Green drinks get their name and color from leafy green vegetables. It is recommended to include greens daily in your blending regimen. I suggest rotating greens weekly to expose the full range of nutrition available in the varieties of greens. Also rotate because, over indulgence in any food can allow the build up of otherwise healthy levels of toxins. The darker the leaves, the more nutrients the vegetable usually has. Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including Folate, vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins . They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. The fiber from greens allows our bodies regularly clear environmental toxins from the blood. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats. Blending value is made clearer with the understanding the many of the greens listed below are not palatable raw. Blending with ripe fruit can turn even the toughest bitterest greens into a tasty drink.
Few experience the full range nutrient rich greens in their raw form. Cooking greens reduces nutrient levels and preparation normally includes salts and oils. Greens that are palatable raw are normally consumed with oily dressings and salt. Blending offers the best option for getting nutrient rich raw greens in your daily diet.
Nutritional Value
This listing contains the most consumed greens in the US. The nutrient value ranking is based on 100mg servings which are then converted to cups. Nutrient values are for raw uncooked greens. See USDA Nutrition Database.
Nutrient Rankings
This table allows you to evaluate rankings by each nutrient. Grades are derived to comparing nutrient values to the top green for each nutrient.
Cumulative Nutritional Rankings
Kale is the overall leader in total nutritional value. Lettuce, the most widely consumed green is the least nutritious by far. Cumulative scores are averages of all nutrients, minerals only, and vitamins only.
The blender performance scale ranges from residential to the 3.5hp. Your blending experience will be greatly impacted by were your blender falls in this range. I strongly suggest getting the highest performance blender you can afford.
Residential
2hp
3hp
3+hp
3.5hp
Seeded Grape Blending Test:
1HP or less: Very grainy, not smooth, fragments of grape skins still intact, pieces of whole grape, many seeds still intact
2HP to 2+HP: Slightly grainy, tiny fragments of grape skins, no pieces of whole grape, semi-smooth. Still a need to chew seeds. We did turn the blender off to avoid the grapes from getting so hot that it started steaming.
3HP Peak: Graininess is still there but hardly noticeable, not all phytochemicals unlocked, still need to chew a few seeds
3+HP: No graininess, seeds blended to almost powder like consistency, almost all phytochemicals unlocked from cell walls, blends in shorter time to avoid overheating
3 1/2: At this level, the torque and speed is so strong that there is no need for a tamper when making smoothies. The same results as in a 3+HP blender but with reduced oxidation and heating due to a quicker blend time. The less time you blend the better the ORP reading.
This is a hybrid Blendtec 20amp commercial "Smohtier" blender motor in the within the residential BlendTec "Connoisseur" base, making it much more counter-top friendly. This blend pushes 2400 Watts of power. It is by far the most powerful blender made. I will soon be posting video comparison of this blender and competing blenders from Vita-mix, Waring, and Breville.
Fruits and Vegetables make beautiful pictures. This gallery gives you an idea of the amounts and varieties of raw fruits and vegetables that can be consumed in green drinks and smoothies. My Vegetable to Fruit ratio normally ranges around 70/30.
Romo Tomato, Collard Greens, Red Grapes, Yellow Squash, Red Delicious Apple, Red Pepper, Broccoli and Cucumber.
Ready to blend…
Fruit offset the better taste of some raw vegetables. But not all fruit are created equal when it comes to sweetening. Some fruit I use solely for their nutritional value and others for both nutrition and their ability to contribute enough sweetness to over come bitterness of veggie blends. My favorite ripe sweeteners are bananas, grapes, pineapples, mangos, apples, oranges, peaches, and pears. Nutritionally, there are many other standouts with sweetening value, like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, melons, plums and kiwi.
Pear, Collards, Cauliflower, Zucchini, Yellow Pepper, Blue Berries, Baby Carrots, and Banana.
Red and Yellow Chards, Tomato, Red Pear, and Mango
Most greens being used are Organic. Regardless, all fruits and vegetables are rinsed thoroughly.
Cucumber, grapes, red kale, lemon, broccoli, apple, and carrot
Turnip Greens, Beet Root, Broccoli, carrot and grapes
I add at least a cup of orange juice or water to each blend.
Red Kale, Red Pepper, Papaya, Pineapple, and broccoli
Healthy Cake? This is a delicious cake with wholesome ingredients! It has created addicts of all who have consumed it. It is truly addictive. This cake resulted from experimentation with new and healthy ingredients with old family spice cake recipe ---I finally got it right.
