Sunshine in a Jar

February can be brutal. By now, those of us closer to the poles than the equators who don't ski have been stuck inside for months. We haven't seen the sun longer than the amount of time it takes to sprint from the car to whatever indoor establishment you're forced to leave your house for. The exciting snow storms of December have become nothing but a hassle. Too many school days and yoga class have been cancelled and our backs hurt from shoveling. We are all out of TV shows worth weekend marathons and running on a treadmill makes us yearn for our warm weather trails. Most of us can use a little cheering up. Enter, a delicious, vitamin-rich homemade juice.

Sunshine in a Jar

(makes one medium juice)

Ingredients:

1/3 Grapefruit, peeled

1 Cara Cara Orange, peeled (or your preferred orange- Cara Cara are my #1 favorite)

1 Green Apple, seeded

3 Carrots

1/2 Cucumber

Wash your ingredients and put them in your juicer. Then drink.

Health Benefits:

• Beta-carotene and lutein protect your retinas for healthy night vision
• Vitamin A promotes lung health, can reduce the risk of emphysema for smokers
• Lowers insulin, helping, convert sugar to insulin rather than storing as fat
• Salicylic acid helps break down calcium build up in the joints, preventing arthritis
• Vitamin C helps reduce respiratory conditions such as asthma

These are just a few of the hundreds of benefits I've found from the ingredients of this juice, besides its great taste.


*I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist. The information I provide is based on research from outside sources.