by Joanna | Health
“What foods should I be eating to relieve menopause signs and symptoms naturally?” is the question asked by many women approaching menopause (myself included).
Hot flashes, insomnia, mood swings, …. these are certainly not fun.
The good news these symptoms can be significantly reduced or even completely stopped when you make some simple changes to your diet and lifestyle.
But is there really a special diet to relieve menopause symptoms?
Well, yes and no.
A diet to relieve perimenopause or menopause symptoms is actually the same diet that you should be eating for optimum health. This diet will keep your body healthy and your hormones balanced, so you will be virtually free from any chronic disorders that are commonly associated with the “western” type diet.
So, in that sense, there is no “special” diet for “menopause symptoms”. This really is a good news for you, because this means that if you only follow the recommendations below, you will not only relieve your menopause symptoms permanently – without any need for hormone replacement therapy, or other menopausal remedies; you will also prevent more serious health problems that are the result of an unhealthy, Western diet, that is filled with processed foods, excessive fats and animal proteins, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease.
What to Eat to Relieve Menopausal Symptoms Naturally?
Natural, plant-based diet is the optimum diet for human beings to remain healthy and disease free.
Fresh, raw fruits, vegetables and leafy greens should constitute the bulk of your daily caloric intake. Other foods to include are whole grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds.
This means most your daily calories should be coming from these natural sources.
Relieve Menopause Symptoms Naturally
You should be eating a LOT of these:
- Fresh, raw fruits
- Fresh raw vegetables (in salads and as snacks), lightly cooked vegetables (as in soups, stews, or just steamed veggies),
- Fresh raw greens (eaten in salads, green smoothies)
- Beans and legumes
- Whole grains
- Raw nuts and seeds (limited quantities)
Most of these foods, especially when eaten raw (fruits, vegetables and greens) – you can eat as much of these as you like, as often as you like. If your weight is normal, then you can also eat as much as as you like of legumes and whole grains. If you are overweight, then legumes and whole grains should be eaten in moderation, limiting the amount to 4-6 cups.
Use nuts and seeds as condiment for salads, or eat small portions for snacks – don’t eat too much of them as they are very high in fat (even though these are healthy fats, it’s still not recommended to eat huge amounts of these foods).
Foods to avoid or eliminate completely:
- Cut out completely or limit to minimum all processed foods: white flour products (breads, pastas, pastries, processed cereals), sugary foods, etc.
- Cut out completely or limit to minimum all animal-based foods: meats, fish, dairy.
Many studies consistently demonstrate that for best health, including healthy hormonal balance, you need to eat a diet as close to vegetarian as possible. One reason is that animal products don’t contain any fiber. However, that’s only part of the story. Consuming large amounts of animal-based foods on a daily basis leads to all sorts of chronic health problems, and menopause symptoms is just the tip of an iceberg here.
I know that for most women it’ll be very hard to implement such drastic changes to your diet overnight.
Don’t worry – just start by adding more fresh plant foods to your daily meals as salads, snacks, soups, stews, etc.
Now that you know what to eat, simply go to the grocery store and head straight for the Fresh Produce section. Pack your shopping cart with all kinds of fruits and vegetables that look appealing. Then go find some beans, legumes, and whole grains. Brown rice, barley, oats, quinoa or other.
Then find some recipes to prepare simple vegetarian dishes: salads, soups, stews, baked and steamed veggies.
Now, if you really must have some meat, don’t obsess over it – at least initially. Have a small piece, but try NOT to make it the central part of your meal, but more like a small side dish.
Do this for at least 2-3 weeks and see how you feel. When you start noticing positive results, you should find motivation to continue this way of eating indefinitely.
Killer tip for adding more fruits, vegetables, and greens to your diet
I know that for most people eating such large amounts of fruits and veggies may be difficult, if not impossible. Who has time to prepare all these healthy recipes, chop the salads, etc. Right?
Below is my secret weapon that I’m sharing with you for free, that will make consuming large amounts of fruits, veggies and greens a breeze.
Super Healthy Recipe For Happy Menopause #1
Green Smoothies. Green smoothies are simply blended drinks made from fruits and greens that are super-easy to prepare, super delicious and super-healthy.
Great Ingredients For Your Green Smoothies:
GREENS: spinach, lettuce, kale, parsley, arugula, Swiss chard, mint, basil, cilantro, or other.