Ingredients
CAKE
Whole Wheat Flour
2
Cups
Cinnamon
2
Tsp
Nutmeg
1/2
Tsp
Allspice
1/2
Tsp
Salt
1
Tsp
Baking Soda
1
Tsp
Butter Milk
1
Cup
Eggs
3
Olive Oil
1
Cup
Vanilla
1
Tsp
Honey
1
Cup
Coconut
¾
Cup
Raisins
¾
Cup
Chopped Pecans
¾
Cup
Prune Baby Food (Puree)
2
Cups
SAUCE
Maple Syrup
1/2
Cup
Baking Soda
1
Tsp
Butter
5
Tbsp
Buttermilk
1/2
Cup
Serves: 10-12, Preparation time: 35 minutes, Cook Time 45 Minutes Preparing Batter:In a bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and baking soda; set aside. In a larger bowl add wet ingredients (butter milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla) mix with an electric mixer on low speed; slowly beat in dry mixture; add honey, finally blend in coconut, raisins, pecans, and sweet potato. Do not over mix. Pour batter into a greased 13" X 9" X 2" baking pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 40-45 minutes. Cooking Sauce:In a saucepan, stir together cup buttermilk and baking soda; add butter and maple syrup to pan; heat over medium-high heat, stirring often, until mixture foams. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke hole in it with a fork and pour prepared glaze evenly over the top while still hot and foaming. Optional Preparation:Alternative substitute mashed sweet potatoes or bananas for prune puree. Mix half whole oat flour with half wheat flour. Can also cook in a bunt cake pan; increase bake time to 1hr 10 min.
This recipe that won 2nd place in the 2006 Real Men Cook competition in Atlanta. This dish is another result of my life time of experimenting in the kitchen. Served in martini glasses, this dish would be a perfect highlight for a brunch or dinner party. To mix things up try serving the sauce over pasta baked potatoes, pizza dough, rice, or mash potatoes. Special thanks to Mom, Paula, Karine and Pam for all their help at the event. See photos below.
Ingredients
GRITS
Dixie Yellow Grits
2
cup
Water
8
cups
Salt
1
tsp
Butter
4
tbl
Milk
1
cup
SAUCE
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom
2
10.5 oz cans
Breakstone Sour Cream (use can to measure)
10.5
oz
Med Cheddar Cheese grated
4
oz
Louis Rich Ground Turkey Breakfast Sausage
8
oz
Louis Rich Smoked Turkey Sausage Diced
8
oz
Shrimp (Med)
1
lb
Multi Color Peppers chopped med
1.5
Med
Onion chopped med
1
Med
Margarine
1/3
cup
Italian Seasoning
1
tsp
Garlic Power
1
tsp
TOPPINGS
Cheddar Cheese grated
4
oz
Tomatoes diced
2
Med
Louis Rich Turkey Bacon crumbled
12
Slices
Serves: 8-10, Preparation time: 35 min Cooking Grits:In a 4 quart sauce pot, add salt to water and bring to boil in a saucepan. Add grits stirring constant-ly reduce heat until grits thicken, stir in milk and then add butter, reduce temp to low. Stir occasion or add additional milk or water to main thickness. Simmer on low until ready to serve, stirring and adding milk to maintain thickness - (ingredients should not be able to sink into grits). Cooking Sauce:Combine cream of mushroom, source cream, cheese, seasoning and butter in a 4 quart sauce pot and cook on lowest heat. In 10 inch skillet cook ground breakfast turkey sausage when nearly done, mix in diced smoked turkey sausage and cook until ground sausage is well done, then add sausage mixture into simmering sauce mixture. Clean sauce pan, melt 2 tlb of butter, and sauté vegetables (1 min). Add shrimp, sauté' along with vegetables until pink. Drain vegetable and shrimp mixture, then stir into simmering sauce.
Serving suggestions:Place grits 2/3 of 8oz martini glass, add 1/3 sauce, and then add toppings. I prefer a mix of red, green, and orange or yellow peppers. Can add pepper and garlic salt to taste to sauté' of veggies and shrimp.
By Gabriel Braun Originally Published April 20, 2007
I was alarmed to hear former House speaker Newt Gingrich's, harsh comments, calling for the abolishment of bi-lingual education and referring to Spanish language as "the language of living in a ghetto". I would agree that if you live in America you should make an effort to learn to read and speak the language. Not knowing English limits your opportunity and access to the American dream. However, I will argue that now is the time for America and individual Americans put more focus on learning other languages. The world is shrinking. We are now living in a global economy. Other economies are growing faster than ours. American jobs are being outsourced to other countries. These signs should start to make us think about what the future holds for an America or Americans that only speak English.
