Juicing and Juice Recipes

I came to a realization two weeks ago. After a decadent holiday period of eating and drinking, I was sluggish and bloated. I had definitely been vegetable and fruit-deficient. Cheese? Yes. Wine? You betcha. But steamed veggies or a crisp apple? No freaking way.


And yet, the idea of a pear eaten out of hand or a crisp salad wasn't yet in the taste buds. So I turned to another solution. The juicer. We have a great Krups centrifugal juicer that has unfortunately been gathering dust on its designated shelf. Begrudgingly, my other half (the one who wants no appliances to live on the countertops) said we could get it out and leave it out.


And the juicing began. Now I've done nothing too exotic at this point. Apple, carrot and pear. I've thrown a bit of ginger root or beet in, but want to soon take the plunge with cucumber, beet greens, green pepper, grapefruit...even fennel.


Now remember...juicing is not as healthy as eating the fruits and vegetables themselves. You miss out on lots of fiber. But juice can be a great mid-afternoon snack and is a great way to get lots of fruits and vegetables in an easy "delivery" method.


To spur me on, I've bought the mini-book The Top 100 Juices. Here's a recipe from it that I'll be trying this week. The authors say it's a perfect post-workout drink.


Asparagus, Celery and Carrot Juice
10 asparagus spears, shopped into chunks
6 celery stalks including tops, chopped into chunks
2 large carrots, trimmed and cut into chunks


Press alternate chunks of vegetables into juicer. Stir juice and drink immediately.