Green Juicing Diet (6 page)

Wheatgrass

• Color:
Green

• Yield:
1 pound = ¾ to 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Grassy and rich

• Health Benefits:
Wheatgrass is rich in chlorophyll and the nutrients found in the other types of grass. It helps to boost your energy, stabilize your blood sugar, and is great for detoxification and healing.

Spicy

Arugula

• Color:
Dark green

• Yield:
1 pound = ½ to 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Peppery and fresh

• Health Benefits:
Arugula has the same health benefits as other lettuces but adds a pleasant, naturally peppery flavor to your juice, while helping you detoxify and fight disease.

Cabbage

• Color:
Green to milky

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Pungent and spicy

• Health Benefits:
Cabbage is another superfood offering a range of benefits from cancer prevention to weight loss. It's used to treat ulcers and other digestive disorders because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and it also helps increase the good bacteria in your gut. Cabbage not only assists in prevention of many types of cancers but for some types is also used in their treatment.

Cayenne Pepper

• Color:
Red

• Yield:
If using fresh, 1 pound = 1 cup juice; using powder is also acceptable

• Flavor Profile:
Extra spicy and rich

• Health Benefits:
Cayenne pepper is a good source of antioxidants and, to a lesser extent, vitamin A. The capsaicin in peppers is a powerful tool used to treat ulcers, maintain cardiovascular health, and promote weight loss. It's also good for draining congested sinuses and is a natural pain reliever.

Fennel

• Color:
Green or milky

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Peppery and bright

• Health Benefits:
Fennel is strong in antioxidants and adds a fresh, peppery flavor to your juices. It's rich in phytonutrients, vitamins C and B3, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, iron, folate, and calcium. Research suggests that fennel can help shut down the signaling system that may stimulate cancer growth in your liver. It also helps you maintain good cardiovascular and colon health and keeps your immune system strong.

Garlic and Onions

• Color:
Milky

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 to 1¼ cups juice

• Flavor Profile:
Pungent and spicy

• Health Benefits:
It would take another entire book to fully review all of the health benefits of garlic and onions, but perhaps most important are that they are fantastic sources of antioxidants as well as vitamins B6 and C, folate, potassium, manganese, and tryptophan.

Garlic and onions keep your immune system strong to help you fight off colds, the flu, and disease; they promote digestive health, help your body metabolize iron, which is great for your blood, and kill bacteria in your mouth that cause gum disease. And the big benefit? The sulfides and antioxidants are extremely anti-carcinogenic and protect you from a wide range of cancers.

Ginger

• Color:
Milky

• Yield:
1 pound = ½ to ⅔ cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Zesty and extremely spicy

• Health Benefits:
The gingerol in ginger is not only a powerful antioxidant but actually stimulates apoptosis, or cell death, in ovarian cancer. For centuries ginger has been used to treat stomach upset and disorders such as motion sickness. Ginger strengthens your immune system and is also great for reducing the swelling and pain associated with arthritis.

Horseradish

• Color:
Milky

• Yield:
1 pound = ½ cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Extremely spicy

• Health Benefits:
Horseradish can add a deliciously spicy zing to your green juices and smoothies and contains nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatories that lessen arthritis pain and swelling, fight off colds and the flu, and battle cancer, just to name a few benefits. It's also excellent for respiratory and sinus issues and promotes good urinary health. And as an added bonus, it's great for your skin and for detoxification.

Jalapeño Peppers

• Color:
Green

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 to 1¼ cups juice

• Flavor Profile:
Extremely spicy

• Health Benefits:
Just as with cayenne peppers, jalapeños are a great source of capsaicin, and since they're green, you're getting the benefits of chlorophyll as well. They're great for digestion, and if you don't use the seeds, you can greatly reduce the heat.

Zesty and Tart

Grapefruits, Lemons, and Limes

• Color:
Pink, yellow, or green

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 to 1½ cups juice

• Flavor Profile:
Sweet and tart

• Health Benefits:
Tart citrus fruits are delicious and chock full of vitamins A, B, and C. They're terrific for your immune system, and the antioxidants destroy free radicals that cause cancers such as breast, colon, lung, stomach, and skin cancers. They also have the phytonutrient limonin that keeps cancer cells from growing. Citrus juice can also help prevent certain kidney stones by lowering your pH, and assists in lowering your bad cholesterol as well.

Lemongrass

• Color:
Green

• Yield:
1 pound = ⅔ to 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Grassy with lemony tones

• Health Benefits:
Lemongrass is great for juicing or cleansing, because in addition to the other benefits of chlorophyll, it also boosts your immune system, eliminates toxins, improves your energy levels by increasing the oxygen level in your blood, and promotes healing throughout your body.

Tomatoes

• Color:
Red

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 to 1½ cups juice

• Flavor Profile:
Rich and, well, “tomatoey”

• Health Benefits:
Tomatoes are fantastic for your health and also make a great base for creating a green juice with a familiar flavor profile. They're rich in vitamins A (including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin), B complex, C, E, and K, as well as the minerals copper, iron, magnesium, tryptophan, phosphorus, and potassium. And, yes, tomatoes have protein, too. They're excellent for keeping your eyes, heart, and bones healthy, plus the antioxidant alpha-tomatine interferes with the growth of prostate and lung cancer cells, and possibly breast and pancreatic cancer cells also.

Watercress

• Color:
Milky

• Yield:
1 pound = ⅔ to 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Peppery

• Health Benefits:
This zesty plant is both tasty and good for you. It's a natural diuretic and its antioxidants protect you from cancer. It has also been used for centuries as a digestive aid, and it helps with respiratory issues by clearing your airway.

Herbs

Basil

• Color:
Dark green

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Bright and refreshingly spicy

• Health Benefits:
Basil has the same nutrients as other leafy greens and adds an appetizing, familiar “spaghetti sauce” zing to your juice. It's currently being studied for its antibacterial properties, because it's suspected that basil can fight disease-causing bacteria that have become immune to mainstream antibiotics. Because it has such a strong flavor, be careful adding more than just a few leaves!

Cilantro

• Color:
Dark green

• Yield:
1 pound = 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Spicy and grassy

• Health Benefits:
Cilantro carries the same health benefits as other leafy greens and also helps control your blood sugar, while decreasing bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Dill

• Color:
Green

• Yield:
1 pound = ¾ to 1 cup juice

• Flavor Profile:
Sweet and spicy

• Health Benefits:
Packed with antioxidants, calcium, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, dill is great for preventing osteoporosis, infections, heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses related to damage by free radicals. It's often used with chamomile to promote relaxation and sleep.