If you have been reading my posts all week you will know that its pre-fast week here in this house, so we are making a lot of soups and smoothies during our 3-Day Cleanse, preparing for the juice fast I am doing starting tomorrow! Yay!
This simple strawberry smoothies is packed with anti-oxidants and sweet goodness. The girls and I made this smoothie as an after school snack before we headed off to dance classes. Its a great pre-workout smoothie to energize and revitalize the body!
Incredible Strawberry Smoothie
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
- 1 slice beetroot (for vibrant color and energy boost)
- 1/2 cup kale or spinach
- 2 Tbs walnuts
- 1 Tbs vanilla
- 1 tsp spirulina
- 1 cup coconut milk or tea
- 4 drops stevia
This makes one serving, so we made it x3. Place everything in blender, blend and enjoy! This was a great pre-workout/dance smoothie, as beets provide instant energy and are easy to digest (not to mention a great detoxifier)!!!
13 Health Benefits of Strawberries:
- Cardiovascular Benefits: No area of strawberry health benefits is better documented than benefits for the cardiovascular system. It’s also hard to imagine any other research result, since our heart and blood vessels need everyday protection from oxidative and inflammatory damage, and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content of strawberries is simply outstanding.
- Antioxidants: Cardiovascular Benefits: No area of strawberry health benefits is better documented than benefits for the cardiovascular system. It’s also hard to imagine any other research result, since our heart and blood vessels need everyday protection from oxidative and inflammatory damage, and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content of strawberries is simply outstanding. These sweet gems help prevent cell destruction and harmful disease. So grab a pint and get snacking!
- Anti-Inflammatory: The phenols in strawberries also fight against many inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis, cancer, asthma and atherosclerosis.
- Anti-Cancer: Since chronic, excessive inflammation and chronic, excessive oxidative stress (lack of antioxidant nutrients and unsupported oxygen metabolism) are often primary factors in the development of cancer, strawberries would definitely be expected to have cancer risk-lowering properties given their outstanding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content. Anti-cancer benefits from strawberries are best documented in the case of breast, cervical, colon, and esophageal cancer. Most of the tumor-inhibiting studies on animals have focused on the phytonutrient content of strawberries.
- Healthy Eyes: The antioxidant properties in strawberries may also help to prevent cataracts—the clouding over of the eye lens—which can lead to blindness in older age. Our eyes require vitamin C to protect them from exposure to free-radicals from the sun’s harsh UV rays, which can damage the protein in the lens. Vitamin C also plays an important role in strengthening the eye’s cornea and retina.
- Immune Booster: The amount of antioxidants, phytochemicals and flavonoids that work together synergistically in strawberries helps protect your health and destroy illness-causing germs.
- Bone Health: Manganese in strawberries is great for the bones, helping in bone building and maintaining proper bone structure. The potassium, vitamin K, and magnesium in strawberries are also important for bone healthYounger Looking Skin: The power of vitamin C in strawberries continues, as it is vital to the production of collagen, which helps to improve skin’s elasticity and resilience. Since we lose collagen as we age, eating foods rich in vitamin C may result in healthier, younger-looking skin. But vitamin C isn’t the only naturally-occuring wrinkle fighter found in strawberries. Researchers at Hallym University in the Republic of Korea concluded that ellagic acid visibly prevented collagen destruction and inflammatory response—two major factors in the development of wrinkles—in human skin cells, after continued exposure to skin-damaging UV-B rays.
- Fight Bad Cholesterol: According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among Canadian women. Luckily, strawberries also contain powerful heart-health boosters. “Ellagic acid and flavonoids— or phytochemicals—can provide an antioxidant effect that can benefit heart health in various ways,” explains Edwards. “One way includes counteracting the effect of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL—bad cholesterol in the blood—which causes plaque to build up in arteries. A second way is that they provide an anti-inflammatory effect, which is also good for the heart.” Researchers at the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center in Toronto studied the effect of strawberries on a cholesterol-lowering diet and concluded that adding strawberries to the diet reduced oxidative damage, as well as blood lipids—both of which play a role in heart disease and diabetes.
- Regulate Blood Pressure: Potassium is yet another heart healthy nutrient, and with 134 mg per serving, strawberries are considered a “medium source,” according to Alberta Health Services. Potassium can help regulate blood pressure and may even help to lower high blood pressure by acting as a buffer against the negative effects of sodium. With their impact on the reduction of LDL, inflammation and high blood pressure, strawberries have earned the title of one of the most heart-healthy fruits you can eat. (And it kind of looks like a heart too!)
- Promote Prenatal Health: Folate is a B-vitamin recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, and strawberries are a good source with 21 mcg per serving. Folate is necessary in the early stages of pregnancy to help in the development of the baby’s brain, skull and spinal cord, and the folic acid in strawberries may help to prevent certain birth defects, such as spina bifida. (While I was pregnant with my second child I ate a pound of strawberries everyday!)
- Improvement of Inflammatory Bowel Problems: Interestingly, even though strawberries contain relatively small amounts of salicylic acid (an anti-inflammatory compound very similar to the acetylsalicylic acid of aspirin), some researchers have suggested that this naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory substance in strawberries might be partly responsible for decreased inflammation in the digestive tract of individuals diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
- Aids in Weight Management: Strawberries contain a compound called nitrate that has positive effects on blood flow and oxygen around the body. Nitrate stops muscles from becoming too tired after exercise. Plus they are low in calories so you can eat a lot of them!
Go on and make your Incredible Strawberry Beet Smoothie to enhance your workout potential!! You are amazing and worth it!
Have a beautiful day!
Michelle
Empty yourself and let the universe fill you!
Michelle Berry 