juice and juicers...

I'm in the market for a new juicer.  I've had a Lalanne Power Juicer for about 6 or 7 years and since I've been juicing more, I am not happy with the quality of juice I'm getting (see all that foam?) and more importantly, the quality of the resulting pulp.  Instead of fully extracted, dry pulp I'm left with a mushy mess and a waste of my organic veggies.  In a perfect world I should be making crackers out of this leftover mess, but that has yet to happen!

Fresh, organic juices furnish all of the nutrients required for the body to heal itself, but the quality of that juice is determined in part by the method of extraction.  Juicing is a major aspect of the Gerson Therapy program and in the book The Gerson Therapy it is noted that "for any individual as well as for someone in a state of good health, drinking fresh-made juices processed from organically grown fruits and vegetables frequently through each day is critical to renewing or maintaining wellness."  The Gerson Therapy has brought about healing for tubercular, cardiovascular, cancerous, diabetic, arthritic, and other patients suffering from degenerative diseases.

The authors write about different types of juicers and recommend a Triturator (Grinder)/Press Combination in which the juice is first ground into pulp and then pressed for extracting the greatest amount of enzymes.  This seems to be the 'holy grail' of juicers (picture the clouds parting and a choir singing in the background 'aaaaahhhhhhh') and most effective choice for those healing from cancer or other disease, but starting at well over $2,000.00, it's out of my price range at the moment! 

click for product information

After a little research it seems that the next best thing would be a Green Star or Green Power juicer, which uses a twin gear press for extraction and is able to get juice from leafy greens and wheatgrass with ease.  I also read that it makes an easy job of making coconut cream or milk (as well as other nut butters and for grinding sprouted grains+++), which is a huge advantage for me.  It is shown to extract a substantially higher quantity of minerals than other popular juicers and there is a dramatic reduction in the rate of juice oxidation because of it's combined use of magnetism and slow rotational speed.  The Green Star GP-E1503 Green Power Gold Juicer retails on Amazon for $499, which is getting better...

click for product information

Third in line seems to be a tie between am Omega Vertical Juicer or a Hurom Slow Juicer.  Both of these models utilize a slow, single auger design that uses dual stage processing which crushes and then presses for maximum extraction.  These models are also meant to work well for leafy greens and wheatgrass as well and are compact for storage.  They both retail for about $300.00 and would be good juicers to start with.   

click for product information

click for product information

I'm still deciding, but will probably go with the Green Star since it would be more of a workhorse for me in the kitchen.  I'll leave you with a short film of Charlotte Gerson on how the Gerson Therapy came about (love her) and my all-time favorite juice recipe!

My Favorite Juice

equal amounts organic carrots and organic granny smith apples

(about 3 carrots and one apple)

1/2 organic lemon

1" peeled ginger

cheers!

Please comment if you have experience, good or bad, with any of the juicers featured in this post or a different model!  Thanks!

More information on juicers:
patientmutual.org
discount juicers youtube channel
kristen's raw juicer review


 *This post is part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade

water...

I've been thinking a lot about water lately and which type of filter to get for our house.  I think I've narrowed it down to this 14 stage purifier from Radiant Life Catalog:

click for source

I want to make sure fluoride is removed as well and that our water is restructured and remineralized after purification.  This model seems to take care of everything and is thousands of dollars cheaper than a whole-house filter that would do the same.  

I love this article/video on Mercola.com that discusses the water we drink and what is absorbed into the body from drinking and bathing in unfiltered water.  While saving up for our drinking water filter I decided to purchase shower/bath filters and am not sure why it's taken me so long to do so!  I noticed a difference in my hair after my first shower and my skin doesn't seem as dry.  I also feel much better about giving my son his baths in water that removes chlorine, chloramines, VOCs, THMs, pesticides, sulfur, heavy metals, hydrogen sulfide, iron oxides, dirt, sediment...  I chose these models because of their ability to remove more than just chlorine:

click for source

    

click for source

Cheers!

how to make french vanilla coffee creamer...

 I can't drink coffee, but my husband does and I have a sip every once in a while.  He only likes French Vanilla creamer and even though there are 'healthier' versions from the grocery without partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup they usually still contain a lot of sugar and carrageenan.  After finding a number of recipes online I came up with this for him...

FRENCH VANILLA COFFEE CREAMER

4 cups Organic Coconut Milk (make it or use 2 cans Native Forest Organic-I think they're BPA free)

or Organic Heavy Cream (next I'll try raw cream)

1/4-1/2 Cup Raw Honey or Grade B Maple Syrup

2 Vanilla Beans (split and add insides and then add chopped whole bean or use powdered vanilla)

1/4 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt

*In a saucepan combine milk/cream, honey/syrup and salt over meduim heat.  Add vanilla and whisk everything together.  Cover and let sit on low heat for 30 min.  Strain through a sieve, bottle and refrigerate.  Should last a couple weeks, although it never does in my house!

how to make kombucha...

