Author: Lily Mazzarella
Those of us unlucky enough to deal with insomnia and any inflammatory condition such as joint pain, eczema, asthma, allergy, or colitis know that a missed night of sleep equals an immediate skyrocketing of symptoms. And we all know what it's like to get up from bed after a lost night's sleep and see our skin blotchy, and our eyes bleary and blood-shot. Sleep is necessary for repair of our tissues (among other things), neurotransmitter and stress hormone balance and blood sugar regulation, so it's not a bad idea to prioritize sleep on the Summer Cleanse.
This recipe features three of the top natural bedtime promoters that you may very well just have in your fridge: cherry, lettuce, and celery. Why these three? Believe it or not, cherries are one of the richest plant sources of melatonin—the sleep hormone made in the human pineal gland that signals "bedtime!" Wild lettuce is a traditional herbal sedative, though garden lettuce has been shown to share its sleep-promoting effects. Some of the compounds in celery’s abundant essential oil have relaxing effects in the central nervous system.
Enjoy this simple 4 ingredient recipe to get those zzzzz's going!
2-3 ribs organic celery
1 small head romaine and/or butter lettuce
½ c. frozen organic cherries
1/8 lime (with peel)
Wash all ingredients well and juice. Store extra juice in tightly sealed jars in the fridge—you can add extra lemon or lime juice to prevent oxidation. Consume same and next day.
* If you don't have a juicer, you can make these in a Vitamix & enjoy the extra fiber or allow solids to settle and drink!