Fruits and vegetables are excellent choices of a wide range of vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients, including phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are compounds that have been shown to combat cancer. Healthful substances are being discovered all the time in fruits and vegetables and so there is no one supplement pill that can contain all of the healthy compounds that occur naturally in our foods. Each plant seems to produce particular phytochemicals that work agains cancer in particular ways, it is suggested that a rich assortment of fruits and vegetables be included in your diet. It is also recommended that you should consume two glasses of live juices a day for health maintenance. Four glasses a day is recommended if you want speed healing and recovery from illness.

Juicing is an excellent means of adding fruits and vegetables to your diet. Since juice contains the whole fruit or vegetable - except for the fiber, which is the indigestible part of the plant - it contains virtually all of the plants' health promoting properties. Because fresh juices are made from raw fruits and vegetables, all of the components remain intact. Vitamin C and other water-soluable vitamins can be damaged by overprocessing or over cooking. Enzymes, which are proteins needed for digestion and other important functions, can also be damaged by cooking. Fresh juice, however, provides all of the plants' healthful ingredients in a form that is easy to digest and absorb. In fact, it has been estimated that fruit and vegetable juices can be assimilated in 20 to 30 minutes.

The juices listed should be made fresh in your kitchen and consumed immediately. Many commercial juices are heat-treated to lengthen shelf life. This process can destroy important nutrients. In addition, preservatives may have been added. This includes sugars, salt and other compounds. Freshly made juices can lose some of their nutrients by being allowed to sit for long periods of time. By buying the best produce available, properly preparing it for juicing, and processing it in your own juicer, you will produce the most healthful, nutrient-rich drinks possible.

There are generally three catagories of juices.

GREEN JUICES or "GREEN DRINKS"

Green juices cleanse the body of pollutants and have a rejuvenating effect. Made from a variety of green vegetables, green juices are rich in chlorophyll, which helps to purify the blood, build red blood cells, detoxify and heal the body, and provide the body with fast energy.

Green juices can be made with alfalfa sprouts, cabbage, kale, dandelion greens, spinach, and other green vegetables, including wheatgrass. Wheatgrass juice is particularly important in any cancer treatment, especially when radiation therapy is involved.

Wheatgrass Kits, Organic Sprouting Seeds (alfalfa, wheatgrass, barley, etc.)

To sweeten and dilute your green juices, try adding fresh carrot and apple juice. No other fruit juices should be added. Steam=distilled water is another good addition.

Although green juices have great health benefits, they should be consumed in moderation. Try drinking about 8 to 10 ounces a day. The following is an excellent "green drink":

Ageless Cocktail

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VEGETABLE JUICES

Fresh vegetable juices are restorers and builders. They boost the immune system, remove acid wastes, and balance the metabolism. They also aid in the control of obesity by removing excess body fat.

Among the most healthful and delicious of the vegetable juices are beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, turnip, spinach, watercress, and wheatgrass juice. Carrot juice is probably the most popular of the juices, and is packed with beta-carotene, the vitamin A precursor that helps fight cancer. Because carrots are the sweetest of the vegetables, their juice is not just delicious on its own, but is great for mixing with other vegetables to increase their appeal. On the other hand, strong-flavored vegetables - broccoli, celery, onions, parsley, rutabaga, and turnips, for instance - should be used in small amounts only.

Garlic is a great addition to vegetable drinks. Before juicing, drop the garlic into vinegar for 1 minute to destroy any bacteria or mold on the surface. To avoid irritating the lining of the intestinal tract, use only 1 clove of fresh garlic in 2 glasses of juice.

For the greatest health benefits, use many different vegetables when making your juices. That way, you will provide your body with a variety of important nutrients. The recipes that follow are just a few of the many healthful vegetable juice drinks that you might want to try.

Potassium Rich - Raw Potato Juice

Cabbage Juice for Ulcers

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FRUIT JUICES

Fruit juices help to cleanse the body and nourish it with important nutrients, including cancer-fighting antioxidants.

Although any fruit can be used, certain juices are particularly healthful and delicious. One favorite cleansing juice is watermelon. To make this refreshing drink, place a whole piece of watermelon - with rind intact - in the juicer. Other delicious juices can be made with apples, apricots, bananas, berries, citrus fruits, kiwi, melons, pears - with just about any fruit that you want to use.

You can enjoy fruit juices at any time of the day. About 10 to 12 ounces per day is recommended. The following is just one of the delicious fruit juice drinks you can make at home.

Kiwi Cocktail

Preparing Produce for Juicing

Juicing is an easy way to make delicious drinks that can boost your health and help you treat a number of disorders. By following these guidelines, you will ensure that your juices are as pure, nutrient-rich, and appetizing as possible.

Whenever possible, buy and use organically grown produce. This is produce that is grown without the use of pesticides and other harmful chemicals. This prevents chemical residues from ending up in your juice.

If you are unable to obtain organically grown fruits and vegetables, peel or thoroughly wash the produce, using a vegetable brush to remove chemical residues and waxes. Most health food stores carry vegetable washes that will help remove any residues.

When purchasing potatoes for juicing, avoid those with a green tint, and be sure to remove any sprouts or eyes. The chemical solanine, which gives the potatoe the green cast, can cause diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

When using organically grown produce, feel free to leave the skin on in most cases. Do remove the skin, though, before juicing apricots, grapefruits, kiwis, oranges, papayas, peaches, and pineapple. The skins of oranges and grapefruits are quite bitter, and also contain a toxic substance that should not be consumed in large amounts. Because kiwis and papayas are tropical fruits, their skins are likely to contain residues of the harmful sprays often used in foreign countries, where some chemicals outlawed in the United States may still be legal. The skins of pineapples are too thick to be processed by most juicers.

When juicing fruits, leave in small seeds, except when using apples, apricots, and peaches. These fruit seeds (pits) actually contain cyanide, a toxic substance. Because of their size and hardness, all pits must be removed.

Juice most produce with stems and leaves intact. However, remove carrot and rhubarb greens, as they contain toxic substances.

When using soft fruits that contain very little water = avocados, bananas, and papayas, for instance - prepare these fruits in a blender rather than using a juicer. Then stir these fruits into other juices.

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