Fruit juice : health at the bottom of a glass

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices aren’t only pleasures for the palette; they are also serious health concentrates, with the condition that they are prepared with the knowledge of all the rules of the art. Here are four flavourful and therapeutic recipes. Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are very concentrated foods, which can protect us from certain illnesses, and treat frequent small problems.

“It is much easier to drink a glass of carrot juice than to eat a pound of carrots,” explains Anna Selby in her ‘Juice and Zest Book’ (Collins and Brown) “and, as well, the body absorbs juices easier and more efficiently than it absorbs the foods or complimentary aliments.”
So here are some simple recipes, to be consumed without moderation.

Anti-stress juice

To fight against this steady destroyer of morale, tonus and health, prepare yourself a juice of carrot, celery and watercress.

• Ingredients :

1. ½ a celeriac
2. 1 bunch of watercress
3. 2 carrots

Wash the vegetables and press them separately before mixing them.
This juice is very rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, magnesium, and phosphorus…All nutrients which support the relaxation of the nervous system and protect against free radicals.

A juice for nice skin

The ideal: a good cherry juice, if you have the time to take out the pits! In addition to its nice taste, cherry juice is a detoxifier and a natural antiseptic. It affects the skin by making it softer and smoother.

• Ingredients :

1. 250 g (approx. 1 cup) of cherries

Wash the cherries before taking the pits out, then press them and drink up!
This juice is rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. One also finds small quantities of B group vitamins, iron and zinc.

A juice against constipation

This thick, sweet juice combined prunes, apples and figs. It helps to equilibrate the digestive system. The numerous fibres augment the bolus and facilitate the transit. It is delicious and it has a beautiful sombre color.

• Ingredients :

1. 2 prunes
2. 1 apple
3. 3 very ripe figs

First, peel the figs and pass them through the juicer. Then add the de-pitted prunes and lastly the apple, with its core removed and cut into pieces.
Again, a juice rich in vitamins: C, E, A, group B vitamins, plus calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, as well as zinc and copper.

A juice for cramps

Melon and grape meet for this juice full of magnesium, a deficiency of which causes cramps. Choose a pretty ripe melon; the flavour will depend on the variety of melon you choose. Grapes are diuretic and purifying and they help the elimination of toxins in the muscles, the accumulation of which is also a cause of cramps.

• Ingredients :

1. ½ a melon
2. a small bunch of juicy grapes.

Take off the melon rind and the seeds, and then cut it in pieces. Then detach the grapes from the vine. Press the melon first, and then add the grapes. Other than magnesium, this juice brings B group vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, and vitamins C and E to the tired muscles.

Golden rules for juice preparation

• Equip yourself with an electric juicer, which will allow you to prepare juices with practically all vegetable matter, even the most surprising (watercress, endives, or sweet potatoes…).
• Buy preferably very fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. If this is case, you can pass them through the juicer without peeling them, except for those with a hard or thick skin (citrus, bananas…) Otherwise, lightly peel them.
• Wash them quickly, before peeling them.
• Take out any pits and cut the fruits and vegetables in pieces.
• Always press the fruits separately, starting with the thickest.
• When the juice is ready, consume it right away. Never prepare it in advance; the vitamins and minerals oxidize very quickly in air and light.

Nathalie Cocherel

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