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Five years ago I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that seriously affected my thyroid gland.
As many of you know our thyroid controls and affects almost every function in our bodies, so needless
to say after learning of my condition, I set off on a quest to help my body heal naturally. And I’m happy
to say that I’m well on my way.
A main component of my healing process has been nutrition. I took a hard look at what I had been
consuming and realized that most of it was highly processed “convenience” foods, instead of fresh,
wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. How could I expect my body to operate optimally if I wasn’t
providing it with the proper fuel? Prior to my diagnosis, a trip to the Farmers’ Market was nothing more
than a fun activity to do on the weekend. I loved the music, the atmosphere –the whole scene if you
will– and would happily pick up a cute item or two and head home. Back then, most of my actual
household “grocery” shopping was done in the aisles of a grocery store.
Since committing to my health and over-hauling my family’s diet, that scenario has completely flip-
flopped, and now the majority of my family’s food is purchased at the Farmers’ Market, directly from
the growers, while trips to the grocery store are reserved for a few minor, non-local items. Our area is
absolutely rich with agriculture and we are so lucky to have such an incredible year-round selection of
produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, dairy, and more available to us. Meeting the farmers every week at the
Saratoga Farmers’ Market and asking lots of questions has truly helped me to understand how to
prepare seasonal, whole food meals for my family and as a result my health (our health) has improved
dramatically.
With all of that said I’m still a busy Mom of two, juggling a career, a spouse who travels for work, and
children’s sporting/school events so convenience is still key for me. This is where juicing comes in…
more specifically, Clarity Juice.
Drinking raw juice is a fast, efficient way to ensure that my family is getting an optimal number of
veggies and fruits each day, especially when we’re on the go. Incorporating fresh juice daily increases
our consumption of important plant foods increasing our overall health and wellness. Drinking juiced
fruits and vegetables helps to start the digestive process and delivers the plants’ nutrients to our bodies
quickly and efficiently.
According to Cherie Calbom M.S., author of seventeen books about health and nutrition, “When you
consistently drink fresh raw juice, especially vegetable juice that includes plenty of dark leafy greens,
along with eating lots of vegetables and fruit and a very healthy diet, your whole internal environment
changes. Juice, which is rich in antioxidants, cleanses the body of stored wastes and toxins that interfere
with the proper functioning of cells and organs. This garden-in-a-glass offers an abundance of vitamins,
minerals, enzymes, phytonutrients and antioxidants – a cornucopia of nutrients that increase the mirco-
electric potential of the cells. This improves the body’s use of oxygen so the muscles and brain are
energized. A healthy, vibrant internal environment is a key to optimum health. This means our cells,
organs, and systems are able to do the jobs they are designed to do. Further, vegetables and fruit are
very alkaline, which helps to balance a diet that is often quite acidic for most Americans.”
I can honestly say that since incorporating two servings of raw juices a day (in addition to a healthy,
clean, whole foods diet), I have experienced significant improvements in my weight, immunity,
digestion, allergies, skin, sleep and energy. However, not all juices are alike. Most commercial juices are
highly processed and lack much needed nutrition, which is why I absolutely love and swear by the juice
made from local company Clarity Juice, based right here in based in Saratoga Springs.
Clarity Juice founder Sydney Peyser, can be found every Saturday at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market
offering three unbelievable bottled flavors (in addition to a daily special), of freshly juiced fruits and
vegetables that are loaded with an abundance of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. Each recipe she
offers was carefully crafted to provide numerous healthy benefits, and every bottle is safely prepared
and preserved without any artificial preservatives, or added sugar or water, while still tasting amazing.
All three of Clarity Juice’s flavors have ginger, which helps to reduce inflammation in the body; as well as
lemon, which helps promote an alkaline environment, thereby reducing risk of illness. Other benefits of
Clarity Juice include the detoxifying effects from beets found in the “Beetox”; a high amount of
oxygenating chlorophyll from kale and spinach found in the “Saratoga”; and an increase of metabolism
due to the capsaicin found in both the cayenne and jalapeno in the “Flu Shot”.
The process of juicing fresh fruits and vegetables extracts almost all of the fiber, and I’m in no way
saying to use raw juice as a substitute for whole foods, because plant fiber is very beneficial to a healthy
diet. Drinking Clarity Juice, or any raw juice, a few times a day is simply a great way to compliment a
nutritious diet while conveniently increasing the amount of essential vitamins and minerals our bodies
need for optimal health.
The juices by Clarity Juice are delicious on their own. I also love using it as a base for this “Lean Green
Smoothie” recipe from Clarity Juices website:
LEAN GREEN SMOOTHIE
PREP TIME: 2 mins
TOTAL TIME: 5 mins
SERVING SIZE: 4
INGREDIENTS: *Available seasonally at the market
1 tbsp. Hemp Powder
1 tbsp. Turmeric
1 Bottle of “Saratoga” by Clarity Juice*
1 tbsp. Justin’s Maple Almond Butter (or Peanut Butter by Saratoga Peanut Butter Co.*)
1 tbsp. Coconut Butter
1 Banana
1 handful of Blueberries*
1 chunk of Ginger*
1 Orange
½ bunch of Kale*
2 Cups of Water
Place fruit and kale in the blender first. Cut the banana in half and add the ginger – about a 1 inch piece.
Add more if needed.
Top with hemp powder, Almond (or Peanut) Butter, and Coconut Butter.
Pour in the bottle of Saratoga by Clarity Juice and the water.
Add a handful of ice.
Blend on medium speed for about one minute.
Increase blender speed if you need to.
Enjoy!
