A collection of healthy recipes that taste too good to be good for you, but they are! You will also find links to articles about health and nutrition.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Apple and Ginger Juice
Some mornings I am not moving quickly. Today was one of those mornings. I woke up with a “lovely” headache after not sleeping well last night. Needless to say when I have a headache I am not feeling overly creative in the kitchen. This morning I decided a fresh juice was in order. After chatting with blessedmama yesterday about juice in the Vitamix that idea was stuck in my head.
In Dr. Fuhrman’s book “Eat for Health” that followed “Eat to Live” he recommends what he calls blended salads. This is nothing more than fruit and/or vegetables that have been obliterated in the blender. The idea behind the blended salad is the you get more nutrition from the food because the cell walls have been completely broken down which does happen when we chew whole food.
The juice I made is quick but packed with flavor from the apple cider and fresh ginger. It is a definitely an eye opening juice. I happen to love the flavor and zing from fresh ginger, but if it isn’t one of your favorites I would recommend you reduce the ginger by half. One of things I love about ginger besides the taste is that it is anti-inflammatory. Ginger is said to relieve joint pain. Additional consuming ginger has been associated with a reduction in colon and ovarian cancers. Between the ginger and the apple this juice is great for anyone that wants to eat for health. Here is what I made this morning.
Apple and Ginger Juice
Serves 1
Ingredients:
½ cup apple cider
2 apples, cored and cut into chunks
½ inch fresh ginger, minced
Directions:
Place everything in your blender and process until smooth. Serve cold.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving
Calories - 210.59
Calories From Fat (3%) - 5.81
Total Fat - 0.69g
Saturated Fat - 0.12g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 7.91mg
Potassium - 488.52mg
Total Carbohydrates - 54.55g
Fiber - 6.96g
Sugar - 28.86g
Protein - 0.99g
Comments:
This juice contains flavors that I love. It is light, refreshing and healthy. The texture of the juice is a little thick, without being too thick. I think the thickness makes it feel a little more substantial. However you could add more cider or water if you like your juice thinner. This recipe is definitely something I will be making more of while apples are in season. I may play around with it a little in the coming weeks. I am curious how adding ice to this will work.
If you wanted to serve this for bunch it would be beautiful with an apple slice on the rim. I was not with enough to think of that when I was cutting the apples.
Unrelated note:
Things didn’t go as I had planned this morning so my trip to Costco is not going to happen today. Instead of going grocery shopping I am going to exercise this morning.
I will be back later with a lunch recipe. I hope you are all having a great day.
Hope your headache goes away fast. I have found that rubbing a few drops of lavendar essential oil in the temples really helps when I have a migraine.
ReplyDeleteLove that you posted about using your vitamix, I just got one and am in love with it!!
Janet,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on the lavender oil. I just happen to have some here. I am going to give it a try as soon as I post this reply.
I love my Vitamix. I swear it gets more use than my stove. I know you are going to find so many things to do with it.
I saw your gazpacho a few minutes ago. Your recipe is very similar to mine. I even add avocado like you do. If you want to take a look I posted mine in the spring.
talk to you later .... off to get the lavender oil,
Alicia
Alicia, I love that you put paprika in your gazpacho! My kids don't really care for it, they prefer basil, so I use it alot, but I am going to make a small amount just for me and use paprika!Yum.
ReplyDeleteJanet,
ReplyDeleteI don't think the paprika is that strong in the gazpacho with avocado recipe. You may be able to get the kids to eat it too.
BTW, the lavender oil seems to have worked. My headache is almost completely gone. Where did you find that trick?
Alicia
Alicia, glad your headache has improved. I love using herbal and natural methods of healing whenever possible. I read herbal books almost as much as nutrition books. In the summer I grow my own chamomile for tea, along with mints, lavendar, and calendula.
ReplyDeleteJanet,
ReplyDeleteUsing herbs for medicine is something I haven't really gotten into. There seems to never be enough time in the day to read everything I am interested in.
I hope you don't mind if I ask you some questions about this some time. Do you have one or two books that you think would be good for beginners on this subject?
thanks,
Alicia
I loved this! It just might be my new morning ritual! Also ginger is great for an upset stomach, it's my go-to cure.
ReplyDeleteK Hamilton,
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving the juice a try. I thought it was really good too. It is definitely going on to my list of morning options.
I love to use ginger for an upset stomach. We always have a big bag of ginger slices in our freezer. Fresh ginger is lovely in green tea if you haven't tried it.
Alicia
Alicia, one of my favorite herbal books is Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. She lives an herbal lifestyle and has used herbs for years. Some of the herbal books are written by writers, not actual herb users.
ReplyDeleteJanet,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sending me the book title! I will definitely look for it.
Alicia