If you want a clear mind and uplifted spirit – and who doesn’t – not to mention energy, drinking raw juice each day is a great step in the right direction. It is an excellent way to clear a cold, banish a hangover and even clear the pain of arthritis (provided of course you've not been on long-term drug therapy which can sometimes interfere with the body’s ability to detoxify and heal itself).
Juice is a perfect fuel for your body. Its high water content means that it is easily assimilated and tends to cleanse and nurture the body, and it is the richest available source of vitamins, minerals, plant factors such as the carotenoids, and other antioxidants powerful in their anti-aging and immune enhancing factors. Not only is raw juice the best possible tonic for promoting all-round health and general well-being, each juice has specific therapeutic properties. You can use it as a quick fix to treat a range of common complaints.
Try some of the following and see what powerhouses for healing they really are. Aim to drink at least three glasses of juice each day, but try to make them freshly each time. If you really have to keep them then put them in the fridge with as much ice in them as you can. Fresh juices oxidize and lose their potency very, very quickly.
When juicing, always buy fruits and vegetables that have been organically grown, not only because you don’t want to be taking in pesticides and herbicides with your juice, but because organic fruits and vegetables have not had their nutritional integrity compromised and you will get the best vitamin, mineral and trace element content.
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis have been successfully treated with juice therapy, which is particularly beneficial if the patient has not been on long-term drug treatment. In both osteo- and rheumatoid arthritis, cut out foods from the nightshade family such as potatoes, aubergine, tomatoes and peppers. For osteoarthritis, also cut out citrus fruits.
Vegetables to incorporate into your juices include carrot, beetroot tops, broccoli, turnip, grapes, kale, cabbage, all dark green vegetables, apple and ginger. Pineapple is particularly good for rheumatoid arthritis since it contains the enzyme bromelin which has anti-inflammatory properties.
ginger berry
- 1 (or more) 1cm cube of fresh ginger
- 1 medium bunch of grapes
- 2 cups blackberries or raspberries
- You can also add some sparkling mineral water, or some ice.
green goddess
- 60ml (2 fl oz) of carrot juice
- 60ml (2 fl oz) of apple juice
- 60ml (2 fl oz) of beetroot juice
- 60ml (2 fl oz) of broccoli juice
- ½ tsp kelp powder
- ½ - 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
green wow
- 2 green apples
- 4 stalks of celery
- 6 Chinese leaves
- Juice of 10cm of cucumber
pineamint
- 1 small pineapple (skin removed)
- A bunch of fresh mint leaves
pineapple green
- To 180ml (6 fl oz) of freshly extracted pineapple juice add one or more of the following:
- 1 tsp – 1 tbsp of powdered wheat grass, green barley, spirulina or chlorella.
popeye punch
- 1 whole apple – including seeds
- 4 or 5 carrots
- A small handful of spinach
- 1 cucumber
red genius
- 4 carrots
- 1 large raw beetroot
- 3cm section of cucumber
sprouting o’ the green
- 2 cups of alfalfa sprouts
- 2 cups of mung beans
- 1 carrot
- A few sprigs of parsley
- 2 apples
top of the beet
- 1 apple
- 5 carrots
- 3 leaves of beetroot top
- A handful of parsley
Colds
Juicing for colds has two goals. The first is to strengthen the immune system, and for this you need lots of greens. The second is elimination, and for this you need those fruits and vegetables which help to get rid of waste from your system – lemons, apricots, garlic, ginger etc.
atomic liftoff
- 4-6 ripe tomatoes
- 1 lime
- A pinch of cayenne pepper or dash of tabasco
Juice the tomatoes and lime then sprinkle with cayenne or Tabasco
beetroot, carrot & orange
- 1 smallish beet
- 4 carrots
- 1 orange
pineapple grapefruit drink
- 1 small pineapple (peeled)
- 1 grapefruit (peeled)
salad juice
- 4-5 carrots
- 4 sticks celery
- 3-4 radishes
sweet & spicy
- 2 whole apples
- 2x1cm cube fresh ginger
- ½ small pineapple cut into convenient sized spears.
liver and digestion
Cabbage juice tends to benefit most digestive upsets. It’s not exactly delicious and it can be helpful to mix it with pineapple juice to soften the flavor. Ginger is also good for digestion, and bananas have been shown to help protect the stomach from excess hydrochloric acid.
gingeroo
- 1 (or more) 1cm cube of fresh ginger
- 1 whole apple
- 4 carrots
pineappage
- ¼ large pineapple cut into spears
- 1/3 green cabbage
red genius
(see above)
fatigue
Fatigue is the thing I am asked about more than any other. One of the underlying causes can be iron depletion, or a lack of magnesium. There is a lot that juice can do to help.
