From Chapter 31 of "Healthy Garden Healthy You" by Milo Shammas

I may have chlorophyll running through my veins, because I drink so much leafy green juice. Much of what I grow and cannot eat, I throw into a juicer. This prevents wasted food and allows the most nutrient absorption for my body. I have a lean, low-fat body, because I live primarily on green foods. My metabolism is very fast, which allows me to burn fat even when I sleep. You can have great looking skin, high energy levels, organs that function to their fullest potential, bioavailability in consumed foods, antioxidants, phytonutrients, heart health, fast elimination and micronutrients …all if you adopt juicing as a regular practice.

The great thing about juice is that it delivers so many energy-boosting phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. I can literally feel a burst of energy running through my body every time I finish my glass of juice. Green leafy drinks are one of the best things for your living body. They feed the cells at the microscopic level. Consider this: You would have to forage for about 10 hours per day and consume more than 7 pounds of green vegetables to get the energy you can drink in 20 minutes with 48 ounces of juice.

Drink your juice as fresh as you can right after it comes out of the juicer, because it begins to oxidize as it goes through the machine. The beauty of juicing is the nutrients are immediately bioavailable. Our bodies do not have to break them down to absorb them. However, because plant cells explode when their membranes are broken through the juicer machine, the exposed chlorophyll and other nutrients are exposed to oxygen that quickly breaks down the beneficial contents. If you use a straw to drink the juice from the bottom up, you receive maximum nutrients and minimum oxidation, because the juice at the bottom is the least exposed to oxygen. Do not put your fresh juice in the refrigerator, because it loses its effectiveness even a few hours later. Simply juice what you can drink in the next 10 minutes. Leave the rest of your produce on the vine or intact in the refrigerator until you are ready to drink what you juice.

Another plus of juicing comes as the abundance of nutrients gives you that full feeling. You will then eat less, because you feel satisfied, not hungry, and your metabolism has gotten a boost. As the day progresses, you can snack here and there. I keep several heads of romaine lettuce in the refrigerator. I often eat three heads of lettuce a day and never touch anything else at lunchtime. I also keep several organically grown oranges in my backyard available for that afternoon snack. That orange gives me a natural sugar rush and is loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants.

Juicing is a lifestyle and a commitment worth making. Once you make the choice, it becomes an automatic behavior. Instead of coffee, you choose juice and lose inches off your belly. Weight loss is the result of energy you receive by drinking plenty of green juice and staying away from greasy, fatty foods. I encourage everyone I speak with to treat themselves now and then to a hamburger and fries along with a soda if they crave it. You can safely eat almost anything once in a while. What you eat regularly, day after day, makes the difference in your nutrition and health. You do not have to be a dietary saint, but a regular healthy diet full of energy-boosting vitamins and minerals, and low in fats and carbohydrates helps you lose weight fast. I can lose 5 pounds in a week without exercise and still eat a protein rich meal with healthy greens every night.

What do I mean when I say “green juice”? I mean whatever I cannot eat from my garden that has a green color. I even juice all the wild dandelions that I pick from my lawn, along with mint from my herb garden, lettuce, zucchini, bell peppers and cucumbers. I throw in a few tomatoes, the most abundant crop in my garden. With my busy schedule, I cannot make juice every day at home. I also do not grow enough to make my recommended 48 ounces a day. Therefore, I rely on my dear friends at my local health food market to make juice for me. There I have access to a fresh daily selection of wheatgrass, a great source of energy and chlorophyll. I also drink kale, broccoli, daikon, parsnip, turnip, dill, cilantro, beets, celery, carrots and ginger. Dandelion is a major body cleanser, especially for the liver, which has more than 400 blood purifying functions. Dandelion, long maligned as a nuisance weed in mainstream thought, is actually a tonic, an elixir, and in my opinion, the closest thing to the fountain of youth.

Grow everything you possibly can organically, so you know what you are eating. We know homegrown produce is nutrient dense. Juicing homegrown produce concentrates those nutrients even more. Even if you drink juices from crops grown conventionally, you will receive concentrated nutrients. What you cannot grow at home you can buy at the local farmers market or organic produce market. I like to support local growers I know and trust. Supporting them is good for my community and ultimately for the environment, because growers who are close to me use up less fuel to ship their produce to where I can buy it.

I also recommend supporting your local health food store that sells good quality produce. Take a good supplement daily. Drink plenty of green juice and clean filtered water. Avoid soda. Stay away from fatty fast food. Do these things regularly, and the pounds will fly off and doctor visits will confirm your improved health.

One of the best side effects of juicing is looking great with tight, glowing skin. You are feeding your living cells. The organic lifestyle is something you do as a treat for yourself not as a chore. You want the energy you need to live a full life free of ailments. You want your mind to function to its fullest potential. When you have achieved physical health, spiritual health often follows, because you are free to elevate your mind and creativity without being held down by physical limitations. One of the best byproducts of being healthy is confidence. You feel confident every day, because you feel good and look great.

Grow it, eat it, juice it and live healthy.

Milo Lou Shammas
Founder and Formulator