Big Pharma is always one step behind Mother Nature. Many remedies for the modern-day epidemics of heart disease and high cholesterol can be found in the fruits of nature’s bounty, right in the produce section of any supermarket. Cherie Calbom—TV chef, celebrity nutritionist, and leading authority on juicing for health and detoxification—combines some surprisingly common ingredients that pack a powerful punch in a cholesterol-busting cocktail featured in her cookbook The Big Book of Juices and Green Smoothies. “Ginger root has been shown in numerous scientific studies to reduce inflammation, and it’s inflammation, not cholesterol, that is now implicated in heart disease,” Calbom explains. But if you’re looking to lower your LDL, juice an apple with your ginger root. Apples contain polyphenols, antioxidant compounds that help halt oxidation of LDL. “It is oxidized LDL that is harmful, not regular LDL,” Calbom says. “Every blood test should distinguish this if it is to be considered reliable.”

Calbom’s new book, Soup Is the New Juicing: The Juice Lady’s Healthy Alternative, expands the health-boosting menu to soups. Try other tasty recipes at juiceladycherie.com.

Cholesterol-Buster Cocktail

(Serves 1-2)

Ingredients:

4 medium carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed
2 ribs of celery with leaves
2 kale leaves
1 green apple such as Granny Smith or Pippin
1-inch chunk of ginger root, scrubbed or peeled if old

Directions:

Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.