LIKE US!

2/29/2012

Super Juice

Super Juice
INGREDIENTS
  • 4 Apple
  • 1 large cucumber
  • 1 tsp spirulina
  • 1 tsp msm
  • 1 cup of water (blender use only)
Makes about 40 oz

Put the cucumber and apples 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.

After juicing, pour back into your blender and add the spirulina and msm. Blend a little until the powders are dissolved. Then drink.

------------------------------------
Some Health Benefits

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. 

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.  
Spirulina: Spirulina is the common name given to a family of blue-green algae produced by a class of cyano-bacteria called “Arthospira”. It is abundant in both fresh and sea water. Spirulina benefits come mostly nowadays as a type of dietary supplement that comes from a type of microscopic alga, which is shaped like a spiral coil. Spirulina is cultivated from all around the world and is used as a dietary supplement as well as a whole food available in tablet, flake and powder form. One of the most important of all spirulina benefits is that it has an unusually high amount of protein, which is an almost complete protein that contains 18 of the 22 amino acids the body needs. It is of a superior quality when compared to plant protein. It is also rich with several different types of essential fatty acid, and contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Vitamin E. It is also a source of such minerals as potassium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium (selenium benefits), sodium, and zinc. The most important and popular spirulina health benefit that comes with regular supplementation is undoubtedly weight loss. Spirulina weight loss has become quite a popular diet food; it is natural, it has all the major vitamins, amino acids and nutrients required by the human body and it has a very high protein content (60-70% of its body weight is pure protein). It is also free of carbohydrates and sugar. As a result, it acts as a potent appetite suppressant reducing body weight over time. Of course, if you are using spirulina weight loss as a magic pill remedy it will not work by itself but it should help you in diminishing your hunger while eating a completely natural food. It has also been shown to help correct anemia for undernourished children, it also be effective against melanosis and keratosis caused by chronic arsenic poisoning. Spirulina is also found to protect against hay fever, reduce inflammation caused by arthritis. Also, another one of the spirulina benefits is that it is a rare source of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) which is otherwise only present in mother’s milk. This particular amino acid helps reduce bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. It also improves cardiovascular health in general. Spirulina is known to help contain the effects of type 2 diabetes. Regular Spirulina supplementation is known to lower blood sugar levels. It also improves the antioxidant potential in people, which decreases muscle breakdown and exhaustion after exercising and improves overall health. However despite all these benefits their are a few (mostly minor) spirulina side effects you might want to learn more about in my other post. However, the only real side effect you probably have to worry about is that spirulina also contains an amino acid called, phenylalanine, which should be avoided by people with phenylketonuria, a metabolic disorder, which prevents the body from metabolizing this particular amino acid, making it to build up in the brain causing damage. And although very rare it may sometimes contain a type of toxin called microcystins, which can cause liver diseases, including cancer. Unfortunately, as of yet no standard exists to regulate its safety, however as mentioned it is an extremely rare toxin, so as long as properly tested there is no need for an alarm. As you can see theirs definitely a lot of benefits linked to spirulina so it might be a supplement you want to add to your diet when looking for the best multivitamin that can compliment your eating habits! 

---------------
----------------


PLEASE NOTE! This sites content (including but not limited to: all food, hair and skin care recipes; tips; tutorials; writings; and, downloads) are absolutely free to the public! Because it's free, I ask one simple favor in return, as your token of appreciation for my humanitarian effort...I realize you may want to share and maybe even use Veg Vivaciously's content in your business(es) (including but not limited to: blog(s), e-zine(s), website(s), free publication(s), etc). You can, as long as you (1) do not charge a fee; (2) cite the direct link of the Veg Vivaciously content used; and, (3) include the verbiage below with the Veg Vivaciously content used: 
-------COPY BLURB BELOW-------
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!
-------COPY BLURB ABOVE-------
 
 
Copyright © 2011-2012 Veg Vivaciously All Rights Reserved.