FRUITS: bananas, pears, apples, mango, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, melon, papaya, watermelon, grapes, or other.
VEGGIES: celery, avocado, tomatoes, cucumbers.
Some fruit and green combinations you may want to try:
Spinach with bananas and strawberries
Spinach with apple, banana, and some lemon or lime juice
Spinach, banana, peach, mango
Romaine lettuce with bananas
Parsley and ripe pears
Parsley, celery, apple and pears
Tomatoes, celery, basil, parsley, cucumber, peppers, and pear
Drink a big glass of this green drink 2-4 times a day (or even more, if you wish), and I guarantee you that your symptoms will become much lighter, and you will soon forget about your problems with menopause symptoms.
As you can see relieving your menopause symptoms naturally and getting your elimination back on schedule is not so complicated. So get started right as soon as possible with these easy simple steps.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
by Joanna | Health
Top Heart Friendly Foods
Did you know that heart disease is the major killer in the U.S.? The scary thing is that it affects not just older people, but even younger individuals are at increasingly higher risk of developing heart disease during their life.
The reasons are many, but the bottom line is heart problems can be avoided by sticking to healthy diet (meaning whole plant foods: vegetables, greens, fruits, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, legumes and whole grains), as well as active lifestyle.
Two most important ways in which you can control your heart disease include regular exercise and the food that you consume. Foods that are good for heart should be included in your diet and you should stay away from unhealthy stuff. This infographic lists the foods that are beneficial for heart.
(The infograhpic lists also portion control as a way to control your heart disease, but the great thing about eating diet loaded with mostly raw greens, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, nuts, and seeds; as well as legumes and whole grains- is that you don’t have to worry too much about controlling your portions.)
Fiber and antioxidants protect the heart by fighting with various harmful substances. You should stay away from animal foods that are rich in cholesterol, sugars, sodium and saturated fats. Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables and leafy green veggies (green smoothie anyone?). Leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, collard greens, and other; almonds, walnuts, avocados, legumes, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, dark chocolate, oatmeal, papaya, oranges, grapes and tomatoes are all foods that are naturally cholesterol free and healthy for heart.
Incidentally, these foods are also great for lowering blood sugar levels, maintaining an ideal weight, and other health concerns (check out these low-fruit smoothies great for weight loss and blood sugar issues).
Source
PS. I wrote this post a few years back, after I found out that my father had a heart attack. He had to have bypass surgery. Unfortunately he passed away a couple of months after that. Most of his adult life he had diabetes and was overweight.
I was devastated. Especially when I know how preventable these diseases are — with a healthy whole plant-based diet and active stress-free lifestyle.
Of course, as is often the case, no one in my family listens to me. They think MY diet is weird and/or dangerous: too many greens and fruits (which aren’t really considered “real” food by many), not enough protein and dairy (what about calcium!).
Prior to my dad’s heart attack, I bought my parents a few books for Christmas – “Eat to Live,” “Forks over Knives” and “The China Study.” I’m Polish and my parents live in Warsaw, and I was super excited when I found these books translated into Polish available in an online bookstore. My mom started reading them, but said that the recipes seem very complicated, inconvenient and impractical.
The way I think about is this: it’s certainly inconvenient and hard at first to break the habit of eating lots of processed foods and animal foods (meats, eggs, and dairy). For my dad it was the excess of the latter, as he didn’t eat many processed foods (most people still prepare home-cooked meals in Poland, so processed foods are not the biggest problem — even though it’s growing too. Most people do love their cold cuts and pork chops). Especially since we are constantly bombarded with marketing information about the importance of eating this stuff (yogurt for strong bones, lean meats for protein, etc., etc.)
However, when you think about the alternative – i.e. having your chest cut open during a bypass surgery, enduring the pain and consequences of this lifestyle, it certainly puts it into perspective.
Please educate yourself and take your health into your own hands. Noone will take care of you the way you will!
by Joanna | Health
Cabbage is often unappreciated, but it’s worth to make an effort to consume more of it, because of all the health benefits that it provides. Cabbage can be used in many cooking recipes, but it’s worth to consume lots of it raw for maximum benefits.
For most people, the appeal of cabbage juice lies not in its taste, which is rather bitter, but in the many health benefits you can derive from drinking it. A member of the healthy cruciferous family of vegetables that also includes broccoli and cauliflower, cabbage contains a wealth of micronutrients as well as a wide array of phytochemicals with a similarly broad variety of medicinal properties.
