….. As mentioned previously, and as most are somewhat aware of, vitamin C is no lightweight nutrient, and as previously mentioned, there's a whole lot of it in citrus! As some of it’s attributes are quite well known, It’s worth mentioning what a warrior weapon for healing vitamin C truly is ! Its potential role in immune system boosting, pathogen fighting, tissue & wound healing, gum healing, collagen and connective tissue building, helpful towards neurodegenerative disease, many metabolic functions, protector from damaging free radicals and much more (Take a look Here). It is indeed as beneficial for health as it is for beauty, and one of the most incredible nutrients there is ! As for the amazingly potent high vitamin C content in citrus, oranges top the list followed by grapefruit, lemon & lime. Hope this all makes it even just slightly clear that citrus is live raw energy healing power !! When juicing your citrus, you can leave the skins of your lemons & limes on, especially if they're organic, but remove them from your oranges and grapefruits (these peels can be potentially stomach irritating). When you do peel, try to keep as much of the membrane on the inner side of the peel intact on the fruit as it contains massive antioxidant & healing properties. Keep in mind that all citrus peels are very powerful overall (in both taste & effect), so when they’re left on, start with small slivers / slices and adjust as you go. At the moment I personally use about an eighth to a quarter of a lemon or lime with peel On in my juices. Citrus & especially their peels are so strong tasting they can literally take over the taste of your entire juice recipe (not that that’s a bad thing), but as previously mentioned they are also very good at smoothing out the taste of any juice recipe... and depending how much you use, even adding a bit of zing! I love them in with pretty much every group of ingredients. Say Hello to Warrior Defense ! BERRIES
Berries are some of the most powerful forces on the planet when it comes to amazing wellness potential and they certainly live up to their classification as Superfoods! As juicing ingredients they equate to pure delicious nutritious concentrated health boosting power!
Berries are a potent source of many compounds & nutrients. Beyond their vitamin content which include notable amounts of C & K, and minerals potassium & magnesium, they contain many other secondary plant compounds including flavonoids. (Take a look Here). Some of the most notable of these flavonoids are called anthocyanins. These compounds are the powerful pigments that are responsible for giving berries (& other plants) their vivid color. They have been found to be highly mighty as antioxidants and boosting health / preventing disease as they are known to be one of the most powerful group of antioxidants in existence. Anthocyanins exist in the highest concentrations in berries (in the skins of them to be exact), and are noted as strongly anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-allergy as well as noted for benefits ranging from cardiovascular health (Take a look Here), to neuroprotective effects (Take a look Here) to diabetes & vision health (Take a look Here), as well as cancer prevention (Take a look Here), and More (Take a look Here) ! Quercetin is another flavonoid that exists in high levels in berries. Raspberries, blueberries & blackberries to name a few. Quercetin (as mentioned previously regarding it’s high content also in apples) is a powerful antioxidant that has been found to be an amazing agent in overall health and potentially protect against a massive number of issues from arthritis to cardiovascular, metabolic, digestive and neurological conditions as well as cancer and holding strong possible immune, antimicrobial, gut microbiome fortifying, and anti-inflammatory capabilities (Take a look Here) & (Here) ! Another amazing compound (polyphenol) found in berries is called ellagic acid. It exists in good amounts in raspberries, strawberries & blackberries and for starters has potentially antioxidant (Take a look Here), antibacterial (Take a look Here) & (Here), and antiviral action (Take a look Here). It has also been found to potentially have strong anti-inflammatory as well as protective action towards cancers (Take a look Here), metabolic conditions such as obesity (Take a look Here), insulin resistance & diabetes, (Take a look Here) and liver disease (Take a look Here). Ellagic acid has also been found to be potentially neuroprotective (Take a look Here), as well as cardioprotective, skin protective & much more (Take a look Here) ! Berries with their powerful compounds have been found to be antipathogenic (Take a look Here) & (Here), and prebiotics which means they promote the microbiome and growth of beneficial bacteria, and reduce the growth of detrimental ones in the digestive tract (Take a look Here). Because of their rare and potent combination of antioxidants, vitamins & plant compounds, the antioxidant capacity of berries has been found to be four times higher than other fruits, and ten times higher than vegetables ! Of berries that you may choose for juicing, blackberries top the list in the overall antioxidant category followed by blueberries, raspberries and then strawberries. Berries yield slightly thicker juice and are on the lower yield side when it comes to juicing them so I usually add them in with other higher yield ingredients such as carrot, apple, pineapple or melons. It would make sense to juice organic berries whenever possible due to the fact they are generally known to be quite highly treated with pesticides. After washing your berries you can add them in with virtually any juicing recipe ... You will Not be sorry you did !
*LEAFY INGREDIENTS*
Leafy Ingredients are usually insanely fortified with nutrients but they generally yield less juice than solid ones, so you’ll need a larger quantity of these ingredients if you want a greater content of them in your juice recipes (although they more than make up for this fact in potency and nutritional value ) !
I recommend mixing them in with Solid (higher liquid containing) Ingredients in recipes for both yield & taste purposes especially to start. Leafy Ingredients juice best by far in a Masticating Juicer. Your Centrifugal Juicer will generally not do a great job with these. For better control of leafy ingredients, after washing you may find it helpful to wrap them around a more solid ingredient or roll / bunch them up (so they’re not loose & flying all over the place ) before you place them into your juicer! CABBAGE
There's no way on earth that I could not include cabbage on this list as its one of the most powerful juicing ingredients there is, and just an incredible warrior of healing.
