The Joys of Summer

A trip to the supermarket turned up lovely fresh baby carrots and little striped beets and handsome stalks of budding gladioli. The flowers and the beets were each only $2.99 a bunch, how could I pass up either?

Feeding the soul, surrounding ourselves with peace, calm and beauty is as important to our health as the food we put in our bodies. In fact, if our state of mind is in a constant state of stress, no matter how well we eat, our bodies won't derive any of the benefits.

I'm making a major effort to de-clutter: mind, body and closets. Spending a little more time just smelling the roses, a metaphor for enjoying the simple things, not worrying about things I can't control and learning to appreciate the life I have.

While cleaning out the closets, I'm working on cleaning out my insides! I've switched from a morning blended green smoothie, made with fruit, berries and greens, to a juiced green lemonade made with greens, apple, lemon and ginger. Following Natalia Rose's recipe in her book, The Raw Food Detox Diet.

It didn't take me long to acquire a taste for this delicious drink. It's certainly hard to imagine a big glass of juiced greens tasting so good, but the sweetness of the apples along with the tang of the lemon and the zing of the heat from the ginger make this glass of green juice a delicious treat.

Green Lemondade

adapted from The Raw Food Detox Diet© Natalia Rose

1 head of Romaine lettuce

4-5 stalks of kale (or other greens such as spinach, beet greens, etc.)

2 apples

1 lemon

2" piece of fresh ginger.

I was fortunate to locate a second hand Breville juicer. This fantastic juicer, with a 600W motor, produces my morning 16 ounces of green lemonade in seconds, allowing me to juice whole fruit without fussing about trimming and cutting. Amazing. Easy clean-up, too.

Green drinks aren't just for St Patrick's Day!