I wanted to try something new with my family this year so I came up with a strawberry green smoothie for dessert that I will serve on Christmas Day.  We have been spending the holidays in Atlanta with my family for as long as I can remember and every year we get together to laugh and talk about old memories and enjoy good food.  Well I have been talking to my family about raw foods and if you could hear some of the comments and questions that come out of their mouths, you would be shocked! Well needless to say, I decided that instead of talking about how delicious the foods taste and the fact that you  can actually taste the flavors of foods when they haven’t had all of the nutrients cooked out of them, I’m going to give them a little sampling with a delicious recipe for a srtawberry green smoothie. My family loves dessert and what could be better than the sweet taste of strawberries.

This is a pretty big undertaking because my family is pretty confused about most of the things I believe in.  When I became a vegetarian back in the early 90’s, they thought I was crazy and also thought that I was depriving myself of meat.  When I really started paying attention to how much waste we consumed and started asking everyone to recycle, well they were… confused. 

Wish me luck, but  I’m going to prepare a very simple strawberry smoothie for dessert.  My secret ingredient for this recipe is aloe vera. In a previous blog, Disa mentioned using aloe vera in her green smoothie and I was excited to read this since I started using aloe vera in my green smoothie as well. I think I’ll mention the aloe vera in the green smoothie after my family has tasted how delicious this smoothie truly is. If you have family members or friends who don’t understand your lifestyle or your way of eating, don’t give  up, just set an example and let your actions speak for themselves.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera, also known as Medicinal Aloe, is a species of a succulent desert plant originating in northern Africa.  As a skin care therapist, I have seen the many wonderful benefits of using aloe vera in skin care treatments, but the health benefits of aloe vera go way beyond skin care treatments. Here are some of the amazing health benefits of aloe vera. Information taken from the editor at http://www.naturalnews.com

• Halts the growth of cancer tumors.
• Lowers high cholesterol.
• Repairs “sludge blood” and reverses “sticky blood”.
• Boosts the oxygenation of your blood.
• Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain.
• Protects the body from oxidative stress.
• Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea.
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.
• Cures ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders.
• Reduces high blood pressure natural, by treating the cause, not just the symptoms.
• Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients.
• Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns.
• Replaces dozens of first aid products, makes bandages and antibacterial sprays obsolete.
• Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract.
• Ends constipation.
• Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics.
• Prevents and treats candida infections.
• Protects the kidneys from disease.
• Functions as nature’s own “sports drink” for electrolyte balance, making common sports drinks obsolete.
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance.
• Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion.
• Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair.

Strawberry Green Smoothie Recipe

• One and a half cups strawberries (unsweetened frozen are fine)
• One handful baby spinach
• 3 Tablespoons aloe vera gel or juice (I use gel from the whole leaf or you can purchase pure aloe vera from a reputable company)
• 2 bananas (frozen if possible)
• One cup water (you can add more if you like a thinner consistency)
• 3 Medjool Dates

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy