Steve Barney gives Rhythm his Juice-based health tips

(c) Michael Cusick Photography

Greetings Juicing Drummers of the World! Barney here and at your service…After the success of and interest in Rhythm's recent feature 'Can A Healthier Lifestyle Improve Your Drumming?' (Rhythm 212, February 2013) I've been asked to contribute a monthly juice recipe for Rhythm's website - and I'm very happy to do so too!

As us drummers know, fruit and veg isn't usually at the top of our daily gig snack list! But things are changing - I myself learnt this later in life after piling on the pounds from years of not looking after myself and eating and drinking without thinking.

Mid-life or mid-career crisis it maybe, but my becoming a dad in recent years has been life focusing and while it's our jobs to be rock solid as drummers, it's also our job to be full of energy and have our gig stamina on 11!

Since January 2012, I've been juicing fruits and vegetables as a way to flood my body with nutrients and fill myself up on 'goodness'. I've completed a few juice detox/cleanses and managed to lose 4st and GAIN my health back.

It hasn't felt like a prison sentence - I've been fortunate to have been bitten by the juicing bug and I'm really grateful to be able to share with you what I've been learning in case you to wanna add this to your life!

Fruit and veg has never been a staple in my diet… and even to this day I still don't crave munching on piles and piles of salad and fruit.

However, juicing different combinations is really easy, beneficial to our health and tastes amazing!

I thought I'd ease you in gently with an amazing tasting juice… not the most original recipe from me (many other juicing pioneers have used this combo), but definitely the world's most popular fresh juice - both sold and drunk around the world.

Carrot Sticks for more kick!

2 Carrots

2 Apples

Half a Lemon (the skin can be left on for more zing!)

Chunk of Ginger root

Simply put all ingredients through a juicer and consume immediately for maximum nutritional benefit.

* Carrots are a great source of Vitamin A (beta carotene), high in anti-oxidants & Vitamin E

* Apples are probably the best 'base' of most juices - a great source of Pectin, Vitamins B1 & B6

* Lemons are fantastic for detoxifying/cleansing the body as well as being high in Vitamin A

* Ginger is everyones favourite Auntie… oops, sorry - ANTI (oxidant)! It has natural benefits of anti-inflamatory, anti-histamine, anti-septic, anti-viral as well as potassium and phosphorus