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Vegetable Juice Guide by
Ron Lagerquist
Beets Beet juice is very concentrated. Do not drink it alone. Dilute with a milder juice such as carrot or apple. Beet juice has been proven therapeutic in the treatment of leukemia and cancer. In a clinical trial, twenty-two patients with advanced inoperable cancers were given 10 oz. of beet juice daily for 3 to 4 months. Twenty-one of these patients showed marked improvement in health. Beets cause the stool to turn red and may give the urine a reddish tinge. When juicing beets, alternate between pieces of beets and pieces of carrots otherwise the beet pulp tends to build up on the side of the spinning extraction basket and causes the juicer to vibrate. Lactofermented beet juice is fermented with lacto bacillus, making it sweeter. On a juice fast, this delicious juice is like a bottle of Champagne. Purchase firm, rock-hard beets. Being a root, they can be stored for months in the refrigerator.
Broccoli The National Cancer Institute discovered a substance called inderol-3 that emulsifies estrogen, reducing the risk of breast cancer in women. Broccoli is excellent when juiced, stems and all, but like all green vegetables, it should be mixed with lighter juices such as carrot or apple. When buying broccoli, look for tight tops with no yellow, firm but not limp. Will store well for 5 days in the refrigerator.
Cabbage Cooking cabbage destroys most of its nutritious value and causes gas because of the sulfur. Raw cabbage is an excellent source of beta-carotene, sulfur, vitamin C and the trace mineral selenium, which is excellent for fighting cancer, protecting against heart disease, improving conditions of arthritis, slowing the aging process, encouraging beautiful skin and increasing male potency. Within cabbage is a delicate amino acid called glutamine. This is excellent for healing stomach disorders, including ulcers. When making cabbage juice, it must be consumed within 60 seconds or this precious amino acid will begin to decay. If straight cabbage juice causes gas, mix with carrot and celery. Will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Carrots Carrots are a natural blast of high energy. The sugars are released more quickly than from white sugar but without the harmful effects. A mug of carrot juice in the morning will give you a competitive edge over coffee drinkers. Like all root vegetables, they are packed with minerals. Carrots are rich in organic calcium that is invaluable to bones and teeth. Inorganic calcium is almost useless to the body. The calcium in milk and white bread is inorganic and known to cause arthritis and gallstones. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin C, including most of the B complex, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. Carrots are easy to digest and cause the liver to release bile and excessive accumulated cholesterol. They also have an alkalizing effect on the blood, soothing the entire nervous system and toning intestinal walls. Carrot juice is the best base for vegetable juice combinations. It is delicious, sweet and readily accepted by children. Our family can go through a 50-lb. bag every two weeks. Carrot juice is considered the golden juice of healing. Even drinking a few glasses a day has healed many infirmities without fasting. During fasting, its healing effect is increased. Carrot juice helps in cleansing the liver. Drinking large amounts may cause the harmless effect of a slight yellowish color of the skin. Skin will feel velvety soft. The beta-carotene present in the skin is a natural protector for the common skin cancer, melanoma. Also, the slight yellowing of the skin can make a tan look deeper. Juicing two to five pounds of carrots a day is standard for juice fasting. Unless carrots are fresh, the juice tastes better if they are peeled. If you don't have the time to peel them, put the carrots in the sink and scrub with a brush. In purchasing carrots for juicing, your local vegetable wholesaler can supply you with large juicing carrots in 50 lb. bags at an affordable price. Carrots should be firm, smooth-skinned, without cracks or small rootlets. The brighter the orange color, the sweeter the carrots. They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator and months in a root cellar.
Celery Celery juice is a superb nerve tonic. Celery juice alone tastes a little bitter and is usually mixed with carrots or apples. Great for adding a salty taste to vegetable juices. Do you have a headache? Drink a glass of celery juice. Even the ancient Greeks used celery for the universal problem of headaches. Do you live in the air-polluted inner city? Celery/apple juice is able to cleanse the body of carbon dioxide. Were you thinking of buying an air conditioner? Celery juice cools down the body and is great for hot weather. Are you on a diet and craving a Snickers bar? Celery juice helps curb the craving for sweets. Do you have a problem with muscle cramps and fatigue during workouts? The potassium/sodium balance in celery juice will be a great asset. Always leave the celery leaves on for juicing, but juice the celery last because it is stringy and clogs the juice machine. Look for firm, solid stocks with bright green leaves.
Cucumber Look for firm cucumbers with a dark green, wrinkle-free skin. Will store in refrigerator for 6 days.
Collards Look for crisp leaves, free from wilting and without spots.
Fennel Look for a white, solid bulb with healthy leaves. Will keep in the refrigerator for one week.
Garlic Garlic increases the flow of digestive enzymes and encourages detoxification through the skin. Despite the odor, garlic is good for you. Throwing a clove of garlic in your vegetable juice every day will be excellent for your health; nonetheless, it may reduce your social life. One clove in the juicer is enough. Five cloves will encourage a life of solitude, unless you can educate all your friends, family and people within a thirty-foot radius of the incredible properties of fresh raw garlic juice!
Ginger Root Kale
Lettuce
Leaves should be crisp with no dark spots. The darker green, the better.
Onions Sliced onion added to a juice mixture is excellent in helping to loosen and rid the body of excess mucus. Look for firm onions with dry, papery skins. Do not store onions in the refrigerator.
Parsley Parsley juice added to vegetable juices will enter directly into the bloodstream, immediately impacting your body. Flat and curly parsley has the same nutritional value. Look for healthy, dark green leaves. Parsley can be grown inside and outside the house. Will store in the refrigerator for a week. Always add parsley with other hard veggies like carrot so it will not affect the juicer. Parsley alone can be hard on a juicer.
Peppers
Potato Potato juice is a wonderful addition to any vegetable juice. When potatoes are juiced, a white silky paste will form on the bottom of the glass. This is potato starch and is mucus-forming with little nutritional value. Of all the vegetables, potatoes are slightly mucus-forming, but are still a valuable food, especially when juiced. Look for potatoes with eyes, revealing the fact that they are alive with enzymes, ready to sprout, given the opportunity. They should be firm, without black spots and with no green color, which can cause a slightly toxic effect. Never juice a green potato. Will keep well in a cool, dry place for a number of months.
Radishes
Spinach Finding good spinach can sometimes be difficult. Look for crisp, dark green leaves. Rinse spinach well, removing sand and grit. Will store in refrigerator for only a few days, as spinach quickly becomes slimy. Sweet
Potato (Yam) Look for firm, not too large yams that are tapered at both ends. Skin should be smooth without brown spots. Will store in the refrigerator for two weeks.
Tomato Providing tomatoes are vine-ripened, they are a high source of vitamin C. One tomato is equal to more than 50% of the recommended daily allowance. Good source of organic sodium phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, malic and oxalic acid and sulfur. The problem is that most tomatoes found in the supermarkets during the off season have the quality, taste and vitamin C content of a baseball. Vine-ripened tomatoes may cost you a little more because of the difficulty in shipping, but it is well worth the money in nutritional value. It is an absolute must to grow your own succulent, sweet tomatoes. Even if you live in an apartment, there are hybrids that have been created especially for growing in pots. We have tomato plants growing in every possible corner around our home. Tomato juice has a wonderful taste that is quite different from store-bought juice, which is boiled and stored in cans for months. The health-giving acids in tomatoes are beneficial to the body unless heated or canned. Look for bright red, soft, sweet smelling tomatoes. They ought to be plump, heavy and filled with juice. Always buy from your local farmer, when in season. Do not juice green tomatoes that may irritate the kidneys. |
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