Superfood Seeds in Your Smoothies_Day 12 on Smoothies

I tried a new recipe for my smoothie yesterday. I was feeling little achy and stiff so thought of incorporating some anti-inflammatory foods in my smoothie.

Greens I used:

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup kale

2 stalks celery

Handful of parsley

1 leaf collard green

Roots I used:

About an inch of Ginger root

About half an inch of Turmeric root

Fruits I used:

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 Mango

3 chunks pineapple

3 pieces papaya

Seeds I used:

2 tbsp Hemp seeds

1 tbsp Flax seed

1 tbsp chia seed

My anti-inflammatory smoothie

The smoothie had a great taste of ginger. I couldn't taste the turmeric at all. I loved the flavor as it was not too sweet or pungent.

More about the ingredients:
Ginger is widely used for its immune boosting and stomach settling abilities. It is used to treat nausea, morning sickness, motion sickness and intestinal gas and indigestion. Ginger is a great treatment for occasional coughs and colds. It’s anti-inflammatory properties also help with pain, stiffness and inflammation in joints. Just like ginger turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent to treat a wide variety of conditions, including flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bloody urine, hemorrhage, toothache, bruises, chest pain, and colic.

Curcumin the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric is the secret behind it’s properties. “In numerous studies, curcumin's anti-inflammatory effects have been shown to be comparable to the potent drugs hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin or turmeric produces no toxicity” ¹.

So instead of going for a pill for my achy body, I decided to include ginger and turmeric in my smoothie for the day.

By now you must have noticed that I use lot of seeds in my daily smoothies.

Why I do that? Simply, to turn my ordinary drink into a superfood drink.

Seeds contain vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fats that can be added to smoothies.

Sesame seeds are one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium. Both chia and flax seeds are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids which studies have linked to a variety of health benefits. Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also great choices as well as hemp seeds, which are high in protein.

Hemp: Hemp seeds are a powerful anti-inflammatory food source, keeping chronic disease, arthritis, heart disease, and muscle pain at bay. Hemp also strengthens immunity and provides the body with 9 essential amino acids, protein, trace minerals, and fiber.

Chia: Chia seeds are a wonderful source of magnesium, calcium, selenium, and zinc; minerals essential to good health. These mineral-laden, magic seeds provide a healthy burst of energy, making them popular with runners and athletes the world over.

Flax: Flax seeds are great sources of fiber, omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and vitamin B. Also known for their anti-inflammatory properties, flax is a great way to prevent chronic disease, arthritis, heart disease, and asthma.

Back to Smoothies:

After my workout at the gym I was ravenously hungry. So I ordered a smoothie from the gym cafe at Lifetime Fitness. I really like the one they call green machine. They normally make it with yogurt but I asked them to make it with just water.

I asked about the ingredients and this is what they told me:

Organic Pineapple
Organic Pineapple Juice
Veggie blend with 6 green veggies
Banana
Whey protein
Water/Ice

I think this is one of the best smoothies at lifetime as far as taste is concerned (no dairy).  They have other varieties that can be little bitter especially for someone new to smoothies.

So next time you go for a workout try a drink at your gym and do let me know if you enjoy what your gym offers.

Gratitude for the day:

Thanks to husbands/partners/caregivers/grandparents/friends who willing take the big responsibility of taking care of the little ones. I could actually drive without my son in the backseat. What a refreshing change listening to NPR and not to nursery rhymes while driving. 


Confessions for the Day:

I ate little beans on Thursday and did pretty good the rest of the day.

On Friday some of our close friends decided to visit us. So as I was preparing dinner for them I tasted the food I cooked for them. I cooked kidney beans, cottage cheese and boiled peas with rice. I watch too many cooking shows. My favorite being Sanjeev Kapoor (very popular Indian chef). I think I learnt most of my cooking watching him. One  of the advice he gives is never serve food to your guests without tasting. So yesterday I followed his advice like a sermon and tasted everything. My guests liked the food but obviously all that tasting threw me off my plans.

Prayers for Day 13 and on-wards:

I will be going out of town for the weekend. Praying that I am able to find my smoothies on the road. I am planning to stick to smoothies for a tleast two of my main meals, might eat dinner. Will keep you posted but do need your prayers.

Ginger & Turmeric, The World's healthiest Foods, Available Online at WhFoods.com
Jodi, "3 Seeds for Supercharged Smoothies", Sisterhoood of shrinking jeans, April 2013