Categorized as a cruciferous (or brassica) vegetable (a family of vegetables (named after their flowers that resemble a cross), cabbage falls somewhere between a solid and leafy green ingredient due to its leaves being a tougher texture compared to other leafy ingredients. Therefore they have a bit more yield than other leafy ingredients and are somewhat easier for even a centrifugal juicer to handle. In my experience, the taste of cabbage juice is not as bad as you may think :-). It’s is a bit on the mild side, slightly peppery, earthy & sweet at the same time, and if you choose to combine it with other ingredients, (which I personally do often), it can be absolutely beyond delicious ! There are both red and green varieties of cabbage and they contain many nutrients such as beta carotene (vitamin A), C, B9 (folate) & K as well as minerals calcium, potassium, iodine, sulfur & iron, along with many other powerful secondary plant compounds. Thus, there is much healing potential in consuming raw cabbage and it’s juice ! The most notable of this capability is possibly in its detoxifying and potentially strong cancer protective effects (Take a look Here). This is seemingly in most part due to it’s content of sulfur containing compounds called glucosinolates (and the compounds called isothiocyanates (including sulforaphane) (Take a look Here) that they break down into when their raw (not cooked) material is damaged (chewed, cut or ground up) and they are joined up & catalyze with an enzyme called myrosinase. This process/system is called the “glucosinolate-myrosinase system†also referred to as the “mustard oil bomb†named for it’s natural plant defense system in place in cruciferous vegetable plants in order for the plant to protect itself in nature against attack from pathogens & pests/insects (Take a look Here). Plants can’t exactly just run away after all ! Glucosinolates and this above explained process are additionally what give cruciferous veggies their strong taste. Of All the cruciferous vegetables that contain them, the glucosinolate (& thus isothiocyanate) yield of cabbage is second only to broccoli (Take a look Here) ! Beyond it’s potential cancer protective & detoxifying actions, cabbage glucosinolates and the isothiocynates they break down into have also been found to be highly anti-inflammatory & antioxidant and have potential beneficial action against many conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure & cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal & bone and are antimicrobial (bacterial & fungal) (Take a look Here) & (Here). ... & Just to further explain and note at least one reason why this probably all matters so much… It has been found that glucosinolate derived compounds (especially produced from the above described glucosinolate-myrosinase system) such as sulforaphane from cabbage and cruciferous veggies, are the most powerful natural and bioavailable activators (with sulforaphane in particular noted as the most potent) of a natural transcription factor (protein that binds, regulates & controls genes) in the body’s cells called NRF2 (nuclear factor erythoid-related factor 2), which the body can turn on, like a master antioxidant switch to make intense antioxidants & detoxification enzymes such as master antioxidant glutathione! First identified in 1994, Nrf2 is noted as the most potentially powerful antioxidant signaling pathway (series of molecular interactions that occur in response to a particular stimulus) in humans. When activated and released (into the nucleus of cells to then bind with DNA), Nrf2 is noted as a potent regulator of protective genes (potentially capable of inducing & regulating hundreds of actions & genes simultaneously) regarding inflammation, immunity and beyond and has the potential ability to strongly increase the body’s antioxidant & detoxification process. As it has been extensively studied at this point in time, activating Nrf2 in the body is noted regarding the possible prevention and therapy of many diseases & as a key factor in overall health & longevity (Take a look Here), (Here) & (Here) ! In addition to all that, cabbage and it’s juice is also known for it’s potential regarding ulcer healing capability (something I have personally witnessed the healing powers of). Published studies on this subject have been in existence as early as the 1940’s. As it turns out there are several compounds potentially responsible for cabbage juice and its said ability to rapidly heal ulcers and ulcerated tissue in the body, starting with one called vitamin U. Interestingly, vitamin U is actually not a vitamin at all, but a derivative of amino acid methionine called S-methylmethionine (Take a look Here). As history will have it, A Doctor In having success of healing ulcers of his patients with cabbage juice in the 1940’s & 50’s named Garnett Cheney (of Stanford University’s School of Medicine) originally coined the name “Vitamin U†(U standing for Ulcer) (Take a look Here), after he began treating patients & then carried out several studies treating ulcers with fresh cabbage juice (Take a look Here), (Here), & (Here). He thought that the active factor responsible for this rapid healing effect had properties suggesting it was a vitamin, hence naming it vitamin U. He actually presented this research to the California Medical Association in May of 1951 ( Take a look Here). There has been continued research since these initial studies in confirming and further understanding the powers of the so called vitamin U contained in cabbage. It has been found to be a potent molecule with further potential benefits including liver protective effects (Take a look Here), and towards the healing of many additional gastrointestinal issues (Take a look Here). But there's more… With further studies over the years, It has been found that cabbage and it’s ulcerative healing powers are apparently not just due to vitamin U alone, and that the healing effect is assisted by other compounds (Take a Look Here). This includes a substance called gefarnate, which is a compound found in cabbage that has a preventative effect on gastric mucosal lesions, and is also used as an anti ulcer drug (Take a look Here). Two of the other potentially ulcer healing substances contained in cabbage and it's juice are amino acids L-glutamine and L-arginine. As it turns out, these powerful amino acids are the compounds seemingly most responsible for cabbage and it’s ulcer healing capabilities. In at least one study, L-glutimine & L-arganine have been found to be the compounds eventually found in the highest amount of all the compounds in cabbage and it’s juice, and the likely ones most noted for it’s healing effect (Take a look Here). For starters, they have the potential capacity to rebuild the walls of the mucus membrane ( Take a Look Here). The capabilities of these amazing amino acids don’t stop there … Further regarding L-glutamine and it’s ulcer healing potential, along with it’s reparative effect on ulcerated tissue (Take a look Here) , it has been found to likely protect against H. pylori (bacterial) Infection which is noted as the root cause of stomach ulcers, and is actually thought in some degree to affect more than 50 percent of the population. H. pylori is additionally thought to be a gastric cancer threat (Take a look Here) & (Here). Furthermore, L-glutamine, which is the most abundant amino acid in the body, holds many additional potential powers. It has been found to exhibit an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant response and may be vital for immune health (Take a look Here) as well as cardiovascular function (Take a look Here). L-glutamine is utilized by your body for protein metabolism (it is also known for it’s potential action regarding weight loss & building muscle), is needed for overall digestive health and is potentially therapeutic regarding many intestinal disorders (Take a look Here). As for L-arginine, it is a precurser to nitric oxide and thus has been noted for many potential beneficial effects including it’s ulcer preventative & protective abilities (Take a look Here). It also possesses potential benefit regarding Blood Pressure / Cardiovascular issues (Take a look Here). So who can even believe all of this power in a vegetable just sitting there waiting for you to bring home & Juice !!! Red cabbage contains more vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C, and more overall antioxidants & sulforaphane (Take a look Here), while green contains more vitamin K. The red variety is my personal favorite probably in part because purple is my favorite color, but also because it’s the one that is higher in sulforaphane & also eradicated my severe stomach pain :-) ... Lyrics ! Cabbage is fabulous added to any juicing recipe but is especially delicious combined with carrots &/or apples. I also love it in with any green juice. To top this all off, even Organic Cabbage is relatively Inexpensive !!!
