Article: Detox with Green Juice

Article from Vitality4Life.com.au

Finding the right detox method should come naturally right? There are a vast amount of detox methods available today. From tablets to fasting or even drinking over the counter liquids made up of ingredients we can't even pronounce. Aside from all these options, have you ever considered the juice detoxing method?

Many people go on a juice detox thinking it is a quick solution to weight and existing health problems. Instead of thinking this way, it is important to note that a juice fast should be undertaken as a tool to improving health through clean eating. Detoxing using the cold press juicing method is not an easy task, and quite frankly it takes determination to succeed.

Although you can juice with all vegetables and some fruits, juicing green vegetables has an extensive effect on the body's organs, and aids in releasing toxins, particularly those found in the liver. Leafy green vegetables release chlorophyll into the liver to encourage the breakdown of toxins by neutralizing them and aids overall liver function.

When detoxing with a cold press juicer the juice stays alive for 48-72 hours without compromising its living properties. This means large amounts of juice can be extracted and stored for drinking later.

Drinking green juice is perfect for detoxes as it helps the liver and provides maximum amounts of energy with minimum amount of effort. High in chlorophyll, it acts as a medicine by intensifying the oxygen flow. An increase in oxygen allows our liver to release toxins and stress from the body.

Properties of Common Green Vegetables:

BASIL
· Anti-bacterial properties
· Anti-inflammatory
· Promotes cardiovascular health
Eating Tip: Blend basil with parmesan cheese, pines nuts and olive oil for a healthy homemade pesto

APPLES
· Lower cholesterol
· Cancer prevention
· Healthy teeth & gums
· Weight loss – if you feel peckish between meals; an apple is the perfect way to fight the urge to snack on unhealthy treats
Eating Tip: Add apple to just about any COLD PRESSED JUICE to sweeten

WHEATGRASS
· Lowers blood pressure
· Cleanses the blood, organs and digestive system
· Increases metabolism
· Combats obesity
Eating Tip: Grow your own wheatgrass at home with a wheatgrass sprouter and drink one shot of wheatgrass juice a day. Remember to use a cold press juicer to keep the vital enzymes alive

KIWI FRUIT
· High in potassium
· Extremely high in vitamin C
· High in dietary fibre to serve as a mild laxative
· Contains magnesium & vitamin E for healthy skin
Eating Tip: Eat whole or juice with the skins on for extra fibre

AVOCADO
· Lowers cholesterol
· High in omega nine fatty acid
· High in potassium and dietary fibre
· Vitamins E, K & B6
Eating Tip: Blend in smoothies to replace dairy

KALE
· Combats free radicals that are responsible for medical conditions such as heart disease, cancer and mental illness
· High in vitamins A & K
Eating Tip: Dehydrate in a Food Dehydrator or bake in the oven with sea salt to make Kale Chips

BROCCOLI
· Vitamins A & C
· High in folate & dietary fibre, potassium & calcium
· Increases cancer-blocking enzymes
Eating Tip: Eat raw as a snack and dip into homemade hummus or soy mayonnaise

SPINACH
· Combats prostate cancer
· Anti-inflammatory
· Antioxidant
· High in Vitamin K for bone health
Eating Tip: Use baby spinach leaves in your salads – drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts

ASPARAGUS
· High in vitamins K, C & A
· Reduces blood acidity by cleaning muscle tissues
· Anti-inflammatory
Eating Tip: Steam for 3 minutes and serve with a squeeze of lemon

Our Favourite Green Juice Recipes

Zucchini & Mint Juice
This recipe is so fresh and only takes minutes to taste the flavour. Simply juice the ingredients through your cold press juicer.
1 zucchini
4 celery sticks
6 kale leaves
Half a lime
2 green apples
Handful of mint

Spicy Spinach & Coriander Juice
A recipe which will spice up the detox and make your organs kick start.
Handful of spinach
1 cucumber
1 green chilli
Handful of coriander
½ lime
2 green apples

Cool Cucumber Juice
The perfect juice if you are feeling low in energy.
1 cucumber
2 celery sticks
Handful mint

Ultimate Green Juice
This is the perfect recipe: giving you nutrients, minerals and oxygen you need to revitalise and rejuvenate.
4 celery stalks
1/2 Cucumber
1 Cup of Sunflower Sprouts
5 Leave/Stalks Kale or Spinach
3 Leaves/Stalks of Swiss Chard

This is an unsweetened recipe. To make it sweeter simply add green apple or carrot.

