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GO
TO: BROCCOLI,
BRUSSELS
SPROUTS, CABBAGE, CARROTS,
CELERY, CUCUMBER, COLLARDS,
FENNEL, GARLIC, LETTUCE,
ONIONS, PARSLEY, PEPPERS,
POTATO, SPINACH, SWEET
POTATO, TOMATO
ASPARAGUS
Available in early spring. Can be expensive due to difficulty in
cultivating. Its claim to fame is the amino acid aspargagine which is
destroyed by cooking. Aspargagine is a strong diuretic, stimulating the
kidneys. Asparagus is a great blood cleanser and excellent for healthy bowel
maintenance. Some find that it soothes a nervous mind. You may find your
urine turning dark and develop a strong odor. This is a harmless by-product
of asparagus. Asparagus contains beta-carotene, vitamins B1 and C,
bioflavinoids, potassium, and vitamin C.
Fresh, it will be bright green and firm to the tip. Will
keep a couple of days in the refrigerator. Asparagus is an expensive but
delicious addition to any veggie juice drink. Excellent to juice with
carrots.
BEETS Famous for their ability to cleanse the blood. Beets contain
calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, choline, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
Beets are also high in minerals which strengthen the liver and gall bladder,
and are the building blocks for blood corpuscles and cells. Beet greens are
excellent for salads and juicing. Beet greens are a good source of
carotenoids which help in the prevention of all types of cancers.
They are high in manganese which is an important mineral for brain function.
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, 22 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
Broccoli is a flower top picked
before it blooms. It is dense in nutrition, full of beta carotene and an
excellent source of fiber. Inexpensive and available all year round. It is
full of vitamins B1 and C and has a generous amount of calcium, sulfur and
potassium. Surprisingly, forty-five percent of calories in broccoli is
protein.
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.
BRUSSELS
SPROUTS In the cabbage
family, similar in nutritional value to broccoli. Good source of vitamin C,
potassium, calcium, sulfur, vitamin A, and a decent amount of protein.
Forty-four percent of calories in brussels sprouts come from protein. Look
for dark green coloration with no wilting or yellowing. Should have a light
smell. A good addition to juice but adding too many will give the juice a
sharp bite.
CABBAGE
A vegetable full of history. It was a
mainstay during the great depression, but unfortunately was often overcooked
and garnished with fat.
Cooking cabbage destroys most of its nutritious value and
causes gas because of the sulfur. Raw 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, giving beautiful skin
and increasing male potency. Within cabbage is a delicate amino acid called
glutamine which 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
Deep within the soils of the earth
grows a golden root that has amazed nutritionists and scientists alike in
its powerful healing qualities. One 8 oz. glass of carrot juice contains
20,000 mg. of vitamin A. Toxicity can occur when vitamin A is taken in
supplement form or fish oil, but is completely safe in the vegetable form.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant that is able to attach to free radicals in the
body, stopping them in their tracks. The damaging effect of free radicals
has been associated with cancer.
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 makes 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 the sweeter the carrots. They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator
and months in a root cellar.
CELERY
High in magnesium, iron and chlorophyll
which is an excellent blood builder. One of the richest sources of organic
sodium. This is excellent for those who enjoy vigorous workouts, maintaining
valuable body fluid and electrolytes.
Celery juice is a superb nerve tonic. Celery juice alone
tastes 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 inner
city full of air pollution? 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
Being as cool as a cucumber
comes from the fact that the internal temperature of cucumbers remains 20
degrees lower than the external temperature on a hot day. People living in
the Middle East and India have been eating cucumbers for hundreds of years
as a natural coolant. When buying cucumber for juicing, look for non-waxed
which allows you to juice the cucumber in its skin. Always wash vegetables
thoroughly before juicing. This juice contains 40% potassium, 10% sodium, 7%
calcium, 20% phosphorus and 7% choline. It is an excellent source of
silicon. Cucumber is good to rub on your skin, giving it elasticity,
resulting in a more youthful complexion. It is suspected to help in reducing
hair loss. Cucumber juice is usually mixed with other juices.
Look for firm cucumbers with a dark green, wrinkle-free
skin. Will store in refrigerator for 6 days.
COLLARDS
Per calorie, collards have more
calcium than milk. Thirty calories of collards, one cup, contains an
incredible 218 grams of calcium! It is twice as high in vitamin A as
carrots. An excellent source of organic highly absorbable iron and high in
chlorophyll.
Look for crisp leaves, free from wilting and without
spots.
FENNEL
If you enjoy the taste of licorice, you
will love fennel. This unusual vegetable looks like a fat celery plant with
feathers. In fact, it is in the celery family and has much of the same
nutritional qualities. Its distinct flavor really spices up a juice or
salad. Some have found fennel juice good for relieving migraine headaches
and the eyes to become more sensitive, overcoming night blindness.
Look for white solid bulb with healthy leaves. Will keep
in the refrigerator for one week.