*GREENS*
Greens are nothing short of the Ultimate Warrior of Nutrition!
If you really want to Power Up your Juice Game, You may want to try either adding greens to your juice recipes or using mostly greens in your juice recipes. There is nothing I've personally tried (& i've tried a Lot) that has given me the kind of straight out Energy green juices provide. Green juices are what you’d call absolute power in a glass…from their gifts of pure alkalized delivered energy, to astonishing enzyme & chlorophyll loaded therapeutic capabilities. They commonly contain lots of vitamin K as well as beta carotene (Vit A), C, E & B vitamins including all important folate (B9). They also contain minerals such as magnesium & calcium and abundant plant phytonutrients and similarly to beets as previously mentioned, the gift of nitrates that convert to nitric oxide (NO) (Take a look Here), thus potentially beneficial regarding vascular health & blood pressure (Take a look Here). Greens & their high vitamin K content are important because along with their blood clotting abilities, they are noted for benefits regarding bone health (Take a look Here). Greens are noted for a massive quantity of additional benefits and some greens fall into the Cruciferous (Brassica) vegetable family which contain further incredible therapeutic compounds. As a personal note on the amazing energizing effects of greens, I find that Green Juice gives me more immediate and long lasting energy than literally anything else i've ever consumed. Greens are generally leafy & therefore not a high yield juicing ingredient, meaning you usually need quite a bit of them to make a serving of juice. Again, for this reason combined with the fact that you may want to get used to the taste of greens before you juice them all by themselves, it may make sense to mix them in with some other (solid) ingredients / recipes at first. Here's a Partial List of a few Greens and Examples of their Astounding Samurai Powers ! ARUGULA
Arugula also sometimes referred to as Rocket, is one of the absolute healthiest greens available. It is slightly peppery & has a little zing to it & it is literally my favorite green to juice as it’s so amazingly energizing !!
Arugula is another cruciferous vegetable as well as leafy green and this combination makes it so mightily powerful ! Arugula tops the list of containing the highest amount of vascular & heart healthy nitrates (that convert to energy providing nitric oxide) of all the greens! High blood pressure watch out !! On top of this, along with all the other incredible benefits of other leafy greens, arugula contains a compound called erucin, which is another isothiocyanate (like sulforaphane), a compound that is broken down from cruciferous vegetables containing glucosinolates (See Cabbage Above), which similarly to sulforaphane has been found to potentially inhibit tumor cells (Take a look Here) & (Here), & again, See Cabbage ! Arugula has been found to be highly detoxifying, anti microbial & anti inflammatory and it has been noted to potentially hold many other healing capabilities (Take a look Here) & (Here) ! Arugula is also known to be absolutely amazing for radiant skin !! Again, arugula is on the very top of the list of my personal favorite greens to juice being it’s so amazingly energy providing! With it's potent combination of being a super high nitrate leafy green and cruciferous veggie all just equates to insane nutritional value. As mentioned previously, arugula has a bit of a spicy kick to it so be mindful of that when juicing.. I’ll throw a number of handfuls in with pretty much any juicing recipe and sometimes much more! Arugula with its leaves are great just to roll up or wrap around a more solid ingredient to place into your juicer! Pineapple is my absolute favorite ingredient to juice alongside arugula as it tastes incredible & is just so ridiculously anti-inflammatory with the addition of pineapples amazing enzyme bromelain ! Samurai Armor Up !! BEET GREENS
To many people, the greens (& stems) that are attached to your beets (root/ bulb) may be something you would never think about making use of. I’m here to tell you that you should not discard these amazingly nutritious plant ingredients! There are several uses for beet greens & they’re especially powerful if you put them in your juicer! They are surprisingly mild and even a bit sweet in taste especially compared to other more bitter greens.
As well as having the usual amazing nutritional profiles of other greens, beet greens also stand out in being high on the list of the mineral iron, and literally give spinach a run for its money when it comes to veggies containing high levels of it. Adding to this is the fact that their plentiful content of vitamin C also helps with absorption of this iron (Take a look Here). They are also loaded with carotenoid beta carotene (Vit A), vitamins C, E, K & B's 1,2,3,6 & 12 along with a good amount of folate (B9). Beet greens also contain minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper & zinc ! Beet greens along with beets & other greens have a strong dose of previously mentioned nitrates which convert to super vascular healthy nitric oxide (see Beets above), and they also contain a powerful dose of amazing disease preventative and anti aging chlorophyll. Beet greens also contain one of the highest amounts of potentially vision healthy carotenoids lutein & zeaxanthin, and potent anti-inflammatory plant compound betaine (also known as trimethylglycine), which is also found in beetroot as well as spinach and is noted for potentially anti inflammatory effects against many conditions, from cardiovascular and liver to diabetes, alzheimer’s, cancer & obesity ( See Spinach below). Hence beet greens are noted for their potential benefits to immunity, obesity, heart health, bone health, brain health, eye health, digestive health, diabetes & inflammation!! So please don’t toss them … just Juice them !!! COLLARD GREENS
Collard greens are another veggie that fall under the categories of both cruciferous vegetable and leafy green. Again, the incredible cruciferous veggie family and their sulfur containing glucosinolates and the compounds (isothiocyanates) they break down into (that have potential capabilities of activating your Nrf2 signaling pathway (See Cabbage above)), is apparently the reason they are thought to be very potentially beneficial regarding cancer as well as potentially preventative to DNA damage (Take a look Here). For the same reasons collard greens also provide support to the body’s detoxification system, along with potentially boosting all important liver detox action. In addition, they likely provide support in being highly antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immune system fortifying, and in activating defenses against pathogens! They are further known to be helpful in the area of regulating blood glucose levels likely due again to their glucosinolates (sulforaphane in particular & again Nrf2 activation) therefore noted as being a potential good choice for diabetics and towards metabolic syndrome & obesity (Take a look Here).