Salads and juicing are two popular ways to eat raw cabbage, as well as sauerkraut (cultured cabbage), but I have found that it can also be used in smoothies, as adding a small amount of cabbage to green smoothie will hardly be noticeable in many recipes.
Cabbage has been shown to reduce the risk of some cancers, especially those in the colorectal group. Cabbage provides fiber, vitamins A, C, K and B6, folate, potassium, manganese, thiamin, calcium, iron and magnesium.
Purple cabbage also contains anthocyanins, which in other vegetables have been proven to have anti-carcinogenic properties. Along with other cole crops, cabbage is a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. Research suggests that boiling these vegetables reduces their anti-carcinogenic properties.
Just looking at the Nutrition Facts from Nutritiondata.com will tell you that it’s very beneficial for weight loss and optimal health. No wonder, almost 90 grams of cabbage has only about 20 calories. And the glycemic load is almost negligible – very important for people with blood sugar issues.
The good news about cabbage, and other calciferous veggies, is that you can eat all the cabbage you want, practically stuffing yourself, and you still will not gain weight.
Select cabbage that is heavy for its size with leaves that are unblemished and have a bright, fresh look are signs of desirable quality. Whole cabbages are preferred whenever possible as pre-cut or preshredded cabbage has a greatly diminished vitamin content. Peak season for most cabbages runs from November through April.
Fresh whole cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for one to six weeks depending on type and variety. Hard green, white or red cabbages will keep the longest while the looser Savoy and Chinese varieties need to be consumed more quickly. It is necessary to keep the outer leaves intact without washing when storing since moisture hastens decay.
Green Cabbage Smoothie Ingredients
Time to make some green smoothies with cabbage!
green-cabbage-smoothie9b
Green Cabbage-Apple Smoothie
Red cabbage smoothie
Red cabbage smoothie
Beet cabbage smoothie
Beet Cabbage Smoothie Recipe
Submit Your Smoothie Recipe!
When you find a taste you love, why not submit your favorite smoothie recipe in the comment section below!
Find more smoothie recipes and tips on my blog.
by Joanna | Green Smoothies, Weight Loss
If you are struggling with weight loss and chronic health conditions, and you think that a healthier diet might help, but you are not sure how to implement that diet into your lifestyle, here is an inspiring story for you.
I have found Katherine’s website when browsing the web looking at other healthy eating/green smoothie websites.
I was intrigued by the name “Green Thickies” and wanted to know more about what they were and what’s so good about them. When I read that Katherine lost 56 pounds without going on a diet, as well as healed herself of chronic fatigue syndrome in 6 months – I definitely wanted to know more.
Still, when I read that she uses oats in her smoothies, I was skeptical. I prefer my smoothies to be just lots of greens and fruits, without any other ingredients. However, since lately I’ve been experimenting a lot with other ingredients in smoothies, such as root vegetables (beets, carrots), nuts, non-dairy milks, etc., I thought, “Why not? I’m going to try one of these “thickie” recipes!”
The first time I tried it I did not love it – I think I added too much oats, so the taste and texture were overpowering. But I tried again, adjusting the amount a bit, and adding some more liquid (non-dairy milk) – and I was sold. Right now I make green smoothies with oats for my son almost every day in the morning before he goes to school. I want him to get more calories than just in a green-fruit smoothie. He doesn’t like oatmeal or other healthy cereals that I try to offer to him, and he always asks for those highly processed ones, with lots of artificial colorings and sugar. He also doesn’t particularly like eating nuts, seeds or drinking non-dairy milks. So right now, he eats all of these without even knowing it. Problem solved.
So, I’m using the thickies to increase calories consumed in smoothies by my 8-year-old son (who is very tall for his age, and very thin), and my intention is for him to gain some weight in a healthy way; but the surprising aspect of Katherine’s story that is that is completely counter-intuitive is that these thick smoothies can actually help you lose weight.
Read the full interview with Katherine Natalia, the founder of GreenThickies.com.
Q &A
(Joanna) Can you tell us a little bit of your story: how did you come up with the idea of green thickies. What lead you to creating your first recipe?
