Thirsty Thursday- Homemade "Gatorade"

Being the mom of a very talented athlete, I try to provide the best possible nutrition for my young sprinter to perform well. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are filled with yucky ingredients and have no real fruit juice in them at all.

Give this one a try....

1/2 cup orange juice or 2 oranges juiced

1/2 cup apple juice or 1 apple juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1 limed, juiced

1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid (vitamin c powder)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 tbsp raw honey

8 ice cubes

Juice all ingredients and then blend everything in a blender. If you are not juicing and using commercial juice, try to get organic and unpasteurized if possible.

You may dilute with water to taste as it is quite salty. You can store this drink in a sports bottle and keep in a cooler for those long days.

Cleaning Out the Fridge

That's what I did late Tuesday morning in anticipation for my visit to the Temecula Farmer's Market on Wednesday. I had a lot of veggies and fruits to use up. As a result, a few yummy creations were made.

Aduki Bean and Veggie Soup

Of course this is something that I made up as I went along.

-1/2 box of organic vegetable stock

-water as needed

Veggies:

-Several carrots cut into rounds

-2 celery stalks, sliced

-1/2 onion, diced

-1 large leek, sliced

-1 handful of broccoli, chopped

-1" piece of kombu seaweed, chopped (locals, I found this at Sprout's Natural Market)

-1/2 daikon radish, diced

-2 cloves garlic, pressed

-shoyu, sea salt fresh ground pepper to taste

I simmered all the veggies in the vegetable stock/water until soft. I then added a can of Eden Organics Aduki Beans and simmered for 15 minutes longer.

That was my lunch. I went to yoga with my daughter and when I came home, my husband heated the soup again but he added lasagna noodles and black beans. What a treat to come home to after a challenging power yoga session.

Juice- Un-named :)

While the afternnoon soup was simmering, I made a delicious juice. I used the following fruits and veggies:

-1 parsnip

-Several small carrots

-2 apples

-1 small orange

-1 star grapefruit

Run throught that juicer...refreshing!

Umeboshi Radishes

I also had some radishes that needed to be used. Following the lead of Alicia Silverstone in her book The Kind Diet, I decided to pickle them in umeboshi vinegar.

-5-6 radishes, thinly sliced

-1/2 cup of umeboshi vinegar

1 cup of water.

Place ingredients in a jar and cover with cloth for 24 hours or up to 3 days. I'll let you know how they turn out!

Thirsty Thursday

Simplicity

Many of my juice recipes have several ingredients. Today, I am going to keep it simple and refreshing.

Here are the ingredients:

2 green apples

2 stalks of celery

1 parsnip

1 handful of fresh mint

Run all ingredients through the juicer and bottoms up! Garnish with a lime wedge and a sprig of mint.

Health Benefits of Mint:

I love juicing mint. It gives the juices such a refreshing taste. I especially enjoy it now that I can pick it fresh from my garden. After performing some research, I have found that mint not only tastes great, but it has a variety of benefits. Mint is known to soothe the digestive tract and help with indigestion. It can be used to reduce the severity and duration of the common stomach ache. This can be especially helpful for school age children who wake up with those dreaded stomach aches before school in the morning. Mint possesses antifungal properties and can slow the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi in the gut- this is especially helpful for those that suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Mint may also be considered an anticancer food and can be helpful in preventing certain cancers such as colon, skin and lung cancer. It is also a powerful antioxidant and is rich in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, C, B12, thiamine, folic acid and riboflavin as well as manganese, copper, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, fluoride and selenium. This fabulous herb also has blood cleansing properties. So you don't like it in your juice? Try steeping it in a cup of hot water....there's nothing like a cup of fresh mint tea.

For other healthy and refreshing juice recipes, type "Thirsty Thursday" in the search box on the upper left hand corner of this page.

Thirsty Thursday

Quite honestly, I just made up this juice as I went. I went to the Farmer's Market yesterday and used a lot of what I bought- all local and organic. For those that are local, this is my favorite grower at the Farmer's Market. They are there on both Wednesdays and Saturdays. Which gives me an idea....I will have to do a post on my weekly visit to the Farmer's Market. Coming soon....

Ingredients
1 medium parsnip (of course)
1/2 cucumber (peeled if not organic)
2 white radishes
2 stalks of celery
4-5 carrots (I used very small ones, if using standard or large I would use only 1 or 1 1/2)
5-6 blood oranges
1 teaspoon of raw local honey (I used avocado honey)
1 wedge of a sweet lime

Run the 1st 6 ingredients through your juicer. Mix in 1 teaspoon of honey. Top with a squeeze of sweet lime and enjoy!