The thick leaves of collard greens are additionally packed with many other nutrients including the highest dose of calcium in pretty much any green! They are also a good source of choline, which is a very important nutrient to the body in numerous ways including and regarding cell membrane structure, neurotransmission, liver & lipid/fat metabolism, as well as regarding the all important methylation process (see Spinach/Betaine below)). Additionally, collard greens also contain vitamins C & K, and even some all important plant based omega 3’s (ALA). This addition only adds to their anti-inflammatory benefit ! Being a member of the cruciferous family, collard greens taste slightly bitter (that's what gives them some of their Superpowers after all) ! You may want to mix them in with some sweeter tasting ingredients (such as carrot, beet, apple or pineapple) especially to start, until your tastebuds get acclimated to these Fortifying Greens ! DANDELION GREENS
Dandelion Greens may appear as either annoying weeds on your lawn or along with flowers to make magical wishes upon, but in truth they are straight out incredible warrior power! They are a leafy green (sometimes referred to as an herb) from a huge plant family (called asteraceae) that contains sunflowers & daisies that have been used traditionally in folk medicine for over 2000 years. They are thought to be highly healing & medicinal. The dandelion (also known as taraxacum officinale) root & leaves have similar compounds in slightly varying amounts. They have been found to have a purifying and detoxifying effect (Take a look Here) on every major body system (especially the liver, kidneys, gallbladder & digestive system) which makes them one of the most powerful and detoxifying ingredients especially for juicing. I personally believe they're the most potent & detoxifying ingredient I have ever juiced !
Dandelion greens contain vitamins A (beta carotene), B9(folate) C, E & K, and minerals potassium as well as a good amount of calcium. Along with these attributes, dandelion greens contain many other potent compounds. One of them is luteolin, a flavonoid known in part for its potentially anti-inflammatory, cancer preventative & therapeutic effects (Take a look Here). Dandelion greens are a bit bitter in taste and It’s these compounds (called lactones) that are responsible for it’s link to healthy liver & gallbladder function. They are also known to be highly regulating to hormones both male & female. With their rich history and immense healing abilities, dandelion & their greens are known to be potentially helpful in a massive and endless array of areas such as cardiovascular, kidney, lung, liver, pancreas, as well as digestive/gut health (they’re prebiotics), neuro & geno protective, immune system fortifying, and are highly anti microbial & pathogen fighting (Take a Look Here) & (Here). Due to several of dandelions immensely powerful bioactive compounds (such as chlorogenic & chicory acids, taraxasterol & sesquiterpene lactones) they are additionally noted for being strongly therapeutic regarding blood sugar & type 2 diabetes (Take a look Here). They are also noted as being beneficial regarding weight loss as they’ve been found to be nearly as potentially effective as some drugs in this area. To top it off, as you can probably imagine, dandelion greens are samurai gold for beautifying due to their detoxifying & skin fortifying compounds ! Dandelion greens are intense and a bit bitter tasting so you may want to try a smaller amount at first and combine them with slightly sweeter ingredients until you get used to them, but just please, whatever you do, don’t Mow them .. Just Throw them in your Juicer !!! KALE
Kale is yet again another leafy green from the cruciferous veggie family (it’s also known as leaf cabbage). Right off the bat, kale is a superstar being it’s another member and combination of these two incredible categories! It is one of the few greens that has been highly popularized over the last number of years. It has been labeled by many as a miracle superfood, which it indeed Is (Take a look Here) !
Along with the attributes of being loaded with vitamins C & K as well as B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine) & B9 (folate), E, beta carotene (A) and minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc & manganese. Kale also contains many other plant compounds that act as antioxidants including flavonoids and once again massively powerful glucosinolates (found in cruciferous veggies) (Take a look Here), & ( See Cabbage above) ! Kale also contains anthocyanins, which give certain plant foods their color (also see Berries above), that have been found to help protect the body against free radicals, oxidative damage & overall disease. Kale also contains the highest level of powerful carotenoids of all of the cruciferous veggies and along with aforementioned beta carotene, it is an enormous source of incredible lutein & zeaxanthin, Thus it is known to be exceptional for eye health (Take a look Here) & (Here). It is additionally known to be therapeutic in many other areas such as brain (Take a look Here), & skin health (Take a look Here). Kale Juice is extremely heart healthy & has been found to potentially improve high cholesterol / coronary artery disease risk factors (Take a look Here). It is also noted as being helpful for depression likely due to its omega 3 and high carotenoid combination. As you can most likely imagine, along with all the benefits of greens and cruciferous veggies, kale and especially juicing it is straight up energy and healing power in a glass ! There are many varieties of kale and they are pretty much all equally nutritious ! Especially for juicing purposes, kale should be purchased organic whenever possible being its known to be one of the more pesticide laden plant foods. Kale is slightly bitter tasting (although when juiced It just tastes quite fresh & delicious, at least to me). For this reason (and similarly to a few of the other cruciferous / green ingredients) you may want to start off with just a bit of it added in with some sweeter ingredients at first, and work your way up to a larger quantity over a short bit of time ! * My absolute Favorite Kale Juice combination is Carrot / Apple / Beet / Kale / Ginger ! LETTUCE
Lettuce is obviously one of the most well known leafy green ingredients. There are several types that are great candidates for your juice recipes, never mind they are quite mild tasting and so fresh & delicious !
