Golden Beet Juice

Beets are a liver’s best friend. We all know that, right? And a happy, well functioning liver is key to keeping us vibrantly healthy, slim and gorgeous. I get asked about weight loss ALL the time. It’s the first thing out of everybody’s mouth as soon as I answer queries about my raw vegan/fruitarian diet and juicing lifestyle. Last summer I was attending a meditation retreat and I was doing service in the kitchen. Guess what my nickname was? The Eating Machine! Yep. That’s me. Ironically, my co-volunteers would call me that and in the same breath comment on how slim I was. Interesting contradiction, right? Well there isn’t one really. And I’m going to debunk another myth: caloric restriction is key to weight loss. Every other miracle diet out there claims so. So it must be right. Wrong.

Weight gain has nothing to do with caloric intake and everything to do with toxic overload. That’s where the role of the liver comes into play. The liver’s main role is to filter toxins out of the blood stream to protect the vital organs. As the level of toxins increases in our bodies, the liver tries to store them itself (I can’t begin to tell you how many liver stones I have released since I started my heavy duty detox program a couple years ago) and then stores the toxins in fat tissue. That’s the unsightly fat we all complain about. The excess fat is real but it’s only a by-product of the toxic overload. Toxins are what make us “gain weight”, not caloric intake. So do me a favor. Stop counting and start taking care of your liver. Start eliminating toxic “foods” from your diet and start a detox program. This is the key to a slim and gorgeous ever after.

This delicious vegetable cocktail is part of my daily cleansing regime. It’s one of my favorites (and my very own concoction). It’s cleansing, refreshing and nourrishing. I’m sure you’ve noticed that I love adding hot peppers to my vegetable juices. Yes. I love a little fire in my food (my “Mexican roots” are showing). I really like the way they give it a kick plus I like to keep my Vitamin C intake high and hot peppers contain a lot of it. Vitamin C is another liver ally. It’s been found to be one of the most powerful antioxidant vitamins for the liver. Studies done at the University of Michigan Medical School have shown that even doses as low as 500 milligrams daily of vitamin C (roughly one cup of chopped chili peppers) have helped prevent fatty build-up and cirrhosis of the liver. And of course Vitamin C boosts the production of collagen. My secret to glowing skin!

4 medium size golden beets
4 large cucumbers
4 large heirloom tomatoes
5 large carrots
a handful of mint leaves
1 lemon
1 anaheim pepper

I receive a lot of questions about my personal Detox program. There’s so much confusing and conflicting information out there. I’ve read and experimented quite a bit over time and put together a simple but super efficient step-by-step plan of action that’s working really well for me especially in conjunction with juice fasting. The cornerstone of my Detox regime is a modified version of Dr. Jensen’s Program (I’ve discovered you don’t need to follow the entire protocol to the letter, it’s a bit overkill for my taste besides only certain elements are crucial for fabulous detox to take place). I’m thinking of writing a post or even an e-book on the subject. If you’d like to be in on it, join the list!

Much glow and glory to you!

Ciao ♥♥♥
Ndoema
Sources:
– “Liver-protecting effects of table beet (Beta vulgaris var. rubra) during ischemia-reperfusion,” L. Vail, et al. Nutrition, February 2007; 23(2): 172-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17234508
– “Love Your Liver.” Emily A. Kane, ND, LAc (Basic Health Publications, New Jersey, 2004) http://vitalitymagazine.com/article/love-your-liver/
– “Ascorbic Acid and Elevated SGOT Levels after an Acute Dose of Ethanol in the Guinea Pig,” Robert L. Susick, Vincent G Zannoni PhD, Robert L. Susick Jr, Vincent G Zannoni Department of Pharmacology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research (impact factor: 3.39). 05/1987; 11(3):265 – 268. DOI:10.1111/j.1530-0277.1987.tb01304.x http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66288/1/j.1530-0277.1987.tb01304.x.pdf