Posts Tagged ‘blueberries’

Raw Food Cheesecake: Worth. Every. Nanosecond!!

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 by stacey

- by Stacey Terry

stacey-terry-strawberry-blueberry-raw-cheesecake
Have I ever told any of you how much I love my job!?  I tell ya… working for Tera Warner and The Green Smoothie Queen often feels like a dream come true.  Besides getting to read an abundance of raw food and nutritional information that continues to reinforce the lifestyle path I’m on, once in awhile, there’s something special, really special, that comes across my editing desk.

That was most definitely the case when I got a sneak peek at The Decadent Gourmet by Angela Elliott.  And even though I’m a fan of eating green food and always start my day with a good old fashioned glass of lawnmower pulp -  yes, my beloved green smoothies -  I have to admit, reading through all the raw food cheesecake, ice cream, cookies, and cobbler recipes took a bit of a toll on me.  But it was an educational read too.  Anyone like Angela who has found a way to make dessert guilt-free is a dear friend in my heart!  (more…)

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Who Needs Botox?

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 by stacey

- by Kate Nicholson

Woo-hoo! Met up with a friend last week that I haven’t seen for a while. She wanted to know what I’ve been doing to myself ‘as I look ten years younger’! So I pointed her in the direction of our brilliant Green Smoothie Queen site. So Chris, if you’re reading this - thanks for the wonderful compliment and here’s the reason for my new glow!

For all those of you out there who, like me, have been seeing the odd wrinkle and grey hair appear, I’ve been looking at some anti-aging ingredients for smoothies.

First up, there are blueberries. According to http://www.beautynhealthytips4u.com, they are rich in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which make them great for preventing premature ageing and the onset of wrinkles.

Blueberries are also cited by Dr Nicholas Perricone (the anti-aging expert) as a superfood. And surprisingly, he recommends the humble apple for its phytonutrients and the quercetin (an anti-oxidant) it contains, for beauty and health.  Of course, Dr Perricone extols the virtues of dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and broccoli (we all know already how wonderful they are!) as great for helping the skin to block the sunlight-induced inflammation which leads to wrinkles.

He also writes that asparagus may help prevent broken capillaries due to the large amounts of the bioflavonoid rutin that it contains. Now I haven’t tried asparagus tips in a smoothie, so if anyone has, I’d love to hear what it’s like!

So play around, fellow green-smoothie drinkers, and let us know any good recipes and any tips for natural anti-aging strategies. (I like to do half an hour’s yoga before making my smoothie. The combination of yoga and the pure, wholesome goodness of the green smoothie keep me serene and frown-free all day).

“Our food choices ensure that our skin will look youthful, supple and radiant,” says Dr Perricone. Hear, hear, I second that!

***

Shushma. (2009).  Health and beauty with blueberries. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from  http://www.beautynhealthytips4u.com/2009/04/health-and-beauty-with-blueberries.html

Steintrager, M. Top ten foods for beauty and health.  Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/nutritiousdishes/beautyfood

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Diving into Detoxing the Easy Way!

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 by stacey

- by Caitlyn Furness

Some of us are diving into the 6-week detox this week.  This means we are up to our ears in green juices and green smoothies.  Last week was a preparatory week for the detox, and this week is technically week one of the GI (gastro-intestinal) repair phase, which is supposed to last for two weeks.  We’re supposed to drink up to 2 quarts of the green stuff a day, either green juices or green smoothies.  I’m there now, but I had to work my way up to that over the last six months!  When I first started drinking  these, green juices especially, I had to add a lot of apple juice and lemon juice to it, but now, I can do more green juice and less fruit.  In fact, now I can munch dandelion greens straight and I even like them that way!  Don’t worry though, I still have a problem with wheat grass juice!  But thankfully, my favourite green detox drinks are simple to make.

In fact, my point of writing this post is to show how easy it is to make up a smoothie, even when you’re on the go.  Last week, a family member was in the hospital, and I was running back and forth because of it.  I never knew when I’d have to pick up and go in a hurry.  Smoothies and salads were my lifesavers!  I’d make a couple smoothies, put them in my stainless steel bottles (which happen to be bright pink!), and away I’d go with no worries about having food in a hostile hospital environment with take-out food everywhere!

Here’s one of the recipes I was carting around in my pink bottles:

Berry Blaster Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • 2 frozen bananas
  • 2 cups frozen blueberries
  • 4 ribs celery
  • 2 giant handfuls kale
  • Small handful dandelion greens
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1 T coconut oil

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into your blender and blend (start with the softer ones first if you have a regular blender)!  You might have to do this in batches if you don’t have a high-speed blender.  Of course, you can use fresh bananas and blueberries in place of the frozen, but it’s winter, and this is what I have on hand now.

Enjoy!

It’s Easier Being Green Than You Think!

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Berry, Berry, Green Smoothie

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 by Aran

I am a ‘by gosh or by golly’ type of cook. . . .   Entirely intuitive, no recipes allowed. . . lol   Which means I take a little of this and a pinch of that in all my recipes, raw or otherwise. I hope you will enjoy this recipe and change it as much as you like.

