Give Your Juice a Winter Boost by Kate Tyler – Founder of Platinum Healing

With temperatures plummeting and the gluttonous season upon us, winter can often leave us feeling tired and sluggish and our body vulnerable to attack.

One way to help keep the winter bugs at bay is to ensure it’s in tip-top condition to start with. While our body is equipped with the natural ability to detoxify itself, occasionally our organs need a bit of support.

Kate Tyler, owner of Platinum Healing offers her advice and guidance on surviving the winter months.

An alkalising juice detox is a great way to rid the body of unwanted toxins, increase energy levels and immunity, while also helping to shed excess pounds, relieve stress, improve our brain function and mood, and give our digestive systems a well-earned break.

Kate said: “The onset of colder weather doesn’t mean it’s time to ditch the morning juice. In fact, with so many delicious seasonal vegetables on the shelves it’s the perfect time get creative with juices that pack a hearty, but nutritional, punch.

“A wide range of winter vegetables that can be transformed into delicious juices to enable us to ensure we’re continuing to consume more than our recommended five-a-day.”

Juicing is a method of extracting all the goodness from fresh fruits and vegetables leaving behind most of the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, in a format far easier for the body to absorb. Kate recommends using 80 per cent vegetable to 20 per cent fruit to flavour, to ensure natural sugars are kept to a minimum.

She added: “Phytonutrients, or plant chemicals, are the cutting edge of nutritional research and hold the key to preventing many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and conditions such as asthma and allergies.

“Studies have now shown that juicing can aid in the removal of harmful toxins and heavy metals, boost the immune system, as well as aiding weight loss”.

Kate’s Top Tips to give your juicing a winter boost

• Use organic, seasonal foods that promote and support detoxification in your morning juice such as kale, fennel, celery, spinach as well as hearty root veg like beetroot and carrots
• Add a warming touch with spices such as ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cloves and cardamom. These spices help increase the body’s ability to produce heat and also act as anti-inflammatory and immune-boosters
• Adding a dash of garlic not only provides flavour but is also packed with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties
• Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes not only enhance taste but also contain antioxidants and anti-cancer properties
• Try this warming, alkalising cleansing drink to stimulate the digestive system: mix honey, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, ground ginger and turmeric. For added warmth add a dash of cayenne pepper or for a festive feel, cinnamon – great for balancing blood sugars and high in manganese, fibre, calcium and iron to boost immunity
• If you’re unsure about juicing at home, why not try a juicing detox to set you on the right path? Platinum Healing runs juice detox and yoga retreats with programmes designed to help with weight loss, quitting smoking, fertility issues, men’s health and inner child healing. Check here for details

Kate’s 7 winter veggies for juicing

• Kale is packed with powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids, helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol and is an anti-inflammatory
• Spinach helps increase serotonin levels naturally, so not only great for mood but also a great energy booster too. Nourishing for the skin, eyes and for building bones
• Celery is high in potassium, calcium and vitamin K and folate, a B vitamins that helps the body break down and use proteins
• Beetroot helps cleanse the colon and blood, lowers blood pressure, has anti-cancer properties and also helps reduce cholesterol
• Carrot boosts the immune system by increasing the production and performance of white blood cells building resistance to various kinds of infections. Also a great liver cleanser
• Garlic is a fantastic juicing ingredient when used in moderation. As well as being a blood purifier with anti-parasitic properties it also boosts the immune system and is a decongestant
• Fennel helps the stomach in the formation of bile and other digestive juices to promote proper digestion. Has anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties which can help ease symptoms of IBS and menstrual cramps.

Further information on Platinum Healing Retreats can be found here.

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