25 Jun Smoothies 101
Some time ago I posted juicing 101 and immediately after was hit with the question, “What are your thoughts about smoothies?” Actually, I think they are both great. As I mentioned in my article, juicing is great when you want to get the nutrients from vegetables into your system quickly without having to eat an entire bowl of them. It’s fairly easy to prepare and you can take it on the go. I then went on to post my journey with a 3-day juice cleanse (which actually included a lunchtime smoothie). If you’ve ever had an issue with constipation it may be beneficial for you to choose smoothies over juiced produce where you essentially remove all the fiber.
As I mentioned, smoothies are great because you do not lose any of the fiber, making it more substantial and quite filling. It is the reason why it is a great breakfast option. I enjoy doing this in the summer when it can be really cooling and all seasonal berries are abundantly available. Fiber aids in elimination (doing #2), allowing toxins to be removed and giving the body the support it needs to absorb nutrients. Smoothies are a whole food with none of the edible parts removed. Another benefit is that you can add superfoods-a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being; such as seeds, nut butters, goji berries and even chocolate (in the form of cacao nibs) to your concoction making it even more delicious. Just blend all your ingredients and enjoy!
A friend of mine recently went to Florida and came back with priceless treasures from his mother’s tree… MANGOES! Since we only had two, I needed to figure out how to stretch it so that there was enough for my daughters and I. I looked around the house and was glad that I keep my cabinets and refrigerator stocked with staples that can be whipped up into good-for-you grub! You can also turn smoothies into popsicles which works great with children.
* Chia seeds are cheap, have a long shelf life and are great to add to any smoothie recipe. Just add a spoonful to a cup of water, let it sit for 30 minutes, giving it an occasional mix until it turns into a gel… it looks weird but I promise it has no taste whatsoever. You can even store leftovers in your refrigerator to use later. It’s super easy to do but if you need help, click here
For more summer smoothie recipes, click here. To learn more about the power of superfoods, you might want to check out David Wolfe who I was honored to meet while studying nutrition.
- 11.2 oz of coconut water
- 2 mangoes
- 3 peeled organic peaches
- 1 cup chia seed gel
- 1 handful spinach/kale
- * Optional: 2-3 pitted dates to sweeten
- Rinse ingredients and cut into small chunks
- Add in coconut water first. Then fruits, vegetables, and chia seed gel making sure to mix-up the order so the ingredients are equally distributed
- Be sure the lid is on the blender to avoid kitchen clean-up chaos. Blend and enjoy
- * Optional: add 2-3 dates for additional fiber and to sweeten to your liking. You can also get creative by adding berries or papaya or both... just have fun!
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Eliana
Posted at 12:49h, 16 JulyI love just about anything mango but love even more that this smoothie packs a mega nutritional punch!