Our Healing Vegetables II by Dazzle Blog entry

GINGER JUICE - GINGER ROOT JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Colds	Digestive System
Expectorant	Immune System
Mucous

A Good Source Of:

Potassium

Freshness Test:

Ginger is a bumpy root. The ends are normally dry, but that's okay. If you cut off the ends, you get to the juicy part. Only buy as much Ginger as you need. If the Ginger Root in the store is too big, simply break off the amount that you need.

Important:

I only use about 1 cm of Ginger Root at a time. Its taste is powerful.

General:

Ginger Root does have a strong taste, but it's one of my favorites! I really enjoy Ginger Root juice, especially when combined with the standard blend apple juice and carrot juice.

WHEAT GRASS JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Acne	Anemia
Arthritis	Asthma
Bladder Problems	Blood Pressure
Bone Problems	Cancer
Circulation	Colitis
Constipation	Eye Problems
Fatigue	Hay Fever
Hair Loss	Hypoglycemia
Impotence	Kidneys
Liver	Lung Problems
Nervous System	Premature Aging
Skin Problems	Ulcers

A Good Source Of:

Calcium	Iron	Magnesium
Potassium	Vitamin A	B Complex
Vitamin E	Chlorophyll	Super Oxide Dismutase

Freshness Test:

You can grow Wheat Grass yourself ensuring it is always fresh.

Important:

Due to the fact that Wheat Grass is a green juice, you will find it beneficial to have no more than about ¼ of your juice consisting of green juice.

What Grass is very concentrated and so I try not use to any more than 1 ounce in every 8 ounce glass.

Some people may feel a little dizzy or nauseous after having some Wheat Grass juice.

General:

Many people go to juice bars to drink their Wheat Grass juice, but you can easily grow your own Wheat Grass.

I like Wheat Grass because it contains super oxide dismutase (SOD). This is the ingredient that allows the body to make its own and powerful anti-oxidants.

For more information about Wheat Grass, consider reading books by Dr. Ann Wigmore.

CARROT JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Acne	Arthritis
Asthma	Bladder Problems
Cancer	Cataracts
Eye Problems	Hay Fever
Liver Problems	Skin Problems
Ulcers	Weight Loss

A Good Source Of:

Calcium	Phosphorus	Potassium
Sodium	Vitamin B	Vitamin C
Vitamin D	Vitamin E	Vitamin K

Freshness Test:

If you can grow carrots yourself, then that's ideal. Otherwise, look for carrots which a dark orange color. Ideally you want to buy carrots without cracks, although this is almost impossible to get away from nowadays. Some organic growers sell juicing carrots.

Important:

I personally do not juice carrot greens.

Some may find drinking too much carrot juice turns their skin a yellowish orange color. If this happens, it is a sign that the carrot juice is making your liver work. When your liver begins working, it releases toxins thus causing the yellowish orange color. If this happens, simply reduce your amount of carrot juice or dilute the carrot juice with water or other vegetables.

General:

Everyone that I know loves carrot juice. It is so versatile and you will probably find that you will be using carrots and apples the most.

I tend to add carrots to all of my vegetable juices due to its naturally sweet flavor.

When possible, try to buy organically grown carrots from an organic farm. I have done this in the past and my carrot was so fresh, it was picked right from the ground a few seconds before I purchased it. I actually washed the carrot at the farm and bit right into the carrot and you know, the carrot was so sweet it was like eating candy.

Carrots on the market today simply don't compare to the carrot I bought from the farm. You can really see and taste the difference in those vegetables that are organically grown by a good farmer.

Although carrots are famous for helping improve one's eyes, the fact is that carrots are not as good at helping the eyes as led to believe. The whole story about how carrots are good for the eyes started during World Was II when the German pilots couldn't figure out how the Royal Air Force could see them so well.

The Germans were told the British were eating lots of carrots. The truth is that the British had invented radar. Radar alone didn't help give the British better vision of what was happening though. The fact is, the British did have good eye sight but it wasn't totally from carrots.

Almost all of the British air fields were next to bilberry bushes. As a result, the pilots were eating a lot of bilberries all the time. It was the nutrients in the bilberries that helped the pilots. All berries such as blueberries help benefit the eyes, but nothing compares to the bilberry.

Research done since World Was II has helped determine just how effective bilberry is. So although carrots are beneficial for the eyes, it all started as a lie to mislead the Germans.

CUCUMBER JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Acne	Arthritis
Eczema	Fluid Retention
Hair Loss	High Blood Pressure
Kidneys	Psoriasis
Weight Loss

A Good Source Of:

Manganese	Potassium	Silicon
Sulfur	Vitamin A	Chlorophyll

Freshness Test:

Look for dark green Cucumbers. Good Cucumbers do have a bumpy surface. Choose Cucumbers that are about 10 to 20 cm long.

Cucumbers are usually waxed and so if you can, get Cucumbers that are not waxed.

Important:

Nothing to report.

