VEGETABLES AS A DIET ALTERNATIVE - Fitness and Aerobics a Healthier Lifestyle

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THE AMAZING WORLD OF VEGETABLES - PART ONE

ASPARAGUS.

Available in early spring. Can be expensive due to difficulty
in cultivating. Its claim to fame is the amino acid
aspargagine which is destroyed by cooking. Aspargagine is a
strong diuretic, stimulating the kidneys.

Asparagus is a great blood cleanser and excellent for healthy
bowel maintenance. Some even find that it soothes a nervous
mind. You may find your urine turning dark and develop a
strong odor. This is a harmless byproduct of asparagus.
Asparagus contains beta-carotene, vitamins B1 and C,
bioflavinoids, potassium, and vitamin C.

Whether large or small, asparagus is equally good. Fresh, it
will be bright green and firm to the tip. Will keep a couple of
days in the refrigerator. Excellent to juice with carrots.

BEETS.

Famous for their ability to cleanse the blood. Beets contain
calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, choline, beta-carotene and
vitamin C.

Beets are also high in minerals which strengthen the liver and
gall bladder, and are the building blocks for blood corpuscles
and cells. Beet greens are excellent for salads and juicing.
Beet greens good source of carotenoids which help in the
prevention of all types of cancers. They are high in
manganese which is an important mineral for brain function.

Beet juice is very concentrated. Do not drink it alone. Dilute
with a milder juice such as carrot or apple. Beet juice has
been proven therapeutic in the treatment of leukemia and
cancer.

In a clinical trial, 22 patients with advanced inoperable
cancers were given 10 oz. of beet juice daily over 3 to 4
months. Twenty-one of these patients showed marked
improvement in health.

Beets cause the stool to turn red and may even give the urine
a reddish tinge. When juicing beets, alternate between pieces
of beets and pieces of carrots, otherwise the beet pulp tends
to build up on the side of the spinning extraction basket and
causes the juicer to vibrate.

Lactofermented beet juice is fermented with lacto bacillus,
making it sweeter. On a juice fast, this delicious juice is like
a bottle of Champagne.

Purchase firm, rock-hard beets. Being a root, they can be
stored for months in the refrigerator.

BROCCOLI.

Broccoli is a flower top picked before it blooms. It is
dense in nutrition, full of beta carotene and an excellent
source of fiber. Inexpensive and available all year round. It
is full of vitamins B1 and C and has a generous amount of
calcium, sulfur and potassium. Surprisingly, forty-five
percent of calories in broccoli is protein.

The National Cancer Institute discovered a substance called
inderol-3 that emulsifies estrogen, reducing the risk of breast
cancer in women. Broccoli is excellent when juiced, stems
and all, but like all green vegetables, it should be mixed with
lighter juices such as carrot or apple.

When buying broccoli, look for tight tops with no yellow,
firm but not limp. Will store well for 5 days in the
refrigerator.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS.

In the cabbage family, similar in nutritional value to broccoli.
Good source of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, sulfur,
vitamin A, and a decent amount of protein. Forty-four
percent of calories in brussels sprout come from protein.

Look for dark green coloration with no wilting or yellowing.
Should have a light smell. A good addition to juice.

CABBAGE.

A vegetable full of history. It was a mainstay during the
great depression, but unfortunately was often overcooked and
garnished with fat.

Cooking cabbage destroys most of its nutritious value and
causes gas because of the sulfur. Raw is an excellent source
of beta-carotene, sulfur, vitamin C and the trace mineral,
selenium which is excellent for fighting cancer, protecting
against heart disease, improving conditions of arthritis,
slowing the aging process, giving beautiful skin and
increasing male potency. Within cabbage is a delicate amino
acid called glutamine which is excellent for healing stomach
disorders including ulcers.

When making cabbage juice, it must be consumed within 60
seconds or this precious amino acid will begin to decay. If
straight cabbage juice causes gas, mix with carrot and celery.

Look for heavy firm hard heads. (not advisable when
shopping for a husband) Will keep up to two weeks in the
refrigerator.

CARROTS.