Unfortunately, iceberg lettuce is one of the least nutritious lettuces of the bunch, so you may want to skip that variety, as its worth mentioning that your darker leafy lettuces pack far more nutritional punch. More nutritional lettuces would be varieties such as romaine, butterhead (butter/boston/bibb), red or green leafy. The basic rule being where nutrition is concerned, the darker pigmented the better ! All four of these lettuces contain good amounts of vitamins A, C & K as well as several B vitamins and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium & iron. Romaine comes up on top of the list with the highest amount of all of these nutrients overall including amazingly antioxidant carotenoids, & all powerful folate(B9) (vital to brain function, the synthesis of DNA as well as amino acids, pregnancy & potential prevention of birth defects, and the critically important methylation process (Take a look Here) & (Here) & (see Spinach/ Betaine below). Next in line in nutrient ranking would be butterhead (highest in vascular healthy nitrates), green and then red leaf lettuce (highest in phenolic compounds & powerhouse antioxidant flavone luteolin (Take a look Here) ! All of these lettuces have significant healing powers in the areas similar to other leafy greens such as being potentially highly anti-inflammatory and amazingly heart healthy along with great for vision, bone health & even diabetes. Lettuces are amazing for healthy skin & hair due to their fabulous nutrient profile and are highly detoxifying & alkalizing as they are loaded with incredible chlorophyll ! Lettuce is on the lower yield side and does best juiced in a masticating juicer (like other leafy greens). It is incredible added in literally any juice recipe especially because of its delicious mild taste! I particularly love it in with apple and other greens with added lemon or lime ! Lettuce be Fortified !! SPINACH
If you somehow weren’t already aware, spinach is indeed one of the most nutritional foods on earth!
This beautiful green is a fortified powerhouse loaded with chlorophyll, beta carotene (Vit A), vitamin K as well as C, E & B9 (folate) . It’s also a great source of minerals, zinc, iron, and loads of calcium as well as potassium (even more than bananas) and powerful mineral magnesium (that assists in literally hundreds of reactions in the body & plays a huge role in prevention & remedy of many conditions) (Take a look Here) ! Spinach is also packed with many standout secondary plant compounds and it's potential healing capabilities are broad and beyond impressive ! For starters, spinach is noted for it’s potential anti tumor properties. In one study it was found to have two potent anti tumor compounds MGDG-1 and MGDG-2 (that come from a group of plant compounds called glycoglycerolipids) (Take a look Here). Glycoglycerolipid compounds in spinach have also been found to have potentially protective / healing effects to intestinal injury (Take a look Here). In addition, spinach juice has been found to have significant neutralizing & antacid activity (Take a Look HERE). Spinach has also been found to possess the ability to provide protection against oxidative DNA damage in humans (Take a look Here) ! It has also been found to be quite mighty regarding brain health / cognitive function & protective regarding alzheimers disease (Take a look Here). Due to its super high carotenoid content (lutein & zeaxanthin), spinach is also noted regarding eye health in a very powerful way. For example, it has been found that consuming three servings of it per week has the potential power to result in a 43% lower risk of developing macular degeneration (Take a look Here), as well as having the potential power to increase macular pigment density (Take a look Here) ! Did you say Wow ?!!! Along with other high nitrate green leafy veggies (that convert to nitric oxide in the body) and their remarkable benefit to vascular health, spinach has further been shown to Improve arterial stiffness and lower blood pressure (Take a look Here). Spinach has also been found to be beneficial to the conditions of diabetes and insulin resistance (again via it’s strong nitrate content) (Take a look Here). Spinach is the vegetable that contains the highest amount of betaine (beets & their greens also contain some as previously mentioned). Betaine (which is a metabolite of choline), also known as trimethylglycine, is a compound that is protective to plants and also an incredible nutrient that is noted for many potential actions and benefits to humans such as liver and kidney health (Take a look Here). Betaine is also known for strong potential regarding cellular function and protecting the body from environmental stress and many diseases along with being noted as potentially therapeutic regarding Fatty Liver Disease (Take a look Here). Betaine (along with vitamins B6, B9(folate) & B12) has been found to have the incredible ability to lower damaging homocysteine levels in the body (Take a look Here) through an amazing process/cycle called methylation (exchange of methyl groups in the body that play roles in gene expression & regulation) (Take a look Here) & (Here). Homocysteine (a toxic metabolite) is in large part formed in the body by sulfur containing amino acid methionine, (which is mostly produced by animal protein rich food) and in excess is known to be inflammatory and a strong risk factor regarding many aspects of disease and cardiovascular health including atherosclerosis (Take a look Here) & (Here). Betaine and its methylation process is additionally noted to potentially be one of the main reasons for it’s strong beneficial ability regarding liver function & detoxifying effects as well as a large number of other therapeutic effects in the body including potential neuroprotective ones (Take a look Here). If This isn’t enough to convince you of the immense powers of Spinach, in addition, it is also noted for bone health (due to it’s vitamin K & magnesium content), improved immunity, weight loss, and due partially to its high vitamin A (beta carotene) and C content, beautiful skin & hair !! So whether ambitions are Popeye or Samurai, Just think about all of this pure healing power fuel packed in your glass of juice!!! Spinach tastes delicious and quite mild when juiced. Wash it well & juice it (in your masticating juicer if possible) along with virtually any other ingredients! Apple / Spinach / Lemon is one of my favorite combinations !! *HERBS*
Herbs are not only great additions to your meals, but they are great additions to your juice recipes as they are super fresh tasting and contain an abundance of miraculous healing properties (Take a look Here)!
Herbs have been used for healing and medicinal, as well as food sources since ancient times . They are Mighty Powerful... Leafy herbs juice best in a masticating juicer just like other leafy ingredients, while even a centrifugal juicer can handle herb Roots. Below are a few of the incredible herbs that are fabulous Juicing Ingredients ! PARSLEY
Parsley is one of my favorite herbs and juicing ingredients! There are several reasons for this… at the top of the list are its super high energy producing action and its fresh taste along with its detoxifying as well as anti -inflammatory and bloat reducing properties.
