So many things to talk about you guys, so let’s just dive right in!
- these beautiful ingredients above… they’re what goes into my Super Duper Detox Juice… we’re going to juice them… and they are going to be delicious together… I promise.
- this is the first time I’ve used a juicer that I literally bought like 4 years ago, and it’s been in the box the whole time, so I’m pretty proud of myself for FINALLY breaking it out, and just doing something that I know is really good for me, so let’s hear it for yummy juice, healthy living, and taking the time for some self care!
- Speaking of self care, I just got back from Las Vegas, and it was so.much.fun!! I really needed a little vacay, some time with some of my favorite people, and some great music! So, that’s actually the third thing I was going to say… even though it seems counter intuitive to us type A people, sometimes it’s actually more productive to take some time off, because when you come back, you are energized, super charged and inspired! Even if it’s hard to make yourself just step away, it’s very important. Even if it’s just a few minutes a day. And that’s really what this post is all about. Resetting, resting, and recharging, your mind, and your body!
“Balance” by Angel McNall Photography
Juicing is one of the best ways to reset, and recharge your system. It helps your organs cleanse themselves, and work more efficiently. When you eat food, a large portion of your energy is spent digesting that food. When you juice, a lot of the work is done for your by the juicer, and it makes it easier for your body to receive the benefits of the fruits and veggies. It’s like a mini vacation for your digestive system! Combining vegetables with a fruit or two is a great way to make your juices extra tasty. In this case, I’ve combined oranges, beets, carrots, dino kale, and ginger to create a juice that is earthy, sweet, and has a little kick from the ginger. I used to juice a long time ago, and just kind of got out of it. A few years ago I thought I’d like to get back into it, and bought a nice juicer. I had started making a lot of smoothies around that same time, and I guess I just got onto a whole smoothie kick, and for some reason, I kept putting off getting out the juicer and using it. I also hate reading instructions, and I was a little intimidated with what looked like a complicated piece of equipment, and I couldn’t have been more wrong! I had the parts washed and put together, ready to use in less than 10 minutes, and the instructions were very simple! I was up and running in no time. Recently, I’ve been learning a lot about the benefits of juicing, and to get myself psyched up for juicing again, I started getting a juice when I was out. I experimented with different flavors and combinations to find out what I like, and what made me feel really good. One that I enjoyed was a juice that I got at Whole Foods in their juice bar. I started by ordering off the menu, and then I asked them to customize it for me, so I could try different ingredients. I really like this combination, and I’m so happy I can make it at home for myself! If you have a juicer, or are looking to getting into juicing, I recommend going out and getting some juice, and trying some different combinations yourself so you can see what you like. If you’re like me, it will help get you excited for your juicing adventure!
Kale, Beet, Carrot and Orange juices
Another thing that gets me really excited about juicing is knowing all of the great things that this juice is going to do for my body! Not only is this juice delicious, it’s super healthy, and very anti-inflammatory, so let’s talk about that for a minute. This is a quick overview of the benefits of each of the ingredients in my Super Duper Detox Juice!
- Kale – AKA the golden child of today’s culinary world. I use dino kale for juicing because it’s flavor is more mild and less bitter than other varieties, it is also known as black kale or Tuscan Kale. Kale is very rich in carotenes, and chlorophyll (which has so many great properties – not limited to healing, cleansing, and detoxifying the body). Kale is a member of the cabbage family and exhibits many anti-cancer properties. It is also rich in calcium, phosphorus and Vitamins A and C. It’s a great addition to any juice or smoothie. With the earthy flavors of carrots and beets, and the sweetness from the orange, you don’t even taste the greens in this blend. (If you’re getting in a Kale mood reading this post and want to eat some cooked, here’s a recipe for a delicious kale bowl with rice, carrots, BBQ’d tofu and ranch, and another one for a yummy and simple Buddha bowl with tofu, kale and sweet potatoes!)
- Carrots – Carrot juice is a staple in many juice recipes because of it’s sweet flavor, beautiful color and high vitamin A and carotene content. According to many studies, as little as one carrot a day can cut the risk on lung cancer in half.
- Beets – Beet greens can be juiced as well as the beet itself. The greens are high in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C, and the beet root itself is helpful in lowering blood pressure, increasing stamina during exercise, and are a good source of folate, potassium, Vitamin C and anti-oxidants.
- Orange juice – We all know that oranges are rich in Vitamin C, but you might not know that orange juice can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and if you drink it between meals, it helps regulate your digestion, and purify your liver.
- Ginger – (juice not pictured above) – Ginger is just one of those super amazing gifts from the earth! It’s delicious in cooked foods (try this recipe for my Vegan Broccoli Beef!), and people take it in capsule form to alleviate morning sickness (I personally took so much ginger when I was pregnant that I couldn’t even look at it for a few years, but now it’s back on my good side!), and other nausea inducing situations, it cleanses the liver, and it’s a powerful anti-inflammatory agent as well. It’s good for the heart, your blood sugar levels, digestion, preventing cancer, and fighting infections, colds and flu too. It’s been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine because of it’s many health supporting benefits.
