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| Sweet Beet Juice |
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium beet
- 4 gala apples (core removed-skin on)
- 1 thumb size piece of ginger (skin removed-OPTIONAL)
- 2 cups kale
- 1-2 cups water (for blender use only)
Makes about 35 ounces of juice
Put the veggies in your juicer and juice them!
No juicer? No problem! Put them 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.
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Some Health Benefits
Kale:
Kale is a superstar in the arena of carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful
antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals that cause oxidative
stress. The key flavonoids kaempferol and quercitin (not to dismiss the 45 other distinctive flavonoids in kale) have
also been shown to specifically fight against the formation of cancerous cells.
With the addition of high doses of well-known antioxidants like Vitamin C,
Vitamin A, Vitamin K and manganese, kale is certainly a smart choice in the
battle against cellular oxidation. Last but certainly not least the
isothiocyanates (ITC) from glucosinolates found in kale aid in both phases I
and II of the body’s detoxification process. The high sulfur content of kale
has further been shown essential for phase II of detoxification.
Beet root: Beets are highly nutritious and
“cardiovascular
health” friendly root
vegetables. Certain unique pigment antioxidants present in root as well
as top greens
have found to offer protection against coronary artery disease and
stroke, lower cholesterol levels in the body and have anti-aging
effects.
The root is rich source of
phytochemical
compound Glycine
betaine.
Betaine has the property of lowering
homocysteine levels
in the blood. Homocysteine, one of highly toxic metabolite,
promotes platelet clot as well as atherosclerotic-plaque
formation, which can be harmful to
blood vessels. High levels of homocystiene in the blood
results in the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and
peripheral vascular diseases. Raw beets are an excellent
source of folates;
contains
about 109 mcg/100 g (Provides
27% of RDA).
Folates are necessary for
DNA synthesis in the cells. When given during peri-conception period
folates can prevent neural tube defects in the baby. It contains significant
amounts of vitamin-C,
one of the powerful natural antioxidant, which helps body scavenge
deleterious free radicals one of the reasons for cancers development. The root is also a rich
source of niacin (vit.B-3), pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), pyridoxine
(vit.B-6) and carotenoids,
and minerals such as iron, manganese, and magnesium. In addition, the root indeed has very
good levels of potassium. 100 g fresh root has 325 mg of potassium or
7% of daily requirements. Potassium lowers heart rate and regulates
metabolism inside the cells by countering detrimental effects of sodium.
Apples: are a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble
fiber such as pectin actually helps to prevent cholesterol buildup in
the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the incident of
atherosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fiber in apples
provides bulk in the intestinal tract, holding water to cleanse and
move food quickly through the digestive system. It is a good idea to eat apples with their skin. Almost half of the
vitamin C content is just underneath the skin. Eating the skin also
increases insoluble fiber content. Most of an apple's fragrance cells
are also concentrated in the skin and as they ripen, the skin cells
develop more aroma and flavor. Apples are rich in
antioxidant phyto-nutrients, flavonoids and polyphenols.
The
total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC
value) of 100g apple fruit is 5900TE. 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 protect the body from
deleterious
effects of free radicals. In addition, apples are 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. Apples also contain
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.
Ginger: Ginger has been in use
since ancient times for its anti-inflammatory,
carminative, anti-flatulent, and anti-microbial properties. The root contains many
health
benefiting essential
oils such as gingerol,
zingerone, shogaol,
farnesene and small amounts of phelladrene, cineol, and citral. Gingerols help
improve the intestinal motility and has anti-inflammatory, painkiller
(analgesic), nerve soothing, anti-pyretic as well as anti-bacterial
properties. Studies
have
shown that it may reduce nausea induced by motion sickness or pregnancy
and may help relieve migraine headaches. Zingerone,
which
gives pungent
character to the ginger root, has been found to be effective against
E.coli
induced diarrhea, especially in children. This herb root is low in
calories
and contains
no cholesterol, but is very rich source of many essential nutrients and
vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), pantothenic
acid (vit.B-5) that are essential for optimum health. It also contains good
amount
of
minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Potassium is
an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling
heart rate and blood pressure.
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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!