In fact, parsley may actually be most well known for its natural diuretic effects (Take a look Here), as it’s great for water retention & swelling / bloating. Parsley is a rich source of vitamin K (helpful for healthy bones), along with beta carotene (vit A), vitamin C & F B9 (folate), and minerals calcium, magnesium & potassium. In addition, like many of our other plant based juicing ingredients, parsley contains a number of powerful secondary plant nutrients / compounds. For starters parsley is high in chlorophyll which is the pigment responsible for its green color as well as being noted for many benefits such as energy, antioxidant action, wound healing, is a natural deodorant & holds potential cancer preventative activity (Take a look Here). Parsley also contains powerful essential oils that have potent compounds. These include ones called apiol & myristicin, which have been found to carry many actions along with being strongly antimicrobial / bacterial, as well as antifungal (Take a look Here), and also possessing antioxidant and even possible chemopreventative effects (Take a look Here) & (Here). Another amazing compound in parsley is called apigenin (a potent flavonoid that's further categorized as a flavone and also found in good amounts in celery). The strong content of apigenin found in parsley makes it the highest in flavones of all herbs, and thus parsley has been suggested to possess numerous healing benefits from digestive to allergy & asthma to brain health / function such as alzheimers, depression & parkinson’s (Take a look Here), as well as coronary, and potential anti cancer effects ( Take a look Here). Apigenin has also been noted for it’s amazing skin / dermalogical benefits and has actually been found to Increase collagen synthesis (Take a look Here). In combination with parsley’s amazing vitamin C (also collagen building) content, you can say yay parsley for anti aging / wrinkle free & smooth radiant skin ! Luteolin (flavone) & quercetin (flavonol), two other powerhouse flavonoids contained in parsley, have been found to be potentially highly antibacterial (quercetin enhancing the antibacterial effect of luteolin, and also both doing so in combination with conventional antibiotics) and incredibly, even impressive against bacterial resistant pathogens / infections such as MRSA (Take a look Here)! Parsley is also high in nitrates (that convert to nitric oxide) as similar to most other greens, therefore it is known to be potentially helpful for vascular health, as well as anti-inflammatory actions. It additionally has been found to have potential immunomodulatory (immune system regulating) effects (Take a look Here). Hopefully this gives at least a small glimpse of the power that the beautiful bunch of herb that awaits you in your garden, farmers market or produce aisle holds. Parsley is potent and lower yield to juice. To juice it solo you’d need a whole lot of it unless you just want to make a small dose or shot worth of it, (which i’ve personally done often enough ~ hello energy! ) I usually use a quarter to a half of a bunch of it mixed in to my juice recipes. It's amazing in any recipe but my favorite ingredients to combine it with are carrot, celery, pineapple &/or apple and of course greens! Parsley adds a super fresh taste (It’s a natural odor reducer & breath freshener) to any recipe ! I would advise to start with a smaller quantity of it and work your way up to a bit more over time. It’s obviously leafy so you may find it helpful to roll it up somewhat when putting it in your juicer ! Say hello to Energy & seize the Fresh Parsley Power !! CILANTRO
Cilantro (also known as coriander, Chinese parsley, or coriandrum sativum) is another amazing herb with powerful properties that has been used for thousands of years for many therapeutic purposes. It has been called the “Spice of Happiness†(Take a look Here) and certainly seems to live up to the name :-) ! Especially when added to juice recipes, it is truly spirit lifting & pure joyful energizing power !
To start off with, cilantro contains vitamins A (beta carotene), C, K & a bit of B9 (folate) as well as minerals calcium, potassium & magnesium and a touch of phosphorous, sodium & manganese. Along with it’s impressive primary nutrients, cilantro also contains many potent secondary plant compounds. In terms of it’s healing capabilities, right off the bat cilantro may be most well known for its potential ability to detoxify damaging heavy metals from the body (especially when combined with intake of chlorella (algae)) and even the central nervous system / brain (Take a look Here) . It is also noted to possess sedative properties and as potentially helpful for those suffering from insomnia as well as anxiety, and it has actually been suggested in one study that concentrated doses of cilantro were found to have similar anti anxiety action to pharmaceutical drug diazepam (Valium) without known adverse effects.(Take a look Here). Amazingly, cilantro has also been found to be potentially anti seizure / convulsant and possibly helpful for epilepsy (Take a look Here) ! Along with that, cilantro has been shown to be possibly effective at reducing the frequency & duration of migraine headaches (Take a look Here). Essential oils from cilantro have been found to be likely helpful and effective for conditions such as urinary tract infections and food poisoning / bacteria such as listeria (Take a look Here). Cilantro has been studied for its potential benefits regarding cancer & DNA damage (Take a look Here). It was also found in one study that the powerful plant polyphenols in cilantro protected lymphocytes (white blood cells) from oxidative stress (imbalance between damaging free radicals & beneficial antioxidants which causes cell damage within the body), and was shown to increase antioxidant & enzyme action significantly (Take a look Here). Cilantro is noted to act as a potentially potent overall anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain reliever), and has even been found to significantly reduce joint swelling in conditions of arthritis as well as rheumatoid arthritis, seemingly without adverse effects (Take a look Here). Cilantro has also been reported to have potential insulin like activity & has been documented as a traditional treatment for diabetes (Take a look Here). As previously mentioned, perhaps most astonishing of all, would be regarding cilantro and it's reputation of potentially having the ability to detoxify damaging heavy metals from the body. This action carried out by way of it basically acting as a chelating agent (a substance that has ability to bind with & remove metals) and having the power to expedite metals such as mercury, lead & aluminum from the body out through the urine. This is important and powerful due to the fact of heavy metals having such potentially harmful effects when existing in the body (Take a look Here) & (Here). Regarding cilantro and it’s potential heavy metal chelating abilities as previously memtioned, it has been found in studies that cilantro has the potential power to accelerate the excretion of metals such as lead, mercury & aluminum from the body thru the urine. In one fascinating study, it was found that certain bacterial & viral infections (that hadn’t been successfully fully eradicated with antibiotics), were discovered to retreat, hide and concentrate in certain areas of the body that contained concentrated amounts of heavy metals such as mercury & lead (thus the metals in some way protecting the viral and bacterial microbes). This apparently allowed the infections/ microorganisms to evade antibiotics and other drugs. It was then shown that a combination of cilantro along with antibiotics/ antivirals were potentially able to successfully accelerate the passing of these metals from the body thru the urine along with the remainder of infection (Take a look Here). An additional