So you've bought your juicer and are keen to explore all the benefits fresh vegetable juice can offer but you find the taste somewhat difficult to come to terms with. So how about making them sweeter?
Forget all the latest super-foods, just for a moment, and look towards the more humble apples and pears to provide the ideal base and sweetener for almost every vegetable juice.
Apples are proportionally very high in fructose. Fructose is incredibly sweet, even sweeter than sucrose, but has the added benefit that it is metabolized considerably slower, therefore controlling blood sugar levels. Pears offer the same and contain slightly more calories. Both apples and pears contain plenty of vitamin C and fiber.
Recent research from across the world can clearly demonstrate apples provide us with massive “whole-body” benefits.
For example in cancer prevention: Quercetin, a flavonoid contained in vast quantities within apples, can help to prevent the growth of prostrate cancer cells. Phytochemicals within the skin impede the reproduction of colon cancer cells by a considerable 43 percent - so go organic and throw the whole fruit into the juicer! - The National Cancer Institute states that foods that incorporate flavonoids like those found within the everyday apple may even lower the risk of lung cancer by a jaw-dropping 50 percent.
Overall lung health is also improved by the apple, as demonstrated by recent British studies. They indicate that those of us who consume at least five apples per week experience an upturn in lung function and a decreased risk of respiratory disease.
A Dutch study identified apples as a key fruit that could cut a smoker's chance of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) by half. Scientists believe the antioxidants found in apples, could discourage disease by countering oxygen's damaging effects on the body.
Apples are proven also to assist with a healthy heart and could possibly prevent strokes. The flavonoids have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart disease.
Apple juice could protect the arteries from harmful plaque accumulation.
By simply adding the juice of two apples, or 12 oz of 100% apple juice to your daily diet, it is possible to slow down the cholesterol oxidation process that will lead to plaque build-up. This offers the body more time to rid itself of any cholesterol long before it is able to cause any harm.
Pears medicinally, offer virtually the same benefits as apples. They are both members of the rose family. Although the pear is not consumed to nearly the same degree as the apple it is not to be under-rated. It may simply be due to the fact that pears are not as hardy as apples and unfortunately offer shorter storage duration.
It is worth acknowledging pears can be tolerated by most, being one of the least allergenic foods around. They contain enough potassium to help regulate blood pressure and like apples are a good source of antioxidants, such as pectin and bioflavonoids.
When juicing apples, the ideal choices are crisp, sharp varieties such as Discovery, Granny Smith, Braeburn or the deliciously sweet Cox's Orange Pippin. Of course, let's not forget the increasingly popular Egremont russet, which has an overwhelmingly sweet flavour and literally tastes as though a spoonful of sugar has been added to a vegetable juice.
When it comes to the ideal pear to juice, choose Conference, Comice, William and Packhams. A considerably increased yield can be achieved by juicing pears when they are not quite ripe.
Why not get yourself started with the following juicing recipe ideas? Don't forget to continue to constantly experiment with your juicer to both keep your enthusiasm alive and discover what makes you feel good, not forgetting of course to discover what you like the taste of. Apples and pears will work with almost any flavour so are incredibly useful to combine with anything and everything you may have left over in your fridge. So just go for it!
Each of the following will make approximately one 250ml glass, depending on the size of the fruit and vegetables and possibly the type of juicer.
Sweet Beet Treat Sweet Green Dream
- 1 beetroot (with tops if possible) 1 handful of baby spinach leaves
- 3 carrots 1 handful of parsley (include stalks)
- 2 apples 3 apples
- 1 pear 3 pears
Sweet Salad Delight
- 1 handful lettuce leaves (such as romaine or iceberg)
- 1/3 cucumber
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 pears
- 1 apple
Sweet Veggie Indulgence
- 1 parsnip
- 1 handful of spring greens
- 3 apples
- 2 pears
Good luck and enjoy!
