JUICING TIPS

Grapefruit / Orange / Strawberry Juice

When the weather gets cold, look for fresh grapefruit at your local grocery store. We live in Texas, which is home to the delicious Texas Rio Star grapefruit. If you find grapefruit too tart for your taste, look for Texas Rio Star. They are sweeter than typical grapefruit.

Grapefruit also happen to be ways to start the day. A wonderful breakfast juice is one grapefruit and one or two oranges. Also, feel free to include a handful of strawberries to brighten up the drink.

The grapefruit/orange/strawberry citrus cocktail should yield about a pint of juice.

This is an excellent drink for the winter. The high content of vitamin C keeps the immune system strong, and helps ward off colds and flu, as well as a host of other maladies. In general, vitamin C absorbs rapidly into the bloodstream, and it is eliminated just as quickly. For this reason, vitamin C should be taken throughout the day. A citrus juice morning cocktail is a great way to start.

The vitamin C is destroyed by light and heat, so it is best to drink the juice immediately. I like to pour the drink into a chilled pint-sized glass.

This drink is an excellent source of bioflavenoids (vitamin P). The body's utilization of vitamin C is increased when bioflavenoids are present. In oranges and grapefruit, the bioflavenoids lie in the white pith of the fruit. Take the extra time, peel the fruit with a paring knife, leaving as much of the white skin on a possible.

This drink also provides a good supply of potassium, phosphorus and vitamin A.

Take care in drinking citrus juice. The raw acid will upset the stomach, so it is important to sip the drink, and mix it with saliva before swallowing. Citrus acid also stirs up settlements in the stomach. Often, acne or other skin problems occur after drinking citrus juice. This is just part of the body's cleaning process.

The citrus cocktail is a fantastic winter drink. Start with it everyday.