Making your own juice from fresh organic ingredients has to be one of the healthiest lifestyle decisions anyone can make. I’ve been making fresh juice for about 20 years now. Initially, I started my routine morning juicing ritual as a means of ensuring my two children, who weren’t great eaters at the time, had access to the all-important vitamin and mineral nutrition contained in organically-reared plant matter. Although the eating habits of my children are no longer the primary motivation for the time I spend each morning preparing fresh juice, there are still some wonderful benefits that encourage me to continue making and enjoying fresh organic juice.

For those of you who’ve never made fresh juice I invite you to consider the many benefits that regular consumption of juice made from fresh organic vegetables and fruit might bring to your life.

Perhaps the starting point for anyone considering juicing as a means of achieving optimal health is to ask why conventionally-reared vegetables and fruits are best avoided. The answer is simple. Given that many of the important vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which we aim to extract during the juicing process, reside either within or just below the skin surface of many vegetable and fruit varieties, and in view of the fact that conventionally-reared produce is routinely sprayed with significant quantities of chemical pesticides, starting with premium grade organic produce has the capacity to prevent you from consuming unwanted and potentially carcinogenic pesticides.

To obtain adequate vitamin and mineral intake - I’ve never been overly fond of vitamin and mineral supplements delivered in a pill or tablet form. While there are valid reasons why some people should, in consultation with an appropriately qualified medical professional, consider oral dietary supplements as a means of ensuring adequate nutritional intake, most of us should be looking to obtain our requirements from sources that are as natural as possible.

Freshly squeezed juice provides the body with a rich source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes. This is well documented. Because vitamins, minerals and enzymes delivered in the form of raw juice require very little breaking down in the digestive tract they are rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. Combine this with the fact that many recent studies have found organic vegetables and fruit to contain higher vitamin and antioxidant levels than conventional produce and the reasons for incorporating organic juicing into your lifestyle become fairly compelling.

To increase your energy levels – One of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome when I commenced regular juicing was my husband. Like many men of his generation, he was sceptical, dismissive and at times downright rude about my decision to incorporate regular juicing into our lifestyle. It’s interesting how times change. These days, more often than not, it is my husband, John, who espouses the benefits of consuming fresh organic juice.

John was raised on a beef cattle property. When we first met, his idea of a balanced meal was to include an additional serve of fried potatoes with his 800-gram rump steak. Although the thought of a breakfast comprising of a selection of freshly prepared raw organic juice didn’t sit easily with him at first, it is perhaps John who has benefited more than anyone else in my family as a result of our switch to a lifestyle emphasising raw organic juicing.

After a relatively short period of time consuming the raw juices that I prepared, John lost weight, became more active, developed healthier skin, nails and hair, and generally felt better than he had at any other stage in his life. While admittedly the increased energy levels John enjoyed following our switch to a lifestyle emphasising organic juice are anecdotal, the rationale underpinning John’s increased energy levels is anything but anecdotal. According to our General Practitioner, it’s highly likely that, as a result of John being overweight and having misused alcohol for a number of years his liver was no longer functioning optimally. By switching to a lifestyle incorporating fresh organic juice, John’s liver was better able to remove toxins from his body, process food nutrients more efficiently and regulate his metabolism. Not surprisingly, this made him feel much better.

To prevent disease - Apart from providing an overall boost to your immune system, fresh raw juice consumption can play an important role in preventing many cancers and other life threatening illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. It’s widely recognised that a diet high in soluble fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals - sourced primarily from plant material - provides the optimum platform for protecting the body against many forms of degenerative illness.

To treat minor ailments – Many fruit and vegetable juices have therapeutic properties. These can be used to treat and assist in the prevention of minor health concerns. Although I strongly encourage you to seek appropriate medical advice, by preparing specific fruit, vegetable and herb combinations, it’s possible to address many of the more common health concerns, including irritable bowel syndrome, acne, arthritis, headaches, sinusitis, and insomnia.

Whether you’re new to juice making or someone who has been making juice for many years, I hope you’ll find this series on organic juice making entertaining and informative.

While organic wine continues to grow in popularity, there are new opportunities available for retailers and those who have the influence and capacity to educate and inform the discerning consumer. I’m often asked to explain how a certain wine compares against those from alternative regions or traditions. Of course, each response to such enquiry must be inherently subjective and based to some extent on personal preferences and prejudice. Having reasonably acknowledged this, there is considerable benefit to be gained from understanding the basics of wine appreciation and evaluation.

