Juicing and blending has become a way of life for my family – it’s part of our morning routine, and it’s not something I usually pull a cookbook out for – normally I open the fridge (half the time somewhat bleary-eyed), and concoct a mixture of whatever fruit and veg we have in the fridge. Maybe throw in some nuts/seeds, a few superfoods. It’s a treasured part of our day, but sometimes it’s easy to get stuck in a rut making morning beverages out of the same combinations. For this reason I have had lots of fun flipping through the recipes in Danielle Omar’s new book Skinny Juices published by Da Capo Press.
This book is not just about recipes though. There is a lot of debate out there about whether juicing is an amazing health benefit, or something you should avoid – and both sides of the argument use similar reasoning. When you juice, nutrients are delivered sans fibre very quickly to your blood stream. Some say this is good – a nutrient power punch unimpeded and easy to absorb; others say this is dangerous – too much too quickly, especially if your juice is on the sweet side. Danielle, who is a registered dietitian, culinary nutritionist and healthy living expert, explains the reason she is on the PRO JUICING side of the fence clearly and convincingly in the first chapter, Juicing Benefits and Philosophy. If you’re interested in the whole argument, buy the book…but basically she tackles issues such as volume (you can take in A LOT more fruits and veggies by juicing than you could eating them whole); what’s in the juice that’s beneficial; the benefits of raw produce, compared to cook (which is how a lot of people get especially the veggies they eat on a daily basis)…and more. She looks at the research and makes her recommendation of juicing as part of a healthy lifestyle – to supplement a diet that is also high in fiber from whole fruits and veggies.
There are several other information chapters in this book – Juicing vs. Blending, and several chapters on detoxing with juice. And then you get to the recipes. They are divided up into six sections: Cleansing and Detoxifying Juices, Juices for Weight Loss, Super Immunity Juices, Juices for Anti-Aging and Glowing Skin, Juices for Digestive Health, and Cancer Fighting Juices. This week on the Vegan Mainstream Cookbook Club we have been featuring some of the recipes, and today, as we wrap the week up, we have one more for you. This one is from the Cleansing and Detoxifying Juices chapter: Fennel of Love.
For more juice recipes, visit the Vegan Mainstream Cookbook Club, but if you are looking to start juicing, or to switch up your juicing routine, get yourself a copy of this informative book, and keep it on your kitchen counter for daily inspiration. Your body (and mind!) will thank you for it.
Fennel of Love
Fennel helps promote digestion and is a natural diuretic. It’s also an excellent source of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.
1 large fennel bulb
1/2 cucumber
1/2 green apple, cored
1 handful mint
1-inch piece ginger
Juice.
Nutritional information: Calories: 81, Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 3g, Carbohydrate: 26g, Sugar: 7g, Sodium: 90mg
From Skinny Juices by Danielle Omar, MS, RD. Reprinted with permission from Da Capo Lifelong, © 2014