General:

Cucumbers contain a lot of water and the people of the Middle East and Central Asia are known for drinking Cucumber juice. In these countries, people drink Cucumber juice on hot days to help cool their body.

Cucumbers have a lot of Vitamin A in their peel, but if you buy waxed Cucumbers, then you should peel the Cucumber. Once this happens though, you loose most of the Vitamin A.

Cucumbers and apples are often waxed, unless organically grown. Once waxed, no washing can remove the wax. You have no choice but to peel.

RADISH JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Asthma	Eczema
Lung Problems	Skin Problems
Sinus Problems	Thyroid Problems

A Good Source Of:

Iron	Magnesium	Potassium
Sodium	Vitamin C

Freshness Test:

Look for radishes with a nice red color to them. If the radishes you buy come with greens on the top, then cut them off to ensure the nutrients are not drawn from the radish to the leaves.

Important:

Radishes and radish sprouts should always be mixed with other vegetables as the taste can be a little bit strong. Only use a small amount such as a small handful.

General:

Since radishes have a strong taste, it's nice to mix radishes with apple juice, carrot juice, etc.

CAULIFLOWER JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Asthma	Scurvy
Cancer	Capillary Strength
Cataracts

A Good Source Of:

Phosphorus

Potassium

Freshness Test:

Avoid cauliflower with little brown spots on the heads. Cauliflower should have firm heads that are an ivory color.

Important:

Nothing to report.

General:

Cauliflower is a wonderfully nutritious vegetable. I like to alternate between using broccoli and Cauliflower.

DANDELION GREEN JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Acne	Anemia
Bladder Problems	Bone Problems
Circulation	Constipation
Eye Problems	Kidneys
Liver	Skin
Weight Loss

A Good Source Of:

Calcium	Iron	Potassium
Sodium	Magnesium	Vitamin A
Vitamin B-1

Freshness Test:

Dandelion are not a leaf that you can buy from a store and why would you?

Dandelions grow like a weed and many consider them a weed. But to me, they are not a weed and in fact, are one of my favorite greens.

When picking dandelion leaves, choose small leaves. The larger the leaf, the more bitter the taste. Dandelion leaves are best picked in the spring but you can pick them all summer too. Avoid picking leaves in the areas where chemical fertilizers or pesticides have been used.

I pick dandelion leaves from my backyard as I use no chemicals in the yard. Some pick dandelion leaves from fields. Try to avoid picking leaves that are close to roads and especially highways.

Important:

Due to the fact that Dandelion Greens are a green juice, you will find it beneficial to have no more than about ¼ of your juice consisting of green juice.

Dandelion is very concentrated and so I try not use to any more than 1 ounce in every 8 ounce glass.

General:

When I was a child, I used to have nettle soup all the time. Both nettles and dandelion leaves are traditional herbal remedies which have stood the test of time. This is definitely one of my favorite herbs.

In the fall, I like to dig up Dandelion Roots and juice them. The roots are bitter and thus need to be mixed with other vegetables. Dandelion Roots are best picked in the fall (September onwards) and Dandelion Greens are best picked in the spring. Of course, you can pick roots and leaves all year if you want. But spring and fall are the best for the leaves and roots respectively.

Dandelion Roots are a tap root like carrots and parsnip. I unfortunately don't have the nutritional analysis for Dandelion Roots otherwise I would have added it.

Both Dandelion Roots and Greens have been used by herbalists for centuries. Traditionally Dandelion Roots and Greens have been used to help support the liver.

TOMATO JUICE

Traditionally Used For:

Bladder Problems	Gall Bladder Problems
Gout	Kidneys
Liver	Skin Problems
Weight Loss

A Good Source Of:

Phosphorus

Sulfur

Vitamin C

Freshness Test:

Vine ripened Tomatoes are always best. Buy in season during the summer growing season.

You want to avoid hothouse Tomatoes as hothouse Tomatoes are usually picked green before shipping. Then, they are gassed to make them red.

Important:

Tomatoes are actually a fruit even though most think of them as a vegetable. As a result, Tomatoes are best drunk alone.

General:

I personally don't drink Tomato juice as I like to combine my vegetables. But for those that like Tomato juice, then feel free to juice your Tomatoes.

It is important to note that there is a tremendous difference between raw and cooked Tomatoes. Cooked Tomatoes produce oxalic acid, similar to spinach, and as such can leech the body of minerals such as calcium.

On the other hand, raw Tomatoes is said to be cleansing for the body, especially the liver and is said to help stimulate circulation.

Here's a funny story for those that like funny and historical stories like myself!

Tomatoes leaves are actually poisonous and for the longest time, people in North America would not eat Tomatoes thinking that if the leaves were poisonous, then so must be the fruit.

Then a man travelled to Italy and saw everyone eating Tomatoes to his surprise! Shocked with what he saw, he travelled back to North America and began selling crushed Tomatoes as an elixir. The belief being that if the leaves are poisonous, but the fruit isn't, then it must help make you healthy. Today, this Tomato elixir is known as ketchup.