- by Katia Dupoirier
Once again we’re featuring some salivating green smoothie selections from Katia! We often get requests from people who are trying to limit or avoid fruit in their diets, so these particular green smoothie recipes might be just the trick. All I know is that there’s chocolate involved.
Enough said. (more…)
- by Kate Nicholson
I’ve just finished an exhausting week of hospital shifts. As we, the staff, all rushed round with no time for meal breaks, I watched as people grabbed bars of chocolate from the vending machine to keep them going (and I was doing it myself - guilty as charged.).
We all know what happens when you eat a bar of chocolate. Sugar overload = rush of energy = energy crash = another bar of chocolate.
I watched as the trolley from the hospital’s League of Friends shop came round with the kind, elderly volunteers asking patients if they wanted to buy anything. Guess what the trolley is loaded with? Yep. Chocolate. Crisps. Sweets.
I watched bored patients loading up their lockers with bars of chocolate. I watched patients and staff grabbing cans of caffeine loaded fizzy drinks.
This is a hospital. We’re supposed to be focused on healing people. We’re supposed to be promoting public health.
Wouldn’t it be amazing to find juice and smoothie bars in hospitals? Full of freshly made natural fruits and vegetables? To have a smoothie option on the menu? To offer post operative patients, sick children, breast-feeding mums, the elderly, and long stay patients (who are at risk of becoming malnourished in some hospitals due to the poor quality of food) something as tasty, nutritious, health-giving and easy to swallow as a sweet green juice? (more…)
- by Kate Nicholson
And still the compliments keep rolling in…My youngest daughter said to me the other day, “It’s so great to talk to you Mum; you’re so full of life and happiness.” This, about a woman who was quietly, deeply depressed and listless for many, many years while eating the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) way. Raw has changed my life around. I love raw!
My latest bouncing-with-vitality concoction involves the use of Tahini. And chocolate. The sesame seeds in Tahini contain magnesium, which, according to http://www.whfoods.com, helps to restore normal sleep patterns, particularly in women going through the peri/menopause. The calcium they contain is good for PMS symptoms.
And chocolate! Well, we all know chocolate’s many benefits (in moderation, naturally…). For me, it’s definitely a mood lifter. I sparkle after a teaspoon of raw cacao.
So, it makes sense to me that if I need a natural mood booster, I should put these together in my favourite food format - the green smoothie! I’d choose a type of green leafy veg that has a mild taste for this smoothie. Pak choi (or Bok Choy, depending on where you live) works well, as does Romaine lettuce. Http://www.sixwise.com has a list of nine uncommon greens, and states that Bok Choy is good for preventing cancer, cataracts and fighting free-radicals, and Romaine supports normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. So take your pick depending on your taste or family medical history! I tend to stick with Romaine, only because it’s easy to get organic locally.
Now… here’s what you’ve all been waiting for!
The Va-Va-Voom Vitality Booster
Whizz up in the blender and then prepare to dance your way through the day!
Retrieved January 25, 2010 from: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=84
Retrieved January 25, 2010 from: http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/07/04/04/nine-uncommon-green-leafy-vegetables-worth-trying.htm
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