Zesty Lemon-Ginger-Basil Green Juice & Natural Vitamin D

So, if you have read my "My Story" page, you will know I am battling a terminal illness. So there are days when eating is a challenge. It's hard to tolerate all raw when I'm not feeling well, and I crave more starchy foods like rice and potatoes. I also get food aversions to some of my favorite things, which bums me out when it's something like cumin. Today is a chemo day. Surprisingly, I haven't felt quite as yuck as normal which I am really happy about. I have tons to do and usually I am a sickly couch potato for about four days. So, what does this have to do with my yummy juice recipe? Well, today I felt good enough to make a juice and drink it which is rare the day of my chemo!

And you may ask, what does Vitamin D have to do with juice? Absolutely nothing! Vitamin D is not produced in any plant whatsoever. The only thing it naturally grows in is fungus, as in mushrooms! Most mushrooms at the grocery store are grown indoors in artificial light, like humans, they only produce vitamin D  when exposed to sunlight. I have started seeing "High D" mushrooms in grocery stores recently, which means they have given the mushrooms a day of sunlight so they produce vitamin D. It just gives us a whole new reason to love and consume mushrooms!

But my vitamin D today is not really about mushrooms. It is about the number one, best source of vitamin D, sunlight! I love making a fresh juice, and sitting out on my little porch and enjoying the sunlight and nature around me. It is especially calming for me there since there is a pond with a water fountain, so there are lots of creatures, trees, grass, the sound of falling water and sun. Love it! I also love to do this barefooted so I can plant my feet on the warm ground and connect with the earth. I make a point to do this everyday for a half hour at least. Being very fair skinned I have to be careful. I do not use sunscreens since they contain many toxins and are actually harmful to you. So, I keep my time short as to avoid sunburn. It's hard to tell from my photos, but I have quite a few light freckles which pop out when ever I am in sunlight!

Anyway, onto the juice! This juice is not so pretty due to the mix of carrots and greens, but the flavor will surprise you! This juice is lightly sweet, crisply refreshing with a mildly zesty, herby flavor due to the combo of lemon, ginger and basil. It also has a small hint of bitterness from the kale. You can easily adjust the flavors as you like. I suggest baby steps when introducing a new ingredient to your juice! This is a great one to try if you are new to juicing!

Zesty Lemon-Ginger-Basil Green Juice:
1 apple with peel, de-seeded
1/2 lemon with peel
1/2" chunk of fresh ginger scrubbed well
12 carrots scrubbed well
3 stalks of kale
5-6 stalks of romaine
1 sprig of parsley
1 sprig of basil

Directions:
Well the directions are quite simple if you have juiced before. Clean your veggies well and cut them, if needed to fit in the chute of your juicer. I keep a spray bottle of white vinegar and water to wash my veggies to remove any dirt or residues. (1 part vinegar to 3 parts water) I leave all the skins on for the extra health benefits and flavor. As long as they are organic veggies and you clean them well this is good for you! I use a vegetable brush on my carrots and ginger. (I peel the ginger for cooking, but for juicing the skin will be discarded anyway) I cut away any parts that seem undesirable and discard them. After juicing there will often be a bit of foam on top. Some people like it and drink it, I prefer to strain it off. I strain it off with a mesh strainer. This also removes any pulp that may be left behind. I prefer my juice really smooth, but some people like the pulp. I like it in orange juice myself, but not in vegetable juices. It's a texture thing, and I have had texture issues with certain things my whole life, which is kinda funny actually. Anyway, drink this baby right way for the max benefits! This makes a full pint of juice.