Vegetable & fruit smoothies are an easy way to get essential immune boosting nutrients into your body in a quick & tasty way. The trick is to blitz or blend them up rather than just juicing them, because otherwise you end up losing all the important fibre that helps with the health of your digestive system.
Research has shown a clear link between the health of your digestive system and your immune system, as well as many other systems in the body.
I love having a green smoothie straight after a long, hard run as a quick way to get good carbs & nutrients into my system. It also hydrates me at the same time.
Both the Green Goddess Smoothie & the Super C – Immune Boosting Smoothie are excellent sources of Vitamin C, which are essential for the immune system. Due to the vegies & fruit being raw they have more Vitamin C in them, as cooking with high temperatures for extended periods of time or boiling vegies in water causes a reduction in vitamin C. This essential anti-oxidant protects our immune cells from damage & keeps them functioning to protect the body from invaders.
Both smoothies also contain ginger which is a well known anti-inflammatory (may help reduce muscle soreness & joint pain), anti-oxidant (protects our cells from damage), & contains anti-bacterial agents (that lower the risk of infection). Spinach or Kale are another source of Vitamins C & A, as well as many B-vitamins (for energy), magnesium (for properly functioning muscles), zinc & iron (among other things). All these nutrients are essential for a robust immune system that will help reduce your chances of getting sick. Orange & carrot are of course also sources of Vitamins C & A, as well as numerous other nutrients.
Don’t let the neon colours or thickness of the concoctions put you off giving them a go. Once you have mastered them you will be hooked!
Green Goddess Immune Boosting Smoothie
2 fresh kale leaves (washed) with central stem removed or 2 handfuls of baby spinach.
2cm fresh ginger (peeled)
½ apple, chopped
juice of ½ lemon or lime, + zest from peel
1 kiwi fruit, chopped
1.5 cups cold water
2-3 cubes ice (if desired)
Blitz Kale/spinach & ½ cup water first until smooth.
Add other ingredients & blitz until smooth.
Blend ice last if desired. Add more or less water until desired consistency.
Serve in a large glass & enjoy!
Super C – Immune Boosting Smoothie
1 whole carrot – washed but not peeled. Chopped into smallish pieces
1 whole orange, peeled & into segments or ½ cup pineapple or
½ lemon, peeled
1-2 cm piece of fresh ginger chopped (depending on your tastes) 1/4 tsp turmeric (if you are game – for an added zing & hit of anti-inflammatory properties contained in turmeric).
1.5 cups filtered water
2-3 ice cubes if you prefer it cold
Combine all the ingredients into a good high performance blender.
Blend until combined. Vary water until desired consistency.
Serve in a large glass and enjoy!