The Perfect Time of Year To Juice

The sun is out so take advantage! Take a gulp and quench your thirst!

By juicing you take in so much more vegetables and fruits than you would otherwise, simple look at the recipes below there is no way I would prepare and eat all of these separately, having a juicer means I get in a an ideal amount of fresh, nutrient rich foods each day… and in a nice way 🙂 lets be honest kale isn’t the most attractive thing to eat as it is!

Before we get into the recipes I have had a few emails asking what juicer I use, when I go to buy an investment piece particularly kitchen equipment, I do my research! I use a masticating juicer, I use it for a number of reasons, firstly it’s the only type of juicer with the capacity to juice wheatgrass and other leafy greens, it also yields a higher nutrient-rich raw juice by twisting the fruit and vegetables breaking down the fibres very slowly! DONT WORRY- it doesn’t take ages to make the juice! And most importantly – this is my favourite part its actually really easy to clean, I SWEAR – I really hate cleaning juicers and have gone through many but this is very straight forward and compact for smaller kitchens.

Where I got mine – irishrawfoodcoach.com €195.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
Serves 1

  • 300g Pineapple skin removed and topped
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 3″ PIECE OF RED CHILLI – seeds removed
  • ½ lemon with peel removed

This is my top juice, it really remind me of something from my childhood, I haven’t pin pointed what exactly that is yet but if you get the same sensation let me know what it is… some sweet or juice! Pineapple a rich source of enzymes is great for aiding digestion, speeding wound healing and reducing inflammation, perfect if your like me and injury prone.

RED-DY STEADY GO
Serves1

  • 1 large sweet potato ( 250g)peeled & chopped
  • 1 sweet red peppers seeds removed
  • 1 red apple cored
  • 1.5″ piece ginger
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Naturally SO sweet this combination gives carrot juice a run for its money, bursting with beta carotene, full of vitamin A, AND C this is an unusual juice might take a bit of time to adjust but if you like sweetness and a thicker filling juice you will love this!

PEACH PERFECT

Serves 1

  • 2 ripe peach’s- I used white flesh peaches
  • 1″ piece ginger
  • ½ fennel
  • ½ lemon peeled

Not for the faint hearted, fennel can be at times very over powering, the peaches balance it out well in the juice with their sweetness good for a low calorie, low gi fruit that wont impact on your blood sugar!

WATERMELON REFRESHER
Serves 2

  • 1/3 watermelon chopped into chunks skin removed
  • 2 sticks celery
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1 lime peeled

All THESE INGREDIENTS ARE majority made up of water this juice is really refreshing, light and perfect for a hot day! Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits and 92% WATER, high in lycopene associated with lowering the risk of prostate cancer.

BORN TO KALE

Serves 3

  • 2 handfuls kale
  • 1 green courgette
  • ½ cucumber
  • 1.5 piece of ginger
  • 6 mint leaves
  • 300ml coconut water
  • tbsp raw honey or a green apple- optional ( I drink it without but maybe if you’re a beginner juicer start with adding this in for sweetness )

Once again This is an extreme green, sometimes I try not to juice too much fruit so opt for complete veggie juices, this is definitely drinkable (and enjoyable) with the coconut water added in it lightens the juice and adds a natural sweetness also the mint tricks the mind into a little bit of extra sweetness coming through, I really like it without adding in the apple or honey and it’s a fantastic way to get in some greens.

 

BLOODY BEETROOTS

Serves 1

  • 2 raw beetroot peeled and halved
  • 2 mandarins
  • ½ pink grapefruit
  • 1 “ ginger or turmeric root

I swear by beet juice during triathlon season, pretty epic by its self but with a few small extras it can really add hints of flavor and its nice to change it up! I drink beet juice not to destroy my clothes or turn my pee red ( DON’T WORRY YOUR NOT BLEEDNING INTERNALLY)but its an excellent liver tonic and blood purifier.

Now make your own raw juice! Get creative and begin coming up with your own recipes from your favourite fruits and veggies, use the foods you always have at home! Try to add in as much vegetables as possible and if you want to add some sweetness try stick to LOW GI fruits to give it that lift! Also don’t be afraid to blend some nutrient dense ‘thickners’ to your juice like avocados, bananas, and (peeled & steamed) sweet potato.

I ALSO LOVE TO ADD IN herbs and spices, cinnamon, mint, turmeric, cayenne, basil , parsley, nutmeg a side from being powerhouses packed full of nutrients and minerals they can change a juice in seconds and really help to bring out the flavours, also look at seeds from chia to flax, bee pollen and raw honey there’s so much you can do to dress up your juice! I hope this will inspire you to get juicing and tag me in your creations @naturalbornfeeder!

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