The Importance of Green Juice

Green juices are a critical aspect of the raw regimen providing most of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytochemicals and other nutrients essential to healing along with adequate fluid intake. In addition the powerful alkalizing effect of green juice help with neutralizing the acidification that can take place when stored toxins, dead cells and waste products are released during the detoxification process. In other words the green juice makes a robust detox possible as it helps the body to cope with the release of the toxins by flooding it with alkalizing vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

The standard detoxification regimen allows for four freshly made all organic green juices daily. Our programs are individualized and there can be cases where more juices are prescribed and juice therapy is a heavier component of a treatment protocol. In these cases Carrot-Apple and Carrot Juices are included in the regimen.

Green Leaf Juice

The green leaf juice is extremely rich in iron and other minerals, and very high in chlorophyll. It is extremely live and active, often having a foam “head” at the top of the glass when fresh out of the press. This juice is a little more difficult to tolerate, and patients feeling nauseated will frequently have some difficulty drinking and keeping it down. However, it provides tremendous benefit to the patient, and it is often prescribed in higher quantity in anemic patients in order to raise hemoglobin levels. It also replaces some of the carrot/apple juices in diabetic, hypoglycemic and candida patients as it is lower in sugar.

The “recipe” for the green leaf juice is a bit more varied than the others. Of the following list, some items will be available, some may not be available in your area, and some are seasonal. Use whatever is available, but let your choices be dictated more by what is actually available than your like or dislike of a particular ingredient. It is noteworthy that the darker, stronger-flavored items such as chard and red cabbage are richer in chlorophyll and other nutrients than the lighter, less flavorful vegetables. Also, please do not use any greens or ingredients other than the ones listed. Do not substitute other items. Obtain as many of the following as possible. The suggested quantities assume about half of the listed items will be available at any given time. Adjust accordingly.

The Green Juice is made of red and green leaf lettuce, romaine, watercress, swiss chard, endive, escarole, red cabbage, beet tops

Recipe

• Escarole 1-2 leaves
• Lettuce 3-4 leaves (use iceberg if no others are available)
• Swiss (Green) Chard 1-3 leaves, depending on size
• Red Chard same as above
• Endive 1-2 leaves
• Red Leaf Lettuce 3-4 leaves
• Green Leaf Lettuce 3-4 leaves
• Red Cabbage 2-3 leaves
• Romaine 2-3 leaves
• Beet Tops (young inner leaves) 2-3 leaves
• Green Pepper 1/2 medium sized
• Watercress 1-2 sprigs
• One medium apple (Granny Smith)

Greens should be washed, taking care to rinse off sand or soil that is often present at the base of the leaves. Shake of the water or put the greens in a salad spinner to remove excess moisture. Cut off the bottom portion of chard stems or any other fibrous leaves.

Using a two-step (grinder/press) juicer, grind and collect pulp in a bowl. When all produce has been ground, stir thoroughly, but not so much as to introduce unnecessary air into the pulp. Place a “microwave-safe,” undyed, chemical free paper towel on top of the juice cloth, then put about a cup of pulp onto the towel and cloth. Fold tightly and press. If you’re using an electric press, raise the juice part slowly to avoid having pulp squirt out of the cloth. Using multiple juicing cloths, you can prepare the second cloth while the first one is pressing. Also, some people will fold over the squashed cloth/pulp package and press it again to get a little more juice out of the pulp. After pressing, the remaining pulp, conveniently packaged in the paper towel, can be discarded. The green juice is much more active than the carrot or carrot/apple juices and should be consumed immediately. Dr. Max Gerson did not recommend storage of the green juice for any length of time before consumption.