English has to some extent become the language of global commerce. People in other countries feel it is critical to their futures to learn English. This has always been the case, but even more important now that American companies are willing to outsource jobs to other countries. So, now you don't even need a passport to have an American job. In India, English is taught as a second language to help better the economic conditions. A few days ago I got call from an 800 number. I ask the representative where she was she was calling from. She said India. Her English was not the best and you could tell she was reading a script, but she did have a job that probably belonged to an American just months earlier. Her effort to learn another language created an opportunity for her.
Americans have never had a strong interest in learning other languages. We are infamously known as rude tourist around the world. In my two visits to Europe I found out first hand what it feels like not knowing the language. This was especially true in Paris. Parisians are even more proud of their language than Americans. They are not known to be as helpful as the Dutch or the Spanish. This rumor proved to be true from my experience. But, how could any American blame them? Most Americans would be offended if a Hispanic walked up to them speaking only in Spanish. We would probably say to ourselves, "Where do they think they are, In Mexico?" So, it would not be unreasonable for Parisians or any other native to feel the same way.
Language
Approx. number of speakers
1. Chinese (Mandarin)
1,075,000,000
2. English
514,000,000
3. Hindustani1
496,000,000
4. Spanish
425,000,000
5. Russian
275,000,000
I believe Americans at a minimum should learn basic conversational languages of any places they travel to outside of the U.S. This would help improve our image around the world and make our travels more enjoyable. The more serious need for Americans to learn other language is so we are not left out of the global economy.
So what languages should we learn? There are currently about 6,912 spoken languages around the world. I think we should start at the top of the list. The top languages spoken other than English are Chinese, Hindustani, Spanish and Russian. These languages also represent regions of the world with the fast growing economies. Statistics of foreign language studies in the U.S do not support this strategy. It seems we prefer to learn languages based on where we would like most to travel.
Language
Fall 2002 enrollments
% change from 1998
1. Spanish
746,267
13.7%
2. French
201,979
1.5
3. German
91,100
2.3
4. Italian
63,899
29.6
5. American Sign Language
60,781
432.22
I believe our government should put serious recourses behind for Americans to learning additional languages, preferably one of the most spoken languages. Our education system would have to make some serious changes in order for this to happen, though this effort should not be focused strictly on primary education. Technology resources should play a large role in this initiative, whether through free access online language courses or even public access television stations with dedicated language education programming.
Learning additional languages will prepare us to compete with the rest of the world. I believe that Americans that speaks more than one language will have more opportunities to work in foreign countries or work for foreign companies with U.S. offices. Americans schools feel that putting focus on foreign languages will take focus and resources away from more vital subjects. But research suggests that learning additional languages increases math and verbal SAT scores.
National security would be another benefit of having Americans learn other languages. Many agencies of the U.S. Federal government are desperately seeking people who speak a second language.
Learning another language would also go a long way in breaking down cultural barriers. It is impossible to acquire a language with picking up on the cultural aspects of the language. This would really be helpful to U.S military in dealing with situation like Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is in our National and personal interest to put more of an effort in leaning additional languages. I personally plan to start learning another language. Hopefully, the rest of the country will follow my lead. Maybe even Newt Gingrich.
Update: Obama suggest our children learn another language
Presidential candidate Barack Obama caught plenty of flack for his recent pro-multilingual America comments. Video...
Many Americans, under the cover of nationalism (covert racism) were angry about Obama's comments. The negative responses were of course, ignited by Fox News and flamed by Right Wing bloggers. My opinion was clearly articulated by another video viewer's response to all the negative criticisms of the Obama speech.
Glenn commented: "Really ignorant comments have been posted. That is why the economy is tanking, and we are falling further behind the world. The Chinese speak enough English to sell us everything and the Indians and Asians speak enough English to accept your outsourced job. And you're worried about your ancestors. You had better get with the program. This is the 21st century and this is a global society - it isn't Mayberry anymore. We have gone from a producer nation to a consumer nation, and we can barely consume because our national debt is so high that our dollar is worth a dime. You need to get off the couch and learn to speak Spanish, Chinese, French or something. I've been to 12 countries and damn near everyone can speak English, French and other languages. Stop watching FOX. It is there mission to keep you stupid and by the look of the thread, they are succeeding."
I have been blending for about 6 months. Prior to blending I juiced and maintained a relatively healthy diet that excludes (4 legged animals and fried foods). My juicer is stored away in my garage, and I now blend 32 oz drinks 1-2 times a day. Though I have only bending a short time, I and others have noticed a significant health improvements (weight loss, hair, skin, allergies, and energy). This article presents the value proposition for blending raw fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Why Blend?
