Steve Barney Juicing and Health Tips with Zachary Alford

Zachary Alford with David Bowie (Image credit: Frank Ockenfels)

HALLO JUICEBOY !

Welcome back to the monthly blog, friends. As always, I hope this finds you well and I do hope you're enjoying and getting some 'mental nutrition' and ideas for your own set-list from me and my guest drummers as we try and share some healthier alternatives to balance out the rock and roll clichés and passing out in your tour bus bunk at 6am !

A quick tip: as Autumn approaches, don't wait for any cold or flu's to kick in…get juicing this natural preventative and be ahead of the game!

Jason Vale 'Juicer Master' GINGER SHOT recipe

This is very simple and only uses two ingredients

Into a juicer:

1 thumb of ginger root

1 apple

Push ingredients through the juicer, pour into your favourite shot glass and 'neck it'… POW!Those wanting more KICK (don't we all?) add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top … this will defo keep those nasty bugs and viruses at bay as we head into the colder months.

Okay, on to this month's guest:

He is a powerhouse in the rock/pop/funk world, playing with some of the world's heavyweight artists and bands.I remember first seeing him in 1996 on UK TV show Later…with Jools Holland hammering 15 bags of s**t out of his kit with the great David Bowie.Such passion, precision and energy!

To name a few, he has recording/performed/toured with: David Bowie, The B-52s, The Manic Street Preachers, Bruce Springsteen, Gwen Stefani, Suzanne Vega, Billy Joel, George Clinton, Tomoyasu Hotei, Zucchero and Kelly Clarkson.

Friends, he shares the same passion and energy for 'healthy choices' and it gives me great pleasure introducing to you… ZACHARY ALFORD!

(c) Michael Cusick Photography

"Staying healthy has always been something I've wanted to do. I have a strong survival instinct and despite my love of wining and dining, I also have a very high standard for the things I put in my body. Life on the road can make it challenging when it comes to staying healthy, but in my experience it's actually been an opportunity for me to keep a regular schedule without the distractions of daily life! Of course it helps if your tour has a decent budget and good catering! But even without those things there are smart choices you can make on your own.

"Travelling can be very stressful on the body and I find that juicing gives me the energy and vitality I need to keep sharp and positively charged for the long haul. I'm by no means a fanatic. I don't read health journals or jump on every new fad that shows up, but juicing has been a part of my life since I was eight years old. And I have a few simple recipes that have stuck with me over the years that I come back to faithfully."

ZACHARY'S favourite FRESH JUICE COMBO

Into a juicer:

3 large carrots (preferably organic)

½ raw beet

2-inch slice of ginger

CARROT

"A great source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, which is great for the skin and eyes, and rich in anti oxidants and other vitamins and minerals."

BEETS

"Good for the blood! (Well, I've always thought so anyway.) But seriously, the list of benefits from raw beets is enormous. They contain Betalain, which is a powerful antioxidant, fungicidal and detoxifier. They also have oxalic acid which is known to be a good solvent for inorganic calcium deposits in the body, making raw beet juice good for relieving arthritis, heart disease, cancer, eye problems etc. Beet juice is very powerful (it turns your urine red!) so don't use too much."

GINGER

"Well, that's the wonder root! Ayurveda (a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine) gives ginger the status of a "virtual medicine chest". It helps the immune system, clears nose and throat congestion, is full of antioxidants and is even thought to be an aphrodisiac. It has anti-inflammatory qualities, can bring down blood pressure and is also good for digestion.

"The bright orange colour with a spot of purple in the centre always looks great to me. Some people like to add spinach, kale or celery, but that changes the flavour considerably. I'd rather make a green juice to have separately. Adding apple is also very popular with carrot juice. Personally I never do because to me the flavours clash. Also fruits use different enzymes to digest than vegetables do, so combining them can produce bad digestion.Although apple is supposedly neutral and therefore okay to juice with veggies.

"The other thing I enjoy after a show is a good smoothie. Again, there are countless recipes but here's my preferred recipe."