"kon, kon, kombucha"...my 5 yr old started singing in the car one day his ode to kombucha.  Friends refer to it as 'booch', 'kombuchi', it seems everyone who loves it comes up with their own term of endearment.  So here's my recipe for humble kitchen kombucha...

 

Kombucha: 

a probiotic drink made by fermenting tea and sugar with a SCOBY culture (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast).  

Kombucha is basically sweet tea transformed into a living drink full of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and health-giving organic acids with antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal properties. It's been shown to improve energy levels and protect against stress as well as benefit digestive problems, allergies, candidiasis, hypertension, cancer, HIV, arthritis, metabolic disorders, liver function and chronic fatigue.  And it's yummy!  If you're trying it for the first time I recommend the Synergy brand (guava is our favorite) and don't get it on tap at a restaurant unless you like the taste of warm beer-disgusting!  If you follow this recipe it will be delicious...

SUPPLIES:

2.5 Gallon Glass Container (Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond have one with a metal lid for $20)

Clean Dish/Tea Towel

Large Rubberband (the one that comes on broccoli is the perfect size)

Funnel

Mesh Sieve and Cheesecloth 

8 Quarts Filtered Water

2 3/4 Cups Organic Cane Sugar

12-14 Bags Plain Organic Tea (Black, Green or White.  Green is mild and a good one to start with)

2-3 Cups Kombucha from a previous batch or 2 Bottles Original Synergy Kombucha (no flavors!)

SCOBY (from a friend, make one, or buy from Cultures For Health)

METHOD:

Set out your 2-3 cups of kombucha (previous batch or store bought) to allow to come to room temperature. Bring about 8 quarts (32 cups) filtered water to boil. Turn off water, add 2 3/4 cups of sugar and stir to dissolve. Next, add 12-14 tea bags. Let steep until you have a good and strong, dark sweet tea (around 30 minutes or so). Remove tea bags. Let the tea mixture COMPLETELY cool. I let mine sit all day or overnight. Do not get tempted to jump the gun on this-you could damage the scoby if the water is too warm.

Once cooled completely, put 2-3 cups PLAIN kombucha (or about 2 bottles if store bought) into your brew container. Add your cooled tea/sugar mixture and the SCOBY. The SCOBY will float on top or may sink to the bottom. Cover the jar with a clean towel (not cheesecloth as this is too loose a weave) and put a rubber band around it to secure. Pull the overhanging ends of the towel taut to be sure it is not sagging into your kombucha brew. 

You want to let it sit, preferably in the dark, but definitely NOT in direct light. Ideally, it should be in a warm-ish place (I have a growing mat that I sit mine on in the bottom of my pantry but you don’t have to do this). The temp needs to be between 75-85. The time it takes depends on a number of factors. Usually about 3 weeks-sometimes more or less. In cooler weather it will take longer. I usually wait 3-4 weeks to decrease the sugar content but it will sometimes have more of a vinegary taste, especially if you're using black tea.  Green tea doesn't taste right until at least 3 weeks.  You can start taste-testing after 8-9 days.

To check kombucha, dip a NON-METAL spoon or cup in, gently push down the SCOBY and fill your spoon with the liquid. You are looking for a balance between sweet and vinegary. When it is ready, the SCOBY will have consumed the sugar and the tea. If it tastes like sweet tea it’s not ready. When ready, bottle and refrigerate. This is where you would strain it if desired, using a sieve.  Depending on how clear you'd like it to end up you can line your sieve with cheesecloth.  As it sits your kombucha will produce string regardless-even in the refrigerator, but this is just a sign that it is a good, live drink.   I leave some of mine in a pitcher in the frig and bottle the rest in cleaned, store-bought kombucha bottles or the big glass apple juice bottles-sometimes mason jars (goes nicely with the moonshine theme!)

Never let your scoby come in contact with metal. It's ok to brew your tea in a metal pot and to strain your final brew through a metal strainer, but do not put metal spoons/cups into your brewing container and make sure everything is rinsed completely free of soaps. 

 

During brewing your SCOBY will either thicken or a completely new SCOBY will form on the top of your jar. I usually leave the second and start the process in the same jar again.  The next batch I tend to take 2 out, leave the newest baby in and give away/save/compost the others.  Then I clean my jar and start over with just one SCOBY. It's ok to tear them apart and I keep my extras in a glass jar with a non-metal lid in the frig in case something goes wrong with my first.  

Soap residue left in your brewing container,  contact with metal,  pesticides from using non-organic tea/sugar and unfiltered water can all damage your SCOBY.  If your SCOBY ever gets orange or black or greenish, toss it and start over with a new one. Darker brown spots are ok. 

Here's to your HEALTH!

Resources:
Cultures For Health
Seeds of Health