Health benefits of Fruit Smoothies
More people are discovering the healthy benefits of freshly made juices and smoothies every day. They have realized how healthy diet can have a positive impact on our health and our general well being. And there is even more. Freshly made juices and smoothies retain the highest level of nutrients, which the body can digest readily. Raw juices and smoothies drunk on an empty stomach are absorbed into bloodstream within 15 minutes.
So what is a fruit smoothie?
The fruit smoothie is a blend of fruit, the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. No additives, or preservatives, just a fruit. The fruits that you use in your smoothie will have a massive impact on the flavor of your drink and its quality too. Remember, the drink that comes out of your juicer or blender will only be as good as the ingredients that you put in. Try to shop with this in mind. If you’re making a healthy smoothie it makes sense to avoid fresh produce that is likely to have been sprayed with pesticides. If you’re going to take the time to make your own drink, make it as good quality as they possibly can be.
Processed soft drinks often contain 90 percent water, a huge hit of sugar and/or sweeteners and chemicals to add flavor. “Pure” juices and smoothies are frequently reconstituted concentrates that have been heat treated to prolong shelf life, which means they provide very few nutrients. Even “freshly squeezed” juices and smoothies have been kept on the shelf for several hours (if not days) and they are less nutritionally valuable than freshly prepared juices and smoothies because many vitamins lose potency when exposed to light, heat and air. Only freshly made juices and smoothies retain the highest level of nutrients.
Fresh juices and smoothies are also abundant in enzymes responsible for the digestion and absorption of food into the body, ensuring optimal metabolism and high energy levels. Cooking fruit and vegetables destroys these enzymes, whereas juicing and blending releases them and allows the body to utilize them easily. Another important health benefit is that juices and smoothies are generally low in fat and many of them are completely fat free.
It is also true that much of the beauty comes from within, so it is as important to cleanse the inside of your body as it is the outside. Many of the nutrients found in the fruit and vegetables help to rid the body of toxins, which in turns lead to cleaner, brighter skin and fewer pimples. Getting a nutrient rich diet from regularly drinking juices and smoothies will also give you healthy hair and nails, naturally. Stress, ill health and lack of sleep will eventually take their toll on appearance and that is why juices and smoothies banishing stress and boost immunity are so beneficial. Finally, you can watch the pounds disappear if you opt for low calorie, fat burning juices and smoothies.
- Stephanie Taylor
Chef Mary Recipe: Watermelon Smoothie
The happiness to share with you healthy, tasting and easy recipes. For the other recipes and the list of ingredients visit our site: www.chef-mary.com
- Joselite2007
Healthy Foods for Kids
How do you create healthy recipes for your kids that they will actually enjoy? Not the easiest task always. We all know that eating healthy is a requirement of staying fit, but it an be a daunting task when you have one or more children.
Kids have very peculiar tastes. One day they need peanut butter and grape jelly, the next they can’t eat anything but pizza! Some kids absolutely love the sauce on pizza, but they won’t touch spaghetti because it has tomato sauce on it! They can be strange at some times, but they are still your kids. How do you deal with it? Well hopefully we will offer some ideas here.
Healthy Recipes aren’t hard to come by, but they can be difficult to make sometimes, and other times they just won’t cut the mustard. You need ideas that your kids will enjoy on a regular basis so that you can rest easy knowing they are eating their food and, more importantly, enjoying it. If your kids don’t like what they are being fed, they will turn irritable, grumpy, and throw tantrums. So, here are some quick tips…
Make food fun
Healthy recipes don’t always include boring oatmeal and plain yogurt, though those are good places to start breakfasts instead of sugary cereals. One way to get your kids engaged in the food they eat is to let them be involved in the process of making the meal plan, and helping to make the food. If your child is still too young to help with decisions, they can always fetch bowls, spoons, etc. to feel involved in the process.
Kids always want McDonald’s? Well make it into a game…
Ask your kids in the morning, during the day, or even the day before what they want for dinner. However, tell them there are rules. The child who wins the game gets what he/she wants for dinner, and they get to help make it. So, what are these “rules”?