Berry, Berry,  Smoothie. . . .green smoothie fruits

(Makes 1 litre or more of smoothie)

  • 3 Bananas
  • 2 Ripe Peaches
  • A couple of handfuls of Frozen Blueberries
  • Sugar snap peas (lovely fresh flavour)
  • Frozen Blackberries and Raspberries (handful each)
  • 2-3 Cabbage leaves from the Garden
  • 1 Head of Romaine Lettuce
  • Fresh herbs from the garden (Thyme, Cilantro, Parsley)
  • 1 or 2 bottles of Spring or Distilled water depending how dilute you want it.

Blend everything together beginning with the softest ingredients. Add the   water to make the smoothie to your preference.  (My personal preference is for a thin, ‘dilute’ smoothie)

***Aran is our Blog Coordinator here at Green Smoothie Queen, and will  be featuring Smoothie recipes each week.  She is looking for more yummy Smoothie recipes to share on our Green Smoothie blog.  So, come on you Smoothie fans! Send in your original Smoothie recipes to contributors@therawdivas.com and you too could see your name in (Green) Lights!!!

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Posted in Green Smoothies | 2 Comments »

Blueberry Smash (Green Smoothie with Spinach, Bananas, Blueberries, Honey and Vanilla)

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 by Aran

blueberries

Blueberries are just so delicious and tantalizing, that I couldn’t resist making myself an extra indulgent smoothie with them. Then there is the added bonus of the many nutrients they contain.

Blueberry Smash Recipe

  • 100g baby English spinach
  • 3 small bananas
  • 300g blueberries
  • raw honey
  • splash vanilla extract

blueberry green smoothieI put the spinach in first with a cup of water and blend, then add the other ingredients as I don’t have my Blendtec just yet.

This is a VERY thick smoothie, so you can add some more water to thin it out if you desire to do so.

Blueberry blessings,
Veronica

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Antioxidant Green Smoothie (Dinosaur Kale, Blueberries, Red Grapes and Medjool Dates)

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 by stacey

blueberriesThis smoothie is a powerhouse of antioxidants that are thought to help protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals and the chronic diseases associated with the aging process. *

red_grapesAntioxidants are present in foods as vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and polyphenols, among others. Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors—the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and saffron; and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes.

The most well-known components of food with antioxidant activities are vitamins A, C, and E; beta carotene; the mineral selenium; and more recently, the compound lycopene.

dinosaur kaleAntioxidant Green Smoothie Recipe

  • One handful dinosaur kale
  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 1 cup red grapes (seeded are best)
  • 2 or 3 medjool dates
  • 1 cup water (optional)

Blend and enjoy!green smoothie jug

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Tracy

**Information provided by http://www.ific.org/publications/factsheets/antioxidantfs.cfm

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Sit Back and Relax with this Fresh as the Morning Sun Green Smoothie (Parsley, Sprouts, Apples, Blueberries)

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 by stacey

dinner with friends

Last night we had dinner at a friend’s house and they had spring rolls that were so amazing. I was a little embarrassed because I had too many to count (I had 5), I told myself that it was okay because they had fresh vegetables in them and were not fried. I think deep down I knew that the peanut sauce for dipping would have been okay if I stopped at 2 or 3 rolls, but I just couldn’t help myself they were so delicious.

So today I decided to make my own version of the spring rolls and guess what, I couldn’t stop eating them. And it’s funny how we can justify what we are doing to convince ourselves that what ever we are doing is okay.

After devouring the spring rolls, I knew that the only thing that would make me feel better was a green smoothie loaded with parsley. Parsley has such an amazing effect on my emotional state. Whenever I drink a green smoothie made with parsley I think of a fresh meadow. I can’t tell you why this is, but it brings a smile to my face. Tera in a previous blog talked about adding parsley to her green smoothies and I totally understand why she said that parsley is “magical.” I totally agree with her!

blueberries

Not only did I decide to add parsley to my smoothie, I added alfalfa sprouts, apples and blueberries. I decided to find a quiet place in my house and take some time to do some deep breathing and slowly savor the taste of this fresh green drink. I felt as if the parsley detoxed the spring rolls out of my body, or maybe just out of my mind!

If you are ever feeling like life is overwhelming or you’re feeling out of balance, just grab your blender and make yourself the biggest, greenest, tastiest smoothie you can, and let it put the biggest smile on your face.

Blueberries, Apples, Alfalfa Sprouts and Parsley Green Smoothie

  • ½ cup blueberries
  • 4 large apples (I tend to like the tart sweet varieties)
  • 1 handful alfalfa sprouts
  • 2 handfuls of parsley (I like the flat leaf variety, but feel free to use either the flat leaf or curly variety. You can use less parsley if just starting out.)
  • 1 cup water (optional)
  • ¼ cup agave (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

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