Saturday, June 9, 2012

Drink your carrots, don't eat them for full benefit!



Ok, this post is long over due. I've been having a love affair on a juicing kick for months playing around with different recipes using my Vitamix Blender and a nutmilk bag (to strain the pulp)  This is so much quicker than a juicer & the Vitamix doesn't take up much real estate on the counter.

I've done green juices with spinach, mixed greens, beets, carrots, celery, parsley (good liver cleanser!) or part of an apple.  But lately, I'm craving carrot juice so am going to drink it alone for a few days.  Just since I started drinking carrot juice regularly, or mixed with others, my night vision has improved greatly.  I can also see better on dark overcast days inside the house.  I could never eat this many carrots to get this effect. One pound of carrots = one glass of juice.  I add some water to the carrots so the Vitamix can mix it well and after a minute or two, it's finished!

Many juicing recipes give you fattening, sugary fruit juices which messes up your blood sugar.  I just want the nutrient dense way of drinking juice for the phytonutrients.  Even if you ate a pound of carrots, you could not masticate the properties out of it.  Read this cut and paste from Halleluah Acres founder.

What’s In Carrot Juice That Makes It So Special

Carrot juice not only tastes good (if the carrots are grown in California – more on that later), it has a vast array of nutrients and health benefits. It’s also easily absorbed and highly cleansing.
Carrots contain approximately 16% sugar. Some think this is negative because it results in a glycemic index of 80. However, research here at Hallelujah Acres reveals that it has less spiking affect on the blood than a baked potato or two slices of whole wheat toast.
Carrots are one of the most healing foods, providing the finest and highest quality nutrients, especially in juice form. Carrots are an excellent source of pro-vitamin A in the form of carotene, along with vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6.
Carrots are rich in biotin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic sodium, plus lots of trace minerals. Carrots are also high in anti-oxidants and are loaded with enzymes.
Phytonutrients are nature’s marvelous provision in healing various diseases. Carrots are also rich in phytonutrients, including lutein, lycopene, antioxidants, alpha, beta, and gamma carotenes, zeaxanthin, and xanthophylls.



"Eating Carrots vs. Juicing Carrots
In short, you simply cannot get the same benefits of carrot juice by eating carrots.
According to Dr. Kirschner (M.D.) in his book Live Food Juices, eating a carrot forces your digestive system to separate the carrot fiber from the carrot juice. This uses a lot of energy and destroys over 65% of the nutrients in the process.
Dr. Kirschner goes on to say that juicing carrots before consuming them is a different story. The juicing machine removes the pulp for you, eliminating much of the digestive process. As a result, 92% of the nutrients are available at cellular level for almost immediate use.
It takes approximately one pound of carrots to produce eight ounces of carrot juice. Few people could eat a pound of carrots even if the nutrient intake was the same. Consuming eight ounces of carrot juice is much easier."
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How To Store Carrot Juice
All of the living nutrients in freshly extracted carrot juice can be preserved for 24 to 72 hours if certain steps are taken.  . .Strain the juice, and place in 8 oz canning jars all the way to the top. Cover the jars with a tight fitting lid, locking out as much air as possible. Then place in a refrigerator or ice chest (if traveling)."
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So that's all there is to it. I always have another jar waiting for me for later.  This stuff is very good on it's own though some people add celery or pieces of ginger. Also juicing is a great way to kick off a weight loss program but you must stay committed to juicing and drink some daily to feel results. Look at many books on the subject or Dr. Joel Furhman's "Eat To Live" book for more information on phytonutrients.

Try it, you just may like it and most of all, have more energy and better vision. That's always a good thing! A good powerful blender may be substituted for a Vitamix, but you'll need cheese cloth or a re-usable nutmilk bag to filter. (The latter available at Amazon for about $8.00)


I usually use an 8 ounce Mason jar but this is my tall jar, 12 ounces. A side of raw nuts makes a nice snack or light meal. Nuts pictured are raw cashews, Spanish peanuts, and sunflower seeds. Soaking them before eating makes them even healthier for you but I was in a hurry.

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