This blog has been re-posted with the permission of Sally Miller, B.S., N. E.  /// eatsofeden.com

When I look at juices and smoothies, I think of colored Easter eggs. I loved the tradition of coloring eggs with my children. Initially, the dying was done with food-coloring tablets and then later on with natural foods. I used these for my dyes:

*yellow onion skins—yellow to dark orange
*orange peels—pale yellow-orange
*red beets—pink to red
*red cabbage—blue
*spinach—green
*grape juice—violet
*raspberries—pink to purple
*yellow or green apple peels—yellow-green
*bright yellow—turmeric
*deeper red—chili powder

All of these natural foods with their colorful antioxidants can make Easter eggs beautiful. They can also make you beautiful from the inside out.

The colors that you see in these vegetable and fruit juices are from the antioxidants that are present in them. Antioxidants bring new life to the cells of your body.

The symbolism of the Easter eggs, according to Wikipedia, is based on early Christian beliefs.

“Easter eggs, also called Paschal eggs, are decorated eggs that are usually used as gifts at the occasion of Easter. As such, Easter eggs are common during the season of Eastertide (Easter season). The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs wrapped in colorful foil, hand-carved wooden eggs or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as chocolate. Although eggs, in general, were a traditional symbol of fertility and rebirth in Christianity, Easter eggs symbolize the empty tomb of Jesus, from which Jesus resurrected.”

As we move into spring, there are many symbols of rebirth that we are about to experience.

Presenting you with these beautiful juice recipes as we enter into the season of growth for fresh fruits and vegetables will help you renew your health, as well as your spirit. It was an easy connection for me.

“Fresh fruits and vegetables in their juiced form provide the body with a chance to renew itself,” said holistic health expert Ed Bauman. “Raw juices are pure liquids locked in the cells of plants that have definite therapeutic value. Just as herbs have specific curative values, so do the plant’s juices that have come from specific fresh fruits and vegetables. Vegetable juices are the regenerators and builders of the body. Fresh fruits are the cleansers of the human system. Grown in healthy soil, they contain all the substances needed for nourishing the body—provided the produce used is fresh and raw and without preservatives or pesticides.”

When vegetables and fruits have been naturally cooked or ripened by the sun, the elements of the earth are buried deep within their fibers. They are assimilated quickly into the bloodstream and glands within 15 minutes of ingestion. A pint or more of fresh raw fruit or vegetable juice daily will have a marked therapeutic effect.

Research consistently shows that people who eat the greatest quantity of fruits and vegetables are about half as likely to develop cancer as those who eat little or no fresh fruits and vegetables.

It is not surprising that the United States Cancer Institute recommends eating five servings of fresh vegetables and three servings of fresh fruit each day.

The phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables hold the keys to preventing many modern diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as debilitating conditions, such as asthma, arthritis and allergies.

Still, even the most disciplined person can find it difficult to eat all those fruits and vegetables each day. Drinking them in the form of fresh juices, smoothies and frozen treats are an easy and delicious way to ensure you are getting your daily eight.

Juicing requires that fruits or vegetables be squeezed or shredded and spun using a machine to separate liquids from solids. Usually, the pulp is recycled into soups or stews or composted.

Blending requires a food processor or a blender. The whole fruit or vegetable is pitted, peeled and cut into smaller pieces before being combined with other ingredients for a blended drink with the pulp. The blender blades chop the flesh of fruits and vegetables and then liquefy the solids, making them drinkable.

Our cells consist mostly of water, which is essential to their proper function. Raw juice supplies the water you need to replenish lost fluid, while providing all the necessary vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytochemicals.

Juices also promote the alkalinity of body fluids, which is vital for proper immune and metabolic function. Removing the fiber allows the nutrients to be absorbed very quickly—usually within 15 minutes.

I recommend the Omega Nutrition System low-speed horizontal juicers for all types of juicing, including wheatgrass.

Fruit and vegetable fiber contains cellulose, pectin, lignin and hemicellulose—all of which are essential to health. Combined, these types of fiber slow absorption of food (increasing absorption of nutrients), help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, help eliminate toxins and gallstones, and prevent elimination problems.

When fruits and vegetables are blended, their fiber is retained, and nutrients are absorbed more slowly than in the juiced version.

I recommend the Vitamix Vita-Prep (commercial Vitamix option) or the Blendtec for blending.

Combining both smoothies and juice in your weekly, if not daily, routines is one of the best decisions you can make for your renewed life.

Diabetics maintain blood sugar levels better by either juicing or blending vegetables with minimal sweet fruits. Carrots and beets should also be minimized because of their sugar content.

I teach a Juicing and Blending class periodically. Check my list of workshops and classes on this website to see when the next class will be offered.

RECIPES

Easter Egg Red Juice
12 ounces of juice

Ingredients
1 red beet, peeled
2 apples, seeds removed
1 lemon, peeled
ginger to taste

Directions
JUICE in the order given.
If you juice the beets first, you can save the pulp for some great additions to burgers.

Easter Egg Orange Juice
12 ounces of juice

Ingredients
2 oranges, peels removed
6 carrots, skin removed
1 lemon, peel removed
ginger to taste

Directions
JUICE in the order given.
Use the carrots intermittently to help push down the softer fruits and vegetables.
If you juice the carrots first and keep the pulp, you can use in soups or other recipes.

Easter Egg Yellow Juice
8 ounces of juice

Ingredients
2 pears with peels
2 green apples with peels
ginger to taste

Directions
JUICE in the order given.
Add water while juicing to help move the softer fruits through.
Add some fresh turmeric for a brighter yellow color.

Easter Egg Green Juice
12 ounces of juice

Ingredients
1 lemon, peel removed
1 cucumber
14 kale leaves
1 apple, seeds removed
6 stalks celery
parsley to taste

Directions
JUICE in the order given.
Use the celery to push down the softer fruits and vegetables as you are juicing.

Easter Egg Blue/Violet Juice
12 ounces of juice

Ingredients
1/2 small head of red cabbage, chopped
2 cups red grapes, seeds can be left in
1 red apple, seeds removed
1 lemon, peel removed
2 stalks of celery

Directions
JUICE the ingredients in the order given.
Use the celery intermittently to help push down the softer fruits and vegetables.