Deep within the soils of the earth grows a golden root that
has amazed nutritionists and scientists alike in its powerful
healing qualities. One 8 oz. glass of carrot juice contains
20,000 mg. of vitamin A. Toxicity can occur when vitamin
A is taken in supplement form or fish oil, but is completely
safe in the vegetable
form. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that is able to attach to
free radicals in the body, stopping them in their tracks. The
damaging effect of free radicals has been associated with
cancer.

Carrots are a natural blast of high energy. The sugars are
released more quickly than from white sugar but without the
harmful effects. A mug of carrot juice in the morning will
give you a competitive edge over coffee drinkers. Like all
root vegetables, they are packed with minerals. Carrots are
rich in organic calcium that is invaluable to bones and teeth.
Inorganic calcium is almost useless to the body. The calcium
in milk and white bread is inorganic and known to cause
arthritis and gallstones.

Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin C, including most
of the B complex, iron, potassium, phosphorus, and sodium.
Carrots are easy to digest and cause the liver to release bile
and excessive accumulated cholesterol. They also have an
alkalizing effect on the blood, soothing the entire nervous
system and toning intestinal walls.

Carrot juice is the best base for vegetable juice
combinations. It is delicious, sweet and readily accepted by
children. Our family can go through a 50 lb. bag every two
weeks.

Carrot juice is considered the Golden Juice of Healing. Even
drinking a few glasses a day has healed many infirmities
without fasting. During fasting, its healing effect is
increased. Carrot juice helps in cleansing the liver.

Drinking large amounts may cause the harmless effect of a
slight yellowish color of the skin. Skin will feel velvety soft.
The beta carotene present in the skin is a natural protector for
the common skin cancer, melanoma. It also assists in
tanning, which hides some of the obvious effects of being on
a long juice fast.

Juicing two to five pounds of carrots a day is standard for
juice fasting. Unless carrots are fresh, the juice tastes better
if they are peeled. If you don't have the time to peel them,
put the carrots in the sink and scrub with a brush.

In purchasing carrots for juicing, your local vegetable
wholesaler can supply you with large juicing carrots in 50 lb.
bags at an affordable price. Carrots should be firm, smooth
skinned, without cracks or small rootlets. The brighter the
orange the sweeter the carrots. They will keep for weeks in
the refrigerator and months in a root cellar.

TIP: Carrots can keep up to a year when stored in sand in a
root cellar.

CAULIFLOWER.

My favorite vegetable to dip. Good source of potassium and
phosphorus and inderol-3. A delicious addition to juice.

Look for tight firm white heads free from brown. Will keep
in refrigerator for 5 days.

CELERY.

A delicious crunchy finger food, great for dips. It is high in
magnesium and iron. High in chlorophyll which is an
excellent blood builder. One of the richest sources of organic
sodium. This is excellent for those who enjoy vigorous
workouts, maintaining valuable body fluid and electrolytes.

Celery juice is a superb nerve tonic. Celery juice alone tastes
bitter and is usually mixed with carrots or apples. Great for
adding a salty taste to vegetable juices.

Do you have a headache?
Drink a glass of celery juice. Even the ancient Greeks used
celery for the universal problem of headaches.

Do you live in the inner city full of air pollution?
Celery apple juice is able to cleanse the body of carbon
dioxide.

Were you thinking of buying an air conditioner?
Celery juice cools down the body and is great for hot
weather.

Are you on a diet and craving a snickers bar?
Celery juice helps curb the craving for sweets.

Do you have a problem with muscle cramps and fatigue
during workouts?
The potassium sodium balance in celery juice will be a great
asset.

Always keep celery leaves on. Leave celery until last when
juicing because it is stringy and clogs the juice machine.
Look for firm solid stocks with bright green leaves.

CUCUMBER.

Being as cool as a cucumber comes from the fact that the
internal temperature of cucumbers remains 20 degrees lower
than the external temperature on a hot day. People living in
the Middle East and India have been eating cucumbers for
hundreds of years as a natural coolant.

When buying cucumber for juicing, look for non-waxed
which allows you to juice the cucumber in its skin.

Always wash vegetables thoroughly before juicing. This
juice contains 40% potassium, 10% sodium, 7% calcium,
20% phosphorus and 7% choline. It is also an excellent
source of silicon.

Cucumber is good to rub on your skin, giving it elasticity,
resulting in a more youthful complexion. It is even suspected
of reducing hair loss. Cucumber juice is usually mixed with
other juices.

Look for firm cucumbers with a dark green, wrinkle-free
skin. Will store in refrigerator for 6 days.

COLLARDS.

Per calorie, collards have more calcium than milk. Thirty
calories of collards, one cup, contains an incredible 218
grams of calcium! It is twice as high in vitamin A as carrots.

An excellent source of organic highly absorbable iron and
high in chlorophyll.

Look for crisp leaves, free from wilting and without spots.

FENNEL.

If you enjoy the taste of licorice, you will love fennel. This
unusual vegetable looks like a fat celery plant with feathers.
In fact, it is in the celery family and has much of the same
nutritional qualities.

Its distinct flavor really spices up a salad. Some have found
fennel juice good for relieving migraine headaches and the
eyes to become more sensitive, overcoming night blindness.

Look for white solid bulb with healthy leaves. Will keep in
the refrigerator for one week.

GARLIC.

There are entire books written about the curative abilities of
garlic.

Research suggests it reduces blood pressure, helps with the
problem of blood clotting, lowering the LDL which increases
bad cholesterol, boosts the immune system and encourages
recovering heart attack victims. Garlic's famous smell comes
from allicin, which inhibits bacterial growth and fungus. It
also helps with an overgrowth of yeast in the body and is
used in treating candida. Therefore, do not use odorless
garlic pills. If they don't smell, your body can't tell.

Garlic increases the flow of digestive enzymes and
encourages detoxification through the skin. Despite the odor
which comes through the skin, garlic is good for you.
Throwing a clove of garlic in your vegetable juice every day
will be excellent for your health, nonetheless, it may reduce
your social life. One clove in the juicer is enough. Five
cloves will encourage a life of solitude, unless you
can educate all your friends, family and people within a thirty
foot radius of the incredible properties of fresh raw garlic
juice.

GINGER ROOT.

If you feel a cold coming on, or if you have a bout of
laryngitis, juicing a small piece of ginger root with your
carrots is a perfect solution.

Great for making ginger tea or spicing up herbal tea. For
ginger tea, steep in hot water for 20 min.

KALE.

Has similar nutritional qualities to its close relative, the
cabbage. An excellent source of calcium. Look for solid,
deep green leaves.

Will store in refrigerator for 5 days.

LETTUCE.

Iceberg lettuce or head lettuce is useless. You might as well
drink a glass of water for the amount of nutritional value.
The leaves of romaine, Boston, Bibb or any leaf lettuce that
is dark green in color will be rich in chlorophyll.

There is absolutely nothing more refreshingly delicious and
filling than a bowl of fresh tossed salad with flax seed oil,
good tasting yeast and lemon juice.

Good source of sulfur, chlorine, silicon, B complex, all
contributing to hair growth, healthy skin and defense against
lung cancer. Lettuce is a wonderful addition to any vegetable
juice. Adding any green, leafy vegetable to juice will add
chlorophyll which immediately enters the bloodstream.

Leaves should be crisp with no dark spots. The darker green
the better.

OKRA.

Raw okra is extremely helpful for those who suffer with
inflammation of the intestines. By itself, it tends to have a
slimy texture, but can be ground with lettuce leaves or
spinach and added to a salad. Okra encourages the secreting
of digestive juices which is soothing to the colon, bladder and
kidneys.

ONIONS.

Onion is in the garlic family and have many of the same
therapeutic properties. Their strong flavor is attributed to
natural oil which strengthens the nervous system and
encourages the growth of healthy bacteria. Large Spanish
onions are sweeter and milder in flavor which makes them
excellent in salads.

Onion added to juice mixtures is excellent in helping to
loosen and rid the body of excess mucus.

Look for firm onions with dry papery skins. Do not store
onions in refrigerator.