GARLIC There are entire books written about the
curative abilities of garlic. Research suggests that it reduces blood
pressure, helps with the problem of blood clotting, lowering the LDL which
increases bad cholesterol, boosts the immune system and encourages
recovering heart attack victims. Garlic's famous smell comes from allicin,
which inhibits bacterial growth and fungus. It also helps with an overgrowth
of yeast in the body and is used in treating candida. Therefore, do not use
odorless garlic pills. If they don't smell, your body can't tell.
Garlic increases the flow of digestive enzymes and
encourages detoxification through the skin. Despite the odor which comes
through the skin, 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 If you feel a cold coming on,
or if you have a bout of laryngitis, juicing a small piece of ginger root
with your carrots is a perfect solution. Great for making ginger tea or
spicing up herbal tea. For ginger tea, throw slices in boiling water to
taste.
KALE
Has similar nutritional qualities to its
close relative, the cabbage. An excellent source of calcium. Look for solid,
deep green leaves. Will store in refrigerator for 5 days.
LETTUCE
Iceberg lettuce or head lettuce is
useless. You might as well drink a glass of water for the amount of
nutritional value. The leaves of romaine, Boston, Bibb or any leaf lettuce
that is dark green in color will be rich in chlorophyll. Good source of
sulfur, chlorine, silicon, B complex, all contributing to hair growth,
healthy skin and defense against lung cancer. Lettuce is a wonderful
addition to any vegetable juice. Adding any green, leafy vegetable to juice
will add chlorophyll which immediately enters the bloodstream.
Leaves should be crisp with no dark spots. The darker
green the better.
ONIONS
Onion is in the garlic family and have
many of the same therapeutic properties. Their strong flavor is attributed
to natural oil which strengthens the nervous system and encourages the
growth of healthy bacteria. Large spanish onions are sweeter and milder in
flavor which makes them better for juicing.
A 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 refrigerator.
PARSLEY
Ancient civilizations have used
parsley in medications, on wounds, poultices, boils, cysts and to draw the
pus out of an infected cut. Parsley is one of the highest sources of
life-giving chlorophyll which acts like iron to oxidize the blood.
Chlorophyll will help neutralize the strong odor of garlic and is used in
chewing gum to sweeten breath. It is a cleanser of the kidneys, liver and
urinary tract. Parsley is effective for upset stomachs by stimulating
digestive enzymes. Excellent for the colon by encouraging the peristaltic
wave in the intestines.
Parsley juice, added to vegetable juices, will enter
directly into the bloodstream immediately impacting your body.
Both flat and curly parsley have 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
Peppers can come
in many different colors. The most common is the green pepper which is an
unripe red pepper. Red peppers are more expensive but sweeter and higher in
vitamin C. Great for the skin and swelling due to arthritis because of the
high silicon content. Excellent addition to any vegetable juice. Juice
seeds, stem and all.
Look for smooth firm nonwaxed peppers. Will keep in refrigerator for one
week.
POTATO
They are in the same family as
tomatoes and peppers. An excellent source of vitamin C and high in
carbohydrates, potassium, calcium and iron. The most nutritious part of the
potato is the skin. During World War I, a group of German soldiers, near
starvation, were forced to live on raw potatoes. The soldiers with gastric
disorders were relieved and cured. After the war, Dr. J. F. Magerl began
treating gastric patients with raw potato juice. After 10 days of the
treatment, most of the patients showed no symptoms.
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.
Red potatoes are less starchy and lower in calories than
white potatoes, making them less mucus-forming. Look for potatoes with eyes,
revealing the fact that they are alive with enzymes, ready to sprout, given
the opportunity. Potatoes without eyes are mutants and are not desirable.
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 Radish added to vegetable juice will help clear sinus
cavities and calm a sore throat.
SPINACH
Never cook spinach. Oxalic acid is
destroyed when heat transforms it into oxalic acid crystals that are harmful
to the kidneys. It also binds to iron making it unabsorbable. Spinach is
important due to its chlorophyll content and also supplies an abundance of
nutrients such as oxalic acid, beneficial in the cleansing and healing of
the intestinal tract. Spinach juice, mixed with other vegetable juices,
turns the mixture brown. Although it may look unsightly, it is a beautiful
sight to the cells of the body.
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, easily becoming slimy.
SWEET POTATO (YAM) The darker the color
the higher in vitamin content. They are one of the greatest sources of beta
carotene. They are plenteous in vitamin C, potassium, carbohydrates,
calcium, and a good source of fiber. History has shown that people can live
exclusively on sweet potatoes and remain healthy and strong. Carrot and
sweet potato juice is tasty and outstanding for complexion. Yam can be added
to any fruit juice giving the juice a smooth, milkshake-like taste.
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 Tomatoes are feeling a little out of
place in this list because they are a fruit. But we assumed anyone looking
for tomatoes would go to the Vegetable Section, so here they are.
Providing tomatoes are vine-ripened, they are a high
source of vitamin C, in fact, 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. Our children love to go out in the
morning and graze on these freshly-ripened ruby red treats.
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 which may irritate the
kidneys.
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