Juicing Q&A: How to cleanse with beet juice using Norman Walker’s recipe?

Another Juicing Q&A, with a question from Kim Armstead on Facebook:

I was intrigued by reading Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices. How did you go about determining quantities? I notice the author rarely speaks about how many vegetables he uses in the combination juices. Clearly a glass of carrot juice is a no brainer, but he speaks about a carrot, beet and cucumber juice being an excellent cleanser for the major organs…have you ever tried this juice? Which proportions of each vegetables did you use? New to this idea of juicing, but you are an excellent spokesperson. You look amazing. Any assistance you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Thanks for your question, Kim and congrats on starting out on your juicing journey!

Norman Walker’s Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices is by far my absolute favorite juicing book. As I’ve said on many occasions, it’s been instrumental in motivating me to start juicing “seriously” when I discovered it several years ago. Though this compact little book is a wealth of knowledge as a whole, its most unique and fabulous feature starts at page 80 with Walker’s juice formulas. What impresses me most about Norman Walker’s approach to juicing is the quasi scientific exactness and extensive selection of his healing juice formulations.

I think the recipe you’re referring to is formula #30 (page 80). And Walker actually gives very specific instructions as to the proportions: 10 oz of carrot juice combined with 3 oz of beet juice and 3 oz of cucumber juice.

This is by far one of my favorite combos, in great part because of the beets. It’s no secret, I’m a big beet juice fan! It’s an amazing blood cleanser, colon cleanser and provides fabulous liver support and for me, liver and colon cleansing have been the biggest game changers in terms of overall health and well being. If you glance at the “Ailments And Formulas” section of the book (pages 86-115) you’ll notice that formula #30 is recommended for a plethora of health conditions (almost every single one!). That’s because most “ailments” (from skin conditions to headaches to degenerative diseases) are often the symptomatic expression of toxic overload. And that’s where beets come into play. They’re not only rich in beneficial antioxidants, they’re also a great source of nitrates which are converted by the body into nitric oxide, a compound that enhances blood flow. Poor circulation has been found to play a role in almost every disease (from dementia to diabetes, influenza to cirrhosis), so blood cleansing and circulation enhancing plants like beets truly are “superfoods” of sorts. Also, the cardiovascular system is closely related to the lymphatic system, and proper lymphatic flow is critical for promoting detoxification. So if I were to pick a juice recipe for an overall health and beauty boost, that would definitely be the one.

Happy juicing!