Juicing to Balance, Revitalize and Detox

Remember? It wasn’t that long ago when the holiday goodies showed up everywhere: in the office, in homes of friends, at parties and from clients thanking you for great service. It was the season, and we partook, imbibed and enjoyed, most without an ounce of guilt.

Nevertheless, most of the baked treats and sweets, if we admit it to ourselves, were overloaded with bleached, devitalized flour and sugar—the substances of which are the bane of healthy cells, healthy bodies. But lo, the promise of spring, the season of hope is a time of renewal for both the earth and our bodies. Now is the perfect moment to look to our food choices over the next weeks to easily detox, revitalize and bring balance to our diet.

When I was a young girl, I dreaded the annual “spring tonic” my mother foisted upon me in a thinly disguised treat, a concoction of castor oil and orange juice. It was a vile mixture that turned me against orange juice for many years.

While castor oil has many beneficial uses, I’m not suggesting anything of the sort. No, the spring tonics that I offer are easy, fun and most importantly, delicious. So get out that juicer and let’s get started.

Cabbage to Detox

Springtime is the perfect season to help rid our bodies of the toxins that have built up during sluggish winters, imbibing holiday spirits and infrequent exercise. There is no easier way to do this than to reach for the power of the simple cabbage to detox.

Cabbage stimulates the production of the enzyme glutathione-s-transferase in the liver to safely break down a wide range of toxins in our cells. You can count on all the cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, and Brussel sprouts, to do this. Here are two simple juice recipes to get your detox started.

Easy Vegetable Detox Juice

• ½ small cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 2 pears
• 2 sticks of celery
• Handful of watercress
• Juice the vegetables, season to taste and enjoy.

Sweet Cabbage Juice

• 1/4 small head cabbage
• 2 stalks of celery with leafy tops
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cored
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Carrots to Stimulate Your Metabolism

If you want to take a break from solid foods and boost your metabolism at the same time, then this drink will work for you. Make it fresh and enjoy in the morning and evening.

Bugs Bunny Meets Virgin Mary

• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary needles
• ½ fresh jalapeño or more to taste, seeded
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1-pound carrots (6-7 medium. Use organic, if possible)
• 4 stalks celery with leaves
• 1+1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ tsp sweet paprika
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• Juice of one lemon

Put the rosemary, jalapeño and garlic through a juicer. Follow with the carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Transfer juice to a pitcher. Stir in the pepper, salt, paprika, basil and lemon juice. Serve cool.

Detox and De-stress with Celery Juice

Reminiscent of the retro delicatessen drink, Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray Tonic, I offer a home made version that is not only easy to make, but extremely beneficial in detoxing the body. Celery is a powerhouse of vitamins B2, B6, C, K and others, high in minerals, especially magnesium that calms the nervous system and helps to reduce stress hormones. My celery juice cocktail is taken at night as it makes me sleepy— celery is a natural sleep aid.

Home Celery Brew

• 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into 4 pieces
• 8 stalks of celery with leaves
• 2 teaspoons of celery seeds
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups of sparkling mineral water

An additional benefit of celery that will figure in getting you fit for the spring and summer is the fact that this vegetable is a natural appetite suppressant. What could be better or healthier?

No Juicer? No Worries

We all know how much garlic makes our foods taste better, but did you know that fresh garlic is said to have so many beneficial actions that to leave it out of our spring detox would be a crime. In addition to lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, improving circulation and cleansing the blood, garlic helps our bodies eliminate heavy metals, like lead. 

Here is a detox-friendly way to get more fresh garlic in your diet. Store-bought salsa doesn’t work, so keep it fresh. Even without a juicer, you can benefit from a spring detox with fresh garlic.

Fresh Garlic Salsa

• 5-7 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and minced (about ¼ cup)
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes
• 1 fresh jalapeño, and seeded
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Freshly ground pepper

Yield: 5 cups

Dandelions Get a Bad Rap    

“Dandelions...act as a diuretic and are believed to cleanse the liver by stimulating the flow of bile...all this in the turbid springtime, when everything prepares itself for rebirth.”  M. F. K. Fisher, food writer.

 While I couldn’t have said it better, my introduction to dandelion came when, as a little girl, I followed my mother’s steps when she gathered dandelions in the fields in springtime. She would dig the wild greens up by the roots; I would hold the basket. Together, we returned to my grandparents’ farmhouse kitchen to wash and prepare the greens for a succulent side dish served at dinner. As an impressionable child, I remember being embarrassed by this activity because it meant we were “country people,” not modern. Today, I am happy to know just how lucky I was and eternally grateful for the wisdom of “country people.”

Here is my quick and easy recipe for dandelion greens. When I spot them in the market during spring, I cook them or toss a hand full in salads for as long as the season lasts. You can easily find them in local supermarkets now.

Sautéed Dandelion Greens

1. Wash 1-2 bunches of dandelion greens in cold water.
2. Spin dry or towel dry. Chop roughly. Set aside.
3. In the meantime, sauté 2-4 cloves of garlic and 1 onion chopped in enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of a pan over medium heat. Cook until translucent and fragrant.
4. Add the dandelion greens to the pan, stirring to mix the oil, garlic and onion. The greens will reduce in volume in 1-2 minutes. When the greens reach the tenderness you prefer, remove from the heat and set aside and cover the pan.
5. Serve with a dash of lemon juice.

Begin now, choose a regime that works for you (after consultation with your healthcare professional) and before you know it, summer will be here, and you will be in top shape.