Name: Carrot, Orange, Turmeric and Ginger Juice (Homemade Vitamin Shot!)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: Serves 1
Ingredients: 1 large preferably organic carrot, scrubbed clean; 2 medium oranges, peeled; 5cm (2") turmeric, scrubbed, no need to peel; 5cm (2") ginger, scrubbed, no need to peel; dash of black pepper to finish off

Homemade Vitamin Shot!

I love my smoothies, you don’t waste anything, your body takes in every part of the fruit and vegetable you are working with. But sometimes, ya just need a shot of vitamins, plain and simple.

Sometimes, sacrifices have to made, forget the fibre, because my body is craving the A, the C and all the other antioxidants! Know what I mean? And this Carrot, Orange, Turmeric and Ginger Juice delivers, big time!

In July and August, I went through the flu for 3 ~~bloody~~ whole weeks. Seriously, who gets the flu in the summer? Geez! Then, over the weekend, I strained some back muscles doing Chalene Johnson’s PiYo workout. That’s Pilates + Yoga, with cardio.

Juice Me Up, Baby!

I’m no lightweight, I’ve been running and doing weights since my teens and yoga since my 20s. But Chalene (and the rest of Beachbody.com) makes you twist, bend and turn like there’s no tomorrow! I love her PiYo workouts, but I obviously did something wrong somewhere and am paying the price for it.

So can you blame me for wanting a pick me up? I love carrot and orange together in a juice. From the days of running 5km/10km by the beach in Singapore, and finishing off at the hawker centre with an orange and carrot juice, it has always been a favourite! Must be the colour!

But I also love turmeric and all its goodness, I use it in my smoothies a lot, almost all the time. Take a look at some of these smoothies, with and without turmeric:

: Matcha and Turmeric Smoothie with Tenzo Tea

: Coffee, Avocado & Banana Smoothie

: Kefir, Mango and Banana Protein Smoothie

: Post Workout Drink with Turmeric and Black Pepper

: Turmeric Ginger Smoothie

Carrot, Orange, Turmeric and Ginger Juice – what are you getting?

Lots of vitamin A, C, trace vitamins and minerals, plant compounds and lots and lots of antioxidants. Briefly, this is why this juice is good for you.

Carrot

A vitamin A hero, carrots are full of beta carotenes (and other plant compounds) that is converted to vitamin A in our body. Vitamin A is important for the immune system, normal vision and the smooth functioning of all our major organs, as well as being an important vitamin for skin health.

Oranges

Full of vitamin C, which we all know is good for the immune system. It also contains many other vitamins and antioxidants.

Turmeric

You can read more about turmeric here. The curcumin in turmeric is responsible for much of its potency. Turmeric is believed to be anti inflammatory, is an anti depressant, and a powerful antioxidant, neutralising free radicals in our body.

Ginger

It is another powerful root that’s good for you. Gingerol is the main compound in ginger, and is responsible for much of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, and, as many of us have probably heard, is good for digestion and prevents nausea.

Black Pepper

Black pepper is good in its own right, with antibacterial properties. However, I use it here and elsewhere as a support to the tumeric. Pipperine, a black pepper alkaloid, increases the bioavailability of turmeric, by, apparently, as much as 2000%! What this means is that if you add a little black pepper everytime you consume turmeric, you’ll be increasing the absorption of the turmeric and all its goodness by your body!

Let’s check the juice out – ready in 5 minutes!