ASPARAGUS Available in early spring. Can be expensive due to difficulty in cultivating. Its claim to fame is the amino acid aspargagine which is destroyed by cooking. Aspargagine is a strong diuretic, stimulating the kidneys. Asparagus is a great blood cleanser and excellent for healthy bowel maintenance. Some even find that it soothes a nervous mind. You may find your urine turning dark and develop a strong odor. This is a harmless byproduct of asparagus. Asparagus contains beta-carotene, vitamins B1 and C, bioflavinoids, potassium, and vitamin C. Whether large or small, asparagus is equally good. Fresh, it will be bright green and firm to the tip. Will keep a couple of days in the refrigerator. Excellent to juice with carrots. BEETS Famous for their ability to cleanse the blood. Beets contain calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, choline, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Beets are also high in minerals which strengthen the liver and gall bladder, and are the building blocks for blood corpuscles and cells. Beet greens are excellent for salads and juicing. Beet greens good source of carotenoids which help in the prevention of all types of cancers. They are high in manganese which is an important mineral for brain function. Beet juice is very concentrated. Do not drink it alone. Dilute with a milder juice such as carrot or apple. Beet juice has been proven therapeutic in the treatment of leukemia and cancer. In a clinical trial, 22 patients with advanced inoperable cancers were given 10 oz. of beet juice daily over 3 to 4 months. Twenty-one of these patients showed marked improvement in health. Beets cause the stool to turn red and may even give the urine a reddish tinge. When juicing beets, alternate between pieces of beets and pieces of carrots, otherwise the beet pulp tends to build up on the side of the spinning extraction basket and causes the juicer to vibrate. Lactofermented beet juice is fermented with lacto bacillus, making it sweeter. On a juice fast, this delicious juice is like a bottle of Champagne. Purchase firm, rock-hard beets. Being a root, they can be stored for months in the refrigerator. BROCCOLI Broccoli is a flower top picked before it blooms. It is dense in nutrition, full of beta carotene and an excellent source of fiber. Inexpensive and available all year round. It is full of vitamins B1 and C and has a generous amount of calcium, sulfur and potassium. Surprisingly, forty-five percent of calories in broccoli is protein. The National Cancer Institute discovered a substance called inderol-3 that emulsifies estrogen, reducing the risk of breast cancer in women. Broccoli is excellent when juiced, stems and all, but like all green vegetables, it should be mixed with lighter juices such as carrot or apple. When buying broccoli, look for tight tops with no yellow, firm but not limp. Will store well for 5 days in the refrigerator. BRUSSELS SPROUTS In the cabbage family, similar in nutritional value to broccoli. Good source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, sulfur, vitamin A, and a decent amount of protein. Forty-four percent of calories in brussels sprout come from protein. Look for dark green coloration with no wilting or yellowing. Should have a light smell. A good addition to juice. CABBAGE A vegetable full of history. It was a mainstay during the great depression, but unfortunately was often overcooked and garnished with fat. Cooking cabbage destroys most of its nutritious value and causes gas because of the sulfur. Raw is an excellent source of beta-carotene, sulfur, vitamin C and the trace mineral, selenium which is excellent for fighting cancer, protecting against heart disease, improving conditions of arthritis, slowing the aging process, giving beautiful skin and increasing male potency. Within cabbage is a delicate amino acid called glutamine which is excellent for healing stomach disorders including ulcers. When making cabbage juice, it must be consumed within 60 seconds or this precious amino acid will begin to decay. If straight cabbage juice causes gas, mix with carrot and celery. Look for heavy firm hard heads. (not advisable when shopping for a husband) Will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator. CARROTS Deep within the soils of the earth grows a golden root that has amazed nutritionists and scientists alike in its powerful healing qualities. One 8 oz. glass of carrot juice contains 20,000 mg. of vitamin A. Toxicity can occur when vitamin A is taken in supplement form or fish oil, but is completely safe in the vegetable form. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that is able to attach to free radicals in the body, stopping them in their tracks. The damaging effect of free radicals has been associated with cancer. Carrots are a natural blast of high energy. The sugars are released more quickly than from white sugar but without the harmful effects. A mug of carrot juice in the morning will give you a competitive edge over coffee drinkers. Like all root vegetables, they are packed with minerals. Carrots are rich in organic calcium that is invaluable to bones and teeth. Inorganic calcium is almost useless to the body. The calcium in milk and white bread is inorganic and known to cause arthritis and gallstones. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin C, including most of the B complex, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium. Carrots are easy to digest and cause the liver to release bile and excessive accumulated cholesterol. They also have an alkalizing effect on the blood, soothing the entire nervous system and toning intestinal walls. Carrot juice is the best base for vegetable juice combinations. It is delicious, sweet and readily accepted by children. Our family can go through a 50 lb. bag every two weeks. Carrot juice is considered the Golden Juice of Healing. Even drinking a few glasses a day has healed many infirmities without fasting. During fasting, its healing effect is increased. Carrot juice helps in cleansing the liver. Drinking large amounts may cause the harmless effect of a slight yellowish color of the skin. Skin will feel velvety soft. The beta carotene present in the skin is a natural protector for the common skin cancer, melanoma. It also assists in tanning, which hides some of the obvious effects of being on a long juice fast. Juicing two to five pounds of carrots a day is standard for juice fasting. Unless carrots are fresh, the juice tastes better if they are peeled. If you don't have the time to peel them, put the carrots in the sink and scrub with a brush. In purchasing