Project Juice: Day 4
Feeling like I have made some serious progress, purchasing the actual juicer, I am confident that I will be able to make some quality juices. Simplicity as the Golden Rule, I create an orange, ginger and ginseng juice that I deem quite tasty and full of vibrant health! Perhaps because I have bought enough root to take me through the month do I feel the compulsion to add ginger and ginseng to everything I make. Quite frankly, these ingredients just sound as if they belong in a juicer. However, how much ginseng should I really be getting?! After researching a bit, ginseng root has many healthful benefits, including lowering blood sugar, blood pressure and improving the immune system. Warnings about ginseng in high doses only appear regarding extracts and supplements, not the actual root.
Juice #4
- Orange - 2 Ginger - ¼"
- Ginseng - 1" x ¼ "
Project Juice: Day 5
Now that I have some successes under my belt, I pull the array of greens back out. Kale, swiss chard, beet, blackberries and…ginseng! This juice will likely be less sweet and maybe even earthy…like a fine Merlot. I note that not much juice is extracted from kale or swiss chard, and based on the aroma of the juice, I expect the flavor winner to be the beet. I forecasted properly, and think the juice could use some ginger to balance the heavy beet. I add everything back in with some ginger and, in fact, have a nicely balanced flavor…the color of a fine Merlot.
Cleaning the juicer is not the issue, but rather the space on the counter required to have all the parts dry sufficiently…
Juice #5
- Kale - 1 cup
- Swiss chard - 1 cup
- Beet - 1
- Blackberries - 1 pint
- Ginseng - 1" x ¼"
Project Juice: Day 6
Of course, I need to tell everyone that I encounter to start juicing with me this month, and have naturally had some interesting responses. Juices, in general, are high in sugar and high glycemic index. We are hearing from health care professionals that we should avoid juice because we may overdrink our calories. Recommendations for children are not to exceed 4-6 ounces daily. (I would challenge anyone to drink more than 6 ounces of my beet juice…) Juice is liquid sugar! Well, while this is true, juicing at home is not entirely the same. Home juicing does remove fiber from the fruit releasing the fructose, but not in high enough concentration to be a toxic hit to the liver, and fructose does not have a huge impact on blood sugars. The body metabolizes fructose, and only shifts to producing tryglycerides from fructose when fructose concentration is overwhelming, perhaps when you have consumed a meal sweetened by high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)…Manufactured juice consumption is less optimal as it may displace healthy options, like water or milk, add unwarranted calories, and contribute to an increase in fructose consumption when included in a diet already high in processed foods that may contain HFCS. Overall, we regard the increased absorption of the enzymes and phytonutrients as far more of a benefit when juicing at home. Finally, we juice in measureable segments…or at least I do…30 days (to receive my holiday boost).
Juice #6
- Mango - 1
- Red Grapefruit - 1
- Ginger - 1"
- Ginseng - 1 x ¼"
The grapefruit balances the mango in this juice, and it is fantastic!
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