Ingredient spotlight: Blood Oranges
The red pigment in a blood orange is called anthocyanin. It is an antioxidant that decreases the risks connected to many illnesses including some age-related illnesses. Blood oranges may also reduce the threat of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, and the accumulation of bad cholesterol. Furthermore, they may possibly lessen the risk of cataracts, and lend support in the body's natural healing processes.
Like all citrus fruits, blood oranges, are excellent sources of vitamin C. A typical orange provides about 130% of the recommended daily amount of the vitamin. It also provides fiber and are also is a valuable source of folate, calcium, and vitamin A.

For other juice recipes, type "juicing" or "Thirsty Thursday" in the search box in the upper left hand corner of this site.

Thirsty Thursday: Get "Rooted"

This juice is a blend of several different root vegetables with a hint of green apple. It’s very refreshing and great to have anytime of the day. I used all organic ingredients which is a big plus.









Ingredients:

1 Parsnip
3 stalks of celery
1 inch piece of ginger root
1 green apple
A couple slices of celery root

Run through your juicer, top with a squeeze of sweet lime juice and a sweet lime wedge for garnish. Enjoy!





Ingredient profile: Celery root

I received the celery root in my mix from the fruit guys. I considered making a soup out of it, but the juicer was calling its name. Celery root contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, E, K and minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. Vitamin C contained by celery supports the immune system, making the body more resilient against new diseases. Along with magnesium, iron is helpful in lessening the effects of anemia. Celery has the ultimate measure of iron and magnesium to keep diseases like cancer from making progress. This plant has diuretic properties and is also purifying to the body. Due in part to its purifying properties, the ingestion of celery is suggested for those people who are “always-on-the-go” and find it difficult to keep up with healthy eating. Since it is diuretic and purifying, celery is the perfect ingredient for those who are trying to achieve weight loss. Diets based on celery have reviving and stimulating effects on the body. It doesn’t stop there. It has other benefits which include expectorant and emollient properties which make this plant effective against bronchitis. It also adjusts hormonal dysfunctions assisting in conditions such as sever menstrual cramps (dysmenorrheal), infertility, menopausal disorders and acne.

Thirsty Thursday: Pretty as a Parsnip

Pretty as a Parsnip

Ingredients:

3-4 stalks of celery

1 parsnip (my new fave)

1/2 of a small cucumber

1 fuji apple

1 lemon

1 handful of mint

Run all of the ingredients through your juicer and enjoy!

I received some parsnips in my delivery from the fruit guys so I decided to juice them (of course). They have a great light, sweet flavor. I'd love to juice them with some ginger. I'll experiment with this one and let you all know how it goes.

Here are some of the benefits of parsnips:

Parsnips are a good source of vitamin C thus making them an immune booster as well as a potent antioxidant. They also have niacin (vitamin B3) which helps digestive system function, skin, and nerves. They also provide some vitamin E which is another antioxidant as well as potassium and dietary fiber. Parsnip juice contains far less calories than carrot juice which makes it a valuable ingredient in juice recipes that aim to help weight loss. Parsnip has been associated with improving bronchial tube functioning in the lungs and so may be of benefit to those who suffer from asthma. Who knew?

Thirsty Thursday: Juice Recipe of the Week

I thought that it would be fun to post a juice recipe every Thursday since I am enjoying this juicing process so much. I have been making several of the juices from my raw cleanse book but this morning I decided to experiment on my own.

I will call this juice:

"Soothing Glow"

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of green or red grapes
1 Granny Smith Apple
½ cucumber
2 stalks of celery
1 large handful of Spinach
1 small handful of mint

Run all the ingredients through your juicer. I topped the juice off with a squeeze of lemon juice and a wedge of lemon. Enjoy!

This juice is full of antioxidants; its ingredients fight certain cancers such as lung cancer, colon, skin, lung and breast cancer. It also contains ingredients that fight heart problems and Alzheimer’s Disease. This juice is loaded with polyphenols such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and resveratrol. It is a source of silica which improves the complexion and health of the skin. In addition, its high water content makes it naturally hydrating which is good for glowing skin. It is also rich in vitamin C. It contains compounds called coumarins. This helps prevent free radicals from damaging cells. Spinach,one of the key ingredients, has anti-inflammatory properties and is a good source of iron. The juice also contains mint which is soothing to the stomach.

I Bought a Juicer!

I am so excited to have found a steal of a deal on craigslist. I found a Tefal Juice Master Juicer for $10. It's certainly not a high end juicer, but I just wanted something to get me started while saving a few dollars. After making my purchase, I went straight to the store and bought a little bit of fresh produce to add to what I already had at home. No sooner than I had entered my home did I have my fruit cut up and the juicer plugged in. I used 1/2 of a pineapple, a handful of cilantro, a few stalks of celery, 1 lime, and 2 apples. I pushed all of it through the juicer and enjoyed a nice glass of juice.

My girls were so excited and ran to the fridge and grabbed a few apples and pears that I juiced for them. They drank it down fast!

Now the possibilities are endless!

Here's to health!

The fruits and veggies I used.

The juice looked really pretty before I stirred it.

Bon Appetit!