Some days, eating plenty of vegetables can feel impossible. With busy schedules, family commitments, and work, making healthy food can sometimes fall by the wayside. But if you can’t eat your greens, you can drink them! This smoothie makes it fast and tasty.
Eating nutrient-rich food is one of the most effective ways to protect the body against cancer. And if you or a loved one are fighting cancer, this drink contains nutrients that will support your body during treatment. If you have a few minutes and a blender, all you need is some fresh ingredients to create this drink!
In addition to its cancer-fighting properties, this smoothie is great for the digestive system and full of healthy fats and fiber to keep you feeling satisfied long after you finish your glass.
Ingredients
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 Fuji apple
- ¾ cup grapefruit juice (juice of one grapefruit)
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups mixed greens
- ½ an avocado
- 1 radish
- 1 kiwi
Preparation
Cut a 1 inch piece of ginger and peel it.
Remove the core and seeds from the apple.
Add grapefruit juice to the blender, along with ice and water.
Add mixed greens, apple, avocado, radish, ginger, and kiwi and blend at medium speed for 1 minute.
Benefits
- Grapefruit is a great source of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. This means it binds to molecules called free radicals in the body. When someone has too many free radicals, they are at a higher risk of cancer. Vitamin C is also important for the immune system, which fights off infection.
- Avocados are rich in vitamins and minerals, including biotin for healthy skin and nails, potassium for muscle function, and vitamin B5 for metabolizing carbohydrates. The chief cancer-fighting nutrient in these creamy vegetables, however, is vitamin B9 (often called folate). Folate has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that avocados and other folate-rich foods can help prevent cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, and inflammation. Due to their healthy fat content and fiber, they can also help reduce cardiovascular inflammation and balance cholesterol levels.
- Apple peels are a great source of an essential mineral called chromium. Chromium helps the body metabolize fat and sugar, like the healthy fat in avocado and the natural fruit sugars in grapefruit. Chromium may also help the body tend more toward building lean muscle and away from storing unused energy as fat.
- Radishes have been found to have anti-cancer properties. These cruciferous vegetables owe their slightly bitter flavor to compounds called glucosinolates, which show promising anti–cancer properties in mice. Radishes are also packed with fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Fiber can help manage blood sugar levels and has been linked to weight loss and lower cholesterol.
Source & Reference
Drake, Victoria J. and Higdon, Jane. An Evidence-Based Approach to Vitamins and Minerals: Health Benefits and Intake Recommendations, 2nd ed,.2011.