As with most foods, cooking them, evenly lightly destroys some of the enzymes, vitamins and minerals present in fresh, organic produce, so juicing is a great way to consume these in a highly absorbable form and really set them to work in your body! If you’d like to learn more about what each fruit/vegetable/herb is good for, I highly recommend googling them and reading about each one, as I really only gave a brief overview. I also recommend a book called The Complete Book of Juicing. It’s a great resource for juice recipes as well as health information.
I’ve found that what works best for me and my schedule is to juice my fruits and veggies and put them in a mason jar and store it in my fridge. I make about 24 oz. at a time, and then I have it ready to go! It’s easy to grab in between meals. I’m generally not a morning person, so I need a smoothie with some protein to get me going in the morning, but I love drinking this in the afternoon when I want some energy, and also to curb my appetite between lunch and dinner. Also, drinking juice on an empty stomach really allows it to go through your stomach and intestines easily. Juice is great for giving your intestines a break, which allows your body time and energy to focus on healing, rather than digestion. That’s why juice fasts can be so beneficial to your health. I have done partial juice fasts before, and I would like to again, but for now, I’m learning more about it, and just working on incorporating more fresh juices into my diet. One concern that I had about juicing is that I am really sensitive to sugar highs and lows. What works for me is to pour about 6-8 oz. of juice into a glass over ice, and if there’s a lot of fruit sometimes I even add a little bit of water (yes, just like you do for a toddler!). Then I sip on it, instead of drinking it all at once. I find that if I do that, it’s a steady release and I don’t get a sugar rush. Also, I try to juice mostly vegetables, with a little bit of fruit for flavor and that helps too. You can also keep the juice in the fridge, and depending on what flavor you have, add it to smoothies, so you get the juice benefits, with the fiber of whole fruit or protein if you add protein powder or nut butter. If you are looking to really reset, detox, or cleanse though, you’ll want to drink it on it’s own. I’m always experimenting, so I will be sharing more fresh juice recipes with you soon!
In case you’re curious about the juicer I use, it’s this one, from Omega. It’s a good mid-range juicer.
You can definitely buy them for less, and a lot of them cost (a lot!) more. I like this one because it doesn’t heat the juice while it’s going through the juicer. I had a cheaper one a long time ago and the machine would get warm as it pressed the juice and it came out kind of warm and I thought that was yucky, and it kills some of the enzymes when it gets heated. This juicer is what they call a “masticating” juicer, which basically means it chews your food for you, and extracts all of the nutrients and removes the fiber, which gives your digestive track nutrition without having to work for it. 😉 Also, this machine can make a lot more than juice! Stuff like sorbet, nut butters, and even pasta! I haven’t used it yet for those things, but the pasta and the nut butters are especially intriguing to me! Because this juicer is a masticating juicer that extracts a maximum amount of juice from the plant, and does it slowly so it doesn’t destroy the enzymes while it’s doing it, and because it doesn’t oxidize the juice, you can store it for up 72 hrs., without it degrading. It gets really great reviews, and I found that it was also really easy to clean, so I’m pretty happy with it. Basically, the best juicer you can buy, is the one that you will actually USE, so choose the one that best suits you! Your body will thank you for it! I definitely feel better when I drink fresh juice regularly. Give this recipe a try and let me know how it works for you!
A few words about the recipe – First and foremost, ginger is a very strong tasting ingredient! A little goes a long way, and it brings some heat to the recipe, so if that is a concern for you, go lightly! The first few times I made this, I used too much and then had to compensate by adding more (and more!) of the other ingredients until I could drink it, and I ended up with A LOT of juice! Also, try to use organic ingredients. There is more nutrition in organic produce, and none of the pesticides that are in ‘conventionally’ grown produce. Pesticides are not only bad for bugs, they are toxic to human beings as well and should be avoided whenever possible! Farmer’s markets and your own garden are a great way to eat organically and keep your costs down. You don’t need to peel your produce, just wash it thoroughly. You will probably have to cut the beets into chunks though, unless your juicer accommodates really large pieces. Lastly, beet juice stains! When I was a kid, I used to tie-dye t-shirts with my mom using beet juice! Where an apron or a tshirt you don’t care about when you’re preparing beets, unless you want that homemade tie-dye look! 😉 BTW – are you on instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest? All of them, like me? Then let’s hook up! Click the social media icons near my photo at the top or bottom of the page and it will bring you to my pages. See you there!
A delicious detoxifying juice that's packed with nutrition and anti-inflamatory ingredients!- 5 Dino/black Kale leaves
- 2 oranges (I used medium sized navel oranges), peeled
- 5 carrots (med/large)
- 2 beets (medium sized), cut into chunks
- 3 beet stems
- start with a 1 inch piece of ginger and add more to taste
- Wash all fruits and veggies.
- Add all ingredients to your juicer per the instructions, run through a sieve if necessary, and store in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Serve cold or over ice if preferred.
- *Each piece of fruit/veggie will vary in the amount of juice you get from it, and also depending on your juicer. This recipe yielded approximately 24 oz. of juice for me. A good rule of thumb for this combo is to do ⅓ beet, ⅓ carrot, ⅓ orange juices, add your kale leaves, and then the ginger to taste.
Angel McNall is the author and photographer of High Vibe Lifestyle. For over 20 years, Angel has been teaching people how to live more vibrantly by eating a plant based diet, and using plant based medicine. 
