Kale and Pear Smoothie - boost your natural skin SPF with nutrition!

 Kale and Pear Smoothie

Recommended by Alternatives' Kathi Bratberg RN, MS Holistic Nutrition, this smoothie is a great way to get a healthy dose of antioxidants and nutrients as recommended by Dr. Patricia Ryan in our featured article about Summer Skincare. The recipe and information about Kale comes from the Vitamix website. A Vitamix blender helps break greens down to a cellular level - making the nutrients more available. If you are using a less powerful blender, just be sure to de-stem and finely chop the Kale before blending.

Kale may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to making a great smoothie—but it is definitely one of the best! Dark leafy green kale is packed with calcium in a form that the body finds easier to digest than milk—and that’s a real bonus for your bones. Pair these nutritious but bitter leaves with pear, green grapes, and orange and a banana, and you get a surprisingly sweet smoothie that is absolutely loaded with nutrition. 

Kale is a form of cabbage and related to broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.  It is very low in calories and contains more nutrients than most other greens.  Kale is an excellent source of vitamin K, which is essential for bone and blood health, and helps by mediating coagulation and anticoagulation.  Sulforaphane is a chemical found in kale and also sprouts and broccoli.  A study published in Drug Discovery Today found that sulforaphane may help stop breast cancer cells from growing.  The University of Texas conducted a study and found that a diet rich in kale may prevent bladder cancer by up to 29%.  Kale may also help ovarian cancer too.  The Nurse’s Health Study observed that women whose diets provided the most kaempferol, a flavonoid found in kale, had a 40% reduction in risk of ovarian cancer.  By supplying the body with plenty of calcium, copper and manganese, kale may help absorb iron and prevent bone loss.

Green grapes may help improve circulation and prevent blood clots—and the seeds contain protective flavinol compounds that fight free radicals and repair connective tissues. Oranges protect against colds, flu, heart disease and strokes with a big vitamin C immune boost. Bananas are a smoothie staple, but they are packed with cholesterol calming potassium. 

Yield: 4 cups (960 ml)
Speed: Variable to High
Time: 1 1/2 minutes

• 1 cup green grapes
• 1 (130 g) orange, peeled
• 1/2 Bartlett pear
• 1 (120 g) banana, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup kale
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups ice cubes

Directions
Place all ingredients into container and secure the lid. Select VARIABLE speed #10, then to HIGH for 1 ½ minutes. Turn machine off.
Serve immediately.


recipe from http://www.vitamix.com/household/Health/green_smoothie.asp