I had my first 'green drink' in New York about 25 years ago. At the time I didn't know what it was but I drank it anyway. Flavor-wise, I would have preferred carrot juice but in this 'health bar' they were serving 'green drink' so that is what I had.

Juices were nothing new to me but the green drink somehow intrigued me, mainly because of my horticultural background, having been a nurseryman for over 40 years. To me green is the greatest color in the world because it is the color of chlorophyll and that, in my lexicon, spells life itself.

From the Columbia Encyclopedia we learn the meaning of chlorophyll:

"Chlorophyll — substance that gives plants their green color and enables them to carry on the process of photosynthesis. Chemically, chlorophyll consists of two components designated as chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b; both contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and magnesium but differ slightly in their proportions of hydrogen and oxygen, and both are very similar to the hemoglobin of blood except that they contain magnesium rather than the iron of blood."

An article in Science Newsletter revealed that in 1,200 recorded cases chorophyll has been known to fight and conquer deep-lying infections, cleanse cuts and open wounds, clear up chronic sinus conditions, get rid of common colds and other ailments. And all this was accomplished rapidly and effectively, without the risk of harmful side effects.

H. E. Kirschner, M.D., was the first man, as far as I know, who stressed the value of the green drink for therapeutic purposes and that, I believe, was a great leap foward. Others might have used the green drink before Dr. Kirschner but I don't know of any so I will give the credit to him. Besides, he taught me a great deal about chlorophyll and the 'green drink' and juices.

Dr. Kirschner, in his green drink, used unsweetened pineapple juice as the base and then added alfalfa, parsley, mint, spinach and a variety of herbs. He also added dried kelp powder, soaked almonds, dates and sunflower seeds. Later he added lamb's quarters, comfrey, dandelion, malva, watercress, chard, beet greens and kale. Kirschner recommends the use of a liquefier (blender) for his green drink.

I would prefer not to mix pineapple juice with the various vegetable juices. First, because I'd rather not mix fruit and vegetable juices. Second, because pineapple is a tropical fruit and not readily available in the northern latitudes. If you must use a fruit juice, I would advise apple. Apples are readily available practically everywhere and they cost less, too.

When making juices of any kind, make them so they will flow freely. If they are too thick, they are riot palatable and, as you are going to be drinking a lot of them, make them as pleasant and tasty as possible. Therefore, I suggest using a juicing machine rather than a blender.

For optimum nutrition or if you are fighting a battle against cancer, I would recommend taking the 'green drink' in the morning and a yellow-red drink in the afternoon. Here are the ingredients for these:

Yellow-Red Drink

• Carrot
• Beet
• Turnip Cucumber Broccoli
• Lettuce or Chinese Celery
• Cabbage
• DuIse
• Apples

Green Drink

• Comfrey
• Alfalfa
• Celery
• Parsley
• Mint
• Dandelion
• Kelp
• Spinach
• Apples

You can dry virtually all herbs and use them for teas and in your juices. In our home we have glass jars filled with a wide variety of dried herbs.

Drink a minimum of two 10-ounce glasses of both drinks every day and more if your condition is serious. Then eat as much as you can of the raw vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts.

Please note that I advise taking a minimum of two 10-ounce glasses of both drinks a day, which may sound like a lot of juice and have to agree with you! However, if you were perfectly healthy, then you wouldn't be reading my article or trying a juice and raw food diet. Thus, there is no time for fooling around, so I am getting you right down to business. Remember, I do it all for you .... and you will benefit greatly, believe me.

Adam Brookover

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