(Katherine) While I was pregnant I had lots of time for making and eating healthy food. I used to have a green smoothie every morning followed by a bowl of oatmeal to fill me up. When my baby was born, not only did I not have the time for 2 breakfasts, but eating a bowl of hot porridge while looking after a baby just wasn’t practical. So one day I thought ‘Why not just add the oats to my green smoothie’. I had seen oats being added to fruit smoothies and being called ‘Thickies’ so this was my new invention, the Green Thickie. It worked perfectly, I could drink my healthy smoothie when I had time in the morning, not have to worry about it going cold and knowing that I was getting all the nutrients I needed for nursing my baby.
What diets did you tried before green smoothies? What were you eating? and what were the results?
Before green smoothies I had tried so many different types of diets to lose weight ranging from Weight Watchers, to Atkins and I never felt good on any of them. I had the wrong motivations as I was just trying to lose weight. When I became a vegan and started drinking green smoothies, my motivation was to become healthier, and that led to a long lasting change of my diet that is now just a way of life for me. A side benefit has been losing 56 pounds but if that had been my only motivation, I’m not sure I would have had the same success.
Before-After-Weight-Loss with Green Thickies
How was your health back then? You talk on your website how you healed yourself of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 6 months. Can you talk a bit about that… Did you have any other health issues?
Before I became a vegan my health had been getting slowly worse for a few years to the point where I could barely get out of bed. I had chronic fatigue syndrome and a whole range of other symptoms that led to debilitating health problems. I would collapse with stomach aches and be in pain every evening. I also spent all day long scratching my face non stop due to chronic allergies. I wrote a list of all my health problems and had over 50 symptoms. Whenever I went to the doctor they didn’t take me seriously as they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with me. I had to give up my job and felt utterly useless.
I realized I had a dairy intolerance so I became a vegan and straight away I did notice a massive improvement in my health, but I still didn’t feel 100% as I was in need of a serious detox to clean out my system completely. So I went on a raw food diet where I ate nothing but fruit, veg, and some nuts and seeds for 6 months. I drank green smoothies for my breakfast and lunch every day. After a horrible detox period I started to feel amazing and within 6 months I had never felt healthier and stronger in my entire life. I was over the moon that I’d finally found something that had turned my life around.
Did you (do you) count calories in your smoothies or calculate nutrients that you consumed during the day?
When I first started the raw food diet I would log all my food to make sure that I was getting all the nutrients that my body needed and that I was actually consuming enough calories. My intention was never to lose weight, but just to get healthy so I ate enough calories to sustain my weight, however the weight still fell off and in 4 months I had lost 56 pounds. That proved to me that you don’t need to restrict your calories if you are eating healthily, your body will reach it’s ideal weight easily. After that I never counted calories again. After my pregnancy I had gained some weight again and managed to lose it by cutting out processed food and drinking green thickies.
How are you feeling today? How is your health? How is your energy? How is your skin, etc? Are you able to maintain your ideal weight?
Today I am still feeling very healthy. I still don’t have any of the problems that I used to have. My allergies have never returned, my asthma and eczema are gone, so is my insomnia. My IBS stays away as long as my diet stays healthy. I have enough energy for all the jobs I need to do each day, my skin is clear. I don’t have any more acne and have only had a couple of colds since I changed my diet. I used to spend each winter ill with one bug after another and I feel so much better now. I don’t feel quite as good as I did when I was on the raw food diet, but that might be because my baby has caused me a lot of sleepless nights. But despite not getting a good night sleep, I cope just fine with very little sleep where as I used to feel extremely ill if I missed just one hour of my sleep. I used to have an extreme reaction to the sun, feeling dizzy within 5 minutes of being outside but now I love being out in the hot sun. I used to have extremely long and painful periods but now they are very light and I have no symptoms at all. I used to have very low blood sugar and would feel sick and dizzy if I didn’t eat straight away in the morning. Now I can go a lot longer without food when I’m hungry without feeling ill.
What does your typical day look like: How much smoothies smoothies/thickies do you drink on one sitting? How many times per day? Do you drink them all at once or do you prefer to sip them throughout the day?
During a typical day I would usually drink between 1-2 pints of green thickies for breakfast and 1-2 pints for lunch. It depends how hungry I am and how filling the smoothie is but I generally just sip them for about an hour in the morning and about an hour at lunch time. That way I can get on with other jobs and look after my baby while I’m drinking them.
