The Wonders of the Pomegranate: Apple, Pomegranate & Carrot Tonic

A few months ago, when I did my 21-day detox cleanse, I really got into juicing. A few weeks prior to that, the hubby and I watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, a brilliant movie that showcased the amazing power of juicing fruits and vegetables. In that movie, Joe Cross, an Australian business man, goes on a 60-day juice cleanse and films his experience while traveling through the USA and spreading his message of health. What was powerful about the movie was the transformation that Joe goes through. Not only did he reverse many of his health problems, but he embraced a new lifestyle, with which now he has created a huge community. In creating this incredible community on Jointhereboot.com, Joe has introduced so many people to an opportunity to truly change their lives and the lives of their loved ones. Joe and I both share a passion for changing the world through people's relationship to food and in doing so helping them understand how that food affects them physically, mentally and emotionally. This is why I have enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and will soon be a certified Holistic Health Coach.

During my 3 week cleanse, I juiced almost daily. You can find many of my juice recipes in the RECIPES section of the blog. But because I was focused on cleansing, many of these juices are packed with plenty of greens, but not all of them are extremely delicious. Don't get me wrong, the juices are quite tasty, but the recipe I will share with you today is simply incredible.

I love pomegranates. Growing up, I ate them often and in large quantities when they were in season. Thinking about the process of peeling a pomegranate, digging out the seed, cracking it in my mouth, sucking the seed, and carefully chewing the pulp in fear of getting appendicitis, brings me back to when I was kid growing up in Brooklyn. Someone told me when I was young that you can't process the seed and if you swallow it, you'll get appendicitis. Spitting it out seemed like too much work so I'd chew it thoroughly and cross my fingers. I still have my appendix, so I'm pretty sure the fear tactic was just that and not based in facts. Nowadays, its even easier to enjoy the juice since there are so many pomegranate juices on the market, but after juicing the seeds myself, I now understand how many go into one bottle of POM juice. It's ALOT!

Native to Iran and Northern India, the pomegranate has been enjoyed my many cultures. It was first introduced to the US in 1769 by the Spanish. Many Persian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Greek dishes are made with pomegranate seeds or juice. In tradition Indian medicine, or Ayurveda, pomegranates have been used to treat a variety of ailments, including dysentery, diarrhea, heart problems, gingivitis, and hemorrhoids. The National Institutes of Health are researching the pomegranate's healing properties for diabetes, cancers, the common cold, infant traumatic brain injuries and atherosclerosis.

High in vitamin C and anti-oxidants, pomegranates are a great natural supplement to include in your daily regimen during the winter months. One way to do that is through juicing. While it does take some work to peel and seed the fruit, the effort is well worth it. The juice that is extracted is highly flavorful and deliciously tart. Because it is so tart, I decided to pair it with apples and carrots, two of my favorites for juicing. The result is a very flavorful, tart and sweet juice rich in vitamins and minerals.

Apple, Pomegranate & Carrot Tonic
Seeds of 3 small pomegranates
3 apples
6 carrots

 Process:
1. Juice!
2. Enjoy!