A PAC To End All PACs, Meases Cases Up, Food Friday Juices It Up

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

A new political action committee aims to get money out of politics. Rob Ferrett and Gene Purcell check out a new (non-)campaign finance idea. They also learn about the increases of measles cases around the United States and learn how to make super summer juices.

Featured in this Show

  • Juice It! How To Drink Veggies And Fruits

    We’ve all heard we need to eat more servings of fruit and vegetables every day. While some fruits and quite a few vegetables could have some folks wrinkling their noses, an author has an easy and delicious way to add those nutrient-dense food to one’s diet: juice them!

    Chef, food writer, and recipe developer Robin Asbell has been juicing for 27 years and believes it’s one of the best way to get the nutrients a body needs.

    “When you eat processed foods,” said Asbell, “you deplete the necessary compounds and phytonutrients your body needs, which means you can be deficient.”

    In her new book, “Juice It! Energizing Blends for Today’s Juicers,” Asbell, shares 65 recipes for vibrant and delicious juices. She also provides an overview of the hardware you’ll need and how to pick ingredients.

    When it comes to equipment, Asbell said it’s helpful to distinguish between smoothies and juices:

    “A smoothie is a meal and a juice is a drink,” she said.

    For smoothies, a person can use a blender, which essentially chops and liquidizes the ingredients that are used.

    To make juice, there are two main options: a high-speed or slow-speed juicer. Asbell prefers the slow-speed, or mastication juicer, as it squeezes the produce rather than grinding it.

    According to Asbell, a person doesn’t need to fork out thousands of dollars for a good juicer. There are several high-quality options in the $150-to-$200 range.

    When it comes to ingredients, Asbell is clear on the importance of using organic produce wherever possible.

    “The benefits are in the skin, so get organic,” she said, adding that it’s easy to plant a juice garden with ingredients like beets, spinach and cucumbers. That way, people merely have to look to a garden for fresh organic ingredients.

    The last thing a person needs is imagination. Asbell encourages people new to juicing to experiment with interesting combinations, like a “Green Lemonde” made from apple, lemon, spinach and cucumber. Or, if someone needs a bit more guidance, try out a recipe she shared from her book and blog.

    Purple Haze

    Blueberry – Blackberry – Grape

    Think purple, and combine tangy blackberries and blueberries with sweet purple grapes for a decidedly colorful cocktail. Put berries to work fighting pesky free radicals — deliciously.

    Makes about 2 cups/480 ml.

    • 1 cup/170 g blueberries
    • 1 cup/145 g blackberries
    • 3 cups/380 g purple or red grapes

    Juice the blueberries, blackberries, and grapes, in that order.

    Run the pulp through two times to extract as much liquid as possible.

  • A PAC…To End All PACs.

    A new political action committee aims to put an end to all political action committees. Law professor and campaign finance reform advocate Lawrence Lessig explains his plan to get money out of politics.

  • Measles Cases Reach 20-Year High

    Cases of the measles are cropping up around the United States. In the first five months of 2014, cases are already at a 20-year high, and things are expected to get worse as we enter the summer travels season. An expert discusses how to recognize measles, and how to slow down the spread of cases.

  • Food Friday: Juice It!

    Packing in your daily servings of fruits and vegetables doesn’t have to be hard. This week on “Food Friday,” learn how to turn fresh food into energizing juices.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Marika Suval Producer
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Cynthia Schuster Producer
  • Rob Ferrett Guest
  • Gene Purcell Guest
  • Lawrence Lessig Guest
  • Dan Hopfensperger Guest
  • Robin Asbell Guest

Related Stories