Wellness Wednesday: Lean, Mean, Green Fighting Machines

Green Smoothie 

Let me start by saying I've never met a Jamba Juice flavor I didn't like -- and I mean it. I even liked the (admittedly) somewhat weird peanut butter flavor. So naturally all this talk about "green smoothies" in the health and nutrition world got me thinking... why the heck would anyone want to eat pureed lettuce?

Turns out a lot of people seemed to be hooked... and it's not just lettuce they are blending up. I came across this post on a raw foods and healthy eating blog and finally learned what it means to make a green smoothie and why they are so good for your body.

When we cook vegetables many of the vitamins and nutrients are lost in the cooking process taking away from their healthy benefits. To get the most vitamins and nutrients out of your fruits and vegetables it is important to increase the amount eaten in their raw form. Green smoothies are a beneficial way to absorb these important nutrients because the cell walls have been ruptured by the blending process and the nutrients are extracted in a more digestible form.


I feel enlightened now, but I'm still a wee bit hesitant about how it might taste. I understand and am even intrigued by this seemingly simple way to add more important veggies (read nutrients) into my diet, but I'm just not sure... 


Curiosity has almost gotten the best of me so I dug up a recipe that has bananas, strawberries and yogurt in it along with spinach. If I get brave enough to try it for breakfast one of these days, I'll let you all know. Until then, long live the Strawberry Surf Rider. 

Your Health: On a Serious Note

News broke Tuesday morning that one of Food Network's beloved personalities, Paula Deen, has been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. This disease has grown much more prevalent in our fast life, fast food society full of large amounts of unhealthy fats, sugars and inactivity. Many are quick to throw Ms. Deen under the bus for her high-fat, high-calorie food recipes, but can we really blame her for providing the world with delicious food we all like to enjoy? Are her behaviors really any different than the average Americans?*

Personally, I think she is doing the right thing coming out as a spokesperson for the disease and will encourage people to consume less-than-perfect foods in moderation. Thank you Paula, and thank you for the amazing Red Velvet Cupcake recipe I can't imagine living without.

Just a friendly reminder that our health should always be our number one priority and that balance in everything is the key to a happy, healthy life.

I will now get off my soapbox. What do you all think about Paula's announcement? Did she do the right thing - yay or nay?

*Type 2 Diabetes is caused by more than just a poor diet. Lifestyle factors, age and genetics also play a role.