I had a great time today giving a workshop on Juicing and Green Smoothies for Optimal Health and Vitality at the Small Farm Summit. Thanks to everyone who came! As promised I’m posting the 2 recipes we prepared in the class and also a few resources.

The Mean Green Juice

From the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

1 bunch curly kale (washed, ribs left on)
1 medium cucumber (unpeeled)
4 stalks of celery
1 apple (unpeeled)
1 whole lemon – without the rind – use a knife to remove
1-inch piece fresh ginger (unpeeled)

All organic and into the juicer in the order listed. Makes approximately 35 ounces.

Easy Green Protein Smoothie

1 ½ to 2 cups filtered water
¼ cup frozen organic peaches
1 organic apple, core removed, peeling on
3-4 handfuls organic baby spinach
½ organic cucumber, peeled
½ inch peeled fresh ginger
1 lemon, rind removed
1 organic medjool dates, pit removed
1 tablespoon Hemp Seed Powder (equals 6 grams of protein – I like Navitas Naturals)

Blend all ingredients until smooth in a Vitamix or high-powered blender. Add 1 ½ cups of the water first and then add additional water as needed to get desired thickness. Serves 2.

My equipment:
The Breville Icon Juicer
The Vitamix Blender 5200

Rethink your drink! Check out all the sugar in some of America’s favorite drinks…
4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon of white granulated sugar.

This documentary really changed my opinion about juicing. It tells the story of Joe Cross, an Australian who was literally fat, sick and nearly dead with a chronic autoimmune skin condition. He decided to go on a 60 day juice fast. Half the time was spent in New York City and the other half he spent traveling across the United States with the juicer hooked up in the back of his car. He gathered veggies along the way from farmstands across the US. I won’t give away the ending but you know there’s a pretty strong message here not to be missed. It’s available for instant streaming on Netflix. Get ready to be inspired!

The Mean Green: favorite juice recipe from the documentary

1 bunch curly kale (washed, stems left on)
1 cucumber (unpeeled)
4 stalks of celery
2 granny smith apples
1/2 lemon
1 inch piece fresh ginger

All organic and into the juicer, in the order listed. Makes approximately 25 ounces. Delicious.

Juicing vs Smoothies?

As a recovering sugar addict I’ve always been partial to the Green Smoothies made in the blender with all the fiber intact and which don’t trigger additional sugar cravings. While juicing does remove all the fiber, what you are left with is phytonutrient rich and easily absorbed by the body with no fiber to slow things down. If you stick to the green juices like the Mean Green you will lower the sugar (natural sugar…but still sugar) considerably. My Breville Icon Juicer does an amazing job with the greens.