Skip the Store-bought O.J.

 By Joy McCarthy

The majority of carton juices that are labeled pasteurized/not from concentrate/ready-to-drink are not actually health-promoting as all those heat-sensitive vitamins and enzymes from the fruit get destroyed with processing and pasteurization. And what are you left with? A sugary drink that will send your blood sugar on a moody rollercoaster.

Juice from concentrate is no better because it involves a similar process of adding heat to boil off the water content while destroying much of the beneficial vitamins and enzymes. So, your best bet (and tastiest) is to make fresh juice yourself or to grab one from your local juice bar where the experts work their juicing magic.

I want to share the following juice recipe with you in the hope that it will inspire you to make a commitment to stop buying juice from the grocery store and make your own fresh juice combos packed with enzymes, vitamins and minerals instead.

By far, my favorite juice is one loaded with greens. The beauty of the summer months is that grocery stores and farmers' markets are bursting with fresh ingredients grown close to home. Greens are a fantastic source of minerals including: calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and vitamins including: A, all the B-complex, K and literally thousands of phytochemicals.

All those nutrients I just mentioned are part of the recipe for good health as they can prevent illness, balance your blood sugar, fire up your metabolism and create beauty from the inside out. Forget expensive lotions and potions for your skin, these juice recipes will do far more to give you a glowing complexion.

Green Energy Zing
3 kale leaves
1/2 cucumber
3 stalks celery
Half an apple
1 tbsp raw ginger root

Make sure you wash your ingredients very well before juicing. Toss ingredients into your juicer and drink immediately. Note: If you are not used to drinking green juices, you could add a drop of stevia to sweeten it. Green juices are an acquired taste, but once you starting drinking them, you will soon start craving them.

Sunshine Juice
2 carrots
1/2 lemon
4 stalks of celery
Fresh mint (as much as you want)
1 pear
1 kiwi

Same instructions as above.

The sky is the limit in terms of making tasty juices. Be creative and have fun with the bounty of fresh fruits and veggies available right now. EnJOY!

Article found at http://www.thatsfit.com

Joy McCarthy, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach of Joyous Health, loves to inspire others to eat well and live well. Joy is the resident holistic nutritionist at 889 Yonge, a Yoga & Holistic Lifestyle Spa in Toronto.