When making smoothies, I like to add in a couple superfoods.  To expand my knowledge, I decided to read Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future by David Wolfe.  His book is very informative, but also easy to read and it contains several recipes for each superfood.  I highly recommend it and it’s only $10 on Amazon (or check your library to see if they have it).  For this post, I will focus on the superfoods that I use most (there are 10 outlined in the book).  If you want more information on superfoods, I guess you’ll just have to read the book.  Here are a couple of videos I was able to find where he is discussing superfoods and how awesome they are (I couldn’t find Part 3):

Part I

Part II

Superfoods are something that you should try to eat a little of every day (thus adding them to a daily smoothie is a great way to make sure that you do).

Goji Berries

Goji berries look like fiery red raisins.  To me, they taste sort of like a dried apricot, but are much smaller.  Goji berries can be eaten straight up, but I prefer to add a handful to my smoothies.  My blender is not fancy and it is able to blend them just fine.  When buying goji berries, or any superfood for that matter, go for the organic and Raw option.  They are superior in quality and nutrition.  Goji berries are a complete protein source, containing 19 different amino acids and all 8 essential amino acids.  They typically contain 2-4 times the amount of antioxidants found in blueberries.  Goji berries also boost the immune system, support adrenal glands, improve eyesight and deliver anti-aging compounds.

Cacao (Raw Chocolate)

When you hear about the antioxidant properties of chocolate, this is what they’re talking about!  Not Hershey or Ghirardelli or some other chocolate that has been roasted and combined with tons of sugar and sometimes dairy.  Just so we’re clear that processed chocolate really has no nutritional benefit.

Raw chocolate, cacao, on the other hand does!  It contains the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any food in the world.  It’s also high in minerals and contains Omega-6 fatty acids.  Be sure to buy cacao that is Fair Trade or that is labeled as not being harvested by slave labor.  Nibble on a handful, or add some to a smoothie.

Hemp Seeds

I add at least 2 TB to a quart of smoothie.  Sometimes I add a little more if I’m planning to share the smoothie with someone else.  Hempseeds are one of the best sources of plant protein and fat.  They contain significant amounts of Omega 3 (ALA) and Omega 6 fatty acids, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals.  If you’re currently using flax seeds in your smoothies, I suggest switching to hemp; likewise if you are using flax oil.

Coconuts

Most pe0ple avoid coconut products because they are high in saturated fat.  Yes, they are, but their kind of saturated fat is good for you.  Unlike saturated fat from animals, coconuts are comprised primarily of medium chain fatty acids which help to protect against heart disease.  Medium-chain fatty acids=good.  Saturated fats from animals=very, very bad.  According to the American Heart Association, saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol.

Interestingly, coconut water is nearly identical to blood plasma. During World War II, it was used as a substitute for intravenous plasma.

In smoothie making, you can crack open a young coconut (pictured above; the ones you can purchase at the store generally shaved down like the white one on the bottom right) and add the water to your smoothie.  You can also add the flesh, if you want.  Blending the flesh together with the water to produce a “milk” would be tasty and would produce a creamier smoothie.  Please note that I am not referring to any kind of canned or otherwise preserved and pasteurized coconut product.  Something that is processed and canned does not have the same nutritional benefits of fresh, living foods.  The brown mature coconuts are good too, but the flesh is tougher and not as digestible.  The many benefits of coconuts are listed here.

And here is an easy way to open coconuts:

The most interesting part of this book, for me, is that several of these superfoods support and help restore thyroid function.  I have been on thyroid medication for almost half of my life to treat my hypothyroidism.  (Interesting tidbit:  fluoride is thought to impair thyroid function, which is why I really want a water filter that removes fluoride from my drinking water.)  I have thought many times of trying to get off of the medication (seriously, who wants to take medication for something that can be fixed through a natural means… okay, nearly all Americans do, but that’s not the point).  For the remainder of 2010, I’m going to thoroughly research this topic and talk to my doctor about it.  I may even seek the advice of a naturopathic doctor.  Then next year, if I feel that I can successfully do it and if my doctor is behind me, I’m going to attempt to come off my medication.  I do not recommend this for everyone and I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, but I do firmly believe that most medical conditions can be improved or cured through a plant-based diet.  If you are tired of taking medications for all that ails you, start researching.  I was thinking the other day that I don’t know anyone in my parents generation or older who is not medicated for something.  When Emma is my age, I hope that my husband and I are two people she knows who don’t need medication for everything under the sun.  I guess that would be another blog topic for another day, though.

