When the weather is milder we don’t necessarily have the same urge to snack or crave hot stodgy food. So, it’s a good time to clean up inside, and look after ourselves; to generally be kinder to our bodies – like clearing out the clutter in the house before new season begins in autumn!
Make it your priority to stack up some goodness for yourself as well, to feel rejuvenated, refreshed and healthy. The television advert where the lady is throwing all her rubbishy food in her handbag and carrying it around comes to mind for those times when you are feeling full and bloated from a less than healthy week or a hectic weekend with a few too many takeaways thrown in! In our busy lives we tend to depend more on ready-made meals and packaged goods with very little nutritional value.
Sometimes, we forget how easy it is to take time out to grab healthy foods on the go. Juices are perfect in summer; refreshing, tasty, light, sweet and satisfying! They are affordable, and you can either make them yourself at home, or grab them about town in many of the various juice bars.
There is so much variety when in comes to juices, and they are high in flavour and full of goodness and nutrition. The bottom line is that our bodies work better when we fuel them with goodness, especially from fresh vegetables and fruit, which provide our bodies with nutrients, minerals and enzymes that help to cleanse, detoxify and energise our bodies.
My fave ingredients this summer are oranges, apples, lemons, celery, and carrots in various different combinations. As we all know from our childhood days;
Oranges – Provide Vitamin C – Great for boosting our immune system and fighting infection, and as an added bonus it helps keep us looking young with anti-aging properties!
Carrots – Offer a great cleansing effect on our bodies, and contain high levels of beta-carotene which changes to vitamin A in our bodies, helping your eyesight.
Celery – Fat free! It can help lower your cholesterol, and it contains antioxidant properties, which can help fight against cancer. It can also act as a cleanser and a great detox food by eliminating some pollutants in our bodies.
Apples – A handy snack that is sweet and tasty in juices. Apples are low in calories and fat, and high in vitamins, minerals and fibre.?They are also a great detox food, as they contain pectin, which helps remove toxic substances from our bodies.
Lemon – Like a tonic to the liver. Lemon stimulates bile, making it ready to digest the days food. This explains why lemon popped in water in the morning is a perfect start with your brekkie! It also is high in Vitamin C, so helps you fight infection. All in all another great detox fruit flushing out bad bacteria!
The last juice I enjoyed was at Bay restaurant, Clontarf. Orange, mint & ginger zinger; delish!!
Sláinte,
Georgina xxxxx
