Simple Juices: Part 2

Awhile back I posted some easy 2 ingredient juices (click here to see that post) that pack a punch against cancer and are soooo good in so many other ways. Here, as promised, are some more of my favorite supersimple concoctions I put through my juicer:

Watermelon Lemonade

• 1/2 watermelon
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

In my original Instagram post, I added lots of fresh water and some agave to this recipe. plus another half lemon with the peel on through the juicer. Not only is this new recipe easier, I think it is actually quite tastier. Why water this down and add sweetener if it isn't necessary? Only add the extras (and plenty of ice!) if you want a pitcher-full for a party.

Orange & Ginger

• As many oranges as you can drink (I average 5-6!)
• 1/2" to 1" peeled fresh ginger

When I juice ginger, I cut into whatever else I'm using, in this case an orange, and wedge the ginger inside to easily juice them together.
This is such a good juice for immunity or fighting an existing sickness. I was experiencing a lot of detox symptoms from eating raw and kicking caffeine, so the orange nourished me while the ginger blasted my tummy troubles and migraines. I felt so much better if I could get a big, simple juice into me before a raw meal!

Watermelon + Mint

• Tons of fresh watermelon
• Handful of mint, plus more for soaking/garnish

If you read this post you already know of my serious affection for the combination of watermelon and mint. Life really does not get much tastier than these two together. Enjoy the last of summer watermelon while you can, the weather here in Santa Cruz has been alternating between getting a bit crisp then heating back up again.




Stay tuned for many more juices. Or you can follow my instagram account @veganlifeisgood, which shows tons of creations that I can't keep up with on the blog! Here's a little taste of what I've been up to:

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Simple 2 Ingredient Juices, Part 1: Cancer Fighters

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Energizing Ratio: 2 carrots to 1/2 cup fresh parsley. Push the parsley through your juicer with a carrot. It's wicked delicious.

Why carrots? Everyone's heard the expression about an apple a day, but did you know a carrot a day would cut the rate of lung cancer in half???* Or that our beloved orange carrots are a cultivated mutation, and were originally almost exclusively purple or black in color?  
Tip: When juicing carrots, avoid the greens, which can lead to rash or heighten chances of sunburn.

Why parsley? Parsley is dismissed as a garnish when it is actually a nutrient powerhouse. Eating or juicing parsley after ingesting fried foods inhibits their dangerous cancer-causing properties, so instead of ignoring that sprig on your plate, ask for more! You'll be doing your health a huge favor. Parsley is a natural nerve stimulant and a great source of energy, so much so that many people use the recipes like the one above to replace coffee.
Tip: Revive wilting parsley in some cold H20.

Next!

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Delicious Ratio: 2 oranges per 1/2 grapefruit. Do peel your citrus, but leave as much of the white spongy part as possible.

Why grapefruit? This has been a long-time weight-loss favorite, as it is low cal while also lowering cholesterol and demonstrating anti-cancer effects. A cool and kind of magical thing about grapefruit is that it normalizes your hematocrit levels (the volume of red blood cells): too low hematocrit = anemia, while too high = heart disease. Grapefruit balances both of these, depending on what your body requires.
Tip: Avoid grapefruit that feels too soft or has green-colored skin.

Why oranges? Well, the memo on oranges containing Vitamin C probably won't surprise anyone. But it's actually the combination of Vitamin C with an orange's abundant flavonoids that really strengthen immunity and support connective tissue in the body. Oranges are another winner in preventing and fighting cancer.
Tip: Many people like to prove the prowess of their juicer by chucking in the whole orange, peel and all. Please don't! Even though citrus peels contain beneficial oils, those same oils will antagonize bodily functions and even inhibit the uptake of the fruits' other precious nutrients.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Simple 2 Ingredient Juices!"

*Much of the information in this post comes from the book The Complete Book of Juicing, which I own and love, and highly recommend for anyone interested in the recipes, health benefits, and nutritional information of juices. Here's the Amazon link:
The Complete Book of Juicing
I am in no way compensated for recommending this book, or anything else I post.

Juice: Apple Mint Watermelon

This was a quickie to make!

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I recently wrote a post about how important it is to hydrate in the morning (here) and another about why watermelon makes a perfect breakfast (& not lunch or dessert) here. Well, here are those two ideas combined into one delicious meal!

Apple Mint Watermelon Hydrator:

• Half a watermelon
• 1-2 apples
• Fresh mint (the bigger leaves the better not to get stuck in your straw!)

When I took the picture above I had blended the first two ingredients together like a smoothie. After this picture I started drinking it and decided I didn't like the pulpy texture. An option would be just to juice them (with the mint), but I just poured what I had blended through a large strainer and suddenly had a beautiful pulp-free juice! I stuck a bunch of mint in the glass, shook it up, and sipped it through a straw to avoid getting mint leaves in my mouth.

Mmmm. Absolutely delicious. And sooooooooo healthy!

Fruit Week: Friday "Holy Gr-ale" Juice

I feel like this round of posts could have been called Kale Week as much as Fruit Week. Behold, the Holy Grrrrrale:

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It gets its name from the only 2 ingredients: grapes and kale! I can't take credit for coming up with the sweet name, this one is a favorite recipe from Fully Raw Kristina (see her youtube video recipe below). I had doubts initially that one fruit ingredient would be enough to balance that earthy green taste of kale, but I'm serious when I say this is one of my favorite juices ever! It gets bonus points just for being so simple.

Holy Grale Juice:

• 1/2 - 1 bunch grapes (Any kind, but c'mon! The beautiful dark purplish-blue ones are in the markets right now, so get those while you can!)
• 1/2 - 1 bunch of kale
• plus, 5 reserved grapes for the end

Juice the grapes first and just enjoy a little taste of that. You will never want to settle for store-bought grape juice again! No contest! Strip your kale (see my tip on how to do this here) and juice it. I juice the last 5 or so grapes after the kale to help the green juice get out. My juicer is getting a bit worn out, so I'll even run a little filtered water through at the end to get more juice.

Last of all, strain the juice into your cup, because unless you have an awesome juicer there will probably still be a fair amount of grape skins and pulp in there. I like a nice, smooth juice. For all you audiovisual learners, here is the original recipe from Fully Raw Kristina: