juicing

Alex’s Astavakrasana Green Juice
Becky Eschenroeder, Photo by Meghan McSweeney

Becky Eschenroeder, Photo by Meghan McSweeney

Astavakrasana (or Eight-Angle Pose) is a yoga pose that utilizes the whole body– strengthening your shoulders, arms, and wrists, toning your legs and abdominals, and challenging your balance. So I thought I’d pair this grounding full-body yoga pose with a juice stemming from the ground; a juice that’s just as wholesome and deserving of praise: Alex’s Astavakrasana Green Juice. But why is this juice the intense and impressive Eight-Angle Pose of the juicing world? Because it is amazing for your body, and believe me… people will be impressed. This juice is made from 8 strong and healthy ingredients:

     Alex’s Astavakrasana Green Juice Astavakrasana Green Juice

1. 4-5 stalks of kale
2. 3-4 stalks of turnip greens
3. 1 stalk of celery
4. ½ grapefruit
5. 3 apples
6. 1 lime
7. Handful of strawberries
8. 7 spoonfuls of fresh coconut water

*Optional addition of swiss chard (because I had some growing in my garden, just waiting to be picked!)

So everyone is in a craze over this superfood Kale… is it worth the hype? YES. Now, of course the media is exploiting people’s blind willingness to jump on the super-food bandwagon by over-marketing and over-pricing the green leafy vegetable… but it is indeed ‘super.’ Besides its large amount of fiber, kale has an outstanding amount of vitamin A and C.

Turnip Greens are high in potassium which helps your heart beat regularly. A potassium-rich diet may even be able to lower your cholesterol… (just throw some turnip greens in your honey nut cheerios and you’re good in that cholesterol department.)

Now let me get really science-y on you: Celery is one of the most hydrating foods. Why? Because, according to Natural News, “it is incredibly alkalizing, it equalizes the body’s PH, which is vital for peak health.” Well, I don’t think I fooled anyone, I’m no scientist, but seeing ‘hydrating’ and ‘peak health’ is enough to convince me to jump on that celery bandwagon! (See what I am saying… we’re so easily manipulated convinced of things.) Celery is also known to be an anti-inflammatory. All in favor of outlawing ibuprofen and its risks/side-effects and relying on celery for it’s anti-inflammatory purposes say ‘aye.’

AYE.

All against… *crickets.*

The rest of the ingredients in Alex’s Astavakrasana Green Juice have their health benefits also, but the primary role of the fruits in this drink is to balance things out, and keep you from feeling like a cow grazing in the field.

 

What do I need to know before making this juice?

The first time I juiced greens I juiced a Costco-sized bag of spinach, and got in return a moused-sized serving of spinach juice. I was clearly doing something wrong. Well it turns out there are many types of juicers– the two main ones being centrifugal and masticating. I have a centrifugal juicer which is the fastest type of juicer and is great for root vegetables. However, the masticating juicer is best for greens, because it chews and then presses; therefore, it produces 3 times more juice from the leafy vegetables than the centrifugal juicer does.

I solved this problem by utilizing a “NutriBullet.” These blender-like appliances break down fruits and vegetables completely, turning them into a smooth liquid. I juiced ingredients 3-7 with my centrifugal juicer, and then placed these juices in the NutriBullet along with the chopped greens. This also ensures you get the entire nutritional value of the greens, because there is no pulp left over as there would be from the juicer. After the blades are finished with their liquifying magic, you are left with a smooth and yummy, SO good for your tummy, Alex’s Astavakrasana Green Juice drink.

This recipe makes around 4 good-sized servings. If you keep the juice refrigerated and immediately put it into an airtight container, you should be able to keep it for up to 40 hours or so… but remember it’s best when it’s fresh!

*DISCLAIMER: I completely arbitrarily picked 40 hours… I really have no idea how long this juice will last… but I’ll do some field research (a.k.a. juice neglecting) and let you guys know!

I hope you are inspired to try this recipe… if you do, please let me know how it turned out!

Stay tuned for my next post: Juice Pulp… What to do with it!?

 

A teaser (or should I say ‘squeezer’) to my Summer of juicing!

