The Green Machine

This morning I started my 5-day juice cleanse, and am already beginning to feel refreshed and renewed. Since my diet normally consists of predominately fruits and veggies, I don’t expect to have the normal, “sluggish” first day of fasting. However, the one issue I know I will struggle with will be NO COFFEE! Eeek.

Those of y’all who know me well probably know that I pretty much consider coffee a food. I generally have at least 2 cups in the morning and another in the afternoon (I don’t know what I would do without my beloved K-cup machine). 6 hours into the day, and I’m not tired, but am feeling a caffeine withdrawal.

So, it’s time to get my engine revved up with a healthy, Green Machine! This vegetable juice will give you a quick pick-me-up! It’s a great mid-morning juice to put that spark back in your eye and get you focused on your goals for the day – whatever they may be.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups spinach
• 3 kale leaves
• ¼ head of iceberg lettuce
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 6 asparagus spears
• 3 celery ribs
• 4 large carrots
• 1 lime
• 1-2” piece of ginger root

First cut up all the veggies so they will fit into the juicer, then begin juicing. Remember to remove the peel from the lime, because the peel will add a very bitter taste to the juice; however, we still want to leave the white skin on the lime, because it contains the most nutrients of the fruit. For this reason, I like to use a potato peeler to remove the rind of the lime. And finally make sure to place the ginger into the juicer last. The ginger root is more fibrous than the other veggies, causing it too sometimes clog the juicer.

The Green Machine has a pretty potent taste, because it contains only one fruit (a small lime). If it is too strong for your liking, just add one apple. I have found that no matter what vegetable I juice, if I add just one apple the taste changes completely, gaining a sweeter, more mellow flavor.

Mmm, tastes like health!