Juicing and Healthy Smoothies Part 1

This past week, I've really been into breakfast smoothies.  I'm wishing for warm weather and sunshine, and maybe a cold, fruity smoothie might help the weather along?  Probably not, but I'm in the mood for the healthy revival of spring.  What better way to celebrate Spring's reawakening than to rejuvenate yourself with  healthy food!  Nutrition is one of my passions and I'm always looking for better ways of eating.  I do not like "dieting"; I believe in changing your food choices to create permanent habits.  A fad diet is always going to go out of fashion, but eating healthily is a life-long practice.  Ok, ok, I'll try not to get too preachy, but this is what I love and I want to share my tips for getting more nutrients easily into your diet.  
Today, I want to talk about digestion.  I have had digestive issues my whole life, and a few years ago, while taking my nutrition class, I wondered if I might be lactose intolerant.  Since that time, I experimented with going off milk products, and have felt so much better!  However, I still look for ways to grow a healthy digestive system.  This week, I explored two ingredients that are great for your tummy: kefir and ground flax seed. 

 I don't know that much about kefir except that it is a fermented milk product, but my brother was drinking it when he had tummy troubles, and I've heard that it's better than yogurt in its probiotic content.  I have been eating soy yogurt (which is actually not bad), but I wanted to make a smoothie loaded with nutrients, so I decided to try out kefir instead of yogurt this time.  I found a lactose-free version at my grocery and have been eating it all week.  I do like it, however, I'm still not sure that I handle cow milk...even if it's lactose free.  In that sense, soy yogurt might be better for me.  Despite that though, I know kefir works well for many people and is super healthy.  Plus, probiotics help my digestive and immune system, so ingesting them in any form is good.  If you aren't lactose intolerant and want to try something new, kefir is a good option.  It tastes a lot like buttermilk, and made a delicious, silky smoothie.

Now, I learned all about the benefits of flax seed in nutrition class.  They are packed full of omega-3s (which are essential fatty acids, meaning you can't make them naturally in your body) and fiber.  So, I bought some and started putting them in our morning granola.  Not long after, though, my husband told me not to put "sharp things" in the granola anymore.  "What sharp things?" I asked myself.  I soon realized that it must be the flax seeds since everything else was easily chewable.  After than, I stopped using them.  What I had not known then, was that flax seeds need to be ground up in order to receive their full benefit!  Otherwise, they are just sharp little indigestible seeds.  I feel really dumb now that I know that, but I had no one to tell me otherwise.  So, I'm telling you all now!  They can easily be ground in a spice/coffee grinder, and can go on almost anything.  They are great on salads, in bread, and can even be an egg substitute (1/3 cup flax seeds to 3 cups water, heated and cooled), though I have yet to experiment with that!  I've only put them in smoothies so far.  I was surprised how well they blend into the smoothie because I though they would be hard lumps, but once flax seeds are ground, they turn into a soft flour.  

T.E.A's Healthy Smoothie

1/2 cup kefir

1 cup milk (cow, soy, almond, or whichever you prefer!)

1 cup fresh or frozen fruit 

2-4 TB ground flax seed

sweetener, if needed (I didn't use any sweetener, but I thought it was still delicious!)

1. Grind flax seeds in a spice/coffee grinder.
2. In a food processor, add all ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add more milk as needed.
3. Enjoy!

Stay tuned: next time I will be talking about juice fasting!