Monday, January 30, 2012

Juicing for Better Health


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What is your favorite breakfast?  I don't think I have a favorite, but in the past, if it contained eggs and cheese or biscuits and gravy, it was considered my favorite breakfast.  We also used to live on cereal.  You know the kind, the one with the box that says it contains whole grain and fruit.  Most of the time it was even labeled organic. 

As a keeper of the home, I feel a strong sense of duty to be healthy and to feed my family in the most healthy manner that I know, so we are changing the way we eat (drink) breakfast and we have never felt better.  

Let me explain.  In our search for healthy food and learning the technical art of reading labels, we kept coming back to the fact that God gave us everything we need through plants.  Now don't go thinking we are vegetarians, my husband would dry up and blow away if he didn't have his red meat, but we are learning how much healthier we can be if we eat more raw foods.  There is something extremely satisfying about living simpler with every aspect of our life including what we eat.  

So, we invested in a juicer.  At first we were thrilled with it and we were extremely surprised at how delicious fresh juice is compared to anything you can buy at the store.  We soon got really spoiled with that small fact, but didn't fully understand how we could pack a real punch of nutrients into our day.  After the first few months, the newness wore off and our juicer sat all alone on the counter, gathering dust.

Then, a family at our church began telling us about a documentary called 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead', it sounded pretty interesting.  We enjoy learning about healthy foods and have watched several interesting documentaries so we took their advice and watched it.  It really changed how we looked at food in so many ways.  One of the things we have discovered is the value of micro-nutrients and the affects they have on how healthy we feel.  It is amazing how many fruits and vegetables go into one glass of power packed nutrients!  If you've watched the movie, than you are familiar with the 'Mean Green' that I also juice for lunch most of the time.  I'll do a separate post on that one.

All of this to explain a bit of how we went from biscuits and gravy to a simple glass of juice for breakfast! 


We try to use as much organic fruit as possible, but I have to admit that it is not always possible depending on where I get it from.  The little grocery stores out where we live aren't big about carrying it. We have to run into the nearest city to stock up on it.  

For the three of us, I usually use about three apples, four oranges and four carrots.  Its fun to put them through the juicer and watch the beautiful colors of the juice as it comes out.




And there is the finished juice.  

Here is where I add my own extra nutrients to it because I like to have a little of the Greek Yogurt in our diets and we truly believe in the health benefits of bee pollen.


I'll put about two Table spoons (not measuring tablespoons, use a big spoon) of Greek Yogurt in the bottom of the blender, sprinkle about a teaspoon of bee pollen in and add a ripe banana for extra sweetness.


Pour in half of the juice for a blender full then repeat with the yogurt, bee pollen and banana for the second half of the juice.  It is very filling and extremely healthy, not to mention that the only label I had to read was the one on the yogurt container!  My next learning project will be how to make my own yogurt, so if you have any recipes for that, please leave me a comment!  

Oh!  AND if you have any juice or smoothie recipes that your family loves, please share them by leaving a comment!


You can find me linked up at:  Homestead Revival, Nourishing Treasures, Growing HomeFar Above RubiesSkip to my LouPenniless Parenting, Titus 2sdaysRaising HomemakersFrugally SustainableWomen Living Well, Raising Mighty ArrowsDeep Roots at HomeFingerprints on the FridgeFarm Friend FridayLife as MomFarmgirl Friday








14 comments:

  1. I'm definitely into juicing as well, it's amazing the amount of nutrients you can get in your body with juicing alone. I love this recipe, I'll have to try it. For myself and my baby, I like to just use 3 carrots and 2 apples for our morning juice. But if it's for my husband and I, we add lots of other good stuff like cabbage and celery. I have the mean green recipe on my blog, it's the main juicing recipe from "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead". Here's the link: http://makinghomesweeter.blogspot.com/2011/08/mean-green-juice.html

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  2. Your juice looks so appetizing! What a great way to get your vitamins and nutrients, and also a great way to start your day off right. I was interested to read about the benefits of bee pollen as well. Thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  3. I just started juicing and I love it! I do need a different juicer. If anyone can recommend a brand, that would be great!

    I havent seen that movie but I have heard it is good. Love the path the Lord has us on for better health and for me to learn how to cook healthier, ect. If you ask, He will def help you because I felt clueless and I wasnt sure where to begin!

    Your juice looks so yummy!

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    Replies
    1. Sarah Beth ~ We use the Jack LaLane juicer and it works really well. If we ever invest in another one though, we're going to try the Beville that Joe uses on the movie like the one on this link....http://www.brevilleusa.com/beverages/juicers/juice-fountain-plus-je98xl.html

      I hope this helps!

      It is amazing when you begin to seek a better way, what the Lord will bring to you for you to learn from :)

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  4. I've been thinking about juicing to help get more energy, especially in the mornings since I am not a morning person.

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    Replies
    1. I have to say that the healthy feeling of juicing is indescribable. The first few days of juicing for breakfast and lunch, you can tell your body begins to detox because you will feel terrible. That feeling is also from withdrawals from processed food and everything else your body wants to get rid of. After the first few days though, the change is incredible. Check out http://www.gettingrawdiculous.blogspot.com/

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  5. This is my favorite way to make yogurt. If yu try it, let me know what you think!
    http://homeshalom.blogspot.com/2012/02/homemade-yogurt.html

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  6. Just your pics make me thirsty for some of this juice!! Looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing w/ Healthy 2Day Wednesday! Hope to see you back next week!

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  7. Great post! We love juicing too, in fact we did it strictly for a couple years...every day. But with our growing family (currently 8 of us)it became way too expensive. :( Then we discovered smoothies. Like your above recipe, adding some super foods and or yogurt helped cut the costs on cases of organic produce. These are the favorties

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  8. Sharon, with this juicer, does it extract the pulp and throw it away or not? I wonder about losing the fiber. I would like to get a juicer, but am torn because we already have a big Vita Mix and just puree it, seeds, pulp, and all. I also agree with getting all the micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals we can in our diet. Thank you for a great post!

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    Replies
    1. Jacqueline~ I believe they each have their purpose depending on what you feel you are needing. The juicer does extract the pulp which can be used in several other recipes or frozen and used later. Most of the time we give it to the chickens or spread it on our garden. I understand that juicing provides the ability to supply the body with the a high amount of micro-nutrients as opposed to a smoothie made in a blender. When the fiber is left in the drink, we are unable to consume the amount of a drink made in a juicer.

      The latest juice I tried was:

      Sunset Blend (mks 1 qrt) (Gorgeous color too!)
      1 large sweet potato
      1 carrot
      1 red bell
      1 beet
      2 apples
      1 orange

      from http://www.gettingrawdiculous.blogspot.com/p/recipes.html

      I'm not sure I would've been able to consume all of that if the fiber was left in. There is also the concept of relieving your system of processing the fiber occasionally. I do know that I prefer juicing over any other form of smoothie. Its hard to believe how many fruits and vegetables can fit into a glass and the incredible energy boost when my body isn't having to process all the bulk.

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  9. This looks delicious and sooo healthy. Thanks so much for joining us on "Strut Your Stuff Saturday." We loved having you and hope to see you back next Saturday with more great ideas and recipes! -The Sisters

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  10. That really is an inspiring blog. Juicing has taken the health world by storm, and millions of people are now gulping down pounds of produce by the glassful. Thank you for the post.

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Welcome and thank you for visiting! I welcome your comments, but please be respectful. May God bless you with wisdom and understanding all of your days!

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