The aim of wine tasting is to assess the relative concentration of each constituent flavour aspect. Most individuals can easily distinguish the characterising properties of sweetness, acidity, bitterness, and astringency. Within each of these, there are numerous gradations and distinctions which contribute to identification and evaluation of the tasting profile.

To a certain extent the skills of wine appreciation are clouded by the imprecision of language and the frequently ridiculous attempts to define subtleties of flavour which are unfamiliar to everyday experience. An evaluative tasting may also involve a sequence of procedures which can easily escape the attention of unfamiliar observers. In his excellent publication entitled A Good Nose & Great Legs: The Art of Wine, From the Vine to the Table, Robert Geddes describes six important components of the tasting process.

Most experienced tasters will carefully view the wine as it rests in their glass after being poured. Their aim in most cases will be to evaluate the colour, clarity, and consistency of each sample. Following visual inspection, the wine is gently agitated by swirling around the glass. This encourages alcohol vapours to release the aromatic elements of the wine. In many respects smell is more precise than taste. Experts will rely on sniffing to identify the broadest range of aromatic constituents which contribute to the flavour and quality of their sample. Sipping provides additional information about the structure and complexity of each sample. Do the flavour profiles expose themselves immediately or depend upon gradual buildup? Spitting the sampled wine into a bucket is common practice at many tasting events. The purpose is to protect the palate and sensibility while allowing each tasting to register as a reasonably independent flavour oriented experience. Even within the context of tasting events, wine needs to be properly savoured. Allowing a twenty second pause following expulsion is the accepted norm. The taster should then be in a better position to identify more subtle flavours and attributes which can emerge after the initial steps.

The proprietor of my local health food shop is trained in Ayurvedic healing which is a holistic approach to wellbeing based on the combination of physiological and spiritual awareness. The Ayurvedic approach originated in India several thousand years ago and has been described as a traditional science of life. In translation “Ayurveda” equates to knowledge of life.

The treatment prescribed by Ayurvedic practitioners often involves physical exercise, controlled breathing, and a variety of therapeutic foods which can be taken as part of the daily sustenance. While Arthur from the health shop is particularly careful to avoid diagnosing or treating illness of any description, he will occasionally offer valuable advice concerning herbs and nutritional supplements. Last weekend we dropped in for some organic besan flour. Unfortunately, there was none available however we purchased a substitute and didn’t mind at all when Arthur commenced describing the beneficial properties of Turmeric.

Used for centuries by Ayurvedic practitioners, Turmeric is widely recognised for its cleansing properties and ability to protect the body from various forms of degenerative disease. It is one of nature’s richest sources of beneficial phenolic compounds known as curcuminoids. According to Arthur, the potential benefits of Turmeric can be classified as four broad influences.

Anti-oxidant: In combination with vitamins A, C, E, and minerals like selenium, and zinc, curcuminoids from Turmeric are capable of isolating and removing free radical oxygen molecules which are destructive to the cellular integrity of the body.

Anti-inflammatory: The anti-inflammatory properties of Turmeric can be similar to those achieved with steroidal cortisone treatments. While this has been identified in clinical trials, the physiological basis requires further investigation.

Anti-microbial: Turmeric has significant antimicrobial properties and has even been used to prevent spoilage in prepared food. In combination with its antioxidant properties, Turmeric will assist the body’s immune defence and alleviate the risk of transmissible diseases like colds, influenza, and herpes simplex.

Cardiovascular: Turmeric has shown promise in its ability to lower harmful cholesterol while increasing the relative volume of healthy lipids. The long term effects may contribute to improved vascular health and blood vessel efficiency.

Each of these influences impact significantly on health and wellbeing, and can determine the quality of life enjoyed in later years. Arthur believes that everyone should make a point of adding organically certified Turmeric to their food. It’s not expensive and you will do yourself a tremendous favour.

Christmas is approaching quickly so it’s probably time to begin stocking up on the organically certified snack and finger foods. I’ve decided to avoid most of the unhealthy ones this year. These include salt laden chips, peanuts, toffee, marshmallow, and those syrupy rum balls which Granddad likes. To avoid harsh judgments from all and sundry, it’s important to come up with alternative snacks which reasonable minded people will accept and enjoy. Here’s a list which comes readily to mind.