Here are some tips for yummy smoothies:

• If you are new to smoothie making, try using juice as a base (or half juice, half water) since it does produce a sweeter smoothie.  I only use fresh squeezed and find this to be a good tactic to getting Emma to drink the smoothie too.  When I’m making a smoothie just for me, I generally just use water.
• Add the liquid first, then add the goji berries on top of that while you are preparing or adding the other ingredients.  This gives your goji berries some time to soften up a bit, making it easier for your blender to blend them smooth.
• Use frozen fruit and/or add ice.  Cold smoothies always taste better.
• Bananas are the best fruit I’ve found to use in green smoothies.  Their sweetness masks the bitter “green” taste from the leafy greens.  If you make a smoothie and find that it is too “green” tasting or not sweet enough, add some ripe banana.

Luckily for me, I came across this recipe a while back and thought I’d see if it could breathe some life into my dull watermelon.  It’s a smoothie of watermelon, strawberries, lime and agave.  So simple, but so incredibly delish.  Add a little rum, if you’re so inclined. 

This is one of my favorites!  It’s best when made with soy milk, but since we eat a lot of soy foods (like tofu), I don’t really use soy milk for anything anymore.  For this smoothie, I use frozen bananas, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a generous helping of flax seeds (depends on how much smoothie you’re making, but I generally add no less than a heaping tablespoon).  For an extra kick, you can add some pitted dates or agave nectar and a drizzle of vanilla extract.  This is so good, so filling and so good for you!

1 zucchini, 2 grapefruit, frozen strawberries, 1 TB of flax seeds, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 carrot

I know it sounds a little strange, but it really is tasty.  The bell pepper gave it a little kick.  Yum!

And Sunday, I had pretty much the same thing, except without the bell pepper and grapefruit and with some kale and banana.  Matt was curious at how many calories these smoothies have in them so I did a rough calculation of Saturday’s smoothie– 273.  That’s it!  Both of us expected it to be higher.

Today, I’m enjoying banana, orange, strawberry, flax (1 full TB), zucchini, kale, and carrot.  Delicious!  If you’re planning to try one of these for the first time, I have to caution you to not expect them to be like milkshakes or all-fruit smoothies.  These do have some texture to them and probably aren’t as sweet as what you’d expect.  But how else can you cram so many good-for-you foods into one meal!

1 grapefruit, 2 small oranges, 2 leaves of kale (stems removed), 1 carrot (peeled), 1 frozen banana and 1 tsp flax seeds

This smoothie concoction peps me up more than coffee ever could.  It also keeps me full for several hours.  It makes quite a bit, probably enough for 2 servings, so I have half first thing in the morning and the other half mid-morning.  It really is much better than I’m guessing you’re imagining it is right about now.  I’ve also made some tasty smoothies using zucchini, which will be on the menu again tomorrow morning.

Seriously, can you think of a better way to start your day?  And a smoothie can be made in no time at all– certainly much quicker than making a pot of coffee.  Throw this together in the morning and drink it on your way to work.  Try it just once and I know you’ll be as addicted as I am.

]]> http://www.missionvegan.com/super-charging-smoothie/feed/ 0 http://www.missionvegan.com/a-day-of-nearly-raw/ http://www.missionvegan.com/a-day-of-nearly-raw/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:14:57 +0000 maida http://www.missionvegan.com/?p=1287 I’m on “vacation” this week, meaning that Emma is spending some quality time with her grandparents.  This has meant that I don’t have to prepare regular meals and can be on my own schedule, which has been really nice.  I’ve eaten mostly Raw the last 2 days and I feel great!  Honestly, I don’t feel tired and it’s extremely cleansing (catch my drift).  Breakfast has been a big green smoothie and that keeps me full until lunchtime.  For my breakfast smoothies, I’ve used  some kale (2 leaves, stems removed), oranges (peeled and quartered), water, frozen banana chunks, a pear, some frozen strawberries and a squirt of agave and flax oil.  Because of the grittiness of the pear, this smoothie needs to blend for 30 seconds to a minute.  Our blender is kinda crappy, by no means “high performance,” so blending time is dependent upon how efficient your blender is.

