Cancer Journey/ Drinks/ HEALTH/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES

9 Reasons To Juice Your Greens

When I was diagnosed with cancer, one of the first things I did was order a juicer.  It was the best 99 dollars I have spent in a long time!  I had read Kris Karr’s “Crazy, Sexy Cancer Life” and knew she was keeping her tumors “quiet” for over 7 years using only nutritional methods.  The main practice that she swears by for her continued health is juicing her greens.  Juicing is also the main practice of the Gerson Therapy for cancer, and there are several blogs out there that I love that tell of survivors experience with this.

I drank green, beet and carrot juices all though my treatment and after when healing from surgeries.  I stayed healthy throughout my entire treatment (except for a weird ear infection from a small cut when chemo had my cell count low) and honestly felt like my immune system was stronger than ever during treatment.  The only time I felt sick and weak was the first week of all 4 cycles of chemo, and that was to be expected.  My doctors commented on how quickly my incisions healed, and I think what I put into my body nutritionally had a lot to do with it!

The last 3 months I have not been as regular with juicing, and I miss it.  It is an amazing way to start the day, and I definitely notice a difference in my energy level and my complexion/skin.  When I juiced regularly, I had a healthy glow about me.  People commented on it all the time.  I have been pretty regular with my green smoothies, but alternating them with fresh veggie juice is definitely the way to go.

Why Juice?

1.  By removing the fiber through the process of squeezing the pulp, we instantly lighten the load on our digestion. Nutrients pass directly into the bloodstream, and within minutes our bodies receive optimum fuel to feed our cells and help restore our immune systems. —Kris Carr


2.  Fresh juice provides vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, proteins, phytonutrients, antioxidants and so much more!


3.  You will have increased energy.  This is one of the main motivations.  I love how energized I feel when I juice!


4.  Much of the goodness of fruit is locked in the fiber which is expelled from the body. When we juice the fruits and vegetables, their goodness is released from the fiber and we are able to drink their highly concentrated nutrients which are then able to enter our bloodstream very quickly. —Living and Raw Foods


5. The large amounts of concentrated nutrients one receives from juicing could never be eaten in one sitting.  Imagine trying to make a smoothie out of the same amount of veggies used to make 16 oz of juice.  You could never drink that much.


6. Drinking fresh juice guarantees you are receiving many of the nutrients you need.  Bottled juices on the market have lost most of their nutritional value.  Make sure you drink your freshly pressed juice right away, as nutrient loss happens fairly quickly.


7. It is a great way to use up fruits and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste.  I have felt so much better about my lack of food waste now that I have a juicer.  Fruits and veggies that are almost past their prime are perfect for juicing.


8. No matter how we try, man cannot replicate the amazing goodness that is in food that God through nature has provided for us.  A supplement is necessary at times, but nothing can compare or compete with what nature can give through real food.


9. It increases alkalinity.  It is said that diseases cannot thrive in an alkaline state.  Fresh green juice is detoxifying and contains loads of chlorophyll.  “Chlorophyll contains a powerful blood builder that’s said to increase red blood cells, improve circulation, ease inflammation, oxygenate the body, and counteract harmful free radicals. By eating (and drinking) a diet high in chlorophyll (raw fruits and veggies, especially leafy greens), we dine on liquid oxygen, the very substance we need to stay alive and thrive. —Kris Karr “Crazy Sexy Cancer Life”

