My Life in a Pyramid

Earth and Sea Smoothie – Literally.

March 24, 2011 in Drink, Nutrients, Snack, Vegan

I’m not trying to sound poetic with the title, really. The smoothie I’m about to introduce to you has elements from the earth (vegetables and wheatgrass) and foods from the sea (seaweed!). Yes, it sounds weird I know. And it actually tastes “delectably strange” … I actually chose those words very carefully, haha.

Disclaimer about allergies and such: some people have wheatgrass allergies. Other people have seaweed allergies. I’m not sure if you’re one of them, but just thought I’d warn just in case. I made Sherif take a whiff of the wheatgrass powder before adding some to his smoothie, and he took a big whiff … lol, naturally that made him cough and sneeze, but that was not because he was allergic … he just inhaled too strongly, haha.

Speaking of sneezing … I found this video so cute. Totally cracked me up!

So yea, seaweed. Specifically, blue-green algae (spirulina) and kelp. My friend Siv introduced me to these the other day, and I have to say: I was blown away by the health stats that I found online!

Spirulina contains 8 essential amino acids, 10 non-essential amino acids, Potassium (15,400 mg/Kg), Calcium (1,315 mg/kg), Zinc (39 mg/kg), Magnesium (1,915 mg/kg), Selemium (0.40 ppm), Iron (580 mg/kg), Vitamin B12, Folic Acid (0.5 mg/kg), Niacin ( 118 mg/kg), Riboflavin or B2 (40 mg/kg), Thiamine or B1 (55 mg/kg), and Tocopherol or Vitamin E (190 mg/kg) (Fasting).

Sheesh! And if that’s not enough for you to rush out and buy it, scientific studies have shown that blue-green algae (including spirulina) can help strengthen the immune system and help the body resist cancers and the spread of the AIDS virus. You want to know the most impressive fact of all? “Weighing in at an impressive 60% protein content, spirulina is a fresh water alga–actually, a form of bacteria–which knocks both red meat, at 27%, and soy, at 34%, on the ropes in terms of muscle-building potential.” (HerbsPH). I bet the fellas will appreciate this fact!

And what about this wheatgrass that I mentioned? As with many green, leafy vegetables, the chlorophyll found therein has been hailed as immune-boosting – a kind of ‘prevention’ medicine in raw form. Organic wheatgrass powder, which I used in this smoothie, is great for detoxifying the body, improving blood flow and digestion and helping fight cancers. So, yes, you can feel like a total health-nut while consuming this smoothie…

So now that I got you hooked on all the health benefits, here are the ingredients I used for this Earth and Sea Smoothie. There are no hard rules, so you can modify in any way that you’d like, but this is just a guide to show you what worked for me!

handful of organic baby spinach leaves
1 stalk of organic dinosaur kale
1 large organic collard green leaf
handful of fresh organic parsley
1 teaspoon of organic spirulina powder (got it from the bulk section at Whole Foods)
1 teaspoon of organic wheatgrass powder (also from the bulk section at Whole Foods)
couple of pieces of dried kelp, soaked for 30 minutes
2 small-medium tomatoes on the vine – you can add more tomatoes if you’re looking for something more tomato-y
1/2 organic Braeburn apple (optional) – if you like a sweet-sour background taste
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
juice from half a lime (if it’s juicy) or from a whole lime (if it’s dry and a pain to squeeze)
1 teaspoon unfiltered flaxseed oil
1/2 teaspoon organic chia seeds
3/4 cup of organic carrot juice
1/3 cup filtered water (or a few ice cubes)
4-5 drops of Tabasco sauce (optional) – depends on how much of a kick you’d like
dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Oh, just washing vegetables and chopping them The blender does all the work. As I mentioned before on the blog, I don’t own an impressive blender (sadly), but I make good use out of the Bella Cucina “bullet blender” that I have. I actually find it helpful that the size of the cup is predetermined … so I can kind of estimate how much of each ingredient I’d like to add in just the right proportions. But when I need to blend a whole pot of hummus or mash some potatoes, my bullet-like blender is a real nightmare, actually. (But that’s because I’m not using it for the right thing). Gotta make sure I’m not faulting my trusted smoothie blender here

Anyway, so about the taste … it’s not your typical smoothie, that’s for sure. Meaning: you may not like it if this is your only understanding of how a smoothie should taste, with milk and all. Not that there’s anything wrong with sweet smoothies; in fact, I’m the biggest fan of those! But this Earth and Sea smoothie is a totally different ballgame – spicy, borderline salty, and zesty! Sherif said it tastes like liquid sushi (because of the seaweed and algae) … but he immediately took to it and liked it (his had more tomato and no apple). I think mine needed more tomatoes, but definitely felt really good drinking it … well, also knowing that I’m ingesting a massive amount of vitamins and minerals in raw form also makes you emotionally drawn to it

Anyway, please don’t let this post intimidate you… it was my first time trying out both spirulina and wheatgrass, and I know that it’s hard to buy things you’re not used to. But if in doubt, try it in a smoothie! That’s my policy, at least …

Curious: what’s the weirdest ingredient you’ve put in a smoothie?

