Rev Up Your Breakfast Juice

A frosty juice blend is the perfect way to start your day, or to cool off with on a hot afternoon. Using pure juice means no added sugars, like my arch-enemy "high-fructose corn syrup," and it also means no caffeine or added colors. Blueberries, cranberries, and grapes make a great drink, and contain anti-oxidants that you don't find in orange juice, or in most sodas either. Some sodas have added anti-oxidants, but my dietitian tells me that nutrients that occur naturally in your food are much easier for your body to absorb and use than those made artificially and added chemically.

To make a pitcher of Blue-Cran-Grape juice for yourself and friends or family, pay a visit to the grocery store, pull out your blender, and get going! Here are the ingredients you'll need:
2 cups cranberry-blueberry juice, 100% pure (Ocean Spray ^TM is one of the companies that makes this)
1 cup white grape juice, 100% pure
1 cup frozen blueberries
4 tall glasses, chilled in your freezer

Start by chilling the juices for at least two hours, or overnight. Pour the juices into the blender and add the blueberries. Blend or puree until the blueberries are well-chopped, but it's fine to have a few tasty bits left in the mix! Pour the blend over ice in chilled glasses, and you're revving up your body and your brain when you drink this.

If you want to enjoy a treat on a really hot afternoon, add 2 cups of low-fat or non-fat frozen vanilla yogurt, or ice cream if you're not watching your fat intake! You can even use a frozen soy product if you're vegan, and it'll still be great. This wonderful fruit smoothie tantalizes your taste buds and fills you up while it cools you off. It's fine to use fresh blueberries instead of frozen if they're in season and affordable. Just wash them thoroughly and remove any stems, and chill them along with the juices.

If you want to add any different juices, like pomegranate or mango, go for it! I use white grape juice so that I can savor the blueberry flavor just a bit more (blueberries are on my top three favorite food list, although their place in the three varies with my mood). A dark grape juice has more of the grape-skin in it, which theoretically makes it even better for you. If you can find pure cranberry juice and pure blueberry juice, not a blend, that's fine too. It's your health, and your drink, so be creative and find the blend you like the best, and enjoy!

I have to say that I'd love to add fresh strawberries or raspberries, but those pesky little seeds don't always agree with my gut. If you don't have that problem, think about throwing them in too!