Yesterday for lunch, I made a Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup and a Chunky Chopped Salad (or a “clean-out-the-fridge-and-throw-whatever-you-find-in-there” salad).  I used my new mandoline slicer to make pretty julienned strips of fennel, red beets, carrots, zucchini, apple and cucumber, then chopped up some cauliflower, green onion and cherry tomatoes.  My salad was topped with the Sweet Dijon Dressing that I’m so in love with.  Very filling and very delicious!

For my Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup, I blended 3 peeled medium-sized carrots with 1 peeled medium-sized parsnip, a handful of raw oat groats, and enough warm water to get everything going.  Once it was done, I added a pinch of S&P.  The flavor of my soup is great, but the texture takes some getting used to.  I’m not a smooth soup kind of person and it was hard for me to get used to the fact that there isn’t anything to chew in there.  I found it easiest to drink it though a straw instead of using a spoon.

For an afternoon snack, I whipped up another green smoothie yesterday.  Dinner was cooked and wasn’t all that exciting, so I won’t blog about it.  I will say that after my smoothie, I really wasn’t that hungry for dinner last night.  I was pretty surprised at how filling it is and I think I’m pretty hooked on smoothies right now since blending and drinking is much more efficient than chopping and chewing.

Today for lunch, I had the same salad as yesterday with some spinach leaves added in.  I was feeling like maybe I wasn’t eating enough fat, so I whipped up this Coco-Mango Berry Super Smoothie.  YUM!  When I buy coconuts, I don’t always eat the meat after drinking the water, in which case I’ll stick the coconut meat in the freezer.  So I used some of my frozen coconut in my lunch smoothie along with some banana, an orange, a handful of spinach, 1 kale leaf (stem removed), and some frozen blackberries.  Alongside, I had a few olives.  Man, do I love olives!  After eating my salad, I could only drink half my smoothie, so the rest will be my snack this afternoon before my Hula Hoop class.

You’re probably wondering why it is that I love kale so much.  My husband has asked me why I put it in everything and I bet you’re wondering too.  I first love kale because it doesn’t’ taste like anything when you put it in smoothies, or hide it in baked goods.  You may be surprised to learn that kale, like all leafy greens, is a good source of protein.  It’s also an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K and manganese and a good source of fiber, calcium, iron and folate.  Leafy greens are super duper because they stimulate digestion, strengthen immunity, and cleanse the body of toxins.  I’ve also read that leafy greens can reverse the graying of hair.  I seem to find more and more gray hairs every time I go looking for them, so that’s reason enough for me to get down with the greens.

OH, and a note about coconuts.  In my previous post, I mentioned that Asian markets are the places to score decently-priced coconuts.  Well, at Whole Foods today, I noticed that their price for them was about $2 each.  I didn’t remember WF being so expensive.  At the Asian market I went to, I got my coconuts for $1.20 or so.  If you’re into coconuts, it’s definitely worth a special trip.

Nothing but frozen mango and pineapple.  Whirl it all up in a food processor and enjoy!

I don’t know that this could really be called a recipe, but whatever it is, it was successful and I thought I’d share.  I took a bag of frozen banana bits (probably 3 or 4 bananas worth) and put it in my food processor with a bag of frozen strawberries (probably 15 or so).  I drizzled in a little agave nectar and it made an “ice cream” of sorts.  It was really, really good.

I’m going to try this with the frozen mangos that I have left and see if I get the same tasty results!

Water, an apple, some frozen mango chunks, a few frozen strawberries and a giant kale leaf.  Yum!!  Even Emma liked it.

This one has a little bit of apple juice, a little bit of green juice, some blueberries, peaches, bananas and (you guessed it!) kale.  This has been my favorite of all the smoothies I’ve made this week.  Surprisingly, Emma didn’t really like it that much.  She woke up at 5:45 this morning after not having napped much yesterday (our house is being painted and the painters were extremely loud yesterday).  She was completely exhausted and not interested in eating anything other than cookie dough (that post is coming soon!).