My Go-To Green Juice
~big bunch of kale
~2 celery stalks
~1 regualr cucmber or 1/2 of a large
~1 green apple
~1/2 lemon
1 inch chunk of ginger (chunk in pic is too big, it is about 2 inches)
~~~
1 scoop vanilla plant fusion pea protein powder (optional)
Ice (optional)
I use organic produce as much as possible.  Peel your cucumber if not organic.  The peel of lemons, ginger and apple core is just fine in the juicer.  I have recently read that apple seeds contain a toxin, so removing those would be preferred.
After the veggies are washed, the process takes just a minute.
It really is easy, the hardest part being the clean up, which really is not that big of a deal.
Adding produce to the juicer
Liquid gold in my opinion!!
Left over pulp can be used in soups or to make homemade pulp crackers.  Or compost.
I add a scoop of vegan protein powder.  It has the sweet herb, stevia in it, which I think makes the flavor of my juice so much better.  If you like a tart juice, you can eliminate this step.  I put the juice in a mason jar, add protein powder, add ice, put the lid on and shake!  Add a straw and enjoy!!
I use the
I love it!  It is compact compared to most juicers, a great price, and easy to clean!
Really, clean up is easy with this machine.  The most work is that mesh basket, but it comes with its own brush and takes seconds.  The rest is just rinse and dry.
Have you ever juiced?  Do you have a juicer that you love?  Does this interest or intrigue you?
Did you know there are a bazillion juice recipes out there?  One of my fav–2 apples and 2 handfuls of fresh cranberries.  Homemade Cran-Apple juice is AMAZING!


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  • gingersneezes
    July 17, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    This looks incredible. Thank you so much for listing all the amazing benefits of juicing. I have been looking into it for some time now and I think I am just about ready to jump in and get myself a juicer. Are there any juice “cook books” out there that you would recommend?

  • Donalyn
    February 25, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    Ok Amy – you sold me on the idea! I ordered the juicer and the protein powder [I need a lot of protein so this is a must for me] – I’ll be juicing by next weekend. In case anyone is looking for this juicer, at about the price you mention, Amazon isn’t the best choice – they are out of stock except from other sellers and with the shipping they are quite a lot more $$. I found it here: http://www.fernsnutrition.com/juice_fountain.html, for $109 & free shipping. The pulp won’t go to waste around here either – I am sure my chickens will be delighted to see it showing up in their scrap pail 😉

  • Anonymous
    January 31, 2012 at 5:28 am

    I have been off juice for about a week and have been partaking in alot of white grains. I have made the excuse of “busy bee me.” I can feel it in my work out. I am slower and feel heavy. Thanks for the reminder of how great juicing is! I will be using the remaining kale in my fridge tomorrow morning!

  • Monte Sharle'
    January 25, 2012 at 5:48 pm

    I just tried this juice recipe yesterday morning…it was delicious! I tried juicing kale in the past and it wasn’t a very good experience so I did some searching online to find out what I was doing wrong. Once I figured it out, I gave your recipe a whirl and I love love love it! I’m now becoming reacquainted with my juicer!

  • Donalyn
    January 23, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    Amy – what flavor of the protein powder do you use? Is the unflavored kind sweetened with stevia?

  • Anonymous
    January 22, 2012 at 6:56 pm

    Maybe you guys could help me out here…what do these juices taste like? I have such a strong gag reflex from things I don’t like. It took me years just to be able to eat slices of cucumber…and they have to be dipped in italian dressing, lol. But seriously, I love the benefits and want/need to get veggies in my body…but can you be really honest about what it taste like?? Thanks!!

  • Alicia
    January 21, 2012 at 9:52 pm

    Very interesting! Added juicer to my wish list. 🙂

    I’m a Hodgkins survivor with lots of work to go to make a healthier diet. Maybe this will be the next step!

  • erin
    January 21, 2012 at 1:54 pm

    Thanks again Amy!!! I have been loving the lemon water, I drink it every morning. I also just bought the book Coconut Cures. Have you read that? It is a great read. I am thinking about adding more coconut oil to my life. Anyway, I already do green smoothies with kale and spinach…..I thought the fiber was what my body needed. With juicing it is taken out. So, which is better? Smoothie or juice? Now, I’m just confused. 🙂

  • The Pennington Point
    January 21, 2012 at 12:55 am

    Amy you always inspires me! You’ve got me drinking lemon water in the mornings and now I will have to dig out my old juicer. It’s “vintage.” So old and huge that it takes up the whole counter and it’s a golden yellow color. LOL! But it works well and I already own it, no good excuses not to do it. Now I just need to find a good source for organic veggies. Blessings! Lisa~

    • Peggy
      January 21, 2012 at 10:15 pm

      Hey LIsa, talk about a small world! I am not sure if you checked into Azure Standard but they are a wonderful source for organic produce. We ordered from them while in Alaska and I am truly impressed with their prices and produce. Please do check them out… Peggy

  • Mary Ann
    January 20, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    My interest in juicing has been piqued by watching the documentary “Fat,Sick, & Nearly Dead”. In fact,I was going to write a little post about it on my blog today (hopefully I’ll still get that done!). My biggest concern is that I have digestive trouble with raw vegetables & I don’t want to invest in a juicer if I can’t tolerate the juice, you know? But I do still find it very interesting…

  • Missy
    January 20, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    Wonderful post to share. My husband and I have been juicing for many years and I feel it’s helped our health tremendously. We started waaaaay back with a Jay Kordich juicer (The Juiceman). Eventually the motor went and we invested in the Breville Ikon juicer. We opted for the Breville brand for multiple reasons (mostly it’s reviews from Kris Carr, Dr. Joel Furhman and the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead). Love it. Not as compact as the Fountain but still a breeze to clean. I’ve read a fair amount of literature on juicing and still go back the Jay Kordich’s book, The Juiceman’s Power of Juicing (ours is the 1992 version!!) as the most used reference book.

    A little tip – when juicing greens, it seems you get the most out of them when you juice them with an apple or something “hard”. I often put a chunk of apple in the (running) juicer and then stuff the feed tube with kale or spinach – then put a small piece of apple on top and push the feed tube down.

    Happy Juicing!!!

  • Amy Bowman
    January 20, 2012 at 10:13 pm

    @Shelley-so glad you found me. Thank you for your encouragement. I am impressed by your choice to treat your crohns with diet…so great!

    @Hopefuldays–You are so welcome. I’m working on consistency, too.

    @Missy–I will for sure check out Jay Kordich’s book, thanks for the recommendation…and your juice tip!

    @Chelsea–Your enthusiasm makes me smile. Thank you for taking the time to comment. You encourage me to continue writing.

    @Mary Ann–Loved that documentary! A local chiropractor had a juice demonstration night and showed that movie here in my town. Loved it. I think you may be surprised that juicing might not upset your stomach, since the fiber is removed. I did read if that is an issue to keep it simple, with only two-3 different types of vegs in one juice. They even said you could start with just plain cucumber/green apple juice. Let me know how it goes..

  • Chelsea
    January 20, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    sign me up! I’ve been intrigued by juicing for a long time but just haven’t ever had the motivation to start, I think this may have just pushed me over the edge! Love your blog!

  • hopefuldays
    January 20, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    I have recently started juicing, but have not been real consistent. Your post has given me points to ponder. Thanks for sharing.

  • Shelley Rankin
    January 20, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    I do a lot of research of healthy eating and love your blog since I found it only a week ago. Great information. I have crohns and have worked my way back to health solely through changing my diet and eating organic foods and eliminating processed food. I have yet to get a juicer but I am thinking about it more seriously now! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and information. You have inspired me.

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