atomic lift off
(See above)
citrusucculent
- 1 ripe grapefruit
- ½ ripe lemon
- 2 ripe oranges
dandelion plus
- 4-5 carrots
- A handful of dandelion leaves
- 2 whole pears
ginger berry
(See above)
gingeroo
(See above)
glorious grapefruit
- 2 pink grapefruits (peeled)
green zinger
- 2 kale leaves or beetroot tops or a handful of spinach
- 4-5 carrots
- A small handful of parsley
hi mag
- 4-5 carrots
- 2 florets of broccoli
- 2 dandelion leaves, beetroot tops, spinach or kale leaves
secret of the sea
- 4 carrots
- 2 whole apples
- 2 sheets nori seaweed
- Juice the apple and the carrot then pour into a blender with the seaweed. Blend thoroughly.
hangover
There is an art to hangover management, the key being to understand what has happened! Dehydrated and nauseous, you need to replenish your body fluids. Fruit juice is a good idea but might be a little harsh. On top of this, the body’s acidic reaction to the alcohol has produced a chemical imbalance which needs to be put right. Go for the following juices.
apples & pears
Drink straight away as this oxidizes very quickly.
carrot & apple
This is a wonderful juice to experiment with – change the proportions to suit yourself.
merry belon
- 1 slice of watermelon. 3cm wide and cut into chunks to fit your juicer
- 6 strawberries, washed and with stalks removed
In hot weather, a good tip is to freeze the berries before juicing them – delicious!
virgin mary
This is a Bloody Mary without the vodka; add a clove of garlic and it becomes a Vampire Mary; a fresh hot green chili pepper turns it into a Scary Mary.
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- 2 carrots
- ½ beetroot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 cucumber
insomnia
There are many causes for insomnia, but there are some things that will help with most causes. Magnesium, vitamin B6 and niacin have to be present in order for the amino acid tryptophan to be able to turn itself into the sleep-inducing serotonin. Calcium induces muscle relaxation, and some people need an extra boost of fruit sugar before going to bed to trigger sleep. Try out which of the following helps you.
green goddess
(See above)
hi mag
(See above)
lazy lettuce
- 2 whole apples
- 5 lettuce leaves
pineamint
(See above)
smooth as silk
- 2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 ripe apple
- 1 whole banana
spicy carrot
- 4 carrots
- 2 spears of pineapple
- 1 Braeburn or Cox’s apple
- A pinch of ground cinnamon
- A pinch of ground nutmeg
pms
Although PMS comes in many forms there are certain things that will help. Increasing your intake of magnesium, B6 and the B complex as well as beta-carotene in the week before your period will help, easily done by making the most of the green juices. Water retention can be helped with watermelon, grape, cucumber and dandelion. All of these juices will also help to counteract some of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with menopause.
cool as a cuke
- 1 cucumber
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tomato
- dash of dill
ginger berry
(See above)
green zinger
(See above)
hi mag
(See above)
pineapple green
(See above)
secret of the sea
(See above)
spring salad
- 3 florets of broccoli
- 4 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- 1 clove or garlic
- 1 tomato
sprout special
- 4 carrots
- 1 whole apple
- 1 cup sprouted seeds
waterfall
- 5cm section of cucumber
- 1 whole apple
- 3 carrots
- ½ smallish beetroot
a note about juicers
Centrifugal juice extractors contain a basket, usually made from stainless steel, with sharp shredding blades at the bottom and a fine mesh screen at the sides. When you push fruit and vegetables through the rotating blades, the pulp is spun off into a receptacle at the back of the machine and the juice strained out through a spout, or into an integral jug. A juicer with a spout is better than one with a jug because then you can juice directly into a glass and there’s less to wash up.
As with any domestic appliance, look for the most robust model you can get for your money. This means the one with the strongest motor and the strongest locking mechanism. Beware of two-speed juicers and those models with a hopper that simply clicks into place without your having to clamp it down – there’s just more to go wrong.
One other thing to check before buying your juicer is the size of the hole you are supposed to put the produce through. Some are really too small, and it’s a drag to have to slice even the skinniest carrot lengthwise. Don’t be afraid to demand a demonstration of the model you intend to buy, listen to the whine the motor makes and ask yourself if it sounds as if it can stand up to the job.
As soon as you begin to incorporate freshly-extracted raw vegetable and fruit juices into your lifestyle you will find something amazing starts to happen. First you will notice the terrific lift that just one glass of fresh juice can give you, particularly when taken first thing on an empty stomach. Imagine what life might be like if, instead of trying to kick-start yourself with strong coffee in the mornings, you could drink a glass of raw juice and almost immediately feel refreshed, alert and eager to see what another day has in store. And that’s just what raw juice will do for you. Go for it!
