You have read it on the news, in the school news letter, on Facebook or on Twitter, the flu-season is hitting hard all over the U.S. and overseas. Besides the guidelines provided every year to stay away from crowds when sick, to wash hands frequently and to cough covering your mouth, there are other ways to strengthen your immune system and to decrease the chances to be hit by the flu.

A few months ago I discovered the art of Juicing and had the chance, thanks to my friend D., to try three different types of juicers. I always thought of juicing as centrifuging fruits and vegetables at a high-speed and with a loud noise, and lots of time spent cleaning the strainer. I tried for one week each the Omega Vert, the Omega 8006 and an two year old Greenstar juicer. The principal feature of these juicers is that they are slow masticating juicers. They are slower than the standard centrifuging juicer, but (oh my!) the juice can stay for hours stored in the fridge without losing its nutrients, its vibrant colors and its delicious taste.
I loved both the Omega Vert and the Omega 8006, but I chose the Omega 8006 for being very easy to clean and great for juicing greens like spinach and kale. It was my Christmas present from my parents and my in-laws (and thanks to a great deal on Amazon!).

With the Omega 8006 you can also make your peanut butter or any nut butter, make almond milk, or sorbet with frozen fruit.

Before juicing I would also have never thought I would drink juice made of baby spinach, kale leaves, broccoli, sweet potatoes or beets, etc. Well,  I was wrong. Juicing is a fun and creative way to experiment combinations of fruit and vegetables, and your taste buds and your body will soon ask for more and more. I usually like the tart taste of lemon or lime and fresh ginger, two ingredients I usually like to add in my juices, to balance the sweetness of other fruits like apples, oranges or carrots.

In the juice I made today I used broccoli for the first time, it was yummy. If you are new to juicing I recommend to start with a classic combination of carrots, apples and oranges, and then you can add gradually new ingredients, and experiment new combinations. Here are my ingredients for my today’s juice (it is rich in with Vitamin C!).

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Recipe:

“Green power” for two

1 cucumber (peeled)
3 Granny Smith apples
8 broccoli spears
1 handful of baby spinach
1 or 2 inches of fresh ginger (depends on how much you like ginger)
half lime (peeled)

Method:

Wash the fruit and the vegetables, and peel where needed.  Cut them in chunks small enough to fit in the feeder. Juice and taste!

If using a slow juicer, you can keep leftover juice in a mason jar in the fridge and enjoy it later during the day, otherwise I recommend to drink it immediately to keep its nutrient contents fresh.

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I just love my juice and my juicer, thanks D. for giving me the opportunity to try it.
Have you tried juicing? What are your favorite combinations?
Here are some more colorful inspirations. Recipes will follow!

Disclosure: This is not a medical advice.