Flu Fighter and Immune System Booster.

My son and I went to visit my parents this past weekend. We had a great time, but I didn't get much sleep. He slept in the room next to mine, and I heard him coughing ALL night. On Saturday, he coughed all day too and had a horribly runny nose. As soon as we got home on Saturday afternoon I made some fresh immune boosting juice right away. I used the first recipe below. It had a bit of a bite to it, so I added an extra apple and 5 strawberries to his to sweeten it up a little more. I'm guessing this will be a regular drink around here this fall and winter!

Flu Fighter and Immune System Booster

The Flu Fighter and Immune System Booster
One serving about 8 ounces

This drink will fight the flu and boost your immune system.

6 carrots chopped into ¼" pieces
1 apple chopped into ¼" pieces
2 stalks of celery chopped into ¼" pieces
handful of parsley
2 cloves of garlic


Juice the garlic first. Next juice the celery and parsley together. To juice the parsley, tuck the stems and the leaves into the groove of the celery sticks. Finish juicing with the carrots and apples


The Immune System Juice Booster
One serving - about 8 ounces

This juice is great for building and maintaining the immune system.

3 carrots chopped into ¼" pieces
1 stalk of celery chopped into ¼" pieces
1 apple chopped into ¼" pieces
½ cucumber chopped into ¼" pieces
½ beet with the greens, beet chopped into ¼" pieces
½ handful of wheatgrass
½ handful of parsley


First juice a carrot and half of an apple. Follow with the wheatgrass and parsley. To juice the wheatgrass and parsley, roll each into a beat leaf and juice. Next juice the beets and the cucumber and finish with the carrots and apple.




STAY HEALTHY!!

Cilantro anyone?

Delicious!

Getting the fresh pineapple was the most time consuming part of this whole shake!

You can see the flecks of cilantro, which I do not think would be there had I used a Vita-mix. The grapefruit did not completely blend with my blender either.

When I saw this recipe I knew it was going to be good after trying Sarma's Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho. Unfortunately, I do not have a Vita-mix so I used my Ninja. It does an average job, but I'm sure the texture would've been MUCH smoother with a Vita-mix. Someday maybe! (sigh)




Sarma's Cilantro Shake Ingredients

• Pink Grapefruit
• Cucumber
• Cilantro
• Lime
• Pineapple
• Agave Nectar or stevia
• Vanilla Extract
• BIG pinch of Cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Directions
In a blender, (Vitamix if you have one) throw a pink peeled grapefruit, peeled cucumber, lots and lots and lots of cilantro - like half a bunch, a lime, some pineapple, agave nectar or stevia, vanilla extract,  BIG pinch of cinnamon, and pinch of salt.

More Love for Cilantro
Free radicals are everywhere - in the water we drink, food we eat, and in the air we breathe. The main defense to free radicals (coming from pollution, x-rays, radiation, chemicals, heavy metals) are antioxidants.  Cilantro leaves are rich in calcium, iron, carotenes, and vitamin C, which it happens are great antioxidants.  A Japanese investigator, Yoshiaki Omura, has made the revolutionary discovery that cilantro can mobilize mercury and other toxic metals from the central nervous system if large enough amounts are consumed daily. Reuters reports that cilantro contains a chemical which has been found to kill the Salmonella bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

The heavy metal detox capabilities of cilantro should also make it of great use in the treatment of depression, Alzheimer's disease, lack of concentration and other related disorders.  In other words, this herb can apparently help to keep you happy, focused, and sane!  Just eat it, don't smoke it.

The main defense to free radicals (coming from pollution, x-rays, radiation, chemicals, heavy metals) are antioxidants.  Cilantro is an antioxidant with detox capabilities for treating depression, Alzheimer's disease, lack of concentration and other related disorders.Sarma shows us how to eat a bunch of cilantro in a tasty and very appetizing treat.