Beetiful

This summer has become the Summer of Juicing. Yes, you heard me– JUICING. I know that this is super trendy out in L.A. but I am not turning my fruits and veggies into liquids because I’ve hopped on the west-coast bandwagon in preparation of moving out west. It’s actually fun. Okay, maybe I’m the only person that finds it fun, but it truly is a lifestyle that I am quickly falling in love with. I now walk through the grocery store seeing vegetables and imagining what they could add to my juice recipes. I’ve never been a huge beet fan, but now they are my favorite, adding a bright red hue and an earthy taste to my juices.

As I have fallen into a regular routine of juicing nearly each morning, I have decided to go on a juicing journey. By the end of the summer I want to have created the perfect juicing recipes and tricks to make this whole juicing thing worth my (and your) while. From how to beat the high prices, to cleaning that damn 6-piece juicer, I’ll discover it all and share these discoveries with you!

Now as the title suggests, this is a teaser post, so I thought I’d leave you with my most recent recipe for my Grown Up Lemonade:

Grown Up Lemonade

This lemonade will quench that Virginia Summer thirst just as well as Newman’s Own but has vegetable nutrition, ginger for digestion, and no added sugar! I’d say give it to your kids, but it’s almost too good to share.

Ingredients: 

  • 5-6 good sized carrots (with skins)
  • 1 whole lemon (with seeds and skin)
  • 2 Granny Smith apples (without seeds)
  • 1 knob of ginger (with skins)

Now… join me in my juicing journey, and let me convert you into a juicer!

A little bit of bitchin’ about being back…

Last Thursday I departed the wonderful land of Norway and started my journey back home. After spending nearly a year in a different culture I expected things would be different when I returned. While sitting in the Iceland airport, I was approached by random people– mostly old ladies making passing comments about how the plane was supposed to board 10 minutes ago. I hadn’t experienced this open friendliness towards complete strangers in a while. On Friday, as I was walking the streets of Alexandria with a friend, I noticed she said “Hi” to any and almost every passerby– as I just walked by silently. Did I used to greet strangers, but have lost the habit because of the irregularity of that happening in Norway?

By Friday night I was back in my own bed, sleeping on my own pillow. I woke up the next morning, stretched out horizontally across my queen size bed, wondering how my body just fell back into old habits of twisting and turning in the night. By mid-morning I decided it was time to begin texting some friends, to let them know I was home. I realized I had lost the art of texting. “What art?” you ask me? The ability to efficiently and eloquently smash 100 words of information into 10. I now have this mentality that it is simply easier to wait until I see these people in person and talk. Have I turned into an old person? Of course, getting together in order to talk requires a little bit of messaging back and forth– people are no longer down the hall or across the road. My friend circle stretches out across different neighborhoods and even cities. And now I feel like it’s the perfect time to mention driving. Meeting up with a friend can require a 30 minute drive both ways. Traffic lights– they are the worst. Traffic in general– it’s something I’ve escaped the past year and boy have I not missed it.

I unpacked my skis and realized the nearest place to use them right now is thousands of miles away. I haven’t finished unpacking yet because that will make it all feel too real. My luggage is strewn across the floor and it feels like I am just squatting there for the time being– waiting for the next departure. Although I had a home-base in Norway, this year has had endless amounts of trips. There were only a couple of weeks in which I didn’t pack a bag and go somewhere, anywhere. 

It hasn’t even been a week and I am beginning to go crazy. I’ve started chiseling wood and juicing fruits and vegetables. Is that what I am becoming? A wood chiseling, vegetable juicing, own-room squatter, incapable of unpacking or texting? I’ve recently started conversing with my roommate for the Autumn. Perhaps that’s how I’ll describe myself to her– that’ll really get her nervous.

Like I said before, I knew things were going to be different– and I needed things to be different. I get the benefits of good ol’ home without the face-palming boredom because everything can be rediscovered. And I mean, yes, I am bored because there are no glaciers in sight– but being able to rediscover the ins and outs of everything around me will be enough to keep me busy… for a week or so. After that you might want to check on me to make sure I am not crazily chiseling away at wood, crying tears of carrot juice.

I’ll keep you posted.