Sunrise Punch

I'm on a roll with tomato juice, which is great news because tomatoes are really healthy for you and I love fresh tomatoes.  I can't eat tomato soup or anything with marinara sauce, though, because the high concentration of acidic tomato upsets my IBS.  Fresh tomato juice isn't as strong/concentrated, though, so my stomach can easily handle homemade tomato juice blends.  Fresh tomato juice also has a lighter flavor, so it blends really well with a lot of fruit juices.

This punch recipe is really simple -- just two ingredients -- and it makes a sweet, frothy, sherbet-colored punch that looks a lot like a girly cocktail.  Sunrise Punch makes a great addition to a Saturday or Sunday morning brunch.

Ingredients

1/2 Cantaloupe
2-3 Roma Plum Tomatoes (or another variety of Roma Tomatoes)

Directions

Cut the cantaloupe in half.  Scoop the seeds out of the center and dispose of them, then scoop out the melon to juice.  Make sure that as you scooping out the seeds and the melon, you don't lose any of the juice that starts to accumulate in the shell.  Poor the excess juice into a cup as you are scooping out the fruit.

After juicing the cantaloupe, juice the Roma tomatoes.  If you don't want the tomato flavor to be too strong, only use 2 tomatoes - but if you enjoy the stronger tomato flavor (if you are a fan of Bloody Marys, for example) then add a third tomato.  Once you've juiced, stir the two types of juice together and enjoy!

Makes approximately 10. oz. of juice. with 2 tomatoes.

Nutritional Information

Cantaloupe is a good source of dietary fiber and is supposedly a “high-fiber food that is safe for the IBS sufferer,” but can be a trigger food for some IBS-D sufferers.  Because cantaloupe contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals, I’m glad to report that cantaloupe juice doesn’t seem to aggravate IBS symptoms.  For IBS-C sufferers, cantaloupe can help to reduce/relieve constipation.  Cantaloupe helps to alleviate disorders of the bladder and kidney.  For our general nutritional benefit, cantaloupe contains Vitamins A, B3 (Niacin), B6 and C, beta-carotene and potassium, as well as myo-inositol, a lipid that helps prevent hardening of the arteries.

The Vitamin A in cantaloupe protects the lining of the digestive system and is extremely important in immune defense.  Vitamin A enhances white blood cell functioning, which helps the body resist and fight off infections.  Vitamin A can be specifically helpful for IBS sufferers because of its anti-inflammatory qualities, since IBS sometimes (but not always) has an underlying cause of inflammation or is aggravated by inflammation.  As an added bonus, Vitamin A promotes healthy skin and hair growth.  Too little Vitamin A causes dry hair, dandruff, and a thick scalp, which eventually causes hair loss.

The B vitamins are fast becoming some of my favorite vitamins.  Vitamin B3 (Niacin) supports your digestive system.  The Vitamin B6 in cantaloupe supports proper immune system function by aiding in the production of antibodies that help the body fight infection.  Vitamin B6 also helps to reduce stress and anxiety.

The Vitamin C in cantaloupe enhances the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells to help the body fight off infections.  It also increases the body’s level of interferon, which prevents viruses from even entering the body.  Moreover, Vitamin C is useful for regulating cortisol secretion in the body.  Cortisol is necessary for the fight or flight response to stressful situations, but too much of it can be unhealthy.  Vitamin C also supplies your body with energy, increases your body’s absorption of iron, aids your fat metabolism and helps improve circulation.  Vitamin C even helps to ease certain types of cramping by helping your body assimilate calcium instead of accumulating in your joints.

To boost the effects of Vitamin C, cantaloupe contains beta-carotene, which boots the effectiveness of Vitamin C and helps to cleanse the intestine.  One cup of cantaloupe also contains your daily requirement for antioxidants, and according to the National Cancer Institute, all of these immune system-boosting vitamins and antioxidants help to fight cancer.

Cantaloupe is also a great source of potassium, an essential electrolyte that is necessary for the proper functioning of your body’s cells, nerves and muscle cells.  Potassium also helps to improve your mood and energy levels.  Deficiencies in potassium can cause weakness, fatigue, depression and anxiety.

For nutritional information about tomatoes, check out my recipe and post for Cherry-Tomato Twist.

Primary Nutritional Information Source: The Everything Juicing Book by Carole Jacobs, Patrice Johnson and Nicole Cormier