I have a confession. Earlier this year I went through a phase where I let my health habits slip. Exercise of any kind felt like far too much effort, and another of the things I just couldn’t be fussed to do was juice.
Which was sorta silly as it’s quick and easy to work it into your daily routine once you get in the swing of it, I crossed that one off the list circa 1998, and I feel so much better when I do it.
Long story short, a couple of weeks ago I recommitted to a daily rendez-vous with both my rebounder and my Hippocrates GreenPower. I can’t say I’m loving the exercise every day, but I am loving the juice again, ever since I accidentally invented this one.
I’m sharing the recipe here so you can try it, and I also wanted to tell you a little about the health and beauty benefits.
- 4 sticks celery
- 1 head little gem lettuce
- 3 medium carrots
- 1 lime (or lemon), peeled
- a handful of fresh mint
Did you know that adding citrus fruit plus something sweet to a vegetable juice really takes it to the next level taste-wise?
Many juice recipes use apple for that sweetness; this one uses carrot and I’m going to tell you (a little lower down) a great reason to add carrot to your juices.
I could write a long essay on what all the vitamins, electrolytes, phytonutrients and other good stuff in this rawsome cocktail will do for you, but I figure the concept “vegetable juice = super healthy” is probably not new to you.
So I’m going to keep this brief and tell you about just two benefits I personally love:
Stressed? Frazzled? Sleep-deprived? You need lettuce
Lettuce contains powerful compounds that help you relax and wind down. Concentrate them in a juice and you have yourself a super-effective (yet totally side-effect-free) natural sedative and sleep aid. So effective in fact that depending on your schedule, this might not be your best choice as a morning juice. It works for me as juice o’clock at Casa Best is an evening event.
Daily juicing = daily beautifying
Want to look more radiant? Nothing – no pill, no potion, no procedure, no skincare product, no foundation, no facial – will do for your skin what consistently eating (and drinking) fresh vegetables and fruits will do, as these foods make your skin glow from the inside out.
And juicing is a great way of getting more of the goodness in.
To look your most beautiful, make sure you’re getting your daily quota of carotenoids – among their long list of amazing benefits, they are actually organic pigments that will give your skin a healthy radiance.
A 2011 study caused a stir when it found that eating carotenoid-rich foods on a daily basis gives skin a golden glow that is perceived as healthier and more attractive than a suntan.
Yes, it’s true, and you’ll get a beautifying carotenoid boost from the carrots in this juice. Spinach and kale are other popular veggie juice ingredients that are loaded with carotenoids, so feel free to add a handful or two of those, should you feel so inclined.
I’m personally of the opinion that the only palatable way to consume kale is this.
And I’m having a “spinach in smoothies not juices” kinda month (as you do) after inventing a green smoothie recipe I’m addicted to, and that I’m going to be sharing with you next.
For now, my juicer beckons. Enjoy the weekend 🙂 xo
Hi,
View CommentDidn’t you go abroad towards the end of last year? Maybe that had some effect on your enthusiasm towards your normal life.
As for kale, I love it all ways. It’s one of the best things. So much more enjoyable than spinach I reckon.
Another thing that needs to be remembered is that just because you are raw or living or juice active, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get ill and die. You may just do that, as may I.
I know one raw food promoter who has been unwell recently and she has been high raw, high juice for years and years.
All you can expect is to feel better more of the time than your regular man or woman on the street.
Neil.
Hi Neil!
I was lucky enough to go to Italy twice towards the end of last year! My blip was down to simply being busy, and making the bad decision that I’d compromise on my health rather than that admit I’d bitten off more than I could chew! Also: when I juice and exercise, I actually have *more* time and energy in my day. I know this. But apparently I needed to learn the lesson again 🙂
Sarah
View CommentI heard somewhere (different subject) that the whole business of 5 a day for fruits and veg was made up over fifty years ago, and has no scientific basis at all, with no tests run, no studies etc etc.
View CommentNow I have forgotton where I read this, but I remember it was from some trusted person or other.
Can you shed any light?
I’m actually in the process of writing about this very topic… Some who should know better say it’s false because we don’t really need 5 a day. What the latest science is suggesting is that it’s false in the other direction. I agree – in my opinion 5 a day is an arbitrary figure that’s far too low.
I think it was set far too low partly because not enough research has yet been done to determine how much we really need for optimum health (though yet another study that suggests 5 a day is too low is right now big news in the mainstream media, as you may have seen). And partly because anything higher is seen as unrealistic as a government recommendation.
Stats say less than a third of Brits manage 5 a day – but I for one don’t think the answer is in sugar-coating this. My views on this are strong 🙂 I think if the government told us all the truth about what the latest research is showing, while it would not be palatable to everyone, many people *would* react by eating more veg – which would be hugely beneficial for those people, and for our Health Service!
View CommentThank you for this recipe. I’ve been making it most days and you are so right about lettuce juice being a natural sedative!!
View CommentHi, I made this tonight and although I couldn’t get any mint I drank it without, still refreshing and looking forward to keeping it up (with mint for added flavour) it tasted so healthy. Thank you v much for your article I find your suggestions and knowledge really helpful. X
View CommentThank you so much for the share, Jenna, and for the kind words! x
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