The Wonderful World of Smoothies

     So you can't get your kids to eat their veggies?  Mine happen to love them!  Atleast if you combined all of their personal favorites you might have a decent variety!  We have at least one smoothie a day to sneak in extra nutrition.  I have one for a snack or a meal to curb my sweet tooth and keep my wieght down.  Here are some of the goodies we add to our smoothies besides frozen fruit:

Kefir

     I love using kefir as the base for our smoothies because it is one of the most nutritious probiotic available. Kefir is an ancient cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your “inner ecosystem” to maintain optimal health and strengthen immunity.
It tastes similar to plain yogurt, and it contains beneficial yeast as well as the friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria found in yogurt, but is more nutritious. When used regularly, the naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in Kefir combine symbiotically to help balance your intestinal flora and boost your immunity. You can make your own quite easily with kefir grains and milk.

Greens

     Adding fresh greens can assist in boosting energy, building your immune system, detoxing impurities, and loosing weight. Greens are rich in magnesium and alkaline minerals like calcium and are superb in their Omega-3 unsaturated fat content.  Believe it or not, greens are one of the richest sources of protein. I have used spinach predominately as it is easy to add without affecting the texture. I can add half of head of spinach and it blends in well with all the frozen fruits. 
     Spirulina is another good "green" option.  It is a blue-green algae that grows on freshwater ponds. Spirulina is 55-70 percent protein by weight and considered my many to be the greatest plant source of usable protein and is rich in B vitamins and gammalinolenic acid (GLA).  I currently add 1 tsp to a smoothie.

Flaxseed:

    
     Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, which is important for keeping the arteries clean, the heart functioning, and the immune system in good health.  Flax will improve your immune system and is also beneficial for healthy skin and hair. Flaxseed can easily be made into an egg and fat supplement in your baked goods as well. Flax seed is also available in an oil form but we find that the taste is quite strong. We love adding flax seeds to our oatmeal, smoothies, muffins, et.  Easily grinds up into a fine powder with a coffee grinder.  This is what I give Ashton in larger quantities to help regulate her bowel.  It will promote high energy as well. 

Bee Pollen: 

     Bee Pollen is a complete protein, containing all 22 amino acids, and has a higher concentration of the eight amino acids essential to human health than most other forms of protein. It contains high levels of 27 minerals, enzymes, and coenzymes; vitamins B1, B2, and B6; niacin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid; vitamin C; and the fat-soluable vitamins A and E. Recommended dosage is 1-2 teaspoons per day. Use in moderation as 1 teaspoon represents 4.8 billion grains of pollen! Works well to combine in blended drinks.

 

Coconut Oil

- Protects against heart disease, cancer & diabetes
- Acts as an antioxidant in its resistance to attack by free radicals,
protecting against degenerative diseases, in general.
- Protects from a range of infectious diseases.

We consume coconut oil regularly in smoothies, in baked goods, and for sauteing and cooking , as well as in household and toiletry recipes.


I recommend buying the large bags of frozen fruit and experimenting with different combos.  My current fav is peaches and cream (with cinnamon) and spinach!  I promise you won't taste the greens at ALL!...happy shake making!