carrots for juicing, your local vegetable wholesaler can supply you with large juicing carrots in 50 lb. bags at an affordable price. Carrots should be firm, smooth skinned, without cracks or small rootlets. The brighter the orange the sweeter the carrots. They will keep for weeks in the refrigerator and months in a root cellar. TIP: Carrots can keep up to a year when stored in sand in a root cellar. CAULIFLOWER My favorite vegetable to dip. Good source of potassium and phosphorus and inderol-3. A delicious addition to juice. Look for tight firm white heads free from brown. Will keep in refrigerator for 5 days. CELERY A delicious crunchy finger food, great for dips. It is high in magnesium and iron. High in chlorophyll which is an excellent blood builder. One of the richest sources of organic sodium. This is excellent for those who enjoy vigorous workouts, maintaining valuable body fluid and electrolytes. Celery juice is a superb nerve tonic. Celery juice alone tastes bitter and is usually mixed with carrots or apples. Great for adding a salty taste to vegetable juices. Do you have a headache? Drink a glass of celery juice. Even the ancient Greeks used celery for the universal problem of headaches. Do you live in the inner city full of air pollution? Celery apple juice is able to cleanse the body of carbon dioxide. Were you thinking of buying an air conditioner? Celery juice cools down the body and is great for hot weather. Are you on a diet and craving a snickers bar? Celery juice helps curb the craving for sweets. Do you have a problem with muscle cramps and fatigue during workouts? The potassium sodium balance in celery juice will be a great asset. Always keep celery leaves on. Leave celery until last when juicing because it is stringy and clogs the juice machine. Look for firm solid stocks with bright green leaves. CUCUMBER Being as cool as a cucumber comes from the fact that the internal temperature of cucumbers remains 20 degrees lower than the external temperature on a hot day. People living in the Middle East and India have been eating cucumbers for hundreds of years as a natural coolant. When buying cucumber for juicing, look for non-waxed which allows you to juice the cucumber in its skin. Always wash vegetables thoroughly before juicing. This juice contains 40% potassium, 10% sodium, 7% calcium, 20% phosphorus and 7% choline. It is also an excellent source of silicon. Cucumber is good to rub on your skin, giving it elasticity, resulting in a more youthful complexion. It is even suspected of reducing hair loss. Cucumber juice is usually mixed with other juices. Look for firm cucumbers with a dark green, wrinkle-free skin. Will store in refrigerator for 6 days. COLLARDS Per calorie, collards have more calcium than milk. Thirty calories of collards, one cup, contains an incredible 218 grams of calcium! It is twice as high in vitamin A as carrots. An excellent source of organic highly absorbable iron and high in chlorophyll. Look for crisp leaves, free from wilting and without spots. FENNEL If you enjoy the taste of licorice, you will love fennel. This unusual vegetable looks like a fat celery plant with feathers. In fact, it is in the celery family and has much of the same nutritional qualities. Its distinct flavor really spices up a salad. Some have found fennel juice good for relieving migraine headaches and the eyes to become more sensitive, overcoming night blindness. Look for white solid bulb with healthy leaves. Will keep in the refrigerator for one week. GARLIC There are entire books written about the curative abilities of garlic. Research suggests it reduces blood pressure, helps with the problem of blood clotting, lowering the LDL which increases bad cholesterol, boosts the immune system and encourages recovering heart attack victims. Garlic's famous smell comes from allicin, which inhibits bacterial growth and fungus. It also helps with an overgrowth of yeast in the body and is used in treating candida. Therefore, do not use odorless garlic pills. If they don't smell, your body can't tell. Garlic increases the flow of digestive enzymes and encourages detoxification through the skin. Despite the odor which comes through the skin, garlic is good for you. Throwing a clove of garlic in your vegetable juice every day will be excellent for your health, nonetheless, it may reduce your social life. One clove in the juicer is enough. Five cloves will encourage a life of solitude, unless you can educate all your friends, family and people within a thirty foot radius of the incredible properties of fresh raw garlic juice. GINGER ROOT If you feel a cold coming on, or if you have a bout of laryngitis, juicing a small piece of ginger root with your carrots is a perfect solution. Great for making ginger tea or spicing up herbal tea. For ginger tea, steep in hot water for 20 min. KALE Has similar nutritional qualities to its close relative, the cabbage. An excellent source of calcium. Look for solid, deep green leaves. Will store in refrigerator for 5 days. LETTUCE Iceberg lettuce or head lettuce is useless. You might as well drink a glass of water for the amount of nutritional value. The leaves of romaine, Boston, Bibb or any leaf lettuce that is dark green in color will be rich in chlorophyll. There is absolutely nothing more refreshingly delicious and filling than a bowl of fresh tossed salad with flax seed oil, good tasting yeast and lemon juice. Good source of sulfur, chlorine, silicon, B complex, all contributing to hair growth, healthy skin and defense against lung cancer. Lettuce is a wonderful addition to any vegetable juice. Adding any green, leafy vegetable to juice will add chlorophyll which immediately enters the bloodstream. Leaves should be crisp with no dark spots. The darker green the better. OKRA Raw okra is extremely helpful for those who suffer with inflammation of the intestines. By itself, it tends to have a slimy texture, but can be ground with lettuce leaves or spinach and added to a salad. Okra encourages the secreting of digestive juices which is soothing to the colon, bladder and kidneys. ONIONS Onion is in the garlic family and have many of the same therapeutic properties. Their strong flavor is attributed to natural oil which strengthens the nervous system and encourages the growth of healthy bacteria. Large Spanish onions are sweeter and milder in flavor which makes them excellent in salads. Onion added to juice mixtures is excellent in helping to loosen and rid the body of excess mucus. Look for firm onions with dry papery skins. Do not store onions in refrigerator.
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