Find More Green Juice Recipes in this fantastic book by Theresa Foy and brian R Clement:

Living Foods for Optimum Health

• Living Foods for Optimum Health 
• What you eat could be making you sick? 
• The foods that clog your body with energy-depleting fats, toxins, and chemicals
• Finding optimum nourishment your body needs

Article source

https://www.vitality4life.com.au/blog/health-recipes/detoxing-with-green-juice/#sthash.pnUKc7Ne.dpuf

Recipe: Stuffed chicken thighs with goats cheese feta, asparagus and garlic

Philip excelled himself again with dinner tonight. Healthy and tasty.

I asked him for the recipe and I decided to take the time to type it up.

Ingredients: 

• Chicken thigh fillet
• three cubes of Goats Milk feta
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• asparagus spears, broken to fit
• oil
• kale (or other green)
• salt
• pepper
• lemon juice

1. Tenderise and thin out the chicken thigh fillet
2. Added the cubes of feta and crushed garlic.
3. Arranged the asparagus to fit
4. Wrap up the thigh fillet and tie with kitchen string
5. Heat the oil and cook the chicken 
6. Serve with boiled kale seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice

Wray Organics Store Tour and Tastings

On Saturday 8th of December my husband Philip and I went along to our local Wray Organics Market and Cafe for a 'store tour and tastings' which had been announced on their Facebook page.

Tastings included samples of their amazing organic products which included: fruit salad featuring jaw-droppingly delicious mango, watermelon, cherry, peach and some cream; next was sprouted bread with goats cheese and cherry tomato on top; then kale and asparagus salad with olive oil, lemon juice and sprouts; desert sample was a cup of christmas cheer including organic christmas cake with christmas CocoLuscious coconut icecream, mince pie,pouring cream and cherries. YUMM!

We also tasted some Ginger Beer made with Galangal - Thai ginger; and some coconut water - which I swear by to hydrate. To end our sampling experience, those that were game were given a taste of the Loving Earth AFA Blue Green Algae powder in water - which Marion our guide has every day. It tasted slightly like nori - which we love! Loving Earth AFA has amazing properties which you can read about here. 

My husband and I had a great morning and learned a lot about the huge range of products at Wrays Organics - my favourite store. 

I would rather have small amount of quality than a large amount of pesticides, meat and fish treated with antibiotics; preserved with chemicals, then tinted for attractiveness. Meat sold at Wray Organics is provided by the Meat-Ting Place - an organic butcher that preserves his meat the old fashioned way - with salt and natural tint of beetroot juice.  

Gone are the days I eat dried fruit full of sulphur. Of white flour bread that is so low in nutrients you may as well not eat it. Fruit picked green and gassed to ripen. Why spend money on cheap food that then goes off or has no taste.

The cherry tomatoes we tasted just EXPLODED with flavour. As did the other organic fruit we sampled.

The asparagus was so fresh and delicious we ate it raw. As did the kale and chard. So full of nutrients, fresh and organically farmed.

I just feel GOOD when I walk in and meander around Wray Organics and even better when I leave with new products to try as well as my favourites - such as the Goats Cheese Marinated; and Sheep's Milk Yoghurt. 

Elgaar Farm Bio Active™ (Probiotic)  milk is something I will be trying.

"Elgaar Farm’s unique probiotic milk – our fresh organic milk with the benefit of our unique probiotic cultures, adding numerous beneficial lactic bacteria and enzymes but tastes just like normal milk. Elgaar Farm Bio Active™ (Probiotic) Full Cream Milk is not homogenised, which means that the cream will rise naturally to the top. Just shake well if you prefer"

I am just so blessed to have such amazing store so close to where I live.

STOCKIST INFORMATION:

CocoLuscious (Coconut Milk Icecream)

http://cocoluscious.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/CocoLusc

Elgaar Farm Products

http://www.elgaarfarm.com.au

Loving Earth Products

http://www.lovingearth.net/products

The Meat-Ting Place Products

http://www.themeat-tingplace.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/The.Meat.Ting.Place

Wray Organics Cleveland

https://www.facebook.com/wrayorganiccleveland