Purple Drink

Well, here we are- day one of my venture back into plant-based eating. To celebrate, Simon and I went to Candle 79 in NYC. He isn't delving into veganism with me, but he is supportive- especially since I've agreed to take one day per week off.

One of the great things I've discovered since journeying into a healthy lifestyle is homemade juice. I typically go with a green juice, but sometimes I have a little fun and try new things. Here is a recipe for the juice I made yesterday:

Purple Drink (Makes one extra large or two medium juices)
1 blood orange (peeled)
1 cup watermelon
1/4 head purple cabbage
1 green apple
1 small beet (with greens)
1 inch ginger

This juice was nice and just sweet enough. Honestly- it has more sugar than the green juices I usually stick with, but its okay to have some fun, especially if you're reducing your processed sugar intake.

Health benefits of this juice include:

• Potassium helps regulate blood pressure
• High in antioxidants
• Balances oxygen use to help the body respond better to exercise
• Vitamin C aids the body in absorbing Calcium
• Reduces inflammation
• Alkalizes to help balance body's pH
• Clears mirocirculatory channels including stuffy noses
• SO MANY MORE- I've mentioned about 1/10th of the information from the small amount of research I've done

Note: I have a cold-press (masticating) juicer, so I get tons of juice out of my produce. If you have a centrifugal juicer, you'll get less. Please be aware of this when figuring out your portions. If you are in the market for a juicer, I suggest a cold-press. They can be a bit pricier, but if you're already shelling out a couple hundred dollars on a juicer, you should do it right and get the most out of your produce- which will save you money in the long run (produce isn't cheap!). Your juice will also last longer and holds onto the maximum amount of nutrients :)

Note #2: Store your juices in air tight containers and drink them within 36-hours. As your juices oxidize, you'll lose nutrients. I store my juices in large mason jars and fill them up to the very top to minimize oxygen exposure.