Dandelion Green Juice Elixir

So I love green juices! But I didn't always love them. In fact up until the almost end of Nutrition school I thought they were disgusting.

Yeah, I heard about all the nutrients, and the energy and the good skin and how my insides would thrive, but I still thought drinking Kale or Mustard Green and Chard mixed together with the smallest hint of apple was utterly disgusting. I even took an instagram pic of me holding my nose while drinking a very large green drink, all to throw it out midway through because I just "couldn't". I know you are reading this and laughing. Does this sound familiar?

If you were to suggest a green smoothie? Oh, I was there. Stat! But a green Juice? No, I'll pass.

But, like most things, Green Juices are also an acquired taste. Like Caviar. Like Foie Gras. Like Sashimi. Like Expresso without sweetener. It's a game changer. But like most of these special foods and drinks, once you try, you can never go back. Your life and your palate are changed forever. For the better.

But again, I was like you. A skeptic. Unsure. Confused. Suddenly the peer pressure I was receiving was chug a green juice, chug a green juice. Say, what?

I always thought eating the salad would due just fine. But as I told a friend the other day, it's not like you wake up one morning and think "hmm. I'm hungry, maybe I'll just snack on two heads of spinach and Dandelion every single day" said no one EVER.

****

So guess what?! Dandelion is not just a pretty flower! It's actually an edible green! And it's super healthy!! Especially for your intestinal tract...aka digestion...aka IBS, Celiac...

Bonus points and benefits of drinking a green juice with Dandelion:

Power punch of greens into your bloodstream STAT! No digesting. You get the magic and the natural high immediately due to the nutrient, vitamin and mineral blast.
Vitamins A Blast-support for new cell growth, skin, hair and eyesight.
Vitamin K-for blood clotting, headache prevention, maintains healthy bones.
Calcium-makes strong bones, and prevents from bone damage.
Vitamin C-promotes a healthy immune system.
Both vitamin C and Calcium supports communication to the nervous system and supports nerve cell communication.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin, two nutrients super important for healthy eyesight.
Just one cup of Dandelion Greens counts as 1 cup of vegetables.
Excellent glowing skin.
Energy.
Beauty.
Reduce sick time, doctor time and medical time which means REDUCE doctors BILLS!!

Not convinced? Ok. Let's try again...

I don't know many who jump up out of bed and crave a green juice, unless...UNLESS someone has introduced them into the Green Juice world, the OTHER side of the rainbow where the grass is so much greener. Then. This would actually happen.

In fact, it has happened to me.

I get so excited at night thinking about breakfast! And what's my breakfast?

A green smoothie

and

A green juice.

It's just too hard to choose so I make BOTH! So between the hours of 7:30am and 1pm I have a delicious smoothie packed with steamed cauliflower, seed butters, avocado, superfoods, non dairy milk and fruit and I switch it up every time.

and then

or before...

I have a huge tall green juice which I also switch up. And sometimes an iced decaf coffee with non dairy milk. Swoon!

So let me tell you something about green juices...

At first you don't think you could actually drink green juices. Forget one...you can't even fathom that being your breakfast every day. And you think, nope "that's not my thing". Or maybe you will think "I'm a foodie, and therefore I eat my calories" or maybe you think green juices are utterly disgusting like I once did.

But once your "in", you will never want to leave! You will think to yourself, "how did I not drink these all my life, and look what I have been missing!" Kinda like getting into that club you waited for hours on line and finally got in. The thrill. The shiver that goes through your whole body because you got to the other side and you got to actually witness first hand that the grass really is greener on that other side. The high. The good vibes. The amazingness. But once you get into that club, then you need another high like a VIP table or alcohol to keep the buzz going. Green juice is a little different in this respect. Green juice gives you the thrill, the shiver, the high vibes the whole damn time. There is nothing else you will need, except another green juice the following day-but that's a 24 hour natural high. It's epic. It's magical. You will never turn your back against green juice. The skeptic you are will melt away into pure green happiness.

Can you feel it? The high vibe?

Now go buy some greens so you can make this! And don't let a green like Dandelion scare you! If you don't like my suggestion, get any leafy green you want.

Dandelion Green Juice Elixir

1 1/2 cups packed Dandelion Stems & leaves (mostly stems)

2 very large Romaine leaves

12 medium Romaine leaves

1 cup cherries (pitted)

6 small chunks pineapple

1 slice of nectarine

1 1/2 cups water (omit if using a juicer)

4-5 ice cubes

1. Blend all ingredients together except ice in a high speed blender

2. Using a Nutbag over a bowl pour mixture into bag and drain juice from bag into the bowl

3. Discard gunk from nutbag

4. Pour over ice into a large glass and enjoy with a straw immediately

TIPS:

-It is best to drink your juice immediately because the veggies start to decompose. If you can't drink it immediately try and drink it as soon as you can rather then waiting hours. The longer you wait the less nutrients and vitamins you consume. Get it?

-It is best to make your drink the day you plan to drink it. I do not suggest making a juice the night before because of the decomposing issue.

-If you don't like Dandelion greens sub in mustard greens, spinach, kale or even chard and even leafy lettuces.

-Strive for organic whenever possible.

-You can buy a cheap $6.00 nutbag on Amazon. I have the cotton mesh one. I never leave home without it. Best ever!

Love ya!

Julie

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What's in The Gatorade You Are Drinking?

I don't know why I never blogged about this, but I have known it for some time. And was just reminded of this the other day while I was at CVS and felt the need to spread the gluten-free word. I also tweeted it. Did you know that certain Gatorade flavors like the fruit punch (red) flavor has caramel coloring in it? Yup! It totally does. In the U.S. a processed product considered gluten-free has 20 or below 20ppm ( parts per million ). Therefore products can seem gluten-free and even say gluten-free, even if they are not 100% gluten-free because our standards allow that and consider it Gluten-Free. And different processed foods contain different levels of gluten-some contain less then 10ppm or even 5 parts per million. That's lower but still...no cigar. The less you consume the better and the article I just found on Celiacdisease.about.com points that the more under 20ppm/10/5ppm products you consume, the more gluten in your system...