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| Apple Melon Surprise |
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups of collards (loosely packed)
- 3 cups of spinach (loosely packed)
- 4 golden delicious apples (core removed-skin on)
- 1 large cucumber (skin on)
- 1 cup water (for blender use only)
Makes about 50 oz
Juice your ingredients and...voila! Juice!
No juicer? No problem! Blend in your Vitamix.
Then strain through a nut milk bag or a paint strainer bag...and pour
in your storage container. For detailed instructions on making juice in
the blender click here.
This juice is seriously so good it will make you want to smack somebody! You taste the sweetness from the apples, but the cucumber is what really sets this juice off! It adds a bit of a melon taste that compliments the apples and totally covers the taste of the greens. I'm going to make this a lot going forward! Its a great way to mask the strongness of collards, while getting all the nutrients you need from collards. I could smack myself for not trying this combination sooner.
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Some Health Benefits
Collard Greens: These greeny leaves contain very
good amount of soluble and insoluble dietary fibre that helps control
LDL cholesterol levels and also; offers protection against hemorrhoids,
constipation as well as colon cancer diseases. Widely considered to be
healthful foods, collards are rich in invaluable sources of
phyto-nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as di-indolyl-methane
(DIM) and sulforaphane
that have proven benefits against prostate,
breast, cervical, colon, ovarian cancers by virtue of
their cancer cell growth inhibition and cytotoxic effects on cancer
cells. Di-indolyl-methane
has also found to be effective immune modulator, anti-bacterial and
anti-viral properties by potentiating Interferon-gamma receptors and
production. The leaves are also an
excellent source of folates. Folates are important in DNA synthesis and when given
during peri-conception period can prevent neural tube defects in the
baby. Fresh collard leaves are
also rich in vitamin-C.
Vitamin-C is a powerful
natural
anti-oxidant that offers protection against free radical injury and
flu-like viral infections. Collard greens are also an
excellent source of vitamin-A and flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants such
as lutein, carotenes,
zea-xanthin,
crypto-xanthin etc. These compounds are scientifically
found to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A also required
maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is also essential for
vision. Consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids
helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. This leafy vegetable
contain amazingly high levels of vitamin-K,
provides staggering 426%
of recommended daily levels per 100 leaves. Vitamin K has potential
role in the
increase of bone mass by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bone.
It also has beneficial effect in Alzheimer's
disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their
brain. Collards are
rich in many vital B-complex groups of minerals such as niacin (vitamin
B-3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and
riboflavin. The leaves and stems are
good in minerals like iron, calcium,
copper, manganese, selenium and zinc.
Golden Apples:
Delicious and crunchy, apples are popular fruits that contain an impressive list of essential nutrients,
which are required for normal growth and development and overall
nutritional well-being. The fruits are however, contain
no saturated fats or cholesterol; but rich in dietary fiber, which
helps, prevent absorption of dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut. The
dietary fibers also help protect the mucous membrane of the colon from
exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer causing chemicals in
the colon. Apple fruit contains good
quantities of vitamin-C
and beta-carotene.
Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich
in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents
and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body. Apples are rich in
antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids
and polyphenols.
The
important flavonoids in apples are quercetin,
epicatechin, and procyanidin
B2. Apples are also good in tartaric acid
that
gives tart flavor to them. These compounds help body protect from
deleterious
effects of free radicals. In addition, apple fruit is a good source
of B-complex
vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).
Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as
well as in various synthetic functions inside the body. Apple also contains small
amount of minerals
like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Potassium is an important
component of cell
and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus
counters the bad influences of sodium.
Spinach: Spinach is store house for many
phyto-nutrients that have health promotional and disease
prevention properties. Very low in calories and
fats (100 g of raw leaves provide just 23 cal). It contains good
amount of soluble dietary fiber; no wonder greeny spinach is one of the
vegetable source recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight
reduction programs! Fresh 100 g of spinach
contains about 25% of daily intake of iron; one of the
richest among
green leafy vegetables. Iron is an important trace element required by
the body for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for
oxidation-reduction enzymes cytochrome-oxidases
during the cellular metabolism. Fresh leaves are rich
source of several vital anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin
C; and flavonoid poly
phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin
and beta-carotene.
Together these
compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free
radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a healing role in
aging
and various disease processes.
Zea-xanthin, an important
dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula
lutea
in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective
light-filtering functions; thus helps protect from "age related macular
disease" (ARMD), especially in the elderly. Vitamin A is also required
for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for
vision. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A
and flavonoids
helps body protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. 100 g of Spinach provides
402% of daily vitamin-K requirements.
Vitamin K plays vital role in
strengthening bone mass by promoting osteotrophic (bone building)
activity in the bone. It also has established role in patients with
Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuronal damage in the brain. This greeny leafy
vegetable also contain good
amounts of many B-complex vitamins like vitamin- B6 (pyridoxine),
thiamin (vitamin B-1), riboflavin, folates and niacin. Folates
help prevent neural tube defects in the offspring. 100 g of farm
fresh spinach has 47% of daily recommended levels of vitamin C. Vitamin
C is a
powerful antioxidant which helps body develop resistance against
infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals. The leaves also contain
good amount of minerals like potassium,
manganese, magnesium, copper
and zinc. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids
that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and
copper are used
by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide
dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red
blood cells.
Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and
development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. It is also rich source of
omega-3
fatty acids.
Cucumbers: Cucumber peel is a good source of dietary fiber that helps
reduce constipation, and offers some protection against colon cancers
by eliminating toxic compounds from the gut. It is a very
good source
of potassium, an important intracellular electrolyte. Potassium is a
heart friendly electrolyte; helps reduce blood pressure and heart rates
by countering effects of sodium. It contains
unique
anti-oxidants in good ratios such as beta-carotene
and α-carotene, vitamin-C, vitamin-A,
zea-xanthin
and lutein.
These compounds help act as protective
scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen
species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes. Cucumbers have
mild
diuretic property
probably due to their high water and potassium content, which helps in
checking
weight gain and high blood pressure. They are surprisingly have high amount of vitamin
K. Vitamin-K has
been found to have potential role in bone strength by promoting
osteotrophic
(bone mass building) activity. It also has established role in the
treatment of Alzheimer's
disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their
brain.
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