A couple of months ago, I mentioned in one of my comments to the Inner Sanctuary, Part 2: Life Instead of Death post that I had bought a juicer. The original point was to start juicing vegetables that are known to have anti-cancer properties (since I won't eat them---feh!). So, since then I've been juicing Brussels sprouts.
Well, I've made a happy, accidental discovery along the way. I've discovered that drinking the juice of one whole cucumber once a day really does help alleviate skin conditions.
I've always had extremely sensitive skin. I can't wear most metal jewelry. My skin will only tolerate 14 karat gold & up. Prolonged contact with anything else metal against my skin (the inside of the top button on blue jeans resting against my stomach, etc.) will lead to contact dermatitis and/or eczema. I believe that prolonged, repeated contact with the mat (being thrown onto the mat) during years of martial arts classes caused a recurring outbreak of eczema on my hands. [When I think about the numbers of bare feet walking around that mat during classes, I shudder. It's washed down between classes, but still...]
I'm happy to report that the cucumber juice is resolving the eczema problem from the inside out. It's keeping it under control. *Smile*
If you've had positive experiences with juicing, please let us know about it. If you've had negative experiences with juicing, please let us know about that as well. The information you share might help somebody else.
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26 comments:
Now why won't you eat your veggies Khadija? Smile. I've done juicing with fruit and veggie combos. Specifically carrots and apples which are wonderful internal cleansers.
I remember feeling so much better inside after making fresh juice. I've also found that psyllium husk is helpful for cleansing as well.
I have a great juicer, but I haven't used it in awhile because I despise the supermarket. Sad isn't it Khadija? LOL
I'm so excited that you bought a juicer and are using it. Are juicing just brussels sprouts and drinking them straight no apples or pears to mask the taste? All I can say is that you are a warrior!
I have had nothing but positive results from juicing and drinking green smoothies. I have greatly reduced my use of prescription meds for pain caused by fibromyalgia and lupus. I am planning a juice fast / feast for the new year.
To your health. Peace.
Greetings, SDG1844!
I won't eat my veggies because I don't like them (in general). Resistance to eating them was the source of many dinner-provoked punishments when I was small! LOL!
Thank you for sharing! I'll have to read up on psyllium husk.
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Greetings, Hagar's Daughter!
{DEEP martial arts bow in salute to your earlier juice fast}
Everyone: Hagar's Daughter's juice fast earlier this year is what prompted me to consider juicing. You can read more about her experiences at her blog. She's the woman! Let's all give her a round of applause!
{excited clapping & cheers}
To answer your question, I'm trying to be efficient with my selection of veggies/fruit for juicing. I chose Brussels sprouts because they have the highest concentration of anti-cancer compounds among cruciferous vegetables.
I hate Brussels sprouts so much that it would take gallons of apple & pear juice to sufficiently mask the taste.
So, instead of doing that, I looked for other ailment-specific veggies I could choke down with the Brussels sprouts juice. That's how I got around to trying cucumbers. [Although I've found that adding a 1/2 or whole lemon replaces the veggie taste with a tart, lemon taste. Which is preferable to me.]
No, I don't enjoy drinking this every morning. I also don't care for the cup of anti-cancer sencha green tea that I drink in the evening [it tastes the way I would imagine grass tastes].
However, after having watched several relatives die agonizing deaths from cancer, it's worth it to do everything I can to maximize my chances of avoiding such a fate.
For those who are interested: I've been reading 2 fascinating books about this topic:
1-Anticancer: A New Way of Life, by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber, M.D., PhD.; and
2-Foods to Fight Cancer, by Dr. Richard Beliveau, PhD.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I won't eat my veggies because I don't like them (in general). Resistance to eating them was the source of many dinner-provoked punishments when I was small! LOL!
Thank you for sharing! I'll have to read up on psyllium husk.
........
Hello Khadija..
I've been checking out your site for a while. My first time posting though...
I really understand the above. When I was little, my most hated vegetable was okra...it was so slimy...ugh. I filled many vases with Okra when my parents turned away..and being that I am a terrible criminal, my 8 yo mind (at THAT time..lol) would never remember to remove the evidence..soon there would be a trail of ants to the vase...or to my pockets...
NOW...I "love" okra...well I should according to Queen Afua's books...I don't know if you are a vegetarian or not..I go through phases myself..but I find that when you saute a white fish and add those dreaded veggies (like okra or brussel sprouts) it becomes quite palatable...
if you would like more info (er, a "recipe" I guess..lol..do let me know.
and keep up the great work you do here...please...
Most sincerely,
Delishmish
Greetings, Delishmish!
Thank you for your kind words about the blog. I truly appreciate it.
Go vegetarian? And give up chicken? And lamb? Perish the thought!
I've had relatives perform all sorts of culinary wizardry in attempts to make these mini-cabbages (& other cabbages) palatable to me. It never works. At best, the cabbage taste is mixed in with other, tastier things. [Feh.] It's much quicker for me to just drink the juice.
Ahh...you've brought back memories of my 7-year-old plots to avoid eating certain veggies: The art of simulating chewing without actually breaking through the skin of whatever you have in your mouth. The art of spitting such things out into a napkin when nobody's looking. The art of disposing of this "napkin of nastiness" without detection.
I think I only had about a 15% success rate. LOL!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Hi Khadija!
Thank you for mentioning this tip!
I don't have a juicer and now you and Hagar's Daughter have given me more of an incentive to start considering a purchase of one! I imagine that they may be on sale next weekend.
I am committing to stepping up my skin care program.
I have never liked brussel sprouts so I can't imagine how juicing them must be like! Ewwww. But I am willing to endure the taste in order to be healthier.
I am not a major veggie eater but I do like egg plant with a spicy tomato sauce.
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
@ Hagar's Daughter
{standing ovation}
You started everyone on the juice feast and now it's becoming a new health movement online!
I do plan to begin the new year with a spiritual fast.
Greetings, Lisa!
You're welcome!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Glad to hear of the juicing movement going, Khadija!
What contributions I can make?
I have also tried psyllium husks, they are great. Acidophilus works well too as a cleanser--it can be found in the drug store in the vitamin section.
Some other ideas: wheatgrass juice, and a product I have found, called "core greens." It does the equivalent of wheatgrass juice and other veggies, in powder form. It is another method of detoxing.
Hmmm...juicing? I'm going shopping today. Perhaps I'll be inspired?
Regards,
PVW
Greetings, Pioneer Valley Woman!
It's ALL about wellness here! LOL! Hagar's Daughter {wild cheers} is the one who started the juicing movement in these circles. {more applause}
I've read good things about wheatgrass juice. "Core greens"? I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the info.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Hagar/Khadija. I'm going to check out the juice fast because I want to fast for the holidays. I've decided to spend the time at home in reflection.
Hello there, SDG1844!
{raised fist salute} I'm not at the point of being willing to do a juice fast. I toyed with the idea when Hagar's Daughter was doing hers, but then I wimped out. LOL! I applaud everybody who has the will to actually do it.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
I post these w/hesitation because I'm not an expert but:
tiny sips of Prune juice gives me a boost of energy. Not sure why.
A nice stew in the morning feels great! just throwing all sort of vegetables and drinking just the soup. (I also liking adding seaweed)
(I soak the seaweed in water first to get that stanky smell off first, lol)
I also use stew soup as stock. Like if I'm going to make rice, instead of using regular water, I use water from that stew.
Brussels sprouts? Yuck! lol lol lol
I don't own a juicer but I will say that instead of eating one of those energy bars I've found that drinking organic carrot juice, tomato juice, and eating greens gives me ALLOT of energy!
Greetings, Miriam!
You don't have to be an "expert" to tell us about your own experiences with juicing.
Thanks for the info! I'll have to read up on prune juice.
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Greetings, Sister Seeking/Miriam!
Yep. The Brussels sprouts are nasty. But I'm getting used to the taste. Feh.
