I hafta like the blends, or I won't drink them: Kale and Beets

Here's a little Commentary about Kale and Beets:   

I like vegetables.  I am trying to think of a vegetable I don't like right now and am having difficulty coming up with one.  Yet there must be one.  It'll come to me.

So, after 7 days of juicing, I have made a couple observations.  For me, I have found that too much raw beet or raw kale is overbearing, and makes my "meals" difficult to drink and enjoy.

 

And it's important that I enjoy the juices I make; otherwise, I won't be able to stick with this plan for as long as I'd like.

I'll be more likely to become discouraged, cheat, or break my juice fast altogether.  I will also be more likely to  buy juices at Robek's or the like, which nutritionally are fine but financially ruinous, compared to make-it-myself.

I consulted my "The Juicing Book" by Stephen Blauer.   Blauer notes that beets are quite powerful kidney and blood cleansers, and that an ounce or two is plenty, and to use moderately.  

What's MORE interesting, however, is that people who are prone to oxylate based kidney stones should carefully monitor their intake of beet juice, as beets are high in oxylate, and high consumption can increase your body's tendency to crystallize minerals.

I find that raw kale and raw beet juice are strong and bitter.  I like 'em both cooked, but too much raw is difficult for me. Carrots make the juice sweeter. Cucumber adds a neutral water flavor.

So today I experimented:  Less beet and kale, more carrot and cucumber.  The result was much better. 

I still can't think of a vegetable that I hate. But I do hate liver.  Good thing it's not allowed on the juicing protocol.

Early Days of Juicing

Here are some samples of juices I or my sister have made over the last couple days:

Breakfast:  Very Successful

 Here's the actual pile of fruit I used to make this breakfast juice.  It includes 1 peach, 1 nectarine, 1 pint of strawberries, a smallish piece of pineapple,  and 2 small Granny Smith Apples.

The yield was approximately 28 oz. of juice (as seen in picture).

 
Lunch:   Strong flavor


3-tomatoes, 1/2 bunch of kale, 2 stalks of celery, a piece of sweet red pepper, 1/2 small hot red pepper, cilantro, 1/4 peeled lime, dash of cumin

The cumin was good!         Yield:  16 oz.
It was strong in flavor, but by adding water and ice, it was far more palatable.  Also, after taste testing, I added some sea salt to it.  That really helped.




Dinner:  Good balance of flavors

 This juice was a combination of 2 leaves of kale, 5 carrots, 2 tomatoes, 1/2 cucumber and a piece of ginger. 

Flavor was balanced.  I added  a shake of herb blend.
Yield:  16 oz.