Morning Glory

Recycled Bonne Maman jam jar and 1940's saucer by Colclough, vintage linen table cloth by Åhlens.

When I grew up people used to refer to 'vårslapphet' afflicting many as winter segued into spring. It's a term I suppose one can translate into 'spring fatigue' and it's that feeling of weariness that hits you just as nature starts to spurt forth buds and shoots everywhere. Perhaps it's the body letting go a bit after months of cold and darkness.

We're feeling a bit 'vårslappe' in our household, so I've started preparing a dark green juice in the mornings to give us a bit of extra pep. Much has been written about juicing lately as it's been hijacked by the weight-loss brigade, but the real benefit of juicing is that it allows us to consume a large quantity of vegetable nutrients - much larger quantities than if we were to simply eat them.

An easy juice to start with is by juicing around 200g kurly kale (this is the standard size for a bag of prepped kale in the shops), a large pear and a squeeze of lime. Do rinse the kale even though it looks clean in the bag. Wash the pear and chop off the stalk, then cut it into wedges. There is no need to peel and core it (unless you have concerns about pesticide levels, in which case peel it or buy organic). The flavours go really well together and it's an alkaline juice, which is good for the acidity levels in our bodies. It should be sipped, and if you can pretend to chew it then your stomach will benefit much more than if you simply glug it  - chewing activates the digestive enzymes and you need these to absorb the nutrients of the juice properly. So if you take the time to make your own juice, take the time to chew it too!

If you are interested in juicing I would recommend The Alkaline Sisters' blog, which is full of inspiring recipes and information.