Why drink green!

When talking about juices, what’s better, a fruit juice or a vegetable one? Well, I’d recommend neither, but a ‘green’ juice; with a good reason. For one, it’s better than fruit juice because without the fibre, fruit juice is basically sugar and actually adds to your weight and may spike insulin levels. It’s better to eat whole fruits. Many nutrients are also lost while juicing a fruit. However, this doesn’t happen in case of greens, and what you get is a  powerful mix of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which can be absorbed into your blood stream.

Food for thought: Leaves are the only part of a living being that can transform sunshine into food that all creatures can consume. Leafy greens produce chlorophyll, which is liquefied sunshine. Greens oxygenate your body and help release stored toxins.

It works by improving your haemoglobin levels (chlorophyll has a molecular structure similar to your red blood cells). This leads to improved blood circulation, giving you a burst of extra energy for the day.

Juice of green leafys cleanses your digestive system, lungs, liver (which will rev up, if sluggish — causing you to retain weight), and uterus. If you smoke, it’s an excellent supplement to your diet.

Chlorophyll molecules have magnesium at its centre, and their impact on your body’s magnesium levels are highly significant. Calcium deficiency is a common occurrence in most metropolitan cities (practically all my clients coming in have this issue, despite drinking milk and consuming dairy products). Including a serving of green juice in your daily regime also helps absorb calcium better.

A simple recipe to get you started:

3-4 leaves of spinach
1 fistful of parsley
1 fistful of celery
3 inches of carrots
4 broccoli florets
½ a tomato
1 green apple (optional)
3 inches doodhi or zucchini (optional)

Blend all the ingredients in one-fourth cup of water. Do ‘not’ strain. Squeeze a lime into it and add some cumin (jeera) powder. You may reduce the viscosity by adding some warm water. While drinking, roll it in the mouth before gulping it down. (This helps kickstart your digestive enzymes).

— Shonali Sabherwal is a macrobiotic nutritionist, chef, and instructor

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