By giving in to the skillful seductions of the advertisers to try "new food," our bodies are starving while we constantly chew and swallow. Ironically, the variety and affordability of foodstuffs leads us to become overfed and at the same time undernourished.
We need bitter, dark, leafy greens! Juicing them throws away the best part. The fiber which keeps your pipes clean, carries away toxins, and is loaded with nutrients.
Cooking always removes or spoils the goodness of food. Cooked and frozen food is dead food. Humans are the only animals that heat their food. Humans on average as a race, die at or below half their potential life span of chronic illness that is largely diet and lifestyle related.
Green drinks create opportunity for you to get nutrition in the morning that you would rarely get. Most breakfast consist of primarily Carbs, dairy, meats and limited fruits. Rarely would you get greens and any quantities of raw vegetables.
Compared to juicing: Saves prep and cleanup time – no slicing and dicing and painstakingly cleaning of numerous parts, saves money and less waste -more filling and satisfying- a complete food because it still has the fiber.
Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small micronized particles that it becomes easy for the body to absorb these nutrients, the micronized particles is like chewing for 2 hours. This level of blending is made possible through 3+hp blenders.
3+hp blenders also enable the release of phytochemicals when they are broken out of the cell walls of fruits and vegetables - your body cannot digest
Pronounced "fight-o-chemicals,"- a Phytochemical is a natural bioactive compound found in plant foods that works with nutrients and dietary fiber to protect against disease. Research suggests that phytochemicals, working together with nutrients found in fruits, vegetables and nuts, may help slow the aging process and reduce the risk of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cataracts, osteoporosis, and urinary tract infections.
About Seeds: inside fruit and vegetable seeds there are a soft kernel were some of the most potent phytochemicals and antioxidants are found. Most seeds are not palatable to chew (melons pomegranate, grapes, pepper, apple) and others are nearly impossible to chew or blend (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) 3+HP blender resolves this by breaking through the cell wall of even the smallest seeds.
Blenders in the 3+HP range are the best for getting the Phytochemical and Antioxidants out of fruits and vegetables. One apple has about 385 different phytochemicals, but you only utilize them when they are broken out of the cell walls, via high speed blender. Your body cannot digest all the photochemical if they are still locked inside the cell structure of your food.
Green smoothies can be very tasty drink for everyone by adjusting the ratio of fruits to veggies to meet their minimum level sweetness requirements; additionally you can add natural sweeteners like honey. As your smoothie regimen matures you can gradually move towards weighting your ratio more on the veggie side. Suggest starting with 60/40 fruit to veggie then moving towards 60/40 veggie to fruit.
Kill that craving. I believe that cravings are the physical notification that body is starving for real nutrition. The mental aspect of craving is our conditioning to satisfy our body's cravings with the wrong foods. Feeding your body nutritional green smoothies can potentially subdue your cravings, but you still have to intervene to un-condition your bad food habits. Many people have reported that after a couple of weeks of green smoothies they began to crave eating greens and have less desire for bad foods.
Two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body. Most people do not consume enough of greens, even those who stay on a raw food diet.
The molecule of chlorophyll has only one atom that makes it different from a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, to consume chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion.
Getting enough greens is a problem for everyone, especially children. Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother's milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly introduce ingredients and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.
Green smoothies greatly reduce the consumption of oils and salt in your diet normally associated with cooked vegetables.
Some of the most nutritious greens (collards, kale, and turnips) and other veggies (asparagus, artichoke) are not palatable raw. Mixing veggies with fruit elements bitter taste and tough textures.
Blending is a great way to add fiber and other nutritious supplements into your drink such as healthy ingredients like flaxseed oil and spirulina wheat germ can easily be added to your smoothie.
Going totally raw takes lots of effort and a complete lifestyle change. Blending raw greatly influences your taste buds and appetite in transitioning to a healthier lifestyle.
It is as close as you will as you will ever get to the magic pill.
I was inspired by the successes and failures of my recent Eurpeon vacation to let the world in on my lessons learned. I have only traveled to a few Europeon destination, so I am no travel expert. But being the highly analytically (impulsively analytical) person I am, my thoughts often provide great insight into confusing or complex topics. It is my gift :)
Travelprocity? This name represents my reciprocal intent of this blog. I expect viewers to makeup for my like of travel experience by posing there own tested travel tips. I hope the reciprocity encoraged by my blog will help all visitors to more sucessfully navigate there journies around the world.
