Going green for our stomachs

Mr B and I have been trying to eat clean once in a while, and our plan fails terribly. We LOVE food, especially sinful ones. And to make it even harder, people around us turn up their noses if we are to cut down on our carbohydrates intake or take up the healthier alternative when we eat out together. But this path will be much easier when we start living on our own. No objections from our mums who insist on us eating more rice or having a 2nd serving!

And here's what we plan to do going forward.

Eat more raw greens. And we plan to have it in two ways,being Salad and Juice.

Preparing my own salad at home allows me to control the amount of dressing it has and the type of greens. My sister was introduced to this Asamurasaki Gomadare Ponzu salad dressing and my whole family was hooked to its sweet yet light nutty flavour of the sesame seeds.

I can't recall the brand offhand and I am not at home now. But it can be purchased at any of the NTUC Fairprice Finest outlets, Fish Mart Sakuraya and Mediya for slightly over S$7.

Because of this sauce, my family has been eating more salad these days and it makes me consider getting a salad spinner to ease the washing procedure. Did a few searches on the website and came across this highly recommended OXO Good Grips Salad Spinner. I watched the video on the link and was sold!

That's how it ended up on my wish list - accumulating more items to hit $125 for free shipping to SG. (:

In addition to salad, I have came across articles and rave reviews on cold pressed juices being sold in Singapore. Currently, there are 3-5 days detox programs whereby bottled organic cold pressed juice are used to replace our standard meals. Mr B is quite against complete removal of solid food from our diet, so we intend to introduce it as a nutrient supplement to our daily intake.

I purchased this Weiyuan Slow juicer at S$95 in a groupbuy from Taobao.com last month and it's on the way to Singapore now.

Basically, a Slow Juicer is a juice extractor that uses  Low Speed Technology System (LSTS).

This China brand and version I got is supposed to work exactly like the popular Korean brand Hurom Slow Juicer which costs almost 5 times what I paid. Of course, mine has no warranty but hey, I rather not invest $500 in something I am not sure if I will really utilise. This also gives me room to upgrade to Hurom brand in future. (yes, I am just finding excuses to shop)

A description copied from Hurom website since it works the same:
 

" It is called a "Slow Juicer" because it operates at only 80 RPM and uses a mere 150 Watts of energy, instead of 1,000-24,000 RPM and up to 1,500 Watts of energy like a typical centrifugal "High Speed" juicer.

But don't let the name fool you: The Slow Juicer actually juices faster than most typical juicers and expels much drier pulp with a much higher yield. The method of extraction is masticating and pressing, using the screw-like auger like a mortar and pestle.

The action crushes and presses the food, releasing its deep-seated nutrients and enzymes. It also breaks up more of the phytonutrients, resulting in a richer colored juice that retains more vitamins and minerals. The slow RPM ensures that it does not disrupt the cellular structure of fruits and vegetables, eliminating oxidation and separation. Thus, it preserves the precious enzymes and nutrients that are closest to its natural form. "

For those who prefer a more reliable brand or are already active juicers, you can try out Hurom HU-100 Masticating Slow Juicer which gives a 10 years warranty on its motor and 5 years on their parts. It is currently on discount at USD$299.94 (SGD375) which is a decent bargain from its over S$500 pricetag in Singapore.

My juicer is arriving this weekend and I am so excited to start juicing combinations of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens and wheatgrass, or even creating soups and sauces from it! I am also hoping the mechanism will be comparable to the authentic Hurom brand and be able to withstand grinding nuts into the smooth and silky butter. 

Gosh, my recipe board on Pinterest is being flooded by recipes of juice combinations and even pulp cookies!