CarrotsBeets

Celery, Beet and Carrot Spring Detox Juice

This brightly colored drink offers the sweetness of beets and carrots, the saltiness of celery, and the peppery overtones of radishes, garlic, and black pepper. Parsley adds a refreshing touch of green.

Spring is nature’s detoxification and cleanse season. The sweet cheesecake, buttery pecan pie, and rich food we ate from early winter through New Year’s reflect a natural need to insulate against the cold. These foods might still be lingering in your fat tissue, just as gooey, thick, and heavy in the body as they were on your plate. Now that the sun is returning, our body prepares for springtime by releasing the excess fats and sugars, making spring a perfect time to shed those holiday pounds.

As holiday excesses melt away the toxins trapped in our fat tissue enter the bloodstream. The appetite wanes for cheesecake,
pecan pie, and holiday roasts, which might seem off-putting or even nauseating by mid-January. While our appetite could easily accommodate two to three slices of cheesecake mid-December, a sliver of cheesecake mid-February leaves behind an awful aftertaste on the tongue, post-nasal drip, and a buildup of mucus masqueraing as the flu.

Detox juice is designed to assist the body in this process of releasing these fats, sugars, and toxins. Each of the components of this recipe work together to neutralize the symptoms of detoxification that you may be experiencing now and also set a good foundation for springtime.

Beets, radish, and garlic cleanse the liver and gall bladder, organs and tissues that are working hard to breakdown stored fats, oils, and sugars. The pigment that gives beets their bright color helps to neutralize the toxins from alcoholand spicy appetizers, balancing blood chemistry. The beta carotene in carrots cools the blood, noticeable as a cooling effect in the eyes which can feel inflamed, itchy, and irritated when the body releases fats. Beta carotene is also an important nutrient to counteract seasonal depression as it helps the skin to absorb the most from the limited sunlight during winter.

One of the quickest ways to deliver nutrients to these important organs in one simple recipe is through freshly prepared vegetable juices. Vegetable juices are easy to digest because grinding and straining removes all fiber content.

JOHN JOSEPH IMMEL has a clinical practice focused on healthy digestion and digestive tract pathology and is available by phone for appointments. He is the director of:joyfulbelly.com

Ingredients

1 Carrot
1/4 Cup celery stalk
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup beets
2 Tablespoons radishes (raw)
1/4 Cup fresh parsley
1 Glove garlic (Raw)

Preparation

If you don’t have a vegetable juicer, chop the ingredients and puree them in a blender with four cups of water. Strain.

Otherwise, follow these instructions to receive the greatest benefits (and most juice) from this recipe. Organic ingredients are especially important in juicing recipes because the juice is potent and highly concentrated.

  • Scrub and wash the carrots, radishes and beets well, discard their leafy tops and do not peel them.
  • Start with the parsley (since parsley is the driest ingredient on the list, beginning with it and then following with celery with a high water content will extract the most juice). Roll the parsley tightly in a ball to place in the juicer.
  • Follow with watery celery to facilitate the extraction of juice.
  • Then add the peeled garlic, carrot, radish, and beet.
  • Once the juice is poured, finish with fresh ground black pepper.
  • Freshly squeezed juices lose their potency after about 20 minutes. Prepare individual portions and drink immediately, preferably on an empty stomach.
  • This detoxification juice can generally be taken once a day for a week or as directed.

Pay attention to any sensations in the abdomen and heart rate after drinking. Then adjust the amount as appropriate for your body.

  Green Immune Soup

Through the use of foods that are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants, we can support a healthy immune system. This system relies on good nutrition to keep the cells and organs in a state of balance. Ayurveda recommends a diet full of variety along with a positive life-style, herbal therapies, Yoga, and meditation to maintain a strong immune system.

  Ingredients (serves 8-10)

10 – 15 cups water
1/2 head broccoli, chopped well
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 celery root (celeriac), chopped
1/2 cup green onions (green tops only), chopped
6 large leaves and stems of curly kale, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2 sheets kombu, cut in small pieces
1/2 bulb fennel, chopped (do not use the stalks for this soup, only the bulb)
1 thumb-size piece of turmeric root, chopped
1 thumb-size piece of ginger root, chopped
6 pieces of astragalus root (resembles tongue depressors)8 medium size (about three inches)
sulfur-free ashwangandha root
Four-inch piece of burdock root, chopped
1 tablespoon ajwan seeds (if you cannot find ajwan, celery seeds can be substituted in a pinch but they are a different seed)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons ghee (for a vegan soup, use one tablespoon coconut oil and one tablespoon sesame oil)
1 tablespoon miso (add this just at the end before serving so as not to destroy the enzymes in miso by cooking)
Add Bragg’s liquid aminos at the end to taste.

Directions

  • In a large soup pot, bring the pure water and hardy vegetables and herb roots (including astragalus, burdock, ashwagandha, ginger, and turmeric) to a boil and then turn to a simmer. Let these simmer together until they soften.
  • Add lighter vegetables in seaweed.
  • Saute the spice seeds in ghee or oil briefly and then add to the pot while cooking.
  • Cook until all the vegetables are soft and flavors are merged. Puree as desired.
  • Serve warm.

DR. LIGHT MILLER travels throughout the world teaching aromatherapy, Ayurveda, herbology, tantra, and related workshops. Together with her husband, Dr. Bryan Miller, she has written Ayurveda & Aromatherapy, Ayurvedic Remedies for the Whole Family, and Ayurvedic Curative Cuisine for Everyone. ayurvedichealers.com

This recipe is adapted from Ayurvedic Curative Cuisine for Everyone with permission from the author.

By John Joseph Immel, & Dr. Light Miller

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