A Recipe For Self Care

I was cured of hepatitis C in May of 2016. Despite the wonderful news of cure, my liver sustained a lot of damage from so many years of inflammation and I have cirrhosis. Defined, cirrhosis is a condition that occurs when the liver continues to heal itself from chronic inflammation. As it heals itself, it lays down scar tissue that, over time makes the liver stiff and hard. It's critical for anyone who has cirrhosis to eat well and pay attention to getting the nutrients we need from food. I'm fortunate. I live in California, currently in Eureka, and I have access to fresh, organic vegetables.

Like many others, I struggle with weight and don't always tend to my physical well being. It's a journey, that's for sure.

One thing I do pretty regularly, is to drink a fresh green juice every day. Not only do I find it scrumptious, I feel a lot of physical benefit from it. There's something about the lemony-gingery brightness of it that just starts my day with an extra POP!

I use a Breville Juicer (not a Vitamix that retains the fiber).

For the juice:

1 large cucumber

4 stalks of celery

1 whole meyer lemon

fresh ginger (to taste- I like a lot)

1 whole granny smith apple

a handful of fresh greens (kale, spinach, pea shoots, romaine, etc)

This yields about 16-18oz of pure goodness, as shown in the photo to the left. I usually drink one a day so I only make them every other. I suppose you could make them a week ahead of time, but the idea is to eat FRESH!

I'm not a nutritionist. I can't tell you the chemistry that's going on with each delicious sip. I can tell you, however, you'll get your veggies in, and your tummy (and your hepatologist) will be happy!

It feels good to know that when I drink this juice, I'm really doing my body a favor.