Why We Love Carrot Juicing (And You Should, Too!)

 

Find out why we love carrot juicing. Get our top 3 recipes for carrot juice, a few of the best ways to use carrot pulp and add some crazy insane health benefits you just simply can’t ignore…

Carrots are one of the most popular root vegetables and are perfect for juicing. They are sweet and creamy when blended and can go with a variety of different fruits and vegetables. These delightful roots are usually orange in colour, however can be white, purple and even red. Carrot juicing can give you an unbelievable amount of nutrients and it also contains some powerful antioxidants that can help fight numerous types of cancer.

Long, slim and of a sunny disposition: you truly are what you eat when it comes to carrots.

So how did this humble veg become so important to us?

The Dirt on Carrots

The carrot is as old as time, dating as far back as the 900’s. The original wild carrot was thin, small and either white or purple. It grew into the fuller orange root it is today after been cultivated in the Netherlands. Through human selection and cultivation in the 16^th and 17^th century the carrot become a part of the diet.

It wasn’t until the Second World War that the carrot earned a permanent place on our plates. This is mostly thanks to propaganda and the inevitable need for a sustainable food source that could easily be grown at home during rationing. It was no mystery then that carrots were unbelievably good for you, so the minister of food created a cartoon character called DR. Carrot to encourage healthy eating during rationing.

Carrots are Divine

Bug bunny was obsessed with carrots, and for good reason. And if he had a juicer, you can bet that rabbits foot he would have been a carrot juicing fanatic.

Ehh, what’s up doc?

Carrot Juice Health Benefits

Approved by Dr Carrot himself.

The Life of a carrot may begin quite small but the difference it can make to our health and looks is most certainly not…

Strengthens the Immune System

Vitamin A is often overlooked as an immune booster. It plays a massive role in reducing and fighting infections and in the development and separation of your white and red blood cells.

Weight Loss

We are shaped by our obsessions… Honestly, look at someone who enjoys cheeseburgers on a regular basis. No more said. Carrots are low in calories and the sweetness could curb any sugar craving right out of your mind.

The carrots fat fighting weapon of choice? Soluble fibre…

Carrots are extremely high in fibre, half of which is soluble. Not only does it help keep you feel fuller for longer, it also helps remove toxins from the body. Soluble fibre also helps weight loss by speeding up the metabolism and slowing down the rate of digestion.

Improves Eyesight

Yes, mum was right. Eating your carrots help you see in the dark. Thanks to the high amount of vitamin A present, this vegetable is a super food for eye health. Vitamin A itself is not actually consumed, but instead it’s the carotenoids themselves that turn into vitamin A within the liver. The vitamin A then travels to our eyes where it is them transformed into a purple pigment that helps us see in the dark. The remaining vitamin A acts as antioxidants that prevent the degeneration of the eyes as quickly or other eye problems such as cataracts.

Cancer

What if I told you carrots can cure cancer? Read the incredible story of a woman who used only carrot juice to cure her lung cancer in eight months.

• Two weeks of daily carrot juicing: no improvement.
• Eight weeks of juicing: the cancer stopped growing and tumours began shrinking.
• Four months of juicing: all the lymph nodes in the lungs were normal.
• Eight months of juicing: all the cancer was gone!

Although there isn’t enough evidence to prove carrot juice will actually cure cancer, we know for sure that they can help deter cancerous growths. Falcarinol is an antioxidant that creates a protective layer around your cells to help protect them from toxins (cancer). Furthermore, a study showed that an increased amount of carotenoids in the body acted as cancer preventive.

High Blood Pressure

Carrots have an amazing ability to purify the blood. Along with beetroot, they are high in alkaline, which helps clean and rejuvenate the blood. Carrots also contain potassium which helps balance out high amounts of sodium to keep blood pressure levels low.

Carrots Amazing Cancer Benefits

The National Cancer Institute have come a long way in the study of umbelliferous foods such as carrots and their ability to help protect the body from cancer. Harvard University have found that people who consume more than five carrots a week were significantly less prone to the chance of a stroke.

Research continues to show us that a high amount of antioxidant rich foods on our diet can make a big difference in reducing cancer and heart disease.

Lung Cancer

A study found that smokers who consumed carrots more than once a week, were three times less likely to develop lung cancer in comparison to those who didn’t.

Colon Cancer

The Japanese have found that high levels of beta carotene in the body can significantly reduce the development of colon cancer.

Leukaemia

A study done in 2011 found that carrot juice extract could kill leukaemia cells and stunt any further growth.

Prostate Cancer

A study done by Harvard School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition, found that high levels of beta carotene in younger men meant a lower chance of developing prostate cancer.

Leftover Carrot Pulp Recipes

Whatever you do, don’t throw away the pulp! Carrots are extremely diversifiable and can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes. The high fibre content of your pulp can help fill out a soup or stew and can even be used as a prime ingredient in muffins, bread or cake. And if that doesn’t get a rumble in your tummy going, then make compost to grown more even carrots. Here are some of our best carrot pulp recipes:

Carrot Pulp Bread

Need: one 9×5 loaf pan

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ cup chopped almonds
• 1 1/2 cup carrot pulp from juiced carrots
• 1/4 cup low fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup neutral oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease the loaf pan.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together besides the almonds and set to one side.
3. Combine all wet ingredients, then combine with the dry ingredients until all is evenly moist.
4. Fold in the chopped almonds and place in loaf pan. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes.
5. Cool before serving.

Curried Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs. coconut oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped (about ¾ cup)
• 3½ cups carrot pulp
• 2 tbs. minced ginger
• 1 tbs. curry powder
• 1 can coconut milk (about 14 ounces)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• ½ tsp. salt, or to taste
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and sauté the onions and celery before adding the ginger, curry powder and carrot pulp.
2. Allow to cook for a further five minutes before adding coconut milk and the vegetable stock. Simmer until tender.
3. Blend the soup in a blender until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving hot.

Carrot Pulp Muffins

Ingredients:

• 250g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 250ml vegetable oil
• 110g dark brown soft sugar
• 330g carrot pulp

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line the muffin tray with paper cases.
2. Sieve and combine all dry ingredients together, leaving out the brown sugar.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowel before combining both bowels together and mixing until all ingredients are wet.
4. Fold in the carrot pulp and spoon in to the muffin tray. Bake for 20 – 30 minutes.

Carrot Pulp Compost

In comparison to their supermarket cousins, home grown carrots are sweeter, more flavourful and more nutrient dense. Carrots can come in many varieties, each with a different flavour to add that extra punch to your juice blend.

Try some of these carrot varieties on your taste buds:

• Scarlet Nantes
• Purple Dragon
• Yellowstone
• White Satin
• Red Samurai

Put it back into the earth. As you take fruits and vegetables to nourish yourself, you give the pulp back to which it came. This fills the soil with nutrients needed to produce more healthy fruits and veggies.

Check out how to grow your own:

Top 3 Carrot Juicing Recipes

Don’t peel the skin! Like so many other vegetables, the most goodness is usually directly underneath the skin. Give your carrots a quick scrub with a special veggie scrubber before juicing to ensure you don’t lose any vital nutrients.

1# The Blood Pressure Minimizer

Ingredients:

• 3 Carrots
• 2 Apple
• 1 small piece of ginger

2# Immune Booster

 

Ingredients:

• 4 Carrots
• 2 Oranges
• 2-3 Mint Leaves

3# Energy Booster

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Beetroot
• 1 carrot
• 1 apple
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Do not drink on an empty stomach!