Kiwi, Apple, Kale & Ginger Juice

Today is the day, I will start to share my recipes on a frequent basis with you all here. I have been thinking about what I could do with my blog aside from showcasing my work, but felt it wasn’t nearly enough to show who I am,and what I am all about. So I decided (with some persuasion from friends) to start (b)logging everything I have learned over the past 6 years about Nutrition, health and Fitness. Starting with this recipe for a delicious RAW super juice.

Juice is so simple to make, and if you have a great juicer like I have  (picture below), even the cleaning up takes only minutes.

So on to the recipe.

Ingredients (Preferably organic)

• 5 Leaves of Lacino Kale
• 5 Leaves of Kale (the curly kind) or approx. 10 leaves of either
• 3 Kiwis
• 1 Apple
• 1 inch chunk of Ginger

Process

Basically the order in which to process the vegetables is really not so important, although I have my preferred method. I like to start with the harder vegetables like Ginger and kale, then apple, and lastly the soft fruit Kiwi.

Notes

The great thing about this recipe, is that since all the ingredients are either green or clear in color, the juice comes out in a very rich green hue, and needless to say… Its delicious! Enjoy.

Health

Now the more factual part. So what exactly is so good for you about this green juice?
Here’s what I’ve learned:

Greens (Kale)

play a major part in purifying the blood and strengthening the immune system. They also support muscle development and help rebuild muscle tissue. They are full of anti-oxidants, and their function in plants is to absorb energy from the sun to facilitate photosynthesis. Greens are great for detoxing the body, and is highly recommended to people who are trying to loose weight.

Kiwi

is full of anti-oxidants and Vitamin C, so if you are feeling a little under the weahter, taking a shot of Kiwi in your juice helps strengthen the immune system to fight off the cold. Kiwis are supposed to be great for the skin, and I’ve heard, David Wolfe recommending kiwis as part of the “Eating for Beauty” Diet to help regain or maintain healthy skin.
As with most fruits and vegetables, a large amount of the nutrition resides in the skin, so its important that you wash the fruit carefully before juicing it, and keep the skin on always. Except for Oranges, where you peel of the outer skin and leave the white part that sits on top of the flesh.

Ginger

is GREAT for you digestion, and has been used for thousands of years to aid in any kind of blood related or digestive related problems. Ginger is one of the ancient medicines of the east, and has been recorded to benefit the body in a multitude of ways, too many to mention here.

Here’s what the experts say:

Kale

Kale is rich and abundant in calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in Vitamin C not to mention the much needed fiber usually lacking in the daily diet of most people. Other properties are the natural occurring phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles which research suggests may protect against cancer. Let’s not forget the all important antioxidant Vitamin E. Rest assured kale spares nothing in providing one with much needed nutrients and associated health benefits.

The naturally rich sulfur content of kale deserves a bit more discussion. Science has discovered that sulforaphane, helps boost the body’s detoxification enzymes, possibly by altering gene expression. This is turn is purported to help clear carcinogenic substances in a timely manner. Sulforaphane is formed when cruciferous vegetables like kale are chopped or chewed. This somehow triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer causing chemicals, of which we all are exposed on daily basis.

Courtesy of: Dr. Posh

Kiwi

Kiwi fruits are rich in many Vitamins, flavonoids and minerals. In particular, they contain a high amount of Vitamin C (more than oranges), as much potassium as bananas and a good amount of beta-carotene.

It is important to note that kiwi fruits contain a remarkable amount of Vitamin C, E and A. Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant that has been proven to protect our body from free radicals, dramatically improving the health of individuals who consumed it regularly against all kinds of disease, from cardiovascular problems to cancer and obesity.

Vitamin E has been proven to have similar effects, but is fat-soluble and thus is complimentary to Vitamin C in its functions. Kiwi fruits contain both these vitamins in high amount, which help protect our body against free radicals from all fronts.

The high content in dietary fiber helps improving diseases such as diabetes, by controlling sugar levels, and colon cancer, since fiber binds to toxic compounds in the colon and helps us expel them.

Fiber has also been proven to reduce cholesterol levels, improving the conditions of patients with cardiovascular diseases and lowering the probability of heart attacks.

Courtesy of: Kiwi-fruit.info

Apple

If you’ve ever heard the saying “An apple a day…” Then its almost needless to say that apples are super good for you… If you want to know exactly how good

Ginger

Historically, ginger has a long tradition of being very effective in alleviating symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. In herbal medicine, ginger is regarded as an excellent carminative (a substance which promotes the elimination of intestinal gas) and intestinal spasmolytic (a substance which relaxes and soothes the intestinal tract). Modern scientific research has revealed that ginger possesses numerous therapeutic properties including antioxidant effects, an ability to inhibit the formation of inflammatory compounds, and direct anti-inflammatory effects.

Courtesy of: WHFoods

As always, Drop me a line below, and please feel free to ask any questions you have regarding health & nutrition. Until next time. Enjoy.