Food – Fun and Healthy….there's no chance I'll hear you say it, but there are ways to get creative with food that will keep even the pickiest eaters coming back for more.
If you're struggling to fit “5 a day” into your daily routine, or worse still struggling to get nutrients for your kids (if you have them), smoothies can be a fun, healthy alternative. However, there are some do's and don'ts…
What not to do
The main problem is mixing all your… the fruit In one giant drink, there's a good chance it will be sugary heaven, which is the exact opposite of what you're trying to achieve. Mixed fruits contain a lot of hydrolyzed (sugar-fixing) fibrous content while at the same time releasing large amounts of fructose sugars. This combination is stressful on your liver, bad for your blood sugar and will set you on the path to adding fat to your body which is most likely not the reason you are doing it in the first place. In general, if they are pink and bright red, the juices are sweet and that probably means they contain sugar.
What to do
To create the perfect juice we want to try (as much as the taste allows) to add a mixture of vegetables without affecting the flavor too much. Moreover, we can add some nutritional supplements and spices which all help in maintaining our health. In practice, this may be a bit of trial and error, but you'll soon find what works for you (and your family) according to their personal tastes.
a base – This is the water content that helps emulsify the rest of the juice. Some people just use ice cubes, others prefer a small drop of apple/orange juice or milk (almond, cow, oat), etc.
Capacitors -Fruits like peaches, bananas, nectarines, and peaches can add texture to your smoothie. Add a handful of oats if you want it to be filling and a little thicker. If you want to keep the sugar lower, use avocado instead, which contains more fat rather than sugar.
content – Vegetables and fruits that add color and flavor are a vital addition to your juice. Carrots and pumpkin are really helpful in this regard, but beware that the mixture of colorful vegetables tends to leave a slightly off-putting brown mixture!
Superfoods One well-known superfood that can be added to a smoothie is celery. However, it seems that no matter how you try to hide it, the celery flavor tends to dominate and is therefore likely to upset even demanding juice drinkers.
Extras – Natural additives including turmeric, nutmeg and cinnamon are a welcome addition to your recipe. Cinnamon is known for its sugar-stabilizing effects, and turmeric (although this may radically alter the flavor) is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. If you want more of a “chocolate” flavour, some cocoa powder is usually a treat.
Supplements -Adding multivitamin drops (for those who are fussy eaters) to help them get some vitamin D3 and maybe some vitamin B complex (for vegans) is another great bonus.
If you're still not sure what you're doing and are nervous about getting started, we've created some basic beginner recipes for you to try yourself:
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2 peeled apples
160 grams of frozen berries
130 ml of natural yogurt
2 tablespoons rolled oats
100 ml milk
50 ml water – in the form of ice cubes (depending on the density of the juices).
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1 banana
25 grams peanut butter
1 tablespoon rolled oats
200 ml milk (cow or oat)
A sprinkle of cinnamon
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We'd love for you to share with us some of your juicing successes and disasters. Tell us what you liked and didn't like in the comments below, or email us [email protected]
And finally, the last tip for using a blender – just remember to put the lid on!
Author: Dr. Adam Greenfield, co-founder of WorkLifeWell | Chiropractor | Wellness specialist
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