Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice Challenge Day 8

Its Curry Patta added to the vegetables today.
I have a small pot with a small plant of curry patta growing in my staircase,but as we are north Indians, I rarely used the curry patta given free by the vegetables vendors until I made Sambar or Upma oe something typically South Indian.
And when Shalini , my friend who Introduced me to the magic of cold pressed vegetable juices told me to add curry patta... I checked up about it.
And was I surprised.
We take ao much for granted. And push stereotypes.
For me Curry patta or meetha neem as it is also called, was just a seasoning.
But the ancients were so wise.
Almost every dish has a tempering of curry patta in the south.
All for good reason...
Curry patta helps keep your hemoglobin levels stable and ensure that you are never anemic. So a double plus for women. And especially those who are constantly struggling with one diet or the other.
These leaves are mildly laxative , but they are therapeutic for diarrhea. So like we make a little mix of ground ginger and salt and drink with water , you can do the same with curry patta leaves and buttermilk or yogurt.
That is why so many south Indian Lassi preparations contain chopped curry patta .
These leaves help protect your liver and your heart. Tbey also keep your digestive system functioning well.
And as if thats not enough,they have anti microbial powers too.
So skin Infections or fungal infections can be treated with a topical application of thepaste of curry leaves.
And a word for us forty plus women. Curry patta helps slow the greying of hair.
Good for you if you eat it or cook it in coconut oil and apply to your hair.
Awesome.
www.bbncommunity.com

I have been drinking these juices everyday , just not posting daily as they arre the same. But every new addition and i am ensuring that I share my knowledge.
New found.
Todays Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice is

250 gms peeled and diced pumpkin
2 stalks curry patta
1 inch piece ginger
1 inch piece raw turmeric root
juice of 1 lemon
1 cucumber peeled
250 mils cold water

Place in the blender and liquidise.
Press the pulp through a steel strainer and include some pulp too.
Pour into a mason jar or two and share with someone you love.
Cheers.
Bottoms up!

Feedback???
My daily help has commented that she sees less hair while she sweeps the house. My tummy is behaving exceptionally well and my skin is glowing.

So taken up the challenge yet??

Lets add the goodness of Raw vegetables to our diet.



Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice Challenge -Day7

Day 7
A week and my daily help is reporting fewer stray fallen hair after she swept the house.
Happy?
I am jumping for joy.
Blessing my oldest friend Shalini for telling me about the magic of vegetable juices. I am now also going to make sure sweet child tries some daily.
He is now 16 years old and is dealing with acne and dandruff.
So if the acne gets resolved , his teenage will be so much happier.
So today is a repeat of yesterday.
Yellow pumpkin,Raw turmeric root, mint ,ginger and lemon juice.


Cold water and the veggies cut small, I increased the amount of mint and lemon juice.
Not wanting to make sweet child gag on the not so obvious taste of pumpkin, I made the juice minty.
He just drank it up.
No queries,no sulking and no crankiness.
Awesomeness.
So I now have a partner in my vegetable juice challenge.
Have you started adding juice to your life ?


Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice Challenge -Day6

Fresh ,raw Turmeric .
By the way... This is #Day6.
Awesome.
So today's another super Ingredient.
Raw turmeric in my vegetable juice. 
My base was Harry Potter-esque ,pumpkin.
It doesn't look to pumpkin like ? Does this?
Well, the pumpkin was yellow and then I found raw turmeric root.
It's that time of the year when raw turmeric root is available here.
Since it is such an integral part of our food, we always take it for granted.
But then I came home and researched, as to why I should use the fresh version. 



And I found out that raw turmeric root has turmeric oil, that fresh turmeric doesn't.
In processing the root to powder, there is a definitive loss of the magic ingredient -Curcumin. So weight by weight, raw is better than powder.
And the bioavailability of Curcumin to your body- it gets absorbed more easily by your system. And of course, you know there is no poison in the form of artificial colour added in your turmeric.

Just so you know, patented by India, turmeric is a natural antiseptic, natural analgesic and speeds up wound healing.
That's why we sprinkle turmeric powder on a cut or wound. It's a blood purifier and strengthens ligaments , skin tonic ,improves Asthama. It works against Multiple sclerosis,arthritis,stomach ulcers, psoriasis,progression of Alzheimer's. And so much more.

There are so many benefits of raw turmeric root. So an inch at a time...


Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.




Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice Challenge -Day5

Day 5.
And then I had so much of beetroot.
Blood red beetroot. To this I added a days worth of Wheatgrass.
Yup. We're growing wheatgrass now.
The only grass that grows here. Ever since I read about how miraculous greens are, and I tried micro greens in my salad... Wheat grass was a must do.
Theses are just the shoots. I soaked dried fenugreek seeds in water overnight and used that water in my vegetable juice challenge. 
Skipped the ginger,only because we forgot to pick it upfront the "Bhajji" wala. And a half day later, I can tell the difference.
My tummy was happier with the ginger.
Again, I wanted a change from the pumpkin and gourds...
So my base for the vegetable juice was cucumber.

