Tag Archives: Juice

What med students do for fun, Part III: Dangers of Weekend Brunch…

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I love brunch so much because…

Animated Gif on Giphy

 

After having a bucketful of tropical mimosas (1 bottle of champagne and 1 bottle of passion fruit guava juice) and another tequila mix drink, I had the great idea to go take a nap in my bestie’s backyard so I could sober up…

 

And when I finally woke up from my nap in 80 degree sunny weather, I looked a little like this…

At least I got a great dose of vitamin D, and thank goodness I have an aloe plant!! 🙂

My summary about Brunch: “Danger is very real, but Fear is a choice!”

 

 

MEAN GREEN ANTIOXIDANT MACHINE!

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Greetings Everyone, I have a treat for you today! Since the weather is beginning to warm up, the cold smoothies and drinks are making a come back! If you’re like me, I never stop drinking them even when it gets below freezing outside and you’ll soon understand why.

Today, I’m sharing my smoothie recipe for the Mean Green Antioxidant Machine. It is a recipe that is highly adaptable based on your tastes or different needs, but below is the basic recipe that is great as itself. In this recipe, you will receive great doses of vitamins A, B, C, E, K, iron, potassium, folate, and many more to boost your vitality. I usually drink this smoothie 3-5 days a week. For you “dieters” and “detoxers,” this drink is low calorie, so you can sip away knowing you’re not filling up on empty, nutrition-deficient calories as you would with a diet soda or diet shake.

Mean Green Antioxidant Machine Recipe

Extracted from Google Images. One day folks...I'll invest in a good camera and take my own pics 🙂

2-3 cups of fresh organic spinach leaves

1/2 cup of fresh organic parsley leaves

3/4 cup of water

2-3 ice cubes

1/2 a small apple (chopped)

1/2 a banana (sliced)

1/2 tbsp of lemon juice

*1/4 tsp of powder probiotic (optional)

*1 tbsp of ground flax seed (optional)

Blend all ingredients in blender on high until completely liquefied. If you don’t have a Vitamix or something similar, you may need to use a spoon to help coax along the blending. Avoid adding too much extra water or it will become too watery and bland. 

Bottoms up….drink to your health!

**Feel free to tweak the recipe around to your taste. Sometimes I add frozen blueberries or strawberries. You can also use other types of greens such as kale, romaine lettuce, etc. If you want it as a meal replacement, you can add protein powders, milk, yogurt, avocado or even nut butters. The sky is the limit!

Want more drink ideas? Additional Vitamin Ray-Approved super-drink recipes  are at Dr. Oz.com.

Also, check out this link to see the vitamin and nutrient information for different fruits and vegetables. This can be a great tool for helping you to tailor your super drinks to what you feel your body needs in nutrition. (link extracted from healthalternatives2000.com)

TO JUICE OR NOT TO JUICE…

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Juicing for your health: Fact or Fad?

Who hasn’t seen the countless infomercials for Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer or the Juiceman Juicer over the years? We have all heard the hype about how great and nutritious it is to drink freshly juiced fruits and vegetables. There have been numerous testimonies on the healing powers of  juice.

So what’s the verdict? FACT!!

That’s right people, this isn’t just a fad. There is empirical and medical evidence that validates how beneficial it is to drink freshly juiced produce. The Nutrition Journal is one resource that has multiple scientific studies on the importance of drinking 100% fruit and vegetable juice (see links below). Furthermore, the USDA, CDC, and American Cancer Society all recommend we get 5 or more servings of fruits and veggies a day. What better way to meet that requirement than to juice and drink some of your daily servings. 🙂

What’s in fresh juice that makes it so great? Live enzymes and easily absorbed vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, complex carbs, and protein (yes, PROTEIN). For optimal absorption, consume fresh juice soon after juicing and on an empty stomach or 2-3 hrs after eating a meal.

Why consume on an empty stomach? Food present in the stomach can block the juice from having proper absorption by the digestive tract. Thus, limiting the amount of vital nutrients we can receive from the juice. In layman’s terms, you get more bang for your buck if you drink when your stomach is clear because there is no food present to run an interference against scoring your nutrient touch down.

Bottom-line, juicing is the easiest and tastiest way to supplement. People who juice regularly can slow down signs of aging, maintain higher energy levels, limit the effects of various diseases, prevent and reverse cancer, lose weight, and enjoy a plethora of other benefits. If we tried to eat the amount of fruits and veggies needed to produce the same beneficial effects, we’d spend all of our days chewing instead of doing more important tasks like living a life.

So do yourself a favor…get a juicer and start juicing today!

Vitamin Ray’s Favorite Go-To Morning Juice for Longevity:

2 small organic green apples (no stems and cored)

3 medium- large organic carrot sticks (remove leafy tops)

Juice up and enjoy!

 

Side Note: There are several types of juicers on the market. Check out the buying guide websites to see which is right for you. I have a Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer Express. I bought it because it has a reasonable price, a lower RPM of 3600**, a large spout so you don’t have to chop your veggies and fruit before juicing, and it is dishwasher friendly.

**Lower RPM means your juicer will create less heat while it’s juicing. You want less heat so you can minimize destroying the live enzymes in the fruit. Plus, a lower RPM makes for a quieter juicer.

Buying Guides for Juicers:

Nutrition Journal Juicing Study:

News Article On Juicing:

Yummy Juicing Recipes: