How to Buy Juicer in Nebraska

Kale is not widely available in the Philippines.

So when my wife saw one in a grocery, I asked her to buy a pack just to try it out.

At first, I thought that it will be as bitter as mustard greens, but I’m pleased to say that it turned out pretty good, better than expected.

So far, I’ve concocted around three recipes that had kale in it.

During my search for juice recipes.

I noticed that Kale is a popular ingredient and it is said to be one of the most nutritious vegetables with minimal calorie content.

What are those benefits?

Kale is known as the “queen of greens” for its high nutrient content and antioxidants.  It also contains zeaxanthin and lutein which are good for your eyes.

Did you know that a cup of chopped kale will give you 684% of your daily requirements of Vitamin K, 206% of Vitamin A and 134% of Vitamin C?

Vitamin K contains antioxidants which reduces the risk of cancer.  Based on a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it is a vital nutrient that strengthens bones and normalizes blood clots.

Although, doctors warn that excessive Vitamin K can be an issue for people taking anticoagulant medication.

Helps lower cholesterol

Kale contains around 3.6 grams of fiber (per 100 grams) that bind bile acids.  These acids flush out bad cholesterol and lower risks of heart disease. Experts at WebMD recommend that Kale has to be cooked to maximize this benefit.

Oxalates

Kale is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables, containing oxalates (an anti-nutrient/toxin) that can hamper our body’s ability to absorb calcium and cause side effects.

Recent studies show that kale is not a Goitrogenic food, which slows down the function of thyroid.

However, this school of thought has been debated by nutritionists and medical experts.

Should I be worried about consuming too much oxalate?

The key here is balance, rotate the vegetables you put in the juicer. It can’t be kale or broccoli every day.

You have to throw in a little bit of bell pepper, squash, eggplant, zucchini, celery, cucumber, beet, carrots and green beans. Experiment and mix it up, that’s what juicing is all about.

Remember that “all things are poison and nothing is without poison. It is the dose that makes a thing poisonous.” – Paracelsus, 16th century pharmacologist.

Without further ado, here are some KALE-licious Recipes!

I’ve learnt that there are 50 varieties of kale, but for my recipes, I had to settle with organic Australian kale since it’s the only kind I could find.

Recipe 1

2 to 3 kale leaves (I included the stem)
1 carrot
2 apple
1/2 lemon (with the skin)
1 cucumber

This recipe will yield roughly half a liter of sweet KALE-licious juice. I didn’t taste any bitterness as it was masked by the lemon, carrot and apple combo.

This would be great for people who are juicing kale for the first time.

Recipe 2

1 to 2 kale leaves
A small handful of spinach
1 carrot
1 cucumber
1 apple
1 lemon (with the skin on)
A small handful of basil

This will yield slightly more than the first recipe, around 750ml.

This one will be lemony.

If you don’t like the lemon sourness, replace it with lime or ginger for that added kick.

Recipe 3

2 to 3 kale leaves
1/3 bitter melon (optional)
A handful of spinach
1/2 thumb ginger
2 carrots
2 apples
2 zucchini

This will yield around 900ml of lightly pungent, sweet and bitter juice with a kick. This is a great pre-breakfast drink that’ll give you that needed jolt to jumpstart your day. If the bitterness is too much, skip the bittermelon.

By the way, bitter melon (it is called ampalaya in our country) is great for people with diabetes.

My dad drinks a small glass of pure bitter melon juice every day (don’t know if I could do that)! And it has helped him keep his blood sugar at normal levels.

That’s it, 3 natural, nutrient rich KALE-licious recipes that you can add to your own list.

If you’ve tried any of these or have concocted your own, please let me know by commenting below.

And if you like any of these recipes, do me a small favour, by spreading the word.