Smoothie Recipes for
Better Health
Eight years ago, Dr. Tom Wu[1] has introduced me to the Naturopathy. Since then, I have started my morning fruit-and-veggie routine as described below:
Four Important Cleaning Tasks In Your Morning Routine (Travel to Health)
Drink Your Fruit-and-Veggie Smoothies in the Morning (Travel to Health)
In this article, I will discuss smoothie recipes for better health, but not for better taste.
Smoothie Recipes
Here I share with you my own smoothie recipes for the past 8 years. These recipes aim for achieving a calorically restricted optimal nutrition breakfast (yes, smoothies are my breakfasts) as discussed in [3].
More veggies and less fruits
Enjoy your fruits in fresh and whole in the afternoon when you are craving for sweets.
Whole, unprocessed foods that still contain their original amounts of fiber move more slowly through the gastrointestinal tract than those whose fiber has been removed or broken down.
Blended fruit juice may cause your blood sugar to spike and insulin to surge.
Eat a balanced diet
Proteins[25]
Most of fruits and veggies contain proteins even not in large amounts.
To boost protein uptake, you may consider adding the following ingredients:
Coconut or its milk
Almond milk
Hemp milk
Yogurt
Kefir
Nuts[25]
Fats
Aims for ingredients rich in good fats such as:
Avocados[13]
Flex seeds
Sesame seeds
Sprouted sunflower seeds (provided by Costco now)
Ultra virgin oil
Coconut oil
Carbohydrates
Most fruits and veggies contain enough carbohydrates which include fiber even it's indigestible.
Microminerals
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds required as nutrients in tiny amounts by an organism, which include:
A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, D, E, K
Read [20-22] for suggestions.
Keep the peels (or skins) as much as possible
To protect against sunlight or pests, plants produce protection compounds (i.e., phytochemicals)[17] mostly on their skins.
As Dr. Andrew Weil said:[6]
Many substances that are universally, and quite correctly, regarded as "healthy" are, in fact, toxins. Dietary phytochemicals ― the compounds that give fruits and vegetables their bright colors ― are toxic chemicals that plants have evolved as a defense against fungal and insect pests. These are likely mildly toxic to human beings as well, but in the concentrations found in common foods, probably fall within the "stimulating" range. Result: lowered risk of cancers, cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders.
To play safe, enjoy the ones that we know are safe for humans. For example, apple skin, citrus peels (陳皮; used in Traditional Chinese medicine), etc. (see also [6]).
For some fruits that may be high in pesticide residues, you may want to remove the skins or buy organics.
Keep seeds sometimes if they are edible[10]
For example, I often keep papaya seeds in my smoothies (see [7] for another opinion).
Note that I have used a high-end blender[11] which can blend fruits and vegetables whole completely.
Eat more greens
Greens are rich in micronutrients. You can eat them cooked. But, do eat some in raw as Dr. Marcola suggests.[8]
Add bitter varieties (see [6])
Consider adding honey to balance the taste and also for its high mineral contents.
Eat for better health
Prevent food-borne diseases
Cilantro
Dodecanol, an antibiotic compound, may be as effective against Salmonella as some prescribed antibiotics.
Oregano or thyme[23]
Carvacrol and thymol make oregano a killer of E. coli, Staphylococcus, and other harmful bacteria.
Cinnamon[18]
Antimicrobial properties help protect against H. pylori and E. colibacteria, candida, and other organisms.
Garlic[19]
Allicin, a sulfur compound, is antibacterial and antiviral.
Also consider onion,shallot or leek.
Ginger[24]
Ginger appears to have mild antibacterial properties that may help prevent infection.
Cooking
For food safety, you may pre-cook some of your ingredients.
For my morning fruit-and-veggie smoothies, I usually choose more than five ingredients. Personally, I don't care about the taste too much. So, I must confess —my smoothies usually taste not so good.
References
吳永志—不一樣的自然養生法
Dr. Tom Wu practices Naturopathy in California. He combines ancient Chinese wellness knowledge with his western trained nutrition and alternative medicine. He strongly believes that doctors of the future should reduce prescriptions and encourage lifestyle change and through preventative care.
Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat
Micronutrinet (Wikipedia)
The Sweet Relished and the Bitter Loathed(Travel and Health)
When You Heat Natural Plant-Based Foods You Can Get Cancer-Causing Acrylamide
Blending Fruit Seeds In Your Green Smoothies – Beneficial or Dangerous?
Classification of Dietary Phytochemicals (Travel and Health)
Garlic—a Vegetable, a Condiment, and a Medicine (Travel and Health)
Do Smoothies Cause Overly Rapid Sugar Absorption? (important)
Evening Hours May Pose Higher Risk for Overeating, Especially When Under Stress, Study Finds