All About Energy Soups

Energy soups go back a long way, back to the 1960's in fact, when Dr. Ann Wigmore was starting to help people recover their health with wheat grass juice and an-all raw, all-live diet of largely green plants and sprouted seeds. In the original home of her first centre, on Exeter Street in Boston, simply referred to as 'The Mansion', she experimented with ways of finding more and more green salad foods for her guests. They had to be of high nutritional quality, full of vitamins and minerals, and they had to be so fresh that they contained as many of the plant enzymes as possible. Plant enzymes deteriorate very quickly when the plant is stored, wilts, or worst of all is cooked, which destroys all enzymes. So Dr. Ann used three ways to get the most out of the top class plant foods she chose. They were juicing, sprouting seeds and energy soups.

A lot goes into a good energy soup, and there's quite a lot to find out about the whole subject of why they are so life supporting. So before we get to some recipes, I want to explain how and why juices and sprouted seeds form such a big part of the Living Foods Program, because the same plants are used in the soups and for the same reasons.

First was juicing: the way she wanted people to have their juice was absolutely fresh, before it has a chance to oxidize, and that is the way we do it now; sip and "chew" your juice before you even clean up your juicer! That way you get all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes, and as well as a great taste and energy boost, you know you are getting a glass full of antioxidants, and helping to get yourself less acid. The quickest way to rebalance your system, especially if you have an established disease process, is to take a few days on juices only. If you plan to do any longer than that, take advice.

So we can see why Dr. Ann emphasized good quality, absolutely fresh, plant juices. She found that fruit juices could work, but have other disadvantages, and she found, above all, that the GREEN juices worked faster, more thoroughly, and more deeply than any fruits or colored vegetables. Yes, you need a few of these for complete nutrition, but a surprisingly small proportion of carrots, beetroot and the like are needed for good balance.

The marvelous thing about juices made from as many dark green leaves as you can find is that they will nourish you while you detox and get well. You can flavor the green drinks with herbs like fresh mint or lemon balm, add a carrot, and a bit of beetroot for balance, and add a small segment of whole lime or lemon with the zest and pith, to give a sharp taste which nicely offsets the heavy green flavor if you are not used to it. You can also lighten the green taste by using some cucumber or celery, but whatever you choose, make sure it's organic, and collect it as fresh as possible from the farm shop