Banana-Peach Cabbage Green Smoothie: Nutrition Info & Recipe

Hi and thank you for joining me. On today's episode of Healthitarian Living we are going to be making a green smoothie that is seasonal especially for late summer and early fall. And it's a green smoothie based on greens that are usually forgotten or not common to most green smoothie recipes. When we think of green smoothies we think of perhaps spinach leaves and using kale leaves, even collards, perhaps some swiss chard, etc. So we think of all these different leafy greens but we don't normally consider cabbage leaves. And cabbage, while it's an outstanding vegetable from the cruciferous family that has all sorts of health benefits for us, that can be used in all sorts of slaws and in salads etc, is not often thought of to be used for green smoothies. So we're going to be making our green smoothie today based on cabbage greens or cabbage leaves. And we're also going to be using one other seasonal goody and that is the peach fruit which is also seasonal to late summer depending on where you live. So we're going to be putting together our green smoothie in just a moment but before we do I will share some of the nutrition and health benefits and characteristics of this green smoothie. Green smoothies are an outstanding nutritional powerhouse and wonderful addition to any health conscious individual's diet. Why? Well because they allow us to get in excellent amounts of greens, different even vegetables, but especially those vital vital leafy greens that we normally otherwise wouldn't perhaps get as much of if at all. Green smoothies allow us to drink our greens and consume our greens with the whole fiber and take in the nutrients that they provide for us. So green smoothies are typically associated with being excellent for our digestive system, providing of course lots of fiber and being very good for regular elimination, being detoxifying and cleansing. Most of them are very well acid alkaline balanced, in fact most of them are very alkalizing which is a nice addition because again most people's diets are too high on the acidic side. So the more greens we have the balanced our acid alkaline food intake is. They are also of course very anti-inflammatory in their nature because they are based on whole plant foods which themselves are anti-inflammatory. We are not including or we shouldn't be including any processed foods in our green smoothies as we don't want to take away from the benefits that they truly can provide for us. Excellent also for weight loss for anyone who's trying to maintain their weight or also to lose weight as they provide again nutrient dense and packed calories with lots and lots of nutrients for little calories. They are outstanding also for energy levels because again thanks to those greens, thanks to the chlorophyll, thanks to all those wonderful nutrients. So instead of having a coffee in the morning I always invite people to consider and switching to a green smoothie. They are also outstanding for our immune system, our cardiovascular system, some provide an array of outstanding healthy fats etc. So lots and lots of benefits and in fact you can read more about the benefits of green smoothies in an article I have on evolvingwellness.com. So what are the ingredients we're going to be using today? Well we are going to be using as I mentioned the cabbage greens, cabbage leaves. And the cabbage is part of the cruciferous family and one of its outstanding health and nutrition benefits is of course that it contains lots of phytonutrients of all kinds but especially from the group of the indioles. And these have been even scientifically proven to be extremely preventative, protective and healing even for cancers, all sorts of cancers etc. So very very powerful addition to our diet and excellent to add is as part of a green smoothie. Cabbage is also very rich in vitamin c and this is another reason why we want to keep our cabbage raw as much as possible, not heat kill cook it you know where the vitamin c will be for the most part useless to us. They are also rich in many minerals including potassium, magnesium, a little bit of calcium etc. So very very valuable from the antioxidants, the phytonutrients, the fiber and of course as all plant foods are zero cholesterol, naturally low in sodium, so wonderful for lots of health benefits. Next is going to be our peach. Often again underestimated in terms of their power as a fruit. Remember all fruits have outstanding health and nutrition benefits for us and we should never be afraid of eating them because they are whole food sources of nutrient dense and packed benefits. Very good again in vitamin c, vitamin a, even vitamin e. So a little bit of all the vitamins, b vitamins, even some of the minerals, magnesium, calcium, iron, just a little bit of each one. But remember it all adds up to have a good diet that has lots of variety to support a healthy body. And of course we are going to be using the banana which usually is a staple for green smoothies as it really transforms any bland perhaps green smoothie into a delicious tasting meal. So when it comes to bananas, most of us have heard that they are outstanding sources of potassium and yes that is correct, but they also have other minerals including magnesium, manganese and many others as well as the vitamins, lots of b vitamins, especially vitamin b6. When we are again eating a variety of whole plant foods daily, we ensure that we get all the necessary vitamins, minerals naturally, that we don't have to look even at the pill forms or the synthetic supplement forms of vitamins and minerals. They have been very much linked like all plant foods to being very supportive for our health, whether it comes to you know your cardiovascular system, whether it comes to your immune system. Remember that all of these come with lots of antioxidants, vitamins a, c and e, which are very healing and protective, but also to enhance our immune system and make us less susceptible to infections including the common cold and flu. Whenever we are making a green smoothie, it is also a good idea to include some kind of a healthy fat and one of the best ways we can consume our healthy fats is in the form of seeds. And the reason for that is whenever we find vitamins that are fat soluble like vitamin a, e or k, which also the cabbage is rich in vitamin k, we want to make sure that our bodies are able to digest and absorb those vitamins efficiently as again different digestive enzymes and secretions are needed to actually digest the fats versus just the water soluble vitamins etc. So this is where a seed is a fantastic addition and something I recommend and have in all of my smoothies daily. So what kind of seeds? Well three are my top superfood seeds, that being chia seeds, hemp seeds or flax seeds. So you can pick any one, you don't have to use all three, just vary it up daily. One day perhaps use chia seeds or for a week use hemp seeds, then you know switch it up. Those three seeds are again nutrient dense and packed with healthy fats, healthy proteins, lots of fiber, healthy carbohydrates. So for our smoothie today we are going to be using the chia seed. When it comes to your ingredients, always a good idea to get everything organic as that is one of the foundations and guidelines for the healthitarian lifestyle is that we understand why organic truly is superior when it comes to decreasing the amount of the pesticides or eliminating them completely so that we don't need to be putting those into our bodies and also increasing the nutritional composition. Sometimes people still wonder, you know, do organic really have more nutrients for us? And yes they do. Just think about the soil. The healthier the soil, naturally healthy, not with synthetic fertilizers, the healthier your produce is going to be. So it doesn't take a scientific study to figure that out. Any gardener can tell you that. So when it comes to the chia seeds, you can buy them from many companies. Organic Traditions is one that I commonly buy from and Nutiva also has a nice organic chia seed. And if you've heard of chia seeds before, they are packed with not just omega-3 fatty acids, but also lots of iron, lots of potassium, lots of magnesium, lots of folate, lots of those very vital nutrients again for us. So a very nice addition. And again, it will be supplying us with those healthy fats that will just increase the absorption and utilization of all of our nutrients in the smoothie. And that's it. So you've got your greens, your leafy greens are your, you know, top priority for making a green smoothie, one or two fruits, and some kind of a seed. That would be the base of any green smoothie that I always recommend to make and consume. Next, for our liquid, I recommend always water. And many people think, you know, oh, but what about a nut milk? Well, we have to remember that most nut milks out there are processed foods, and some of them are actually very heavily processed. They have lots of different added sugars, lots of different added synthetic vitamins and minerals. So we really don't want to be relying on those once in a while, perhaps not a big deal. Of course, if you're going to make your own nut milk at home, wonderful. That is a different story. And then you can really enrich the nutritional value even further of your smoothie. But generally speaking, water is our liquid of choice for green smoothies. Never ever juices, because those are just empty sugar calories that are not necessary. And as much as possible, making sure that your water is of top quality. This water, for example, that I use daily is from a local spring. So if you can look up if there's any local high quality springs in your area, that's always best. Second best would be getting a high quality water filtration system for your home. Bottled water, sort of the, you know, on the bottom of the totem pole for health and environmental and economical reasons. Now, what tools do you need? Really just a knife for any preparations like cutting, slicing, etc. And a blender. And in my case, that is a Vitamix. And any blender will do. When I started making green smoothies, it was with just a low end Black & Decker blender. But definitely I've seen the difference when I got a Vitamix. I mean, it's uncomparable in terms of the consistency, the texture and, you know, the smoothness of the green smoothie. So today I can't imagine actually being without my Vitamix. When it comes to your fruits, you're going to vary your fruits depending on whether you're a beginner with green smoothies or whether you are already a seasoned green smoothie drinker. Generally speaking, to make a truly healthy green smoothie, we want to be focusing on lots and lots of greens and a little bit of fruit. The fruit should be complementing your green smoothie, not taking the starring role in your green smoothie. So, for example, if you are just a beginner with green smoothies, I recommend going with one whole peach and one banana. And these would be roughly of the small to medium size. And then perhaps about four leaves of cabbage. And you notice my cabbage leaves here are perhaps on the small to medium side. Some cabbage leaves can get really, really big. And these cabbage leaves are extra special because they are actually homegrown. So if you're fortunate enough to grow some of your own, perhaps peaches, maybe bananas, if you live in a tropical area or cabbages or any leafy greens, that is, of course, best. Doesn't get any more local or organic than that. Now, if you are more of a seasoned smoothie drinker, then I recommend going with half of one of these fruits and a full one of the other one. And if you're very seasoned, then perhaps just half a peach, half a banana and as much cabbage leaves as you can perhaps fit into your smoothie or as much as you can drink. So today I'm going to be making this as a two serving green smoothie to show you what it would be like, et cetera, if you're making it for perhaps two large servings or if you are two adults and a small child in the family to have a little bit left over for them. Remember that green smoothies are an outstanding nutrition source and an outstanding meal, not just a snack or dessert, a full meal for the whole family. Kids love green smoothies, and it's a great way to get greens into their diet. So we're going to begin by using two bananas. Remember, I'm making this for two servings. So simply peel your bananas and add them into your blender. Next, we are going to be dealing with our peach. When it comes to your peach, just make sure that it is really well washed and carefully and consciously cut it down the center and then just gently twist. And when you twist, the two peach halves come apart. You don't have to peel it if it's organic, especially. And with peaches, just like apples, it is really crucial to get them organic. Peaches are, again, one of the highly sprayed and a fruit that basically has a high load of pesticides and different chemicals usually sprayed on it. Finally, when it comes to our cabbage, I wanted to show you here how much cabbage you would be using or getting, because sometimes people think, oh, well, how much leafy greens can you really get in a green smoothie? Well, look at this. Six of these leaves, which are, again, on the small to medium size, chopped up coarsely will make you a heaping two cup serving. So that's a really nice serving of greens. So I'm going to put those in and that would be good perhaps for one to two servings of the green smoothie. It depends, again, if you're starting out. What I would like to do is add a few more of the leafy greens and that way really maximize on the benefits of the greens. So you don't need to chop them up. I just did that to show you again how much would fit into a cup in terms of, you know, what your servings would look like. So you can just tear off the core or you can keep the core. It's up to you. And notice also in your blender, this is how you know you're on the right track. Lots more greens to fruit. If you have lots of fruit and a little bit of greens, that could be perhaps if you're just starting out again, getting used to it. And next we go to our chia seeds and two tablespoons per serving. If you would like to have your green smoothie be a little bit chilled, not cold, but a little bit chilled, remember that cold beverages are not optimally healthy to begin with. So we should never be drinking super cold water or super cold beverages of any kind. So two ice cubes per serving will just add a nice gentle chill to your smoothie. And finally comes our water. Now how much water you will be adding depends on how you like your smoothie consistency. Some people like them very thick, almost to the point that they turn out like yogurt or pudding and they eat them with a spoon. Other people enjoy their green smoothies very, very thin and runny. So how much water you will add will make the difference. Now instead of measuring, what I do is usually my line of knowing how much is enough is to cover my fruit. When I cover my fruit, that typically tells me that it's enough for my liking in terms of how thick or runny the smoothie will be. Remembering also that chia seeds and flax seeds absorb water very much. So they will, especially if you let your smoothie sit for a little bit, start to soak up that water and make it thicker. Hemp seeds will not do that to your smoothie. And we are all ready to blend. So you're going to be blending your green smoothie to the point that everything is nice and uniform and everything has been broken down to its liquefied nature. And our green smoothie is all ready for us to enjoy. So check out that beautiful green color. So with respect to what we have in this glass is again lots and lots of phytonutrients which help to prevent and protect us against and also heal all sorts of diseases and conditions and repair our cells and help prevent cancers and all sorts of things like that. Very high in anti-inflammatory properties, outstanding for your heart health, outstanding for all your organs, outstanding even for brain health. And really, you know, it's food that we can feel so good about consuming. And the best part is it really does taste delicious. And today I can't imagine starting my day without a green smoothie. So I hope you enjoy this recipe and make use of your seasonal local produce as well as the nutritional benefits and health benefits of green smoothies. Enjoy and see you next time.