Tags: carrot juice, collard greens, dinosaur kale, ginger, green, kelp, parsley, seaweed, smoothie, spinach, spirulina, tomato, wheatgrass
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Eating in Color: Green & Leafy with a Splash of Red

June 23, 2010 in Dinner

This week I’m visiting my family on the east coast, where it’s literally inching its way up to 100 degrees outside! So, it’s pretty much impossible to run or do any physical activity outside (besides tan maybe ). To keep up my workouts, I am resorting to using the exercise equipment in the basement… which is not ideal. But, I gotta do what I gotta do to stay fit, right?

The good news is that I get to eat a lot of salad when I’m home. My family eats a huge plate of salad as a main course before (a much smaller) dinner, which is a great habit that I adopted when I got married. As Sherif mentioned in his post on salad a few weeks ago, not all salads are created equal. Conventionally grown lettuce (which has a lot of pesticides) mixed with a bunch of processed croûtons and heavy salad dressing doesn’t qualify as healthy eating in my book. Salad should be made of up organic vegetables that are tasty and colorful… (and one should definitely skip the artifical dressing and opt for a homemade one instead!)

Health-conscious people and groups talk about eating organic, local, and in season. I think it’s important to also talk about the importance of eating in color. Did you know that eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is a guaranteed way to give your body all the different vitamins and minerals that it needs? I can hear some of you thinking out loud: “But what does color have to do with vitamins?” Or some others (who may not know much about healthy foods) could be saying: “Does that mean that candy or flavored beverages with added “vitamins” can give the same effect?” The short answer is no, of course not.

Now, here’s the long answer. The natural plant pigments that give color to fruits and vegetables are indicative of the different vitamins that are contained within:

Red fruits and veggies – such as red apples, tomatoes, beets, red cabbage, cherries, red potatoes, watermelon, etc – contain the pigment called lycopene, which has been found to help reduce the risk of a few different types of cancer, and especially prostate cancer (NDSU).
Yellow fruits and veggies - such as sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, persimmons, squash, etc – contain the pigmant called carotenoids, which is converted to Vitamin A in the body – an essential vitamin for healthy eyes and normal mucous membranes. “Scientists have also reported that carotenoid-rich foods can help reduce risk of cancer, heart disease and can improve immune system function” (NDSU).
White fruits and veggies - garlic, ginger, potatoes, mushrooms, bananas, turnips, etc – contain the pigmant anthoxanthin. Some contain the chemical allicin which lowers cholesterol and blood pressure (NDSU).
Green fruits and veggies are colored with the pigmant chlorophyll. Some greens, such as spinach, green peppers, peas and cucumbers also contain lutein, which also keeps eyes healthy. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower help protect against cancer (NDSU).
Blue/Purple fruits and veggies - such as eggplant, blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, plums, etc – are colored by the natural pigment called anthocyanin, which contains powerful antioxidants that protect against cell damage (NDSU).

Here’s an example of a colorful salad we had a couple of times in the past few weeks:Beet Red Salad on a Bed of Green

The vibrant color of the beets in this salad definitely catches the eye! Beets have amazing cancer-fighting properties, protect against heart disease and reduce inflammation (WH Foods). This purple-crimson color is one of my favorites in the world of raw foods…

This salad is made up of kale, avocados, spinach, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, beets, and raw (not candied) pecans. Dressing consists of extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, black pepper, and crumbles of grass-fed goat cheese:

We made this salad for a couple who came over for dinner a few weeks ago, and they loved it!

Another interesting salad we recently put together: “Colored” Greens

Did you get the play on words? There is such a thing as collard greens though, which is a family of green vegetables that includes swiss chard, cabbage, and broccoli. In terms of nutritional value, “collards are good sources of vitamin C (only when eaten raw, because heat destroys vitamin C) and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane and sulforaphane” (Wikipedia).

This salad is made up of swiss chard, red dandelion, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh mint, green onions and pecans. Dressing was again a simple extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice combo. The fresh mint is always fantastic, but the red dandelion was a bit bitter for my taste. It was my first time trying the swiss chard, and it tasted great!