(NaturalHealth365) Making green juice delicious is as easy as what I call using the ‘magic 3’ – and boy, are they magical.  It’s amazing just how much this simple little secret can change the way our taste buds react to dark green juice recipes.  Believe it or not, even your children will love green juices – if you make them correctly.

Okay, get your pen and paper out – here’s the easiest way to make those healthy green juices come alive and taste spectacular!

Are you using the ‘Magic 3’ in every green juice?

1. Use organic limes or lemons.

2. Add fresh mint. (spearmint and peppermint are the best-tasting)

3. Don’t forget organic apples or pears.*

*Note: I do not recommend adding any other fruit into the green juice combinations – because if you add too much fruit, you will mitigate any real value in the absorption of nutrients, and especially the tonic then becomes less (by far) alkaline and most fruits are high in sugars.

If you use the following leafy and nutritious greens, then the ‘magic 3’ will dramatically improve the taste of your healthy beverage.  Nutritionally speaking, the best greens to use are:

Kale, spinach, parsley, Swiss chard, collards, Turnip greens, Mustard greens, broccoli, Romaine lettuces (red and green), and cabbage (green and/or red)

What is the best way to balance out my green juices?

Make 70% of your tonic made from any one of the top 10 greens.

Make 20% of your tonic made from these greens out of apples or pears.

Make 10% of your tonic made from these greens made out of lemons or limes.

If you leave the peel on the limes and/or lemons – this will make the tonic stronger.  If your produce is not organic, please never use the skin, but double up on the lime and/or lemons – because without the skin, they are not as potent.  So, for example, if you are using 1 lime with skin, we say to use 2 limes without the peel.

Sugars interfere with the healing power of the greens.  So please consider this when you are juicing with fruits other than apples.  Apples are neutral and do not interfere with the oils from the vegetables – as most all fruits are acid.

The whole idea is to absorb nutrients and get the benefits of the high alkalinity from these green juices.  That’s why we limit the sweetness to only 10% of the tonic.  Keep it down to 10%, and you’ll be fine, even if you want to add 10% of pineapple – as the only sweetener. I don’t recommend it, but if you must, then just do the 10%.

However, you can add as much of the mint into the tonics as you like because they are a leafy herb rich in phytonutrients.  Even the limes or lemons can be extended to 20% if you have to, in the beginning, to start to train your taste buds to like the green juices.  But I am asking you not to add too much fruit.  A secret is to add more mint to the tonic if you are struggling, along with a lime.

Try Linda’s delicious green tonic recipe

All of the ingredients below ought to be put through your juicer – not blender:

1 large English cucumber
1 lime with the skin
1 inch of fresh ginger root
3 cups of spinach
2 cups of parsley
1 apple

This recipe makes approximately 24 – 30 ounces of fresh, living green juice.  Another really great food to add to your green juices is fresh coconut.  Fresh (young) coconuts blend beautifully with dark leafy greens and make them taste spectacular.

Would you like a delicious smoothie recipe?  You can take the green tonic (above) and add all the juice to the blender – then add 1 young coconut, its soft white meat, and its water to a blender and blend until you reach the consistency desired.  Now, you have a tonic that will keep you satisfied for about 6 hours – without being hungry.

Just remember, if you don’t blend this tonic and only juice it – without adding the coconut – you will be hungry again in just a few hours or less.  So, I would recommend this as a meal replacement or kick-off to a good morning breakfast.  Enjoy!

About the author: Linda Kordich Loveday was married to Jay Kordich, world-renown health educator and the “Father of Juicing.”  She is the co-author of their book, Live Foods Live Bodies, and teaches throughout the world on the ‘Powers of the Gentle Art of Foods and Juices.’  For more information about Linda Kordich Loveday – visit: www.JayKordich.com