Rebecca Johnson | Saturday, April 25, 2009
"The Juicing Bible" seems to have been written for a very specific audience. If you have a well stocked cupboard filled with spices and a garden filled with herbs then this book might be what you are looking for. After looking through the entire book I found one recipe I could actually make without searching in a health store for uncommon ingredients. The recipe I tried was the "Apple Spice Cocktail." This used ingredients I had in my refrigerator and instead of the spices recommended I just used cinnamon. So in a way I created my own recipe based on a good idea.
Some of the ingredients in this book include: lavender, powdered licorice, dandelions, powdered linden flower, borage leaves, acai berries, red raspberry leaves, stinging nettle, kelp, astragalus root, meadowsweet and apricot milk. While I've heard of these ingredients before I have no idea where to get them. The small sources section at the back of the book doesn't really give me any clues as to who carries which herbs. Most of the spices used in this book can however be found at your local grocery store.
This book is divided into 8 main sections which include:
Healthy Body Systems - A brief discussion of the endocrine system, immune system, musculoskeletal system, nervous system and respiratory system. There is a short discussion of hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, arthritis, osteoporosis, muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, memory loss, asthma and allergies.
Health Conditions - This is a comprehensive section organized alphabetically. It discusses things like cancer prevention, headaches, indigestion and water retention.
Each illness is discussed and remedies are given. The remedies include healing foods and herbs. Healing drinks are listed at the end of each section.
Healthy Foods - This section lists fruits and vegetables in alphabetical order. Each vegetable and fruit has a section with a description, use and buying and storing information. At the end of each section there is a list of juices you can make using the specific fruit or vegetable. For instance under cucumbers it is listed as a diuretic and is a good source of vitamin A.
Fruit and Vegetable Juices - This is the section that includes the basic fruit and vegetable juice recipes. Here you will find simple fruit and vegetable combinations. Some include:
Orange Star - Star fruits, oranges, cantaloupe and lemon
Pear Fennel - Pears, fennel, apples and powdered licorice
Summer Nectar - Nectarines, apricots, blueberries, peaches and plums
Green Magic - celery, cabbages, spinach, pumpkin and powdered ginkgo
Juices for Healthy Bodies - This section is divided up into:
Heart-Healthy Tonics
Aperitifs and Digestives
Bitters
Endocrine Elixirs
Immunity Boosters
Muscle Powers
Nerve Nourishers
Stress Busters
Tonics
Respiratory Juices
Cleansers
Healing Teas
Roughies and Smoothies - Here you will find recipes for applesauce, Papaya Marinade, Berry Smoothies and Tropical Cocktails.
Specialty Drinks - There are some interesting recipes in this section, for example,
Melon Cocktail
Hot Spiced Apples
Apple-Orange Punch
Lavender Punch
Indian Chai Tea
Coffee Substitutes
Frozen Treats - If you have an ice cream machine then you will love this section. Some of the interesting combinations include Strawberry-Beet Ice, Lemon Ice, Basil-Pear Sherbet, Fruit Pulp Frozen yogurt (a good way to use up fruit pulp after juicing) and Berry Pops.
To complete the book there is a glossary and a helpful index. While this book is interesting it will take a greater deal of effort to find some of the ingredients. You can of course substitute many ingredients and still have good success with the recipes. I'd recommend this to the very adventurous juicer who loves herbs and spices and is willing to plant unique plants in his/her garden. I've been to many health food stores but I've never found some of the ingredients listed in this book. So many of the recipes require advanced planning. If you want a creative book on juicing that has ingredients that are easy to find I can recommend: Ultimate Juicing: Delicious Recipes for Over 125 of the Best Fruit & Vegetable Juice Combinations and The Juice Lady's Juicing for High Level Wellness and Vibrant Good Looks.
~The Rebecca Review