Festival of Carrots!

Carrot is king. Both nutritionists and those who have healed themselves from disease with the aid of fresh carrot juice agree.

Chief among carrot’s nutritional qualifications is beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A and perhaps the oldest recognized member of the antioxidant family. Carrot contains vitamins, minerals and bioflavonoids as well as both soluble and non-soluble fibres, essential for a healthy digestive tract. The natural sugars add delicious flavor and texture to vegetable soups, stews, casseroles, baking and raw, grated salads. Fresh carrot juice is everyone’s favorite. It looks good (a great color) it tastes good (sweet as sugar) and it’s good for you.

In his writings and lectures, the well-known herbalist Dr John Christopher talked of many farm families who depended on their winter crop of carrots to keep them fed during the great depression of the 30s. Christopher said their health was actually better than when they had access to a wide variety of foods!

The late Norman Walker, who lived to be 114, began his career as the juice man with his discovery of the healing power of freshly pressed carrot juice. That was almost 100 years ago! At that time he made his carrot juice by laboriously grating the carrots and squeezing out the juice through a towel! He went on to invent the Norwalk juicer which is stilled used in the Gerson Cancer Institute in Mexico. Carrot juice has become a mainstay of many cancer recovery programs since.

Vancouver’s Shirley Ervin cured herself of cancer with carrot and other juices. Shirley Atwood from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia is now living an active life after being crippled with arthritis. Carrot juice was a major part of her cleansing and recovery program. And Toronto’s largest health food store is called–what else?–The Big Carrot!

Make carrot a big part of your healthy antioxidant diet this winter, along with its colorful cousins: beets, turnip, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, yams, pumpkin and squash. They all add up to optimum nutrition plus quality flavor.