There are a lot of juice recipes floating around, and most of them are made pretty sweet; some are much too sweet for my taste. Apples, lemons, carrots, oranges, pineapple, and beets are just some of the things used to mask any lingering bitterness from the greens or to appeal to ones desire for a healthy sugary drink.

When I started juicing, my gut was wrecked by candida overgrowth and adrenal fatigue had me firmly in its grip. I was juicing to get well, and taste was not a factor in the end product (though I did use lemon and ginger to make it more palatable). I didn’t use fruit in my juices at all because the straight sugar exacerbated my mold symptoms. The small amounts of fruit I could tolerate at the time were reserved for green smoothies only. With my juices, I was going for liquid green medicinal power all the way!

Now that I’m further along the path to recovery, I’ve enjoyed playing around with my juices to make new and exciting combinations. I want to create nourishing juice recipes that are as enjoyable for others as they are for me while still packing a medicinal punch. I still like to keep the sugar low most of the time, but I’ve been experimenting with a lot of savory sweet recipes. Fresh off the heels of my Ruby Noodle Salad, the beet is once again in the starring role of this full-bodied juice with it’s pleasant sweetness and robust earthiness.

I’ve featured a savory juice before, my spin on the V8 juice for example, but today I’ve got one that is even better. Normally, to pump up the savory flavor, I’ll use fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, or dill. I took it one step further and added garlic to this one. Yes, garlic! I’d recommend starting small when introducing garlic to your juices. Because it is so strong, you don’t want it to overpower the other components in the juice. And hey, if you’re a juice aficionado or someone who loves to share, don’t be shy about doubling the recipe!Savory Beet Juice