Natural Health: The best ingredients for your daily veggie juice 

Plus - a natural remedy for cold feet in the winter nights!

Spinach leaves are a great sources of vitamins A and C, along with calcium, folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, iron, sulphur, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

I would like to start my day with an energy-boosting vegetable juice. What ingredients would you recommend?

Leafy greens are a wonderful place to start when it comes to boosting energy levels. Make sure that you change them up regularly since the leafy greens are not only packed full of phytonutrients, they also contain small amounts of what are known as anti-nutrients.

Alkaloids and oxalates, in particular, can cause health issues if you don’t rotate your greens. But it is important to remember this is only an issue if you stick to one type of leafy green and eat large quantities of it day-in and day-out.

Steaming or otherwise cooking your greens is another way to consume the rich nutrients they offer. Spinach, kale, chard, romaine lettuce, pak choi, and other leafy greens are all great sources of vitamins A and C, along with calcium, folic acid, phosphorus, potassium, iron, sulphur, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Celery can help if stress is an issue since it helps to balance blood pressure.

Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids, which converts to vitamin A, good for the immune system and skin. Carrots are also a good source of folic acid, magnesium, and potassium.

Beetroot, along with the leafy greens and carrots, should help with mental energy as well as giving a physical boost. This combination supports the uptake of oxygen, which enriches the blood and improves concentration and memory.

Remember that you can use the beet and carrot greens in your juices as well. 

If you want to add fruit to your vegetable juice, then green apples are an ideal choice

They are easily digested, and help with cholesterol, along with being a good source of pectin, vitamin C, carotenes, and potassium. Pears and kiwi are also valuable fruit additions.

Adding some herbal extras can provide another level of nutrition and healing to your morning juice. A little fresh ginger root, mint, parsley, basil, coriander, nettles, and cress will all power up your combination.

Whatever you choose, it is important to eat with the seasons, and source locally-grown produce if possible.

I suffer from ice-cold feet during the winter. I get out for a walk most days but it seems to make little difference. Is there a natural remedy I could take?

Ginger is one of the most effective natural remedies when it comes to circulatory issues in the extremities. You can take a supplement, but it really can be as simple as brewing up some fresh or dried ginger root and taking it as a herbal infusion 2-3 times daily.  

Garlic is also a good remedy to take for improving blood flow. Use it liberally in cooking, or you can add it to your ginger brew. Add a pinch of cayenne or a dash of honey to power up your infusion and restore circulation.

If you find that your ice-cold feet lose their colour, and become very painful when the colour returns, then natural remedies are unlikely to manage the symptoms.

In this case, it would be wise to check with your GP as to whether or not Raynaud’s syndrome is the issue.

With Raynaud’s, the tiny blood vessels go into spasm in response to low temperatures, which restricts blood flow immediately and the flesh turns bright white. Upon the blood returning to the extremities, the flesh turns blue and then red, with a painful burning and crawling sensation typically following the return of blood.

It is important to note that Raynaud’s is an extreme physiological reaction to the slightest variation in temperature, not typical ‘pins and needles’. This is not something to self-diagnose, rather something that you would need to see a specialist to diagnose and treat.

NOTE: The information contained in this column is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor.