Does Beet Juice Make you Gag? Add More Pineapple

The sight of a fresh glass of juice makes me swoon, but I do admit, I sometimes hesitate when I juice beets.  The crimson juice of a fresh beet is quite potent, and can completely dominate the flavor of anything you mix with it, so I try to mix wisely.

Now, my vegan palate is quite adventurous when it comes to drinking the fresh juice of any vegetable. However, my omnivorous better-half has an involuntary beet gag-reflex.  SHE HATES THEM.

The other day, we wanted juice, and all I had in the fridge was... you guessed it, BEETS.  (I also had two lonely carrots, one (1) green apple, and about one-third of a sliced, fresh pineapple).  

I wonder how much pineapple juice would it take to get L to drink a glass of beet juice?

L's tiny glass. The pineapple worked!

This recipe came about as close as I will ever get:

Pineapple Beet Surprise (for even the worst Beet- Haters)
1 beet, scrubbed and peeled
1 carrots
1 green apple
one-third (1/3) fresh pineapple, peeled but not cored
1" piece fresh ginger

Cut fruits and vegetables into manageable size pieces for your juicer and juice away!  As always, I alternate the pieces of beet and carrot with the pineapple, which is much softer and tends to clog the juicing screen.  The strong fiber of the beet and carrot help to clear that out.

Serve over ice and enjoy the crimson goodness.  The picture does not do it justice!

So, why gag down the beet juice? You can read some facts here, but let's start with the simple fact that beet juice is highly nutritious.  Folate, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium and Copper are only some of the vitamins and minerals it contains.  Beet juice is also a powerful cleanser of the blood, improves your blood flow, and can lower blood pressure.  Not too shabby ^_^

Liquid Sunshine!

Start your morning off with some Liquid Sunshine:  
Pineapple, Mango, Carrot, Apple & Ginger 

~For a moment, I thought I had left the bowels of good ol' Woonsocket, RI and was instantly beamed to a remote and breezy tropical get-away...  Well, not quite... but it was pretty close.

If you'd like to re-create this luscious experience at home, I invite you to give this juice combo a shot!

Liquid Sunshine
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 mango, peeled and cut away from the seed (tips for cutting mango here)
3 carrots
1 small apple
1" piece of ginger

I used a lot of Soft Fruits in the particular blend, which tend to get a bit foamy in our juicer's juicing screen, so I cut my carrots and apple up into 2" chunks, and alternated them between the pineapple and mango.  This worked quite well, and kept the fruit foam to a minimum.

Now, I usually try and go a bit more heavy on the vegetables for juicing.  However, the day prior, I had made a batch of fruit salsa for my buddy, Scott's birthday, and still had quite a bit of pineapple and mango leftover...  

Great stuff, recipe here

So as my sugar began to spike, I decided to read about some of the awesome health benefits of mangos.

Some nutritional highlights: 

• Prevents cancer: the antioxidant compounds found in mangos have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers
• Lowers cholesterol:  thanks to their high fiber, pectin and vitamin C
• Clears the skin: As their color suggests, mangos contain beta-carotene, which is converted by the body into vitamin A.  Pair that with vitamin C, and you have some serious skin repair power.
  
• Healthy for the eyes: 25% daily needed value of vitamin A
• Alkalizes the whole body: Tartaric acid, malice acid and trace citric acid
• Improves digestion: Enzymes
• Boosts the immune system: vitamins A and C in mangos keep your immune system healthy and strong.

Sounds pretty good to me!  And they taste like paradise, so how can you possibly go wrong? ^_^

Apple Carrot & Ginger Juice

My new juicer has arrived, and I could not be more thrilled!  This deliciously gorgeous golden orange concoction was the perfect maiden voyage for the Omega 8006 Multipurpose Juicer.

Here we have:

5 small carrots, organic, leaves removed
2 red delicious apples, cored
1/2" piece of ginger

Feed all items through the chute of the juicer, no need to peel.  Feel free to add more or less ginger, to taste.  It gives the juice a nice warm kick!  Drink and enjoy.

I am so excited about this new raw food juicing adventure.  And, I am especially pleased at how delicious the fresh carrot and apple juice tasted together.  I have a secret: I am not a huge fan of carrots, either raw or cooked.  If I add them to salads, I have to grate them quite fine, just to enjoy them.  They say carrots are good for the eyes, and my eye sight is terrible.  I can barely choke down a raw carrot, which I am sure did NOT help my eyesight in the least.  I remember, when I was little, watching Bugs Bunny crunch on carrots. I would eagerly try and imitate Bugs, gnawing through a chunky hunk of carrot, and hated every minute of it.

Now, I hear that carrots are some of the most healing foods that provide top notch, quality nutrients, especially in their juice.  Carrots are excellent sources of pro-vitamin A, vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6. They are also rich in biotin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

And, then there is beta-carotene, probably the first think one thinks of when considering carrots and their vibrant orange complexion.  Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that has healing virtues for many diseases.  A glass of this stuff a day will cure all that ails you!

So in juice form, I can not only tolerate the taste of 5 carrots at one time, I actually enjoy it.  I might almost go as far to say as I crave it!  The road to wellness is a long and winding path, but I think this juicing might be a step in the right direction.  ^_^