If you want to feel younger and live longer consider adding a smoothie to your daily routine. When you drink a raw smoothie you can extend your life by ensuring your body gets all of the vitamins and minerals and other nutrients it needs to stay alive and well.
When you mix your raw smoothie there are many leafy greens which can be added to your raw smoothies. Kale, which is linked to cabbage, can give your body its daily dose of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. It can also help prevent breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer. Rapini is a leafy vegetable popular in Italian cooking. It has a high amount of phytochemicals and can give your body the daily requirement for vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, fiber, and calcium with just one serving.
Another healthy, leafy green is a Swiss chard. This is much like spinach and has a crunchy stalk. Swiss chard is from the beet family and has a taste which is a bit bitterer than spinach. One cup gives your body its daily dose of iron along with a high amount of fiber, vitamin C, protein, folic acid, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K. Lastly, bokchoy is often found in Asian cooking but is great for your raw smoothie. It contains vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium folate, magnesium, and potassium.
As you shop for these leafy greens for your raw smoothie remember that the darker they are in color, the healthier they are for you. If you don’t like the taste of any of these leafy greens you can easily mask it by adding some fruits and berries or honey and yogurt to your smoothie. The great thing about adding fruits to cover the taste of your leafy greens is that they offer just as many health benefits—if not more in some cases. A complete raw smoothie with fruits and vegetables can give you all the vitamins and minerals your body needs for the day.
Mangos make a great addition to any fruit smoothie. They are high in fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin E. They have two great antioxidants: lutein and zeaxanthin. Both help reduce macular degeneration and protect your vision. Oranges can be added to your smoothie for a high dose of folate, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Oranges are great for women who are pregnant because they aid in the prevention of neural tube defects for infants. They also have a photochemical known as hesperiden which can reduce blood cholesterol levels and triglyceride. The white fleshy part of an orange has the same amount of vitamin C as the flesh in the middle so when you throw these into your smoothies because to leave the white part.
Adding papaya to your raw smoothies will give your body a high dose of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Papayas also have papain in them, which is an enzyme used to aid digestion. The high vitamin C content helps to maintain good skin health. The black seeds found inside papaya are edible as well and have a spicy flavor to them. You can blend them into your smoothie and enjoy a sharp flavor.
Aaron Hughes writes healthy juicing and blending tips.