Rule #1- It has to be something you can make at home Rule #2- It has to have at least one vegetable included Rule #3- You can’t have eaten it in the last three days Rule #4- It can’t have any candy in it (duh…) Rule #5- If more than one child, then there has to be more than one dish. The child that doesn’t “win” the main dish contest gets to choose the side dish.
So how do you choose who wins? Well, you can either choose the kid who is the most enthusiastic about it, or you can be very arbitrary and draw numbers out of a hat. To make it fair, perhaps try switching off between kids every night.
Your kids know nothing about healthy recipes, of course, so have them use a cookbook. You can get any cookbook under the sun at Amazon.com, or just use one you already have and like.
Another thing you can try is to ask your children what meals they like best. Then, when they weed through the pizza, spaghetti, and macaroni and cheese to real food, you can simply ask if they want to learn how to make it. This helps in two respects:
It teaches your children the basics of making meals Your children will most likely enjoy their food more because they had the idea and learned what kind of effort is involved in cooking the meal and learning how to make healthy recipes in the future. Healthy Recipe Choices
If your children are really young, then just get them eating what you like (keeping it healthy and small of course) and then you can sort of side-step the “picky-eater” syndrome later on. If, on the other hand your children already have their mind made up about not wanting to try new choices, then try these healthy recipe alternatives to their possible favorites.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Use whole wheat pasta instead of regular white pasta, or use gluten free pasta. Add garlic to the pasta sauce for the added heart-healthy benefits Use anti-biotic and hormone free meat for the meatballs (even if they are frozen and pre-made) Cut, or have them cut, everything into smaller pieces so it is more easily digested USE SMALLER PORTIONS!
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Use spelt bread or sprouted grain bread Use organic, anti-biotic, and hormone free cheeses Buy organic tomato soup that doesn’t have sugar added to it USE SMALLER PORTIONS!
Pizza
Buy thin crust pizzas if you can Cut the slices smaller so kids think they are still eating two slices even if it’s only one cut into smaller pieces Have a salad before digging into the pizza Never get the buffet- even if it’s cheaper. Everyone will eat way more than they need to! Try to incorporate some veggies (ie: mushrooms, olives, peppers) to get them used to eating them. Only have pizza on rare occasions. It’s by no means healthy and it tends to pile up in the stomach Breakfasts
Healthy recipe choices for breakfast aren’t always so easy. Kids like their Coco-Puffs, Trix, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch of course. However, their bodies aren’t big fans of it. Instead, try some of these options as often as you can to get them off their sugary starts.
Oatmeal
Use the regular flavor of oatmeal, even if it is the instant stuff Add cinnamon to put a little extra flavor in Use a small amount of honey to sweeten it instead of sugar Mix in berries for added health benefits as well as taste Add apple slices to the meal and cinnamon for added flavor
Yogurt
Only buy lowfat plain yogurt. (It’s the added sugars and fruits that make it bad for you) Add fresh fruit, or canned peaches in order to add flavor. Put some oats in the yogurt for fiber Top with a little honey for the sweet factor
Smoothies
Smoothies are fun and easy to make. They can taste great and are quick fixes that you can take with you whenever. For kids, keep the serving size below 8 ounces because they do tend to pack a lot of calories and sugar (all from good sources, but nonetheless).
My favorite recipe is very simple (for two 8 oz servings):
Start with one cup of milk in the blender Add one banana Add about four strawberries Put in about two tablespoons of peanut butter (personally I like almond butter) Add 1/4 cup of plain lowfat yogurt Blend well until the mixture is red and the peanut butter is off the sides. Enjoy!
For many more smoothie recipes, check out Men’s health’s website for smoothies. Just remember to use much smaller portions for your little ones.
Like we mentioned before, healthy recipes aren’t hard to come by, they just require patience, preparation, and planning. Get these three skills down, and you will be able to ward off the obesity bully for your kids!
- Danielle Seigle
Wild Greens – Superfood Smoothie
This is very likely as good as it gets. One could substitute the spring water for coconut water, but its all good. All ingredients are listed in the video. Im a big fan of the p90x workout program, and this drink is exceptional right afterwards. I credit my quick recovery and increased strength to both of these factors. Add in the wild greens when the season allows, otherwise aim for spinach or something neutral. Kale or similar items will throw the flavor. Maybe it works for you, but Im …
- Rawmodel
Gentlemen Broncos Webspot #8: Sam Rockwell’s Smoothie
Sam Rockwell drinks a smoothie on the set of his new film, Gentlemen Broncos, in select theaters October 30th!