Healthy nutrition is not just about the smoothies. What else do you eat during the day? (I know that you tried eating raw foods exclusively for a while, but that didn’t quite work for you.) How much of your food is raw food? What cooked dishes do you enjoy making?
Sometimes at the weekend I enjoy sitting down at lunch to a big salad or a big bowl of soup if I have more time. In the evening I make a healthy vegan cooked meal, but I have a small portion of it on top of a big green salad. I love getting as many greens as I can in my diet as they give me so much energy.
Although I don’t follow a 100% raw food diet anymore I do believe that raw fruit and veg is extremely good for us so I try to consume as much as I can. I have raw fruit and greens in my thickies and in my salad at night. I’m not sure what percentage of raw food I eat but I do eat a lot more in summer.
The cooked dishes I enjoy making are quinoa, stews, chili, gluten free pasta, risotto, baked potatoes etc.
What are the foods that you never or rarely eat?
Food that I try and stay away from are meat, dairy, eggs, most processed foods especially with long ingredients lists, white flour/ most flours, refined sugar, vegetable oils, gluten, wheat, anything too stimulating such as cacao, or powdered super foods and chocolate. I have a terrible chocolate addiction that I usually only indulge on special occasions but I do suffer for it so always end up regretting it.
I have a very weak body that can’t tolerate many ‘normal’ foods, but I’m just thankful that my body is letting me know so strongly which food is good for me so I can enjoy good health.
I noticed that you never use any animal products in your smoothies and you talk about being vegan on your website. While most weight-loss program recommend eating “lean animal protein” and low-fat cow’s milk is heavily promoted as “weight-loss food” – this is not a popular choice. What were the reasons for you to go vegan? How important being vegan is for you and your health?
I was pretty much a vegetarian when I realized that I was intolerant to dairy so I initially gave up dairy and continued eating eggs. However I was reading lots of vegan books at the time that convinced me to become a vegan. So my reasons are mainly health reasons for being a vegan, but after reading about the animal cruelty and sustainability, this has also become a strong motivator in my decision to stay a vegan. I do believe people can still be healthy with limited animal products from healthy sources in their diet as long as they ate a mainly unprocessed diet, but I’ve never liked meat so I can’t see this ever changing in my life.
What is your daughter eating? Does she like green thickies and green smoothies?
My baby loves green thickies and always starts the day with a one. She also eats a lot of fruit, and pretty much whatever I’m eating. She doesn’t like salad however. She is a vegan at the moment but as my husband isn’t a vegan, this may change in the future especially when she makes her own choices. So far she’s been extremely healthy with no health problems.
How important is physical activity for losing weight? Do you exercise regularly? Can one lose weight by drinking smoothies without having to exercise?
I think diet has a lot more to do with losing weight than exercise does and I do believe you can lose weight easily without doing any exercise. When I changed my diet I didn’t do any exercise to start with as I was going through a hard detox but as soon as I got my energy back I couldn’t help myself as I had so much energy to burn. I would do an hour of P90X and go out for an hour long run each day. Something I never thought would ever be a possibility for me. I felt so fit and so healthy. I think for ultimate health and state of mind, exercise is extremely important.
However since having my baby I’m afraid I don’t get to do as much exercise as I would like to. I do get out for long walks with her and go through periods of doing workouts on DVDs but my baby doesn’t need any more sleep than I do, so she’s up all evening which doesn’t leave me any time on my own. I’m accepting that at this point in my life I don’t get as much time for focusing on myself, but it won’t be this way forever and I’m just trying to enjoy playing with my baby which is a workout in itself.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with people who are struggling to lose weight and improve their health.
I would suggest just trying to change one thing at a time. If you try and change everything all at once it can lead to failure. So just start off replacing your breakfast with a smoothie, then try and eat one more piece of fruit a day. Then replace all your snacks with fruit and then have a look at your meals. If you make everything from scratch with healthy ingredients you know exactly what you are eating and will be more likely to lose weight. If you are concerned you are eating too many calories you can always track them online using something like cronometer.com but if you try and fill at least half of your plate (or glass) with leafy greens they you will crowd out other foods and your body will start to naturally lead you to healthier choices.
If you want a quick detox and to kickstart your weight loss, a good place to start would be to take the 7 Day Green Thickies Challenge. You can find the details here: http://www.greenthickies.com/7-day-green-smoothie-challenge.
