As most of us know, it is a good idea to have colorful foods on your plate to gain a healthy meal. One of the most important colors to incorporate is green. So we have picked five of “the best Greens” to add in for a healthy life style!
- AVOCADOES are filled with good fatty acids which provide excellent protection for our eyes and also help with the aging problems like cataracts because of its high amount of antioxidants. Avocadoes are considered a “gate way green”, as they provide extra ability to absorb the best nutrients from other valued foods eaten at the same time.
- KIWI, packed with serotonin boosting memory function, can put you in a better mood and can also improve the ability to fall and stay asleep. This small green fruit contains more potassium than a banana, which is an essential mineral to stabilize and improve our blood pressure.
- Eating one GREEN BELL PEPPER a day will give you an entire day’s worth of vitamin C, while being extremely beneficial for our immune functions. This versatile sweet pepper is a great way to keep our skin looking young as well, as it has a high amount of free radical fighters which reverse environmental skin damage.
- ASPARAGUS, loaded with anti-inflammatory properties and rich antioxidants, it ranks among the top fruits and vegetables for its ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals, which may help slow the aging process and help fight against diabetes and heart disease. This green veggie is also high in Vitamins A and C, which are known to boost production of collagen fibers that help keep skin smooth and firm.
- Last, but certainly not least, SPINACH has many health benefits! With it mass amounts of beta-carotene, it is exceptionally healthy for your eyes and is well known to help prevent both asthma and multiple types of cancers! Both raw and cooked spinach are excellent sources of iron, containing twice as much as other leafy greens – which is necessary for strong red blood cell production. Surprisingly, unlike most other greens, cooking spinach increases its nutritional benefits by locking them in.
I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe which uses some of the greens I have highlight to benefit our continuing “ Go Green Health” theme for this month!
Mightiest Kiwi Avocado Smoothie
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
½ cup packed spinach
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups peach juice
2 tbsps honey
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
5 ice cubes
3 Kiwi, peeled and roughly chopped
Directions:
- Add avocado, spinach, coconut milk, peach juice, honey, ginger and ice to blender.
- Puree until smooth.
- Add kiwi and pulse just until blended. Divide among 4 glasses.
Nutrition per serving (1cup+2tbsp):204 calories, 6.5g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 21mg sodium, 36g carbohydrates, 4.5g fiber, 21.5g sugar, 2.5 proteins
Found recipe at: www.mightieskiwi.com/recipes