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| The Garden |
INGREDIENTS
- 4 cups of spinach
- 2 cups of broccoli
- 3 stalks of celery
- 4 large carrots
Makes (about) 40 oz
Juice your ingredients...and voila! You've got Juice!
No juicer? No problem! Blend in your Vitamix.
Then strain through a nut milk bag or a paint strainer bag...and pour
in your storage container. For detailed instructions on making juice in
the blender click here.
Before you let the ingredients scare you, just try it. This juice is surprisingly good. No there's no fruit in it to sweeten it, but the carrots do the job without the need of adding any other type of sweetener. Trust me, you'll enjoy this.
Some Health Benefits
Spinach: Spinach is store house for many
phyto-nutrients that have health promotional and disease
prevention propertiesIt contains good
amount of soluble dietary fiber; no wonder greeny spinach is one of the
vegetable source recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight
reduction programs! Fresh 100 g of spinach
contains about 25% of daily intake of iron; one of the
richest among
green leafy vegetables. Iron is an important trace element required by
the body for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for
oxidation-reduction enzymes cytochrome-oxidases
during the cellular metabolism. Fresh leaves are rich
source of several vital anti-oxidant vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin
C; and flavonoid poly
phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin
and beta-carotene.
Together these
compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free
radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a healing role in
aging
and various disease processes.
Zea-xanthin, an important
dietary carotenoid, is selectively absorbed into the retinal macula
lutea
in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective
light-filtering functions; thus helps protect from "age related macular
disease" (ARMD), especially in the elderly. Vitamin A is also required
for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin and is essential for
vision. Consumption of natural vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A
and flavonoids
helps body protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. 100 g of Spinach provides
402% of daily vitamin-K requirements.
Vitamin K plays vital role in
strengthening bone mass by promoting osteotrophic (bone building)
activity in the bone. It also has established role in patients with
Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuronal damage in the brain. This greeny leafy
vegetable also contain good
amounts of many B-complex vitamins like vitamin- B6 (pyridoxine),
thiamin (vitamin B-1), riboflavin, folates and niacin. Folates
help prevent neural tube defects in the offspring. 100 g of farm
fresh spinach has 47% of daily recommended levels of vitamin C. Vitamin
C is a
powerful antioxidant which helps body develop resistance against
infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals. The leaves also contain
good amount of minerals like potassium,
manganese, magnesium, copper
and zinc. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids
that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and
copper are used
by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide
dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red
blood cells.
Zinc is a co-factor in many enzymes that regulate growth and
development, sperm generation, digestion and nucleic acid synthesis. It is also rich source of
omega-3
fatty acids.
Broccoli: Is rich in dietary fiber, minerals,
vitamins,
and anti-oxidants that have proven health benefits. Fresh
Broccoli
is a
storehouse of many phyto-nutrients
such as
thiocyanates,
indoles, sulforaphae, isothiocyanates and flavonoids like
beta-carotene cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Studies
have shown that these compounds by modifying positive signalling at
molecular receptor levels help protect from prostate, colon, urinary
bladder, pancreatic, and breast cancers. Fresh vegetable
is
exceptionally rich source of vitamin-C.
Vitamin-C is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and
immune
modulator, helps fight against flu causing viruses. Further, it
contains very
good amounts of another
anti-oxidant vitamin,
vitamin-A. Together with other
pro-vitamins like beta-carotene,
alpha-carotene, and zeaxanthin, vitamin A helps maintain integrity of
skin and
mucus membranes. Vitamin A is essential for vision and helps
prevent from macular degeneration of retina in the elderly population. It
is also a
good source
of
minerals like
calcium, manganese, iron,
magnesium, selenium, zinc and phosphorus. Fresh
broccoli
heads are
an excellent source of folates. Studies have shown that
consumption
of fresh vegetables and fruits rich in folates during pre-conception
and pregnancy
helps prevent neural tube defects in the offspring. Broccoli
leaves
(green tops) are
an excellent
source of carotenoids and vitamin A. This flower
vegetable is
also rich source of other vitamin-K and B-complex group of vitamins
like Niacin (vit
B-3), pantothenic acid (vit.B-5), pyridoxine (vit.B-6) and riboflavin.
The flower heads also have some amount omega-3
fatty acids.
Celery: Is a non-soluble fiber which when combined with other weight loss
regimens may help to reduce body weight and blood cholesterol levels. Celery is a functional
food. Its leaves are rich source of flavonoid antioxidants such as zeaxanthin,
lutein and beta-
carotene, which have anti-oxidant, cancer protective, and
immune-boosting
functions. It is also good source of
vitamin-A. Vitamin-A and beta-carotene are natural flavonoid
antioxidants.
Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and
skin, and for vision. Consumption of natural foods
rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity
cancers. The herb is also rich in
many
vital vitamins including folic acid (provides 9% of RDA),
riboflavin, niacin and vitamin-C, which are
essential for optimum metabolism. Fresh celery is an
excellent
source of vitamin-K,
provides about 25% of DRI. Vitamin-K help increase bone mass by
promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has established
role in Alzheimer's disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the
brain. The herb is very good source of
minerals like potassium, sodium, calcium, manganese, and magnesium.
Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps
control heart rate and blood pressure. Its leaves and seeds
contain many essential volatile oils that include terpenes, mostly
limonene (75 to 80%), and the
sesquiterpenes like β-selinene (10%) and
humulene; but its characteristic fragrance is due to chemical compounds
known as phthalides
(butylphthalid and its dihydro derivate sedanenolid) in them. Essential
oil obtained
from extraction of celery plant has been used in soothing remedies
for nervousness,
osteoarthritis, and gouty-arthritis conditions. In addition, its seeds,
and root
has
diuretic (removes excess water from body through
urine), galactogogue (help breast milk secretion), stimulant,
and tonic properties.
Carrots: Did you know the carrot is a root vegetable? It's sweet and succulent taste is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and dietary
fiber. They are exceptionally rich
source of carotenes and
vitamin-A. Studies have found that flavonoid compounds in carrots help
protect from skin, lung and oral cavity cancers. Carotenes are converted in
to vitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene is the major carotene that is
present in these roots. Beta carotene is one of the powerful natural
anti-oxidant helps protect body from harmful fee radical
injury. In addition, it also has all the functions of vitamin
A such as vision, reproduction (sperm production), maintenance of
epithelial integrity, growth and development. Carrots are rich in poly-acetylene anti-oxidant
falcarinol.
Research study conducted by scientists at University of Newcastle on
laboratory animals has found that falcarinol
in carrots may help fight
against cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells in the tumors. Fresh roots are also good
in vitamin C; provide about 9% of RDA. Vitamin
C is water soluble anti-oxidant.
It helps body maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth and gum. Its
anti-oxidant property helps body protect from diseases and cancers by
scavenging harmful free radicals. This root vegetable is
especially contain good amounts of many B-complex group of vitamins
such as folic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic
acid,
etc that acts
as
co-factors to enzymes during substrate metabolism in the body. It also has healthy levels
of
minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese and
phosphorus. Potassium
is an
important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling
heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium.
Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant
enzyme,
superoxide
dismutase.
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Super Beet Juice
The Ultimate Kale Juice
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