Today I am publishing a new recipe from the author of the Spinach and Buckwheat blog, Yulia Bogdanova, a herbal nutritionist.
At first glance, the set of ingredients for this smoothie is very unusual, but it turns out really tasty and healthy!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 large enough beets or half small,
- 1 large juicy orange
- a handful (about half a heap) fresh spinach,
- 6-8 halves of walnut cores,
- 2-3 centimeters of ginger root,
- 5-6 dates (or more to taste),
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 glass of water (or more for optimal consistency).
Preparation
Peel the beets, orange and ginger. Remove seeds from dates. Combine all ingredients in a blender and beat on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add ginger, dates, lemon juice or water as needed.
The walnuts and spinach in this smoothie are a source of very important omega-3 fatty acids for our health, which are chronically lacking in the traditional Western diet, which is poor in greens, but rich in vegetable, including refined, oils and animal products. Together, the ingredients in this smoothie are also rich in vitamins that help reduce inflammation – these are vitamins C, D, E, K, B6.
Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for human health – one of them is found in the highest concentration in the tissues of the brain and eyes. Slightly less in semen and heart muscle. Consequently, a lack of omega-3 and the resulting excess of omega-6 lead to a malfunction in the functioning of these organs, the development of inflammatory processes and, according to the results of many studies, can play a significant role in the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, autoimmune, nervous – mental and even cancerous.
Perhaps, from ancient childhood times, often smelling of fish oil, many have the impression that almost the only source of omega-3 is fish oil or its original “supplier” – fish.
In fact, the largest amounts of these acids are found in the chlorophyll layers of green leaves, both terrestrial and aquatic: plants need them for photosynthesis. And it is these plants that are the primary sources of omega-3 in fish and other animal products – but ONLY UNDER the CONDITION that green plants were present in significant quantities in the diet of animals. Otherwise, even fish traditionally found in cold waters will contain predominantly omega-6 fatty acids, which compete with omega-3s for the enzymes needed for further conversion.
If you add to this the risk of high levels of heavy metals (including mercury) in fish from polluted waters, as well as hormones and antibiotics in industrially produced animal products, it is more reliable and safer to prevent omega-3 deficiency by regularly consuming plant sources.
Main plant sources:
- microalgae, especially spirulina,
- green leaves – any greens, both salad and aromatic,
- flax-seed,
- chia seeds,
- walnuts,
- pumpkin seeds,
- soy products.
Sources:
Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford
The Queen of Fats by Susan Allport