Thanks for the info!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
hi there-
i am a little odd i guess. I LOVE BRUSSEL SPROUTS! there is a restaurant here that has stuffed brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes and it is delicious, as well as pretty. i am big on food presentation. it has to be colorful and pretty otherwise i lose my appetite.
juicing has kept me from skipping meals, which slows one's metabolism. mornings are difficult and i am not even remotely interested to eat, so i like to juice fruits and vegetables as breakfast/lunch/snack on the go. i add other supplements like spirulina to the mix.
Khadija, i too have had eczema. mine usually happens when i am stressing over something. shea butter has helped tremendously. this may sound strange, but drinking olive oil works wonders as well. it doesn't taste so good, though:-)
thanks for letting me share. i have to go check out the other posts now. get caught up if you will...
blessings all,
focusedpurpose
Greetings, Focused Purpose!
I'm so happy to hear from you. I've missed your voice. Oh, I don't think it's odd that you like [nasty, horrid, little] Brussels sprouts. LOL! I would guess that each of us likes at least one food item that is not popular.
Hmmm...you say that drinking [!?!?!] olive oil has helped you with eczema breakouts. Can you give some more details about that experience, such as how much (a teaspoon, etc.) and how often (once a day, etc.)?
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Nice discussion. I love seaweed, spirulina, and alfalfa sprouts. And kale. I've made a beet carrot peaches juice. Happy Holidays Everyone!!
Greetings, Faith!
Thanks for sharing! Have you had any particular results/experiences (other than enjoying them) with these different drinks?
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
For me, it came down to counter space in my kitchen. I wanted to purchase an Omega 8003 (a masticating juicer) but decided to go with a Vitamix (high powered blender) because the Vitamix can multi-task. The point was to get more greens into my diet somehow because even though I was vegetarian, I was not eating enough vegetables. So for the past few months, I've been faithfully doing green smoothies. I basically take two handful of greens and blend them with any fruits I have on hand. Bananas and pineapples do the best job of masking the bitterness. I enjoy Dr. Oz's Green Juice (if you google, you'll find it--it's more smoothie than juice but I think I'd actually prefer all the ingredients juiced). I can't really say I've seen much improvement in any conditions I'm dealing with but I will say that I feel more energetic/more alive and that my allergies are calmer (still there but not as aggressive). I am still considering getting a juicer because as much as I like the green smoothies, they are heavy sometimes. And I know that once I am done nursing my littlest, I will go on a detox fast. A good juicer would be necessary. In college, I did quite a few juice fasts and I have to say, I felt fabulous and light after each one. It's good to hear so many positive results from juicing!!
Sis. Khadija, I'm so happy you found a way to alleviate the skin issues!! To combat high blood pressure post partum, I drank lots of cucumber juice. I love cucumbers. Anyway, here's to good health and healing and to remembering that eating (and drinking)live food promotes life! :)
Greetings, Chi-Chi!
Hmmm...I'll have to look up Dr. Oz's Green Juice. Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the info!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Shea Butter.
Greetings, Kofi Bofah!
Thanks for sharing!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
hi Khadija-
took a moment to get back:-)
consistently taking a couple of table spoons of olive oil, during an outbreak does the trick for me. at my itchiest, i have downed shots of olive oil as well.
i haven't had an outbreak in awhile, i am happy to report.
hope that helps sis.
blessings,
focusedpurpose
Hello there, Focused Purpose!
Thanks for the info, sis!
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
Any thoughts on where to get a relatively inexpensive juicer? I have been using a blender which seems to work really well. I have been told that the blender is better because mushing rather than blending retains the fiber? Any thoughts on that? Also, what do people think of those powdered greens? Are they a waste of time?
Greetings, Anonymous!
I don't have any thoughts about the juicer. I just kind of wandered into Super KMart and bought the first one that looked okay. *Smile*
All of the different materials I've read say that fresh, "living" food is better (in every way) than "dead" (processed, frozen, canned, powdered) food. However, powdered wheatgrass, etc. is better than NONE.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
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