Juices and smoothies are a great way to be introduced into the high-nutrient world of raw food. When made well, juices and smoothies are packed with all the vitamins you need in the form of a long, tall drink. Since it’s in liquid form, it’s easy to digest and even easier for the nutrients to go straight to where they’re needed. While your vitamins get a speedier way to your organs, the digestive system is also getting a much-needed rest from our usual solid foods.
Given how our body absorbs the nutrients and the vitamins from green juices and smoothies, it follows that you want your vegetables to be organic. If they aren’t, the possible chemicals and pesticides residing in the vegetables you’re juicing will reach your organs just as quickly as the vitamins and the nutrients – possibly canceling out their good effects, or maybe even worse.
As much as we advise you to buy from organic markets and small farmers, we’re aware that it’s not always possible. If you do end up buying from non-organic sources, don’t panic! You can make it like it’s organic. Here we’ll share with you nifty ways to do that.
How to make non-organic vegetables juice and smoothie ready
Water and vinegar
Fill whatever basin you’re washing your vegetables in with 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Leave your vegetables soaking in the water and vinegar solution for around an hour. Rinse, and repeat as needed.
If you’d like to make it a bit more potent, you can also put in some lemon juice – a single lemon will do.
Vinegar is a great natural disinfectant thanks to the acetic acid in it that has its own antimicrobial properties. After an hour, the vinegar will have removed all the stuff that wasn’t supposed to be on your vegetables to begin with – a possibly nasty sight that will horrify you with good reason.
If this is your chosen method, try to have only one dedicated basin for washing and soaking your vegetables – to make sure no other possible contaminants join the mix.
Lemon juice and baking soda
Aside from soaking your vegetables, you can also spray them. A vegetable spray you can easily make at home is made of a tablespoon of lemon juice, one cup of water, and two tablespoons of baking soda.
Mix them all together until the baking soda is dissolved, and you’ve got your vegetable spray. You can spray this on vegetables and even fruits! Let it stay on the skin’s surface for around 5-10 minutes and then you can wash your vegetables in water.
This spray is even something you can bring with you in your bag, just in case you plan to eat some veggies while you’re out and about.
Activated charcoal and water
This vegetable washing solution is made of two tablespoons of activated charcoal powder, and a basin of water. In this solution, you can soak your veggies for about just ten minutes.
Activated charcoal is actually used as a way to flush away toxins and chemicals in the body naturally – and in the same way, it can flush away the toxins and chemicals on your vegetables too.
A local health food store should have this or even a health food store online.
All of the ingredients are pretty easy to find but, if you’re really in a bind we advise either peeling the skins of your vegetables and fruits, or using a natural bristle brush to clean your veggies.
We are definitely advocates of green juices and green smoothies and, at Bahay Kalipay Wholeness Hub, we serve them daily with a smile. But even vegetables can be dangerous if you get them from the wrong source. Keep yourself safe with these easy methods. Juice responsibly!
Visit Bahay Kalipay on the web to support your juicing journey:
https://www.facebook.com/bahaykalipaypalawan/
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Sources:
http://fitlife.tv/how-to-remove-pesticides-from-non-organically-grown-produce_original/
http://healthybliss.net/how-to-clean-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables/