Have you ever tried munching your way through a leafy green salad for breakfast? No? Really? Leaves are just for garnish right? No, wrong!
The fact that superfoods can be blended and made into a delicious drink with a little imagination make it so much easier to kick start a healthy habit with a blender, check out blendaway.us wow what a site, for up to date reviews on the latest blenders.
If you can imagine this smoothie; kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, mint, ginger and coconut water then you make it!
On its own you may just manage downing the coconut water which is a stand- alone delicious and nutritious drink.
Leaves alone can be taste a bit bitter, but with the pungency of ginger, the sweetness of the coconut water and mint there is the perfect balance.
The coconut, ginger and mint have good digestive properties to counteract any adverse effects of the leaves.
Spinach and kale are both packed with vitamins and minerals, spinach will give you iron and kale is even rich in protein. Mint also has a powerful antioxidant as do all greens. Cucumbers are cooling; they will give you plenty of B vitamins (all great anti-stress vitamins).
Another great smoothie is;
Blend together avocado, pineapple, pear, spinach, chia seeds and almond milk, giving you plenty of fiber, some sweetness along with lots of nutrients. Pineapple is rich in bromelain which is good for arthritis and digestion. Avocados are packed with vitamins and minerals and also help absorption of these nutrients in other foods.
Fruits to be careful with!
May cause oral allergy syndrome
Whilst mint is a good remedy for seasonal allergies there are other allergies you need to be aware of.
For example some people suffer burning mouth syndrome with fruit added to smoothies. The reason is that some fruits do unfortunately cause this reaction in some people.
Hence why it is better to use one fruit at a time and use other ingredients to add sweetness such as almond milk or coconut water.
Most obviously you will not be using any nut milks or butters if you have a nut allergy!
It is also a good idea to keep to greens rather than fruits with blending a cocktail of nutritious raw ingredients. Fruit is high in sugar in the form of fructose and you don’t want spikes in blood sugar at any time of day.
Some of the more common allergenic fruits are bananas, mangoes, papaya, kiwifruit, apples, oranges, melons and strawberries. This type of allergy is unpleasant with symptoms of itching, burning or even lips swelling. It would be better for this reason to stick to just one fruit at a time. Once you are sure you have no allergic reaction to any particular fruit you can go ahead. Even try strawberries with and without leaves added. There is a lot more nutrition in the leaves.
This type of allergy is caused by the proteins similar to protein antigens in pollen, so hay fever sufferers are more likely to get this reaction.
Bromelain is not good for everyone!
Whilst herbalists will often prescribe bromelain from pineapple for arthritis, if you are sensitive to this enzyme you will probably already know because it can cause painful tongue pain and burning. The most concentrated bromelain is found in the fiber in the core of pineapple so you can try leaving that out of your blends. If it still burns your tongue you may want to try different fruit, pears are very neutral and very rarely cause any allergies.
How long can you store your smoothies?
As your smoothies are rich in live enzymes, giving you a great boost of fresh nutrition it is better to make enough to drink or sip as soon as possible. If you do make a large batch try to consume it within 48 hours from the fridge. Buy some decent glass containers as plastic storage is more likely to explode as gases form in fresh smoothies after a very short time.
Once you start blending you will find your own favourite combinations, check out the many recipes for different types of smoothies.
Although I have said some of these fruits are allergenic to some people, you will probably know already what foods burn or cause problems for you. As there are so many fruits available you will be able to eat some and not others.
Alternatives
Try some carrots for sweetness, beets are also sweet and can make a change from adding fruit. If you are concerned about sugar and calories just stick to greens and added lemon or lime for taste, they also have anti-bacterial properties plus a good kick of vitamin C.
If you’re fed up with shop bought smoothies and the premium price perhaps it is about time to try a home-made smoothie, I hope this article is enough to get your taste buds begging you for a new purpose built blender!