Great Green Juice

Despite all my recent postings of cooked foods, I haven't forsaken raw green juices.

Being 'high raw' is not the same as being 100% raw. Being 100% raw is an admirable goal, but the steps along the way need to be gradual and most importantly, sustainable. Adding green smoothies and green juices is a great way to speed us along the road to vibrant health and better eating habits as we gradually free ourselves from food addictions, bad habits and poor food choices that are prevalent in the Standard American Diet (SAD).

Most of my green drinks are smoothies, some fruit with dark leafy greens blended in a high-powered blender. But I do include freshly made juices regularly. A combination of carrot and apple juiced together makes a great mid-afternoon sweet snack. And the green lemonade recipe provided by Natalia Rose in The Raw Food Detox Diet® book is a favorite that I turn to over and over.

Now that I've been making green drinks for almost 2 years, I do experiment a bit. Most times successfully, occasionally the results are not so good. This morning I took an assortment of fresh greens from the fridge that I thought would make a nutritious breakfast and taste good, too. Since it turned out to be a winner, I thought I'd better write down what and how much went into the juicer.

Swamp Water #9

1 heart of romaine

2-3 kale leaves

6 " piece of hot house cuke (or 1 reg cucumber)

generous handful of sunflower sprouts

1 green apple

1 lemon (peel and all)

1" piece of fresh ginger

Juicing adds dimension, variety and a multitude of nutrients to our daily diet.