fascinating study involved circumstances of removal of amalgam (50% mercury) dental fillings resulting in mercury exposure to the body, and a potential pre cancer & abnormality causing dental treatment (blue curing light) protocol, that were both potentially eliminated & reversed with the assistance of cilantro (Take a look Here). And incredibly, there's even more regarding cilantro and it's superpowers.... Linalool, The primary compound / terpene (terpenes are the family of intense compounds that protect & give many plants their scent) existing in cilantros essential oil (approx two thirds // 60 to 80% ) is noted for an amazing array of potential healing benefits (Take a look Here), and in large part responsible for some of it’s astonishing therapeutic effects (Take a look Here), including it’s neuroprotective effects (Take a look Here). The essential oil in cilantro also contains additional powerful terpenes such as geraniol, camphor, a-Pinene, b-Pinene, thymol & limonene which incredibly hold many more potential therapeutic capabilities (Take a look Here), (Here) & (Here) ! In addition, cilantro leaves contain high amounts of antioxidant plant phenols (phenolic acids) such as caffeic, ferulic, gallic, & chlorogenic acid, which are compounds that are known for their tremendous healing capabilities and attributed to countless potential benefits to the body (Take a look Here). Lastly, If it’s radiant skin you’re looking for, cilantro is also known for its beauty enhancing properties, as it is anti-aging and has been found in studies to be potentially protective to the skin including regarding collagen synthesis from the damaging & aging effects of ultraviolet radiation / light (Take a look Here). As you can most likely imagine by now, cilantro is likely a pretty beneficial ingredient to juice! Like other leafy ingredients your masticating juicer will juice cilantro well & your centrifugal may find it challenging. I personally love the taste of cilantro especially juiced! I find It tastes quite fresh and slightly citrusy while at the same time earthy. Similarly to parsley, I usually mix a quarter to a half bunch in with my juice recipes, but you may want to start with a smaller quantity & work your way up (as it is somewhat detoxifying). I love to mix it into any number of recipes, especially with pineapple, celery, cucumber, other greens and lemon & or lime. It’s also amazing along with carrot apple beet juice… or anything else for that matter! Cilantro is quite delicate so rolling it’s leaves up, or juicing it along with a solid ingredient to put in your juicer may be helpful ~ juice all stems & leaves!!! Go Cilantro !!! MINT
Mint is another one of my absolute favorite ingredients and additions to my juice recipes. It literally freshens up most every juice combination and renders them delicious! There are many herbs that actually belong to the overall mint (Lamiaceae) family, but the variety you’d generally want to add to your juices would be the type most often sold at markets as Mint, and these are usually Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) & or Spearmint (Mentha spicata) varieties.
Mint contains nutrients vitamin A (beta carotene), vitamin C, & minerals calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium as well as many additional potent plant compounds and is in another group of herbs that have been utilized since ancient times for their many healing benefits. Mint has been found (in at least one study) to contain a higher quantity of overall plant phenols and antioxidant activity than even cilantro and parsley (Take a look Here). If by chance you just read above about parsley & cilantro, That means a Lot !!! Mint may actually be most well known for its calming effects on the stomach and digestive system, and indeed it has been shown to be capable of this and much more, through several mechanisms (Take a look Here), but its power certainly does not stop there… Along with its plant phytonutrients, mint has been found to hold possible beneficial action towards an astounding number of conditions and bodily systems, a few of which are stress, anxiety & the nervous system, migraines and pain, cancer, diabetes, gallbladder, weightloss, digestive disorders and infections and renal, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders (Take a Look Here). Mint is noted to be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, highly antimicrobial (bacterial, viral & fungal), antiallergenic, anticarcinogenic, and immune system fortifying (Take a look Here) ! As mentioned above, mint has been found to be highly antimicrobial, bacterial, fungal (including candida) (Take a look Here), & viral. This is again likely due in part to properties (including high amounts of menthol) contained in it’s powerful essential oils (Take a look Here). In addition and quite incredibly, mint may even be beneficial in the battle against antibiotic resistant bacteria (Take a look Here) ! Mint has also been found to potentially hold strong antitumor & genoprotective (decreases DNA damage) action (Take a look Here) ! Remarkably, mint has been found to likely be radioprotective, meaning it has potential in the ability to protect the body and its organs from the damage of radiation, including radiation treatments along with other circumstances involving radiation. It has additionally been shown to have anti-mutagenic (capable of reducing the frequency of damaging DNA mutations) effects and again, ability to increase DNA Repair as well as well as activating & increasing levels of key enzymes & antioxidants such as incredibly important master antioxidant glutathione. (Take a look Here). Mint is also a potent ingredient regarding its use for oral hygene and has an antibacterial effect against many bacterial species in this area (Take a look Here), along with those that cause tooth decay (Take a look Here). On the beauty front, mint is a spectacular skin boosting herb containing many regenerating compounds from it's beta carotene (vit A) & collagen building vitamin C, along with Off the charts phytonutrients, including anti-inflammatory and skin beautifying salicylic acid (a powerful plant defense system compound / hormone) (Take a look Here), known to be greatly beneficial for anything from wrinkles and anti aging effects to acne. Just for mentions, Salicylic acid is the natural compound that was isolated to formulate synthetic aspirin and was originally identified in willow tree bark and its leaf extract, which was used therapeutically for thousands of years for its medicinal capabilities before its journey & synthesis to modern day aspirin (Take a look Here) & ( Here). Quite shockingly, it has also been shown that mint and its essential oil applied topically has the potential capability of safely promoting hair growth, even faster than medication minoxidil and seemingly has the power to induce long and thick hair (Take a look Here). So it certainly can not hurt to juice Some if you are looking for luxurious hair !!! Overall it is quite clear that mint is just a treasure trove of samurai power & defense (Take a look Here) ! If this all is not enough to inspire you to put some delicious fresh mint in your juicer (masticating juicer would be best) with literally any recipe, we don’t know what is !!! Mint is especially amazing in combination with cucumber, any fruit based or tropical choice such as with pineapple, melon, apple or berry and is also a great addition to Green Juices ! * Mint is Potent so start with a just a few sprigs & adjust as you go :-) GINGER
The ginger plant and particularly its root / rhizome which is it’s underground stem ( & which is not actually a leafy ingredient), is another miraculous herbal ingredient that is a wonderful addition to juice recipes and really gives juices a bit of extra energetic kick & zing as it indeed lives up to its classical name “Zingiber official Roscoe !
