Vegetables

Fennel

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:12:00 GMT

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

Asparagus

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:11:00 GMT

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

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:10:00 GMT

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.

Cabbage

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:09:00 GMT

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.

Broccoli

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:09:00 GMT

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 *** 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.

Carrot

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:08:00 GMT

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

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:07:00 GMT

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

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:04:00 GMT

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.

Potato

admin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:03:00 GMT

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.