You are what you eat!

The old adage "You are what you eat" has never been more true, according to modern physicians. We continually hear about the many benefits of eating well. A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean protein has been proven to reduce the risk of diseases like heart disease, cancer, alzheimers and diabetes. But did you know that a healthy diet can also slow the aging process! I am so on board!

Studies are finding that diets rich in antioxidants not only give a person the tremendous benefit of preventing disease, they also help keep your body young.

This list of foods found to be the highest in antioxidants was compiled by Dr. Oz and can be found on http://www.doctoroz.com/ :

Cholesterol Fighters: Beans (red, kidney, black, soy)
Cancer Fighters: Red Fruits - cranberries, pomegranate, raspberries
Heart Disease Fighters: Blue Fruits & Vegetables - purple potatoes, blueberries, purple grapes. black currents, red wine
Wrinkle Fighters: apricots, cantaloupe, lemons, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds
Breast Cancer Fighters: Green Vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale
I am a big fan of Dr. Oz and his program. I don't often get to watch the show, but his website is chocked full of valuable information, I highly recommend it.

Later I will share with you a way to get all the above foods in your diet in one quick and easy meal!

Eating a healthy diet can be more difficult and more time consuming. However once you have made the decision that your health is important and good health is vital to a good life, it becomes easy. It is far better to develop a good healthy lifestyle now, before an illness prompts you to do so.

Now for that recipe, get out your blender. If you are like me, I had to dust mine off. The only time I used my blender was to make milk shakes.... not any more! Any blender will do, mine is a $19.00 Hamilton Beach.
First add 2 cups of water or 1 cup water and 1 cup real 100% juice (cranberry pomegranate is great)
a handful of baby carrots or one carrot cut in to chunks (no real measuring needed)
two handfuls of broccoli (fresh or frozen)
a handful of spinach or cabbage or bok choy (you get the idea, any cruciferous vegie you like)
a handful of strawberries or raspberries (fresh or frozen)
a handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
half of a beet (cut up in to chunks)
one apple (quartered without the seeds)
one banana
1/2 cup firm tofu or 1/2 cup beans (rinsed)
Blend on smoothie setting.
Viola! you have every marvelous recommended antioxidant in one easy to drink meal! And your body and mind will feel great! This is easy to take along in the car in the morning on your way to work, or for you and the kids to drink on the way to school.

Note: You may need to pulse the blender to get things started. You may also need to add more water depending on the consistency you prefer, but the more liquid you add the less good nutritious food can fit.  When I began I would run out of room in my blender, and would have to drink some in order to add other items. With time you will know just how much of each food and how much liquid you desire.

To your average person (like most of the members of my family) this concoction sounds terrible. If I would have left out the green stuff (vegies) it would have gone over a lot better. Fruit smoothies are common, not smoothies made with spinach and broccoli! However I guarantee that they are delicious because the fruit taste is far more dominant than the vegie taste! And oh how good they make you feel!! Speaking from personal experience, within a half an hour or so of having one of these smoothies, I have a renewed energy and vitality!

Wishing energy, vitality and good health to you!