Ginger has been used in herbal medicine for centuries including in Asian & Ayurevidic healing and is mighty powerful in infinite ways. It is intense from it’s taste to its capabilities of fortifying wellness and defenses. For starters, ginger is probably most well known for it’s strong anti-nausea and stomach settling, as well as it’s anti-inflammatory actions. In terms of ginger and it’s reputation as an anti-nausea and digestive aid, the research shows this as being accurate, and potentially being so in various circumstances, such as related to areas such as pregnancy (Take a look Here), and even chemo treatments (Take a look Here). In addition, ginger has been found to be potentially antimicrobial including antifungal as it has been found to contain several compounds that possess strong potential activity towards a diverse group of fungi, including candida and other resistant fungal strains that are pathogenic to humans (Take a look Here). Ginger has also been found to be highly antibacterial and in certain cases studies have found it’s ability to even potentially inhibit dangerous bacteria more efficiently than antibiotics due in part to issues regarding antibiotic resistance (Take a look Here). Ginger juice has been found to be helpful to the health of the human gut microbiome (which research is continuing to show the enormous importance of), and even the short term use of it showing possible substantial beneficial effects (Take a look Here). It has also been found to be potentially helpful in the area of weight loss, obesity, metabolic health and diabetes along with beneficial to lipid & cholesterol profiles in several powerful ways (Take a Look Here), (Here) & (Here). On a similar note, ginger has been found to be potentially capable of decreasing levels of fasting blood sugar, A1C, and again, the HDL/ LDL ratio, in individuals with type 2 diabetes (Take a look Here) ! In the anti-inflammation & pain category that ginger is quite well known for, it shows this power in many circumstances. for example, It has been found that various compounds in ginger have potentially beneficial therapeutic roles towards arthritis as well as symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and possibly even beyond (Take a look Here)... Ginger has also been found to be effective for moderate to large reductions in muscle pain caused by injury following exercise (Take a look Here), and it has surprisingly even been found to be equally effective in comparison to some NSAID's such as Ibuprofen including circumstances such as painful menstrual period cramps (Take a look Here), and in addition, has been found to possess the potential ability to lessen heavy bleeding in young women with heavy menstrual periods (Take a look Here). Among the Many powerful compounds contained in ginger would be a combination of volatile oils which contribute to it’s smell & taste, as well as non volatile pungent compounds such as gingerols (the most plentiful being one called 6-gingerol) (Take a look Here) & (Here). In addition there are others such as shogaols, paradols & zingerone that are responsible for it’s spicy quality (overall, the gingerols are primary as well for this reason). Ginger also contains a potent proteolytic enzyme (for starters, proteolytic enzymes are amazing anti-inflammatory samurais) called zingibain! Along with the highly antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of ginger, It is thought that it is cancer protective, and several mechanisms and its compounds such as those mentioned above are likely to be responsible for this protection. For example, previously mentioned gingerols (Take a look Here) , have been found to have the ability to Inhibit the growth of H. pylori, the primary agent / microbe responsible for peptic ulcers and it is also thought to be capable of contributing to prevention of colon cancer. It is thought that ginger and it’s pungent compounds are potentially effective inhibitors of the carcinogenic process. (Take a look Here). The gingerols contained in ginger have also been found to likely hold potential promise towards autoimmune diseases such as lupus (Take a look Here). So this is all really just the tip of the Gingerberg !! …Hope it’s enough to convince you of what an absolute force of an ingredient it is !! Ginger is very easy to add to literally any juice recipe in any type of juicer (being it’s in solid form) and a little goes a very long way! For example, a piece about the size of your thumb (even a mini thumb such as mine :-)), is extremely intense & tangy ! Since it’s so potent, start with just a sliver or two & work your way up. My absolute favorite ginger combination is apple, lemon, ginger, but ginger makes literally Any Juicing Recipe more Tasty, Spicy & Warrior Healthy!
This concludes my Short List of Juicing Ingredients for now :-)
** Make sure to keep a Lookout for PART 3 of this Post Where I will share :
Warrior Juicing RECIPES !
"Every Time you Eat or Drink, you are either Feeding Disease or Fighting It.â€
Heather Morgan
**Before embarking on Any new dietary, wellness or nutritional program, it is advised and important to consult with your qualified and trusted Healthcare Provider to evaluate your particular and personal medical circumstance.
Disclaimer
This blog, it's content and any linked materials does not provide medical advice and is presented and intended for informational purposes only. It is based on my personal experience and research and is Not a Substitute for Medical Advice or Treatment. Do not Disregard Medical Advice, or delay in Seeking it because of something you have read in this blog, website or in Any linked material. Consult with a Medical Professional if you have a Medical Condition ! Comments are closed.
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She Samurai is Dedicated to My Beautiful Late Mother Who was the Fiercest Warrior I've Ever Known |