Thank you!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
by Joanna | Health, Smoothie Recipes
Ah, cinnamon… I remember years ago on my trip to Morocco, I went to a restaurant where, for dessert, we were served neatly cut orange circles sprinkled with cinnamon powder. It was a truly elegant and delicious dessert! Plus, it’s a testimonial that simple things are often better…
Anyway, cinnamon can be a great addition to your smoothie. It is not expensive, has no unpleasant side effects, and provides lots of proven health benefits.
Although you can certainly buy cinnamon capsules, a much better way to enjoy the health benefits of cinnamon nutrition, is to add cinnamon to your smoothies and other dishes. While in the US, we use cinnamon mostly as a spice to be used in pies and other sweet-tasting baking recipes, in many parts of the world it is used in savory dishes as well.
What Are the Kinds of Cinnamon?
Cinnamon is the bark of one of a group of trees belonging to the same family. Many related species are marketed as cinnamon.
The two varieties mostly used are: Ceylon cinnamon (also called “true cinnamon”)and cassia cinnamon (or “Chinese cinnamon” is what you’ll typically find in your grocery store’s spice aisle) . Cassia cinnamon is the kind most often used for baking and cooking. It’s also the variety most researchers have used when they’ve studied cinnamon and diabetes.
The two kinds of cinnamon come from different plants. Cinnamomum Cassia, used in curry powder and in Chinese and Korean dishes, is dark brown. The other variety of cinnamon, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, is a lighter brown or tan.
Cinnamon “sticks” or “quills” are rolls of dried bark, and can be grated into a powder or soaked in liquid. Most people buy cinnamon pre-ground.
Cinnamon Nutrition
Would you believe that a mere teaspoon of cinnamon provides 28 mg of calcium, almost one mg of iron, over a gram of fiber, and quite a lot of vitamins C, K, and manganese? Yep. It also contains about half a gram of “usable” (non-fiber) carbohydrate.
What are the Health Benefits of Cinnamon?
In traditional medicine, cinnamon has been used for digestive ailments such as indigestion, gas and bloating, stomach upset, and diarrhea. It has a mild anti-inflammatory effect, slows down the spoiling of food, and has anti-fungal properties as well.
Health benefits of cinnamon include:
• Supporting digestive function
• Relieving congestion
• Relieving pain and stiffness of muscles and joints
• Reducing inflammation and symptoms of arthritis
• Helping to prevent urinary tract infections, tooth decay and gum disease
• Relieving menstrual discomfort
• Stimulating circulation with blood-thinning compounds
Cinnamon May Help Improve Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
The majority of the research seems to be pointing in the direction of cinnamon being beneficial for people with diabetes. Along with the improvement in blood sugar, studies have documented improvements in triglycerides, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol.
Several studies have shown improved insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control by taking as little as ½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day.
A study published in the December 2003 issue of the journal Diabetes Care, tested daily consumption of 1, 3, or 6 grams (1 gram = 1,000 mg) of cinnamon or a placebo every day for 40 days. The researchers found that among diabetics who used cinnamon:
- Fasting glucose was lowered 18 to 29 per cent.
- LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol fell by 7 to 27 per cent.
- Total cholesterol fell 12 to 26 per cent without any loss of the protective HDL cholesterol.
- Fasting triglycerides fell 23 to 30 per cent.
The benefits of using cinnamon continued even after supplementation was stopped. That means, if you used cinnamon regularly, you do not necessarily need cinnamon every day to receive the full benefits for blood sugar regulation and lowered levels of LDL, cholesterol, and triglycerides. In the interest of full disclosure, however, it is important to note that one recent study did not find the benefits of cinnamon to accrue in just 14 days. It is apparently necessary to use cinnamon in food for at least 40 days before you can “take a day off” and still get the protective benefits. (Source: Natural News)
Clearly, adding ample amounts of cinnamon to your diet is incredibly beneficial. Just remember, unless you are adding it to a proper diet — high in vegetables and especially leafy greens — it is unlikely you will experience any noticeable benefits.
Cinnamon in Smoothies
Cinnamon adds a wonderful flavor to green smoothies. It goes especially well with smoothies using apples, pears, citrus (oranges, tangerines), and bananas. Cinnamon can be used on its own or with other spices like nutmeg, clove, ginger and all spice.
Cinnamon combines best used with mild, less-bitter greens like romaine, leaf lettuce, baby spinach, and celery tops. I would caution against using it with bitter greens like kale and dandelion, or with flavorful berries.
