Autumn 2014 True Natural Health Magazine – Your Questions Answered
By Roger French

 

QUESTION:   There are so many juices given in juicing books that I would like a couple of recommendations. What specific juice combinations would you recommend for me? I want to maximise the power of my immune system and lose weight too?

 

ANSWER:

There is, of course, no ‘magic’ juice, but there is one that is akin to an ideal nutritional supplement. It provides the body with:

 A heap of vitamin C;

Most or all of the 600 members of the carotenoid family (also powerful antioxidants);

A wide range of minerals with a predominance of the alkaline minerals, potassium, magnesium and calcium (in that order of quantity);

Plus hundreds of other nutrients, including the betacyanins in beetroot which are extra-powerful antioxidants.

This alkalising health ‘cocktail’ is our tried and true ‘carrot-and-chlorophyll juice’. One third of the glass is the juices of carrot and beetroot. The remaining two thirds is the juices of greens, namely, any or all of celery, silverbeet, English spinach, parsley, dandelion, cabbage and broccoli – or any other mild-tasting green-leaved veggies that might present themselves. Parsley and dandelion (a ‘weed’ in most people’s gardens) are included only in small quantities as they are relatively potent.

The combination you choose will depend on how you like the resulting taste. The carrot constituent imparts a pleasant sweetness to the relatively bland greens.

For an immune boosting juice, I think Dr Sandra Cabot’s recipe in her book, Raw Juices Can Save Your Life!, would be well designed, as she is a highly respected wholistic doctor. The ingredients are: 

   1 stick celery

   1 ripe tomato

   1 pear

   ¼ beetroot

   1 lemon or lime

   1 grapefruit

   1 carrot

   2 dandelion leaves or 2 cabbage leaves

   1½ cm slice fresh ginger

   1 clove garlic or ¼ red onion (optional)

 

Dr Sandra explains her selection of the above ingredients:

Tomato contains anti-cancer lycopene (a carotenoid).

Pears are excellent for allergies.

Beetroot is an excellent blood tonic and immune booster.

Dandelion and cabbage support liver function.

Ginger, garlic and onion have natural antibiotic properties.

Carrot strengthens mucous membranes and reduces cancer risk.

See how you like these and notice the benefits. An improvement in your health could take weeks or even months.