Happy 2015 everyone!! After a 3-month maternity leave I am getting back into the swing of all things healthy!!! As we enter into a new year, I would love to share one of my personal goals in health and wellness with you.
It is always my personal motivation to eat whole and provide my family with whole foods. In today’s culture, however, let’s face it – it is tough to avoid the processed foods that surround us all everyday. Life is busy and convenience is key for many, which is usually the push towards processed foods that offer that convenience. Eating whole and well doesn’t have to be hard or time consuming, it just takes a little pre-planning. I truly believe that nourishing our bodies with the foods that grow naturally on this earth is what our bodies desire and thrive on. As a 2015 goal, I plan to deepen my daily diet rich in foods that this wonderful earth provides, minimizing even further the processed foods we simply don’t need as fuel. I will be sharing “wholeness” recipes and inspiration along the way on this blog so thank you for following.
To kick off the New Year, a common word we will all see is “Detox!” It’s a common resolution for so many to desire the “Re-Charge” or “Get Healthy” goal! So as we begin a new year, I thought I would start off with a simple but “Dandy” of a smoothie that is sure to help that detox move right along. Although our bodies naturally detox everyday, thanks to our liver, kidneys, and lungs, this super star ingredient will just further push along the natural detox process for the entire system. Let’s break out those Vitamix blenders, Nutribullets, or Ninjas … and have some fun!
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he star ingredient for this smoothie is the Dandelion green! The Dandelion green is a super star in nutrition, loaded with vitamins A, B, C, D, very high in calcium, rich in iron, low in calories (just 25 calories per 1 cup), considered a natural diuretic…. aka the detox green, provides natural anti-inflammatory properties. And in the International Journal of Oncology May 2008, researchers found that dandelion leaf extract decreased the growth in tissue cultures of breast cancer cells, WOW and WOW!! So the Dandelion greens may offer anti-cancer benefit too! Are you ready to add these dandy greens to your next smoothie? Let’s get started in making this super duper detox smoothie and kick-off your healthy year!
Dandelion Detox Smoothie
1 cup fresh Dandelion Greens (I purchased my greens from Whole Foods)
½ cup chopped celery
½ fresh pear
½ frozen banana
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or homemade almond milk
1 tsp local honey
Toppings: Sprinkle with hemp seeds and wheat grass powder (optional)
Combine all ingredients in high powered blender such as the Nutribullet, Vitamix, or Ninja and blend until all ingredients are well smooth in mixture. Sprinkle with above toppings if desired and enjoy this tasty, naturally detoxifying green smoothie.
Cheers!