The optimum dose is between 1-3 grams a day. 1 gram is around 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, about the amount you would use in a single-serving smoothie.
Most smoothie recipes suggest adding cinnamon “to taste,” but a good place to start is with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon for every 2 cups of smoothie. Adding cinnamon before blending maximizes aroma and flavor. But you can always sprinkle more on top as a garnish.
If you are interested in saving money, I recommend that you buy your cinnamon in bulk amounts. Make sure to store your extra cinnamon in a closed container for optimum freshness.
Note: More cinnamon is not necessarily better. Cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin, a substance that can be toxic to the liver in large amounts. People with liver damage should be careful not to overdo it, however, because large amounts of cinnamon may increase liver problems.
Cinnamon-Apple-Celery Smoothie
Celery Apple Cinnamon Smoothie: A Tasty Way to Stabilize Blood Sugars
Ingredients
- 4 stalks of green celery with or without the leaves
- 1 medium size apple (a green tart apple or a red fuji apple), leave the skin on if organic
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves or other mild leafy greens (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups of water
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a glass and drink immediately.
3.1
https://greenreset.com/cinnamon-smoothies/
Orange Cinnamon Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium orange, peeled and deseeded
- 1 medium very ripe mango, peeled and pitted; or 1 cup frozen mango
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ounces of filtered water
Instructions
- Start by adding the liquid to your blender (I use a Vitamix), followed by the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until the smoothie is creamy.
- Note: If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll want to grind the oats in a coffee grinder before adding them to your blender.
3.1
https://greenreset.com/cinnamon-smoothies/
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
by Joanna | Health
This is a question that sometimes comes up on the health and raw food forums, usually causing a lot of heated debate. There are a few experts, with a lot of credibility, who are saying “Don’t drink green smoothies. Green smoothies are not good enough. You need to be eating your greens in salads, eating sprouts, fresh water algae, seaweeds, and/or other “super-foods,” as well as drinking freshly made green juices made from sprouts and organic vegetables using high-quality juicer.”
Some of these people make it sound like blended green smoothies are no better than *junk food*.
One of the experts that has been very outspoken on this topic is Dr. Brian Clement. Dr Clement is the director of the Hippocrates Health Institute, a highly renowned institution, that has been helping people with terminal cancers and other life-threatening diseases for many decades. A disciple of Ann Wigmore, the founder of the wheatgrass movement, Dr. Brian Clement believes in juicing – wheatgrass, sprouts and green vegetables.
Dr. Clement has made several statements online claiming that blending destroys approximately 90% of the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables. According to him, the loss of nutrients is due to oxidation that is happening during blending. As oxygen is being sucked into the blender during a blend cycle, nutrients in the food are being destroyed, and as a result your blended smoothie would only contain about 10% of the nutrients in the fruit and greens that you put in the blender.
Does Blending Destroy 90% Of Nutrients?
According to Dr. Clement, oxidation is the reason that smoothies should not be considered “health food” and should instead be considered “recreational” or “transitional” (“bridge”) food, for people switching from the SAD diet, because the process of blending them for 90-120 seconds destroys 90% of nutrients.
Okay, so let’s look at some facts:
1. There is no denying that some nutrient loss does occur from blending. However, nutrients are lost whenever whole foods are chewed, cut, chopped, juiced, shredded, peeled, dehydrated and otherwise exposed to air. Nutrients in food begin to degrade the instant they are harvested, exposed to UV light and heat. You can’t get 100% of the nutrients in every food unless you eat plants right after they are picked, and even then, you will destroy nutrients just by chewing the food.
However, that doesn’t mean that the kale sitting in your refrigerator right now is devoid of nutrients – or unhealthy. And it certainly doesn’t mean that green smoothies are junk food.
2. A professional blender, such as Vitamix, blends a smoothie in about 10-20 seconds, not 90-120 seconds. I certainly wouldn’t blend a green smoothie for a solid two minutes, but even so, I doubt that it would result in 92% nutrient loss.
3. Secondly, green smoothies are loaded with antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, flavonoids and carotenoids that help reduce and prevent oxidation.
4. Victoria Boutenko conducted an experiment on potatoes where she juiced one and blended the other. After two days, the blended potato had very little oxidation, most of which was at the top of the glass where the liquid was exposed to air. The juiced potato turned brown and oxidized much more rapidly. She asked two scientists to comment on the results, and they both agreed that her experiment proved that blending may indeed be better than juicing in this respect.
