One of the best ways to get the most out of each bite of our fresh produce is to blend it. We receive up to 80% more nutrition when we blend rather than eat our salads.1 That means, we get a whole lot more for our money! With the price of groceries, why not get the maximum benefits from your dollars?
The best blended drinks are NOT smoothies packed with sweet fruit. The best blended drinks focus on leafy greens and other veggies. Some fruit may be OK, but we must be careful not to overdo fruit, because the sugar content can get excessive. Even natural sugars can cause harm when over-consumed.
The Hallelujah Diet has always promoted vegetables and fruits. . .but emphasized moderation of the fruit portion. The new recipe book, Less is Enough, asks us to examine the fruit portion in our smoothies. Does your palate call for dessert flavored blended beverages rather than savory veggie combos?
The purpose of the book, Less is Enough, is to point out the vegetables and other satisfying, nutrition-packed ingredients that can be used to make a wonderful blended beverage without so much, or NO sweet fruit. This book calls these blended treasures, “veg-smoothies”. By gradually lowering the fruit or concentrated sweeteners in your shakelicious drinks, you can train your palette to actually look forward to the taste of a variety of blended vegetables instead of something so sweet.
Many Hallelujah Dieters enjoy what we call “blended salads”. Typically, blended salads are salad ingredients that are blended in a food processor or blender until they are creamy, almost like a shake. Simply take any salad with all your favorite toppings, including dressing if you like, process the entire amount in the blender, and you have created a salad that can be eaten with a spoon. Herbs, both dried and fresh, add a flavor boost.
When a person first eats or drinks a blended salad, it is so different from anything on the Standard American Diet, they may be taken aback. In the beginning, they may taste strong. Blending doesn’t just release the nutrients better, it releases the flavors better. Since all the flavors are stronger, the taste buds are not accustomed to the brand-new taste sensation. Blended salads can be toned down with water or a nut milk.
The book, Less Is Enough, suggests we can start the journey toward blended “veg- smoothies”, by simply cutting the sweet fruit portion in half. Then, when we are ready, maybe add a little more veggie such as celery or broccoli, or some sprouts. GRADUALLY toning down the fruit portion, and slowly turning up the vegetable volume, is the way to train our palettes to not require so much sweetness from fruits and instead, savor the goodness of vegetables. We can condition our senses to actually LOVE the rich, robust taste of blended vegetables; especially if we mask the harsher, bolder flavors with lemon and other healthy items.
Not only does blending release more nutrition out of the cell wall and release more flavor, but blended drinks take a tremendous burden off the digestive tract. The chore of breaking down the cellulose wall is removed so the nutrients can be absorbed with ease.
The better the blender, the better at pulverizing the produce: and the smoother the drink will be. That is why investing in a high-powdered blender, such as a Vitamix, will help get maximum results and produce a creamier product. Grainy and thready blended beverages are not as appetizing. If you do not own a high-powdered blender, adding ¼ of an avocado (seed and peel removed) goes a long way to make your “veg-smoothie” silky smooth. However, since blending is such a game-changer in terms of better utilizing groceries and supporting digestion, investing in a Vita-Mix may be one of the best health decisions one can make.
Get the most out of your groceries! Learning to LOVE blended creations is a smart and effective way to enjoy your veggies.
To learn more, listen to the webinar HERE.
Veggies and Sprouts Veg-Smoothie
Makes around 12 oz.
Blend the following:
1 large over-flowing handful spinach
Medium over-flowing handful of either arugula or parsley
1/3 cup broccoli or more
1/3 cup alfalfa/clover sprouts, or more
¼ avocado, peel and seed removed
¼ lemon, peel and seeds removed
1 cup water
Simple and exceedingly nutritious! Choosing between arugula or parsley will totally change-up the flavor.
1Dr. Blaylock’s Prescriptions for Natural Health, Russell L. Blaylock, MD, Humanix Books, NY,NY. 2016.
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Christopher Young
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