We are half way through week 2 of the juicing challenge and I hope we are all still feeling energetic and inspired to try at least one new juice blend each day, as well as eating clean for the rest of the day. How have you been getting on with introducing cooked meals this week? I certainly found it a challenge, as after one meal, I felt stuffed and bloated again!! LOL! I guess my digestive system obviously loved the break that it was taken by surprise!!
I spent the whole of the next day drinking my detox water infusion (of lemon, ginger and mint), to soothe the belly bloat and after a raw salad in the evening I felt better again. So, at this point, I think I will be flirting with the idea of raw meals a bit more.
So on todays juice blend. I call this PACK Juice, as it is jam packed with Pineapple, Apple, Celery and Kale!!
PACK Juice
Ingredients
Pineapple
Apple
Celery
Cucumber
Kale
Water
Ice
Now the great thing about this blend, is that it features a ingredients which help to combat bloating and gas - pineapple, celery and cucumber.
Produce in the Spotlight: Celery and Apple
Celery: If you were to vote for your favourite veggie, I am sure celery would NOT be at the top of your list!! I have to say that for a long while, the thought of biting into a celery stick was enough to make me heave!! That was until I started to research more into the healing benefits. Celery has been used for years as a tonic for soothing digestive issues, as its juices helps to stabilise our bodies PH levels, especially when we have consumed a lot of foods which promote an acidic reaction in the gut! Are you looking to beat the water retention and bloating? Well celery is a natural diuretic, which means that it promotes the production of urine and helps us to get rid of all extra water that we are carrying. So to the celery sticks, I salute you soldiers!! (LOL!!)
Apple: When asked to name a fruit, usually apple is the one that springs to mind. Perhaps its the old "A is for Apple" or the fact that apples can actually help to improve our memory!! According to Tom Shea, PhD, director of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research;“Apples have just the right dose of antioxidants to raise levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that’s essential to memory and tends to decline with age,”
Apples are also great for stabilising our blood sugar levels and improving our heart health! So it just may be true that an apple a day, can keep the doctor away!!
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Useful links about other fruit and veg that help to boost your memory!!
http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20060804/alzheimers-apple
http://www.thestrokefoundation.com/index.php/128-10-foods-that-boost-memory
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/5_health_benefits_of_an_apple