Rice crackers offer a healthy alternative to potato chips. These authentic Japanese snacks are baked instead of fried, consequently they rate low in the unhealthy saturated fats. Better brands depend on natural ingredients like seaweed, spices, and herbs to provide flavour. Try to purchase organically certified crackers made with wholemeal rice and definitely avoid the cheaper substitutes which rely on artificial flavours and colouring agents.

Raw nuts and seeds are consistently rich in protein, essential fats, and minerals. Consider a selection of Almonds, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Brazil Nuts, Cashews, and Sesame Seeds. When purchased from good health food suppliers, these are vastly superior to the roasted and processed nuts which overload the salt, saturated fats, and artificial flavours.

Why not replace sugar-based confectionery with small quantities of dried fruit such as Apple, Apricots, Raisins, Pawpaw slices, Banana, Currants, and Figs? Certain fruits may be difficult to obtain in their dried form and this is indicative of the fact that only premium grade produce is suitable for selection. The colour of dried fruit can sometimes provide an indication of the variety and preservation process. Bright orange apricots might have been treated with sulphur dioxide or artificial colouring agents. The brown and darker coloured ones can appear less attractive but may be much closer to the natural product.

I haven’t got around to thinking about Christmas gift shopping yet. Like many people, I tend to leave shopping for gifts until the last minute. For some seasonal gift giving ideas and inspiration, you might like to check out the Alternative Consumer’s recent post on Green Holiday Gifts.

Time Magazine included her amongst the hundred most important figures of the twentieth century and there wouldn’t be many organic gardeners or producers who fail to recognise her contribution to their cause. Her research skills and clear writing style alerted a wider audience to the environmental implications of chemical based agriculture.

Rachel Louise Carson was born in Springdale, Pennsylvania in 1907 and demonstrated an early interest in nature, literature, and the arts. She commenced college as an English Major but was encouraged to change to Zoology after taking an introductory course in Biological Science. She earned her Masters degree in Zoology then undertook teaching duties in Maryland. Summer vacations involved further studies at the Marine Biological Laboratories in Massachusetts. When the opportunity arose, Carson demonstrated her profound gift for communicating science to a general audience. The Bureau of Fisheries commissioned her to write a series of radio broadcasts based on fish biology and aquatic life. In recognition of her ability, Carson was subsequently hired as an aquatic biologist where she combined her research and publishing interests.

Early essays on ocean life attracted immediate attention from newspapers and journals throughout the country. Her first major work Under the Sea Wind was published by Simon & Schuster in 1941. It received excellent reviews yet struggled to sell sufficient copies. During the next few years, Carson continued to develop her research skills and to write many articles on a range of topics. By 1945, Carson encountered preliminary details of DDT, a revolutionary new pesticide which was set to transform agricultural practice. While she attempted to generate some interest in the potential hazards of this chemical, it wasn’t until much later that publishers became significantly interested in her cause. Commercial publishing success was achieved in 1951 with The Sea Around us which sold sufficiently well to enable her to devote herself more effectively to writing.

During the 1950’s the dependence on chemical pesticides was exposed through a series of disturbing events. These included mosquito control campaigns which decimated bird populations, in addition to chemical assaults against the fire ant, gypsy moth and other insect pests. In each case the consequences of chemical control appeared significantly less appealing than the original problem. In tandem with her analysis of insecticide experiments near her own home, Carson began compiling a convincing thesis against the practicality of indiscriminate chemical controls.

Silent Spring was published in 1962, initially presented in serialized format for the New Yorker. This assured a large audience for her controversial and politically sensitive subject matter. In hindsight, the success of her work was not necessarily linked to being the first voice. While others warned on the dangers of pesticide use with equal coherence, there were few writers who could match the sincerity of conviction combined with her poetic and often haunting use of metaphor. …it was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of scores of bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh.

Rachel Carson died in 1964 but is assured a permanent place as the principal founder of the modern environmental movement. She provided the foundation of a scientific and poetic justification for those organic gardeners and producers who refuse to compromise with chemical inputs.

For those of you who’d like to join with others in celebrating Rachel Carson’s significant literary and scientific contributions, please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Rachel Carson Centennial Blog. The most recent post on the Centennial Blog considers those special gifts that might invite a child to investigate the innards of a walnut shell, hunt for fossils, or wonder at the fragile strength of a Daddy Long Legs. Thoughtful and inspired - well worth a visit!