Flood the body with good

Last week we had rain – rain in early May! I can't remember the last time it showered during May in our country. Just before the warm sun becomes too hot, the raindrops brought a pleasant feeling.

I heard them during the night, telling me that it is now time to stow away the heavy duvet and take out the summer clothes. A kind of goodbye song. Because I love the rain very much. And also the shining sun, soft and yellow and caressing, the one that plants turn their leaves towards and extend their arms and snuggle in its rays. But I love the rain more – also because it is a rarer guest in our warm, monsoon-free country and every fall I look up to the sky and hope for blessed amounts of rain.

And also because every time I leave the garden covered in mud, soaked in the scent of winter and rain, I remember why I love working in the garden so much (just like those childhood memories, when you can splash in puddles and play with mud, and it is ok, and it doesn't seem strange to anyone).

So that’s it, we’ve said our farewell to the rain (probably the last rain – I will be very surprised if there is another one in June for example). We went outside, stretched, shook off the dust of winter that piled up on our shoulders as we sat indoors curled up in a blanket. The body feels slightly stiff, especially after more than a month that many of us have been indoors (it is so great that we can go back to nature and the woods again!).

After the winter, during which the body wanted hot, warming, comforting, nestling, rich food – now it is asking for something else. Something light, fresh, suitable for the season. This is the time to indulge in good salads –a fruit salad with granola and date syrup in the morning (banana, papaya and melon – highly recommended!). Soon more of the summer fruits, nectarines, grapes, and even cherries will arrive making this salad even more fun.

In the middle of the day you can make a good green salad – from all the different lettuces that are still on the shelf, but as the days get hotter, they will disappear, with kale, fresh garlic, lemon and coriander and a good olive oil… making you feel lighter and fresher already.

What else can be added? During the winter we enjoy drinking hot brews – usingthe leaves and herbs growing in the garden or in a planter on the windowsill. I even saw green “tea” plants growing in all sorts of makeshift tools (I saw people an old wheelbarrowplanter oreven in cloth diapers hanging on a fence…). And during the spring –we enjoy juices! Simply pick few lemons off the tree, squeeze, dilute with water and add some mint or Louisa and honey to taste.

Diversify according to the tools you have at home –if all you have is a citrus squeezer, the sweetness and sourness can be varied with grapefruitsand oranges. If you have a real juicer machine – the sky is the limit. So much so that it is hard to decide how to begin.

So really, how do we start? By using whatever is available, delicious and simple. The most “classic” combinations are apple-based: e.g. apple with carrot. You can add a bit of ginger for a slight tingle on the tip of the tongue, or some turmeric for an insane boost of health (but just a little bit, it has a noticeable taste).

Without noticing, you may be wander to far more intriguing flavors – apples with celery and lemon, green apple with grapefruit and coriander (not all juicer machines will put up with this, but if your does – it's a pleasure to starttheday with this juice).

Gradually, the palate gets used to more complex flavors as well as more bitter flavors – such as wheatgrass, which with a little improvising (or a compatible machine) can be juiced at home. The health virtues are amazing, and some people claim that their lives undertook a turning point when they began drinking wheatgrass.

But let's get back to the beginning – start with the flavors you like to drink.

I know some people do juice fasting, or a “detox” with juices. I am not an expert on the subject, so am not making recommendations on the matter. There are also some who say it is better to eat the entire fruit or vegetable, because when the juice is squeezed out, the nutritional fibers stay out of the glass, and it is better to consume them too. I understand that logic too. And so my opinion is – something good is better than an amazing nothing.

If you eat lots of fruits and vegetables – your body is benefiting from all the good you are putting into it. But if your only way to consume vast amounts of vitamins is by drinking juice – go for it!

Also, there is always the middle way: put everything inside the blender, mix well, and drink the juice with all the fiber together.

Take care and stay healthy!