Wondering how to get all the greens your body needs without spending hours shopping and cooking? Make green juice a part of your routine and you won’t have to worry.
Why Green Juice?
Green juice is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, is low in sugar, and a single serving provides a bounty of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Dark leafy greens, especially kale, also contain B vitamins, calcium, and are high in beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids which promote overall health
Drinking one green juice a day enhances a healthy diet with its alkalizing properties which in turn enhances your body’s ability to detoxify while supporting a healthy immune system. Just one serving per day provides a very high level of essential nutrients which would otherwise be difficult to achieve by eating the vegetables in their natural state.
Green Juice as Part of an Overall Healthy Diet
Incorporating alkaline green juice into your daily routine can be another positive step in your journey to a fully integrated wellness program. Knowing you are doing the right thing for your body can only improve your mental well-being as well. Carla Zaplana, a nutrition specialist and author, sees green juice as a part of this process.
What’s in Green Juice?
Green juice can be made from any vegetables (and fruits) you can fit through the feed tube of your juicer. For the best results when making your green juice, choose dark, leafy, very fresh and tender vegetables (preferably organic). These, along with fruits of your choice, will result in a delicious, healthful, alkalizing green drink. The green juice recipe provided below yields a dark green, slightly sweet, creamy drink that keeps in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, so don’t be afraid to make a lot!
Kids will love the bright green color and mild taste, too, plus it’s a great way to get them to eat the veggies needed by their growing bodies.
Green Juice Goodness
Most green juices contain kale and other leafy greens, cucumbers, one or more fruits, fresh lemon juice and fresh ginger.
- Kale for its exceptional nutrient-dense properties; it’s high in Vitamins A, C, K, E, B1, B2, B3, calcium, beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids.
- Cucumbers for their hydrating properties, minerals, vitamins and low calorie count.
- Lemons not only brighten the flavor of the green juice, but provide Vitamins B and C.
- Fresh ginger boosts immune systems, reduces inflammation, is anti-aging, and is loaded with magnesium, potassium, Vitamin B6, plus it greatly enhances flavor.
- Pears and/or apples for their flavor, high Vitamin C and potassium levels, and antioxidant properties.
Best Green Juice Recipe
All the ingredients in this recipe are highly alkaline, but feel free to use other green veggies that you may have on hand. Parsley, cilantro, chard, collard greens, romaine and any other nicely dark colored greens work well. Using pears makes the drink creamy and sweet, but apples work well too. The touch of ginger and lemon bring a depth and zing to the drink and make it even more alkalizing.
Make a double batch and store it in the refrigerator, and you’ll have a snack worth reaching for. Find the perfect travel thermos bottle and take it with you to work or school so you won’t end up making unhealthy food choices. Being prepared is the basis of eating healthy and staying alkalized!
Ingredients:
- 10 oz. kale, stems removed if tough
- 10 oz. spinach
- 2 pears, cored
- 1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger
- 2 large cucumbers, about 10”
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Wash all vegetables thoroughly; there is no need to dry them as the added water will be incorporated into the juice. Peel the cucumbers if they are not organic. Core the pears.
Juice all the ingredients. You should have about 4-5 cups of juice. Store any extra juice in the refrigerator in a glass jar and shake again before serving.