Anti-aging Juice

Anti-aging Juice

Anti-Aging Juice  from Sweet Adeline

Ingredients: 

2-3 carrots
1 cucumber
1 small parsnip
1 lemon
1/4 green bell pepper

Preparation:  

juice

I love to juice, especially when I find new recipes. I couldn't resist trying a juice called, "Anti-aging Juice!" I had some carrots from my garden that were begging to be juiced this morning anyway:) All I did was wash my veggies. I did not peel anything, including the lemon, so it's a super fast juice. I actually like it too! Enjoy!!

Of all the commonly consumed 
vegetables, carrots provide the 
highest amount of provitamin A 
carotenes.   Carrots also offer an 
excellent source of fiber, vitamin 
K, and biotin.  They are a good 
source of vitamins B6 and C, 
potassium, and thiamine.  Carrots contain a large amount 

of antioxidant compounds which 
help to protect against 
cardiovascular disease and 
cancer.  The high intake of 
carotene has been linked with a  
20 percent decrease in postmenopausal breast cancer and up to a 50 percent decrease in the cancers of the 
cervix, bladder, colon, prostate, larynx, and esophagus.  Extensive studies have 
shown that a diet that includes at least one carrot per day could cut the rate of lung 
cancer in half.

Carrots are also effective in promoting good vision, especially night vision.  Beta-
carotene provides protection against macular degeneration and the development of 
senile cataracts - which is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly.  

Parsnips provide an excellent 
source of vitamin C, fiber, folic 
acid, pantothenic acid, copper, 
and manganese.  They also offer 
a very good source of niacin, 
thiamine, magnesium, and 
potassium.  They are a good 
source of riboflavin, folic acid, 
and vitamins B6 and E.  

 

Even though fresh cucumbers 
are mostly composed of water, 
they still pack a lot of nutrition.  
The flesh of cucumbers is a very 
good source of vitamins A, C, 
and folic acid. The hard skin is 
rich in fiber and a variety of 
minerals including  magnesium, 
silica, molybdenum, and 
potassium.   

Cucumber is an excellent source 
of silica, which is a trace mineral 
that contributes to the strength 
of our connective tissue.  
Connective tissue is what holds our body together.  Cucumbers are effective when used for various skin problems, 
including swelling under the eyes and sunburn.  They also contain ascorbic and caffeic 
acids.  These acids prevent water retention.  That may explain why when cucumbers 
are applied topically they are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns, and dermatitis.  

Lemons provide an excellent source of vitamin C.  They are also a good source of 
vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, limonene, and flavonoids.

Studies have been done on the phytochemical limonene which is extracted from 
lemons. Findings showed that limonene contains anticancer properties and is effective
in dissolving gallstones.  The highest concentration of limonene is located in the white 
spongy inner parts of the lemon.


Bell peppers are low in calories 
and are packed with nutrition.  As
one of the most nutrient-dense 
foods available, they provide a 
good source of vitamin B6, C, 
and K, beta-carotene, thiamine, 
and folic acid.  Bell peppers are 
also a very good source of 
phytochemicals.  They provide 
exceptional antioxidant activity.  
Red bell peppers have 
significantly higher levels of 
nutrients than green peppers.  
Red bell peppers also contain 
lycopene, which is a carotene 
that offers protection against cancer and heart disease.  

Studies have shown that bell peppers,  possibly due to their vitamin C and beta-
carotene content, are effective in providing protection against cataracts.  However, 
like other nutrient-dense vegetables, they contain many different powerful 
phytochemicals.  Bell peppers also contain substances, including vitamin C, capsaicin, 
and flavonoids. Those substances have been shown to prevent blood clot formation 
and reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.  Even though chili peppers contain 
more of those compounds, bell pepper consumption should still be promoted for 
individuals with elevated cholesterol levels.

Sources:

Murray , Michael N.D.. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods.
New York: Atria Books, 2005.

Centers For Disease Control And Prevention-5 A Day.

National Agricultural Library-USDA. usda.gov.

Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia