When outdoor temperatures oscillate between upper nineties and 110°F or so, nothing can be more important than staying cool and hydrated. Few things can do a better job than mint and cucumber.
In the Traditional Chinese Medicine both, mint and cucumber, are considered to be cooling. Cucumber is 96% water. It is rich in chlorophyll; minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, potassium and silica; and vitamins, especially A, B1, B6, B9 (folate), K and C.
Cucumber not only helps you stay cool and hydrated, it also speeds up the detoxification process, stabilizes blood pressure, and improves digestion. But this is not all! Research shows that cucumber contains three lignans - lariciresinol, pinoresinol and secoisolariciresinol - that are known to reduce the risk of several cancers. Other compounds in cucumber help reverse inflammatory processes in the joints. Cucumber also helps reduce the levels of uric acid and dissolve kidney stones. It also contains a hormone needed by the pancreas for the production of insulin.
Fresh mint in this recipe can only enhance the cooling action of cucumber. It helps soothe the digestive tract, improve digestion, clean the blood and remove toxins from the body. Inhaled, the etheric oils in mint help wake up the senses and improve concentration. This is something to consider if you have to stay alert on a very hot day.
Ingredients:
- 2 long English cucumbers
- 1 large bunch of fresh mint
Method:
- If your juicer is powerful enough, you do not even need to chop up the cucumbers. Otherwise, cut the cucumbers in manageable chunks, leave the peal on but make sure you washed the wax off. Feed the juicer alternating between sprigs of mint and cucumber.
- Pour into tall glasses, decorate with sprigs of mint and enjoy chilled!
To save time I placed a handful of ice cubes into my juicer's carafe. The juice was cooling while being made.
Tip: You may not be able to find English cucumbers in some part of the world. You can, of course, use the common garden cucumbers. They are just as good if not even more aromatic than the English ones! Simply peel them and remove the seeds before juicing.
To really enjoy the cooling effect of this green juice simply inhale deeply while you sip. The etheric oils of the mint will enter your nostrils and thus give you a sensation of incredibly cool freshness. This really is a blessing on an unbearably hot day.
To really enjoy the cooling effect of this green juice simply inhale deeply while you sip. The etheric oils of the mint will enter your nostrils and thus give you a sensation of incredibly cool freshness. This really is a blessing on an unbearably hot day.
In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2014
Dominique Allmon©2014