- FoxSearchlight
Simple Smoothie Recipes That Accommodate Your Individual Tastes
Smoothie recipes are everywhere these days, but so many of them are repeats of the same old ideas. If you are looking for some new ideas or are trying to accommodate your individual tastes and preferences, it’s time to consider some simple ways to come up with your own unique creations.
For starters, it is important to realize that there are no limits on what you can put into a smoothie. Literally any type of food that you really enjoy can be added into these healthy concoctions to deliver the flavors and consistencies that you really enjoy the most.
It is important to think not just about how the smoothie will taste with different recipes, but what the consistency will be like. Some people may really gravitate toward smoothie recipes that include yogurt or bananas because they add a smooth, creamy consistency to the mix. Someone else may prefer to leave out the yogurt and add in ice and frozen fruits to get a more slushy concentration.
When creating your own recipes, consider the purpose of making these drinks. Some people will add vegetables and fruits to get the fiber and nutrients offered, but someone else may want to use yogurt and protein powder to deliver a high-protein benefit. Your intentions and goals for the drink will guide your decisions on ingredients in your own recipes.
Another good thing to consider here are foods that you know are good for you but which you do not particularly care for. You can hide them in with the wonderful flavors of your favorite fruits and vegetables in a smoothie. You may also want to add in vitamins, fish oil, or other nutrients that are beneficial to your health.
Now, start making lists of possible ingredients for each of your desired goals. If you just need to add more protein into your diet you may list protein powder, yogurt, cottage cheese, and other high protein options. If you need fiber you could list your favorite vegetables and a lot of berries that are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
Make a list of any vitamins and other secondary ingredients that you may need to add in as well, and then start mixing and matching your options. Remember to add in different consistencies to experiment with creamy, icy, and other concentrations of smoothie mixtures.
If you need creative ideas in making up your lists of possible ingredients, look around online at databases and recipe sites that include smoothie recipes. Some sites allow users from all over the world to type in their own unique creations and those can give some wonderful ideas for bold combinations and experimental ideas that may spark your own unique ideas.
There are an endless variety of smoothie combinations out there right now. The only limit is the level of imagination and creativity that you put into your own designs. If one comes out less than what you desire simply think about ways to improve upon that recipe the next time around.
- Benjamin W Burdick
Professional Blender – Weight Loss Smoothie
tinyurl.com – Organic Blue Agave tinyurl.com – blendtec blenders at $100 or more off! tinyurl.com – from Amazon starting at $369.99 tinyurl.com – Your guide to quick, safe weight loss. Enjoy!
- roguebillionaire
Raw Food Recipes – Mango Coconut Meat Power Smoothie
Raw Food Recipes ? Mango Coconut Meat Power Smoothie ? INGREDIENTS: 1 Young Coconut (water from) ? 3 Young Coconuts (meat from) ? 2 Mangoes (make sure they are ripe and tasty!) ? PREPARATION: 1) Blend in Vita-Mix*, or other high-powered blender 2) Enjoy! ? *I recommend the commercial grade Vita-Mix blenders from their “Vita-Prep” line. The premium model, which I use is the Vita-Prep 1005: bit.ly The next step down is the Vita-Prep 1002: bit.ly ? Yes, these blenders cost A LOT compared …
- liferegenerator
Low Cal Protein Smoothie with Banana, Raspberries, OJ and yogurt
www.buybulkwhey.com This is a light and low calorie berry blend. Under 300 calories, so it’s great for people who want the good nutrition and extra protein without all the calories. 1 small banana, cut up and frozen 1/4 cup raspberries 1 cup orange juice 1/3 cup nonfat, sugar free vanilla yogurt 1 scoop BuyBulkWhey.com whey protein Calories 263 fat 3 grams carbs 34 protein 28
- buybulkwhey
How do you make a thirsty’s smoothie?
i really like the chills and the regular smoothies especially strawberry banana and that one flavor that is the cheapest but has a little of everything in it- i just bought a blender.
- lsdrunner_02
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