I used my smoothie maker for this juice.
Chopped the beetroot into small pieces.
Sliced my cucumber and added the wheatgrass.
The only change, I didn't strain the juice. I had it whole fibre and all.
It was thick and gloopy because of the wheatgrass fibres, but when you read the benefits of wheatgrass,you'll happily drink another glass.

Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A than carrots. It has potassium, sodium,calcium and magnesium ,all essential alkaline minerals that are important to the human body. 
It helps build blood and also cleanse the body. So free radicals,bye bye. It has amino acids that are building blocks of all cells. Active enzymes that can help break down fats are in wheatgrass,so apparently it aids weight loss.
Helps prevent cancer,by detoxification and alkalisation of cells. Boosts every and promotes digestion. Wheatgrass eliminates toxins from your bloods.
And there's so much more information...
Just if you look up.

I soaked wheat berries or regular wheat in water overnight and sprinkled them over soil on a pot. In direct sunlight, you can snip off wheatgrass within a few days.
So after I read all this good stuff,I'm really happy that I started this Vegetable juice challenge.
Are you going to start now?

Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice Challenge -Day 4

And today its beetroot.
Btw, congratulations,it's #Day4 .
I still had two days worth of ash gourd to go for my vegetable juice. So today and tomorrow,this is what it will have to be.
Beetroot. Did you know it's amazing.


It's supposed to be magic for all those athletes who consume beetroot juice after a super stressful workout session .
We had vegetable patches of beetroot back in our backyard in Jalandhar. I so miss the fresh,go pull out of the ground and use bit of living in a metropolis.
Even mint hasn't taken root...
But I have wheat grass...
Anyways, beetroot.
In my vegetable juice.
Did you know that beetroot is considered to be a superfood. 
It is known to control heart disease, because it controls blood pressure. Lowers cholesterol and cleanses blood vessels of plaque. It detoxifies the body by keeping kidney function optimal and it is beneficial to your bones and helps in osteoporosis. It's great in the anti cancer diet and is good for your pregnancy-(I've been there 17 years ago..) and it improves immunity.
So in all, free radicals and antioxidants guarantee anti aging benefits.
What's not to love in a beetroot.
So Ash gourd again, and beetroot.
The ash gourd 's virgin white was disparaged by the beetroot.

For #Day4 I used
1 medium beetroot 
250 GMs ash gourd 
Handful mint leaves 
1 inch piece ginger 
Juice of 1 lemon
250 mils cold water


Liquidised and blended and strained with a spoon full of fibre added.
Hola to good health.
Cheers.


Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice Challenge -Day 3

Congratulations on coming back on Day 3. 
I had bought one medium sized ash gourd the other day, so I am going to use it before I do variations.
I had always believed that ash gourd was a pumpkin. Turns out it is a winter melon. Growing just like pumpkin,on vines ,ash gourd is generally used to make a sweet called Petha.
That's day 3.

And I never, ever knew, the benefits were so numerous.
It is packed with Vit B, thymine, Vit C and has a large amount of calcium. A high quantity of potassium makes it ideal for people with high blood pressure.
It's juice is good for people with jaundice, treats constipation and urinary disorders. It balances out the fluid content of the body. Also,useful in weight loss-the fibre content keeps you full longer and balances out the good cholesterol.
Regular use of ash gourd is also beneficial in reducing symptoms associated with Thyroid malfunctions.
So with so many benefits,it's all a win win situation.

So I have enough ash gourd to last me two more days.

As always four basic ingredients.
250 GMs ash gourd peeled, deseeded and cubed
1 inch piece ginger
1 handful mint leaves 
Juice of 1 lemon
250 mils cold water

All into the blender jar and liquidised till a pulp forms.
Then pressed out through a metal sieve till you can press no more.

Pour into a glass with lemon juice...
And drink up.

Cheers to good health.

Winter melon, (Waxgourd), raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy54 kJ (13 kcal)
3 g
Dietary fiber2.9 g
0.2 g
0.4 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)
(3%)
0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(9%)
0.11 mg
Niacin (B3)
(3%)
0.4 mg
(3%)
0.133 mg
Vitamin B6
(3%)
0.035 mg
Vitamin C
(16%)
13 mg
Minerals
Calcium
(2%)
19 mg
Iron
(3%)
0.4 mg
Magnesium
(3%)
10 mg
Manganese
(3%)
0.058 mg
Phosphorus
(3%)
19 mg
Sodium
(7%)
111 mg
stats I pulled for you from Wikipedia 
Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.
  

