NUTRITION: BODY + CREATIVE GENIUS (2) – Increase green vegetables presence in your daily diet: Make some Green Juice

siomarasalmeron (61)in #food • 5 years ago (edited)

I was telling you in the first edition a bit of how Indian use flavors and their connection with spiritual balance and health. Indians cook combining flavors oriented to stimulate energy flow, or even regulate it, and I know that these particular practices determines a lot their great ingestion of vegetables. There’s a deep wisdom in the possibility of obtaining a richer gastronomic experience through mixtures of spices and vegetables, so as textures and doneness.

Previous number of this series: NUTRITION: BODY + CREATIVE GENIUS (1) – Eat creatively with the 6 tastes: Ayurveda principles y su versión en español NUTRIR EL CUERPO Y EL GENIO (1) - 26 de octubre de 2018: Comer creativo, como los hindúes.

Spanish version of this article.

We might meditate and infer that it is a cultural issue to assume a balanced nutrition as a part of our lifestyle. In many of our countries in Latin America our main dishes are heavy, with much protein, carbohydrates and lipids. It seems not to be our tradition to ingest vegetables, except for our uses to stew, seasoning and cooking a lot as also Asian but who practice more variations than we do.

Why preparing a Green Juice?

In Venezuela we have a very different issue with vegetables. For example, I feel like it is not really possible finding variety and in the public markets you would need cash. In supermarkets, in the other hand, it might be a little too expensive. So, are Green Juices a good alternative? Well, remember the previous comments about flavor? This is not going to be an ordinary pleasant experience. BUT! Let me tell you some stuff.

What would I do? My keys

I use herbs: PARSLEY, CORIANDER, CELERY and SPEARMINT. You could add your favorite green vegetables: CUCUMBER, LEMON, PEPPERS, LETUCE,… Can you think of anything else? Since I met closely with Green Juice I never tried to sweeten it but recently I was processing my vegetables when I remembered I got some mandarins, so I added a whole one for two cups of juice. Though it was so sweet, mandarins have a soft flavor so they really don’t make relevant changes on the flavor that we know green vegetables have. However, it add a really nice touch which makes it more interesting.

My Mindset to affront disgust!

It must be because of my connection with Eastern culture, of self-outer and inner balance and harmony, that I assume the flavor issue reflexively. I mean that the same reason why you choose drinking and eating green is determining your experience of taking it. When you are not veggie or fitness, anything you choose to eat represents for you a type of pleasant experience, but I told you in the previous submission that you must create a connection with the qualities of your food. That means cultivating our relation with food through their colors and what they represent (properties, benefits,…), and that same way with their flavors. We must create our register and use it.

Green juice have great content of fiber and vitamins, help to regulate body acidity, and though I ignore the specific beneficial properties they possess, I know they help hot only digestion but to develop self-discipline. It is so important to question our reasons to consume. We must be active and conscious effectors of our nutrition, and also relate consciously with food groups, their role in our diets, flavors, alternatives because it may lead us to get to control the way we feel about our help, our body, our decisions, and even our personal finances.

And again, you have multiple alternatives. Some people take CUCUMBER, CELERY and LEMON, process, and they have their juice. You could add any fruit, but always be focused. I mean, if you add too much fruit you won’t get your green juice but a cocktail. Hold to your center. ALSO, after getting your juice you must strain because plants fiber is too raw and so hard to swallow. It can usually be added to salads or any other preparation but not too much of it. Few people uses only leaves of herbs, but stems hold important part of the nutritive components. Another alternative is using this “cull” in your compost, if you are used to make so, or put in on the ground of your garden for your plants.