Cheer Me Up Green Juice

January 22, 2015 by Barbara Dolan 2 Comments

So yesterday I shared with you that I had some fresh turmeric and I made a yummy sauce/dip/dressing with it.

Today, I made fresh green juice.

Before I tell you about that, I would like to give a warning on the staining ability of fresh turmeric. Avoid making things in a plastic vessel; use glass or stainless steel and ensure that you are using a cutting board and try not to get any on your counter tops. My sink is enamel and unfortunately it was a bit stained. But I used oxygen bleach and let it soak overnight and now it is good as new. I recommend using gloves when handling the root if you want to avoid the smoker’s look. I munched on several pieces while I was making that sauce yesterday. I was trying to figure out how to describe the flavour. Well, my teeth were an attractive yellow. Really. My toothbrush is now yellow too. The price of good health. 🙂

The juice I made today was really delicious and fresh-tasting.

I used the following veggies:

parsley (a whole bunch)
celery
cucumber
lemon
carrot
fresh turmeric

The whole thing became a bit frothy with that much parsley but that didn’t bother me. I simply gave it a stir and loosen it all up.

This juice has many, many benefits among which are

digestive tonic
immune system booster
brain food
anti-aging drink
effective anti-depressant; hence the name of the juice

I really liked the flavour of this juice. It was light and fresh and easy to drink. My husband found it a little strong but I did not. He prefers it sweeter. Likely adding an apple or two or more carrots would have pleased him. I prefer to use less or no fruit in my juices. We definitely all have different palates, so experiment with other vegetable combinations and decide what you like best. A friend mentioned that she juiced the turmeric with carrot and orange and really enjoyed it.

Happy Juicing!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cheer Me Up Green Juice

Author: Barbara Dolan

Recipe type: Juice

Cuisine: Vegan

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 20 ounces approximately

Ingredients

1 bunch fresh parsley
4 stalks celery
1 cucumber
2 carrots
1 lemon
5 pieces of fresh turmeric (a couple of inches long)

Instructions

Wash all vegetables.
Cut cucumber and carrots into narrower pieces to fit your juicer.
Cut lemon in pieces.
Alternate all vegetables through your juicer. .
The parsley will cause some froth so divide it up as evenly as you can. Avoid putting it through all at once.
Serve immediately.

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My First Time Using Fresh Turmeric

January 21, 2015 by Barbara Dolan 2 Comments

Yesterday was Produce Day at my house. What a great day it was. I love it when my fridge is full of beautiful organic produce.

I ordered fresh turmeric root for the first time. The picture above is what it looks like. It looks very similar to ginger but has a bright orange flesh inside. The taste is difficult to describe. It is not spicy like ginger but it has quite a strong flavour. But not as strong as dried turmeric and not as bitter. I like it and I encourage you to try it.

Turmeric is most known for its’ anti-inflammatory properties. It is so powerful that it matches and often surpasses the effectiveness of anti-inflammatory drugs….without side-effects.

Some other benefits of turmeric are:Continue Reading

7 Types Of Food That Calm Your Body

January 14, 2015 by Barbara Dolan 4 Comments

It’s a New Year and life just keeps on moving.

After 16 months of being off from my day job, I am heading back in 2 weeks time. I am feeling a bit stressed about it. It will be like starting a new job. Things have changed. People, policies, procedures have changed.

Luckily my employer and my staff are happy to have me back and are doing all that they can to ensure that my return is as pleasant as possible.

Luckily I am now physically able to go back to my job. My body has done well to heal.

To ensure my success, I am making a conscious effort to give my body the best food that I can.Continue Reading

Homemade Vegan Cheese; Who Knew?!

January 8, 2015 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

This post has affiliate links.

Remember we talked about the importance of healthy gut flora and how to improve your digestion a while ago?

I gave you several tips on how to do this and encouraged you to be diligent about caring for your digestive system.

Well, my good friend, Steph Jackson, shared some wonderful recipes with me on how to make your own vegan cheese. It is more of a cream cheese, but cheese none-the-less.Continue Reading

The Miracle of Vitamin C Part II

December 18, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

My previous post was full of information regarding the importance of Vitamin C.

When looking to increase your Vitamin C intake, consider the following foods:

Foods High in Vitamin C
Camu Camu powder- 1 teaspoon=720mg
Chili peppers- 1/2 cup=107.8mg
Red bell pepper -1 cup=190mg
Kiwi – 2 fruits = 137.2mg
Broccoli – 1 cup= 132mg
Cauliflower -1 cup=127.7mg

Other excellent sources of Vitamin C are cabbage, sprouts, parsley, strawberries, citrus fruits and rose hips.

The Miracle of Vitamin C Part I

December 11, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 4 Comments

Vitamin C has long been known to be beneficial to our body.

Vitamin C is

A powerful antioxidant.
It prevents free-radical damage that contributes to aging and degenerative and age-related disease, including cancer and cardiovascular disorders.
Vitamin C keeps other antioxidants (such as Vitamin E and A) potent by preventing them from being oxidized.

Tasty Eastern Dippers

December 3, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 2 Comments

We had guests for dinner on Saturday and I wanted to try something different for an appetizer but not too different. I tend to try out recipes, that I have not made before, at a dinner party. Do you do that too? It must be a faux pas but I figure this way you are under a little pressure to do it right and usually it works out quite well.

I was thinking along the lines of a falafel but I wanted to keep it raw. Our guests are not raw foodies or even vegans but they do enjoy plant-based foods and I knew that they would be open to something new.

I do not like raw chickpeas, so I thought that I would use soaked sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. These are super easy on the digestion. I basically took a general falafel recipe and switched it up a little. This is something that you could bring to an upcoming cocktail party.

12 Ways to Enjoy the Holidays, Cold & Flu-Free

November 26, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 4 Comments

I know that many of us have a lot to be thankful for as we prepare to celebrate the holidays with our friends and family.

During this special time together, we want to reflect the best of our health and well-being. We can do this by enhancing our immune system to make it very difficult for viruses and bacteria to stay in our bodies.

3 Reasons Why I Eat A Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Diet

November 22, 2014 by Barbara Dolan Leave a Comment

There are many reasons to move towards eating a Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Diet. But before I share my main reasons, let me remind you what this diet is about.

What is a Whole-Foods, Plant-Based Diet (WFPB)?

A whole-food, plant-based diet is centered on whole, unrefined, or minimally refined plants. This diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes; and it excludes or minimizes meat (including chicken and fish), dairy products, and eggs. It also excludes highly refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, oil and trans fats.

I choose to exclude meat, dairy, eggs and refined foods from my diet. I also choose to eat foods in their freshest state, preparing food from scratch and eating mostly raw foods. I also include sprouts and fresh juices. Another important thing for me is avoiding Genetically Modified Foods (GMO).Continue Reading

Creamy Broccoli Soup

November 11, 2014 by Barbara Dolan 6 Comments

Yesterday was a cold and gloomy day here and I really wanted something yummy and filling for my lunch. I decided on something with broccoli.

Broccoli is a wonderful vegetable that has many benefits. Here are a few for you to know:

Cancer Prevention– Broccoli contains indole-3-carbinol, a powerful antioxidant compound and anti-carcinogen found to stop the growth of breast, cervical and prostate cancer, and also boosts liver function. Other cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage contain indole-3-carbinol as well.
Alkalizes your body- Broccoli, being a vegetable, works to keep your body alkaline. This is great because diseases tend to avoid alkaline situations and go for acidic environments.
Good for your bones- Broccoli is high in calcium and Vitamin C which are important for good bone health.
Anti-inflammatory- Broccoli contains anti-inflammatory phyto nutrients.