by Meg Rushbrook

For most people, summer means brews and barbecues. For others it means traveling. Traveling usually means little sleep and little water.  It goes without saying that all of these things are risk factors for ill health as they can damage and wear down a few key organ systems of the body. Dehydration and Hangovers go hand in hand. Dehydration and Summer go hand in hand. See a pattern?

The effects of dehydration and liver burden (caused from the over consumption of alcohol) can range from a simple cold or headache, to lethargy, to dehydration and kidney stones and hospitalization! Summer is a carefree time of year, but we shouldn’t be neglecting our bodies!

I’m not preaching prohibition here I am simply suggesting that if we are physically demanding so much from our bodies, that we give a little back.

So here, I would like to share two simple juice remedies made easily in your own kitchen to help your body recover from one too many piña coladas or a long day of sun bathing at the beach.

LIVER LOVER is a delicious juice that will support liver function and healing. The bitter greens and celery in this juice help get your liver going. The lemon and the beet will help clean out stagnation in the liver that causes sluggishness, as well as generate better blood circulation in the body. Adding the 2 apples to this mix hide every trace of bitterness and you are left with a sweet juice that you will crave!

Recipe

6 Celery stalks

2 Apples

½ bunch of kale

½ cup of Chicory leaves (치코리 in Korean)

1 Small beet

1 lemon (with rind)

RE-HYDRATOR is a super refreshing juice that is perfectly engineered for summer. It reminds me of a very refreshing lemonade with a unique twist.  Again, lemons help sweep out the old junk that “gets stuck” when you are  dehydrated. Celery is very rehydrating, as it is about 85% water. It also contains potassium and sodium- the nutrients lost during sweating. The beneficial sodium in celery will also make you “thirsty” and encourage you to drink more water! The added coconut water is just the icing on the cake. It is said that coconut water hydrates the body even better than water can as coconut water is very similar in composition to our blood.

Recipe

8 Celery stalks

2 lemons (with peels)

1 cucumber

½ cup of coconut water (added to cup AFTER previous ingredients have been juiced)

After a long Summer Saturday night out, treat yourself to both of these juices on Sunday morning! Your body and taste buds will thank you.