5. Also, the amazing results that people are getting by adding green smoothies to their diet, certainly prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is not “junk food.”
And even Dr. Clement admits that smoothies are an excellent bridge food from what people are eating now to what he would call a “healthy” diet. He even goes so far to say that blending is “infinitely better” than what most people are eating.
In fact, the cornerstone of the Living Foods Lifestyle at the Hippocrates institute is the Energy Soup, a blended mixture of greens, sprouts, vegetables, Rejuvelac, and dulse. Energy soup is a complete meal, containing every nutrient in a balanced form that the body needs.
Ann Wigmore, when she developed the Hippocrates diet, advocated juicing fruits and vegetables as a way to obtain optimal nourishment. However, in her later years, she became a proponent of blending foods rather than juicing them. The only juices she used were watermelon and wheatgrass.
Ann Wigmore believed that juices can be too cleansing for most people’s bodies.” Blending helps the body to clean itself and thus it restores health much quicker than just eating the foods as salads, yet it does not overtax the system with the rapid cleansing action of juices,” she wrote. “Also, juices do not contain fiber. Separating the fiber and other elements from the juice results in a food that is not as balanced as Nature would have it.”
The thing you need to consider is this: If you are already eating a big bunch of kale and other greens in your salad, along with other vegetables, as well as drinking freshly made organic juice every day, then you probably don’t need green smoothies, and you will not observe any benefits from adding them to your diet, other than perhaps time that you will save by blending your produce, instead of preparing salads and juices.
However, my guess is that 99% of the people are not there yet.
The forgotten fact is, in ANY form, Americans simply aren’t eating the sufficient quantity of good-quality natural plant foods.
EVEN IF a salad is superior (and I dispute that, even though I love salads too!), guess what? Virtually no one is eating that much salad. If your goal is perfection, then perhaps you need to start growing your own organic vegetables and sprouts, and eat them freshly picked in salads, chewing them to perfection. I choose to operate in facts and realities to come up with solutions that people will actually DO.
Green smoothies are an excellent first step that is easy to take for anybody. It literally doesn’t get any easier than this. It’s the best use of your kitchen time, so even if you only spend 20 minutes in the kitchen right now, you can fit it into your lifestyle.
Plus it’s a sustainable habit. Most people who buy juicers don’t use them every day. My juicer has been sitting unused, collecting dust, for a long time, even before I started blending. Since I purchased my VitaMix four years ago, I’ve been using it almost EVERY SINGLE DAY when I’m home, a few times per day. (I say almost every day, because I don’t take it with me when I travel).
Try putting 2 lbs. of fresh greens and vegetables on a giant platter. Tell someone to eat it in a day. It’s beyond daunting—it’s virtually impossible unless you’re going to spend 30 minutes chopping and 90 minutes chewing. Most people cannot spend hours a day preparing food and trying to get all my food down, so blending is their best option.
Try putting 2 lbs. of fresh greens and vegetables on a giant platter and eat it in a day. It’s beyond daunting.
Nutrients oxidize a little bit upon blending, but then again, nutrients are also lost when greens are chewed and swallowed. Nutrients are also lost because the narrow modern palate doesn’t break them down well enough to get absorbed fully.
Just think that you’d have to eat a giant platter of plain greens daily that you get in your quart of green smoothie–I doubt that you’d actually do it. Green smoothies are nutritionally superior to 99.9% of what 99.9% of Americans are eating all day.
I obviously feel strongly that green smoothies are a great way to spend 10 minutes to get up to 15 servings of raw fruits and greens in the diet. Don’t forget that a quart will completely fill your stomach, with only 200 calories. You don’t need any dressing to get it down. You don’t have to prep it for 30 minutes and spend another 30 minutes eating it.
Does blending destroy 90% of nutrients? Are green smoothies junk food?
So, if you ask me, even if green smoothies are not the “Holy Grail” of nutrition (there are many more things that you can and should be doing, such as eating big salads, loaded with greens, sprouts, seaweeds, and other healthy foods :-); you can also add freshly made green juices to your repertoire) — for overall nutrition, made quickly, consumed easily, for high impact on many different health issues, green smoothies win hands down.
Are green smoothies no better than junk food?
What are your thoughts?
