GREEN SMOOTHIES

Smoothie

What exactly is a green smoothie? It's a fruit smoothie that includes a big serving of dark green leafy vegetables.

Green smoothies are an excellent breakfast choice for many, as they provide healthy carbohydrates, along with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and chlorophyll. Green smoothies are also an excellent source of fiber.

When making green smoothies, it is best to use slightly more vegetables than fruits.

Our favourite greens to use in green smoothies are spinach, kale, parsley, lettuce, silverbeet- but any veg can be used.

Our favourite fruits to use in green smoothies are bananas, pears, apples, blueberries, mangos, papayas,watermelon and pineapples.

BASIC RECIPE

change regularly & use fruit & veg in season

2 large handfuls of spinach
1small bunch of parsley
1 apple
1 banana, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup water

Place all ingredients into a good blender with water & blend to desired smoothness - Serve immediately - taking small mouthfuls & mix with saliva - this starts the digestive process - ENJOY! (Can be kept 2-3 days in fridge but best consumed fresh)

SOME NOTES & NUTRITIONAL FACTS ABOUT GREENS.

Spinach is truly a nutritional powerhouse - and perfect for green smoothies. A Harvard University study found that women who ate spinach more than five times a week had a 47 percent decrease in risk of cataract surgery compared with those who ate spinach less than once a month. Lutein, found in spinach, may also benefit eye health by reducing the risk of macular degeneration, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. Vitamin A and vitamin K are two of the prevalent vitamins in spinach and they are known to help regulate blood flow, maintain bone health, preserve cell health and help the cells in the body grown normally.

Kale is a form of cabbage and related to broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. It is very low in calories and contains more nutrients than most other greens. Kale is an excellent source of vitamin K, which is essential for bone and blood health, and helps by mediating coagulation and anticoagulation. Sulforaphane is a chemical found in kale and also sprouts and broccoli. A study published in Drug Discovery Today found that sulforaphane may help stop breast cancer cells from growing. The University of Texas conducted a study and found that a diet rich in kale may prevent bladder cancer by up to 29%. Kale may also help ovarian cancer too. The Nurse's Health Study observed that women whose diets provided the most kaempferol, a flavonoid found in kale, had a 40% reduction in risk of ovarian cancer. By supplying the body with plenty of calcium, copper and manganese, kale may help absorb iron and prevent bone loss.

Parsley contains unique volatile oils such as myristicin, limonene, eugenol, and alpha-thujene. The volatile oils, especially myristicin have been shown to inhibit tumor formation, especially in the lungs, as published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Flavonoids such as luteolin are present in parsley and serve as anti-oxidants. They help by combining with highly reactive oxygen radicals and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. Adding parsley to a green smoothie made in the Vita-Mix 5200 will add flavor and may even help reduce the risk of cancer. The bonus is, your breath will be fresh! Lettuce, like kale, is a low calorie green packed full of nutrients.

Lettuce aids digestion and promotes liver health. It may also reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cataracts and may ease nervous insomnia. Lettuce is a good source of folate which is known to reduce neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The Spina Bifida Assocation of South Australia says the incidence of spina bifida could be reduced up to 70% by getting enough folate before and during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Lettuce is also a good source of iron and vitamin C and according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, lettuce may help to fight anemia

Believe it or not your body can learn to CRAVE greens!