Ok it's 2014 - a new year a new you! It's the perfect time for a juice cleanse - right?! Well, maybe not, at least not in the Northeast, because in case you haven't noticed- baby, it's cold outside!
It would probably be better for most everyone if people started the year with a soup cleanse. From the Chinese medicine perspective the idea of a cleanse involves an activity, a Yang type process. People contemplating a juice cleanse want to kick start their metabolism. Ironically, though, a juice cleanse, especially for more than a few days in cold weather can do just the opposite.
Most juices are cold in nature and cold slows things down. So drinking cold juices over a period of time has the potential of slowing down metabolism - unless you use a secret ingredient - ginger. Actually you can use any warming spice, but ginger is easy and available. (Actually soup would be better.)
It doesn't take much just a slice or two. You can also make a tea with different spices like cinnamon and star anise and use it as part of all of the liquid in your juice.
If you simply must juice, try a variation of this:
1 carrot
er
1 apple
1/2 - 1 bananna
1 beet
2 slices of ginger
Pinch of salt
Water to cover
Blend until liquified
If you want a more substantial juice you can use regular milk or a non-dairy milk. (But i think that makes it a smoothie.)
Did I mention soup?
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