Cold Pressed Vegetable Juice-Vegetable Juice Challenge DAY2

Congratulations on coming back the second day.
Cold pressed vegetable juice is something that I am extremely happy that I adopted. Even Harry Potter loves his pumpkin juice. Why should I deny my body the benefits of the best vegetables.
So since this is dat two, I'm keeping the safety of the mint leaves.
Mint has the tendency to improve the taste of a lot of insipid ,bland,yucky stuff.
Mint and lemon juice...
Awesome combination.
So by now you know that cooking and processing destroy the micronutrients that are superbly beneficial to our bodies.
And of course, after mid morning.
Never early in the morning.

My glass on day two

250 GMs Ash Gourd -the variety used to make a sweet called petha
1 inch piece ginger
A handful of mint leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
1 glass cold water

Peel and dice the ash gourd, ginger and the mint leaves and place in blender jar with water.
Blend and liquidise.
Strain and press through a clean steel sieve. You can allow some fibre into the juice.
That after all is the magic extra.
Pour into a mason jar or large glass and add the lemon juice.
NO Salt. 
At all.

Stir and drink up. You may store,covered in the fridge for a few hours, but be sure to consume it soon.
 
And only by juices which are removed and squeezed from vegetable pulp can we get these benefits.
There has got to be a reason why the raw pressed cold vegetable juices is a big industry now.
So we'll start with the benefits of Mint.
Mint helps activate your digestive enzymes, allowing for better digestion. Aids weight loss. Improves memory, acts as a breath Freshener, it fights depression and fatigue and is good for skincare and pimples. It's benefits are tremendous. 


There is so much research that is being carried out on the properties of mint against cancer and in improving brain activity. 
Easy to grow, all it needs is a little sunshine and some love and care.

Try this in your vegetable juice.
We'll check out another herb/vegetable tomorrow.



Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.


Image www.organicfacts.net



Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Vegetable Juice Vs Fruit Juice -Vegetable Juice Challenge DAY1

Hello y'all...
The entire world is in love with juices.
Vegetable or Fruit, it's "juice" a matter of choice- yes the pun was intended.
I'm also a sucker for juice.
For the simple reason that it's easier to drink the essence of a whole lot of veggies or fruit , than it is to eat them.
So I've been doing the smooth smoothie bit for a while now.
However, when I calculate the calories, sip for each delicious sip...the calories just don't seem worth it.
And then we keep reading up about cold pressed and raw juices etc.
So I tried a few variants available in the market.
Yes they were yum, but in the long run I have my doubts about the efficacy of anything that comes in a bottle.
And of course,one needs to factor in the cost per bottle.
Truth be told, I'd rather buy a book or a ceramic owl than spend a few thousand rupees a month on raw, cold pressed juices.

So research.
Been doing that for a long time now. 
And simply stating,the benefits weigh out the inconvenience of juicing the veggies at home.

I used to have a centrifugal juicer. That's just a fancy name for the juicers available on the market. A mesh scraper that goes round and round at high speeds,using tangential properties and spewing out a small amount of juice and a large amount of pulp.
Most of the times the pulp has more juice than the juice itself.
And concentrated,vegetable juice is really yucky. If you know what I mean.
To a palate accustomed to sweet and sugars...it's unnatural and quite disgusting.

So help or wisdom in this case came from one of my oldest friends,my namesake,who is a believer in the benefits of cold pressed juice.

All the equipment we need to start is a blender, a strong sieve and a lemon squeezer.
I will be documenting each day's progress in this blog and I do hope you follow.
So according to Shalini, twenty days is all it will take to bank the goodness of the vegetables in our bodies.
From then on,hair fall, bad skin, breakouts,minor ailments will all be history.

A few points to take care of
*All vegetable juice is to be consumed after 4-5 hours after waking. So as your digestive system is slow and sluggish in the morning,we'll need to allow it to wake up.
*Avoid the use of salt.
*No fruit is to be mixed into the vegetable juice.
*No adding Karela /bitter gourd or methi/fenugreek leaves.
Try an consume the juice ASAP. You may store it in the fridge,but it's better the antioxidants and free radicals work inside your body.
*Make this a daily ritual. Include your entire family. You don't need a bucket full of vegetable juice to reap benefits, a small glass per person will also suffice.
*Clean your blender jar and steel sieve immediately ,every day. You don't want mould or fungus growing there.

Today was my first day.
I used Red Pumpkin 200gms 
Mint leaves -handful 
Ginger 1 inch piece 
1 lemon 
1 glass cold water
              That's Red pumpkin vs Ash Gourd


I washed and peeled and chopped the pumpkin into small pieces. Into the blender jar, I added the ginger,mint and water.
I blended the veggies till they were pulpy.
I pushed as much juice as I could through my metal sieve. 
Squeezed a lemon into a glass, added the cold pressed juice and drank up.

This is my first instalment.
I used red pumpkin,but the image wasn't good enough to use.

This was #Day1 . Let's first get to twenty days...

Let's add the goodness of raw vegetables into our diet.

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