I am right now drinking a very great Antioxidant Smoothie to help my body in a battle…
Anyway I am on vacation this week and knew it would be a quiet week so of course on Saturday night I started getting a cold and have gone downhill since then. I have never seen a study on it but I truly believe that if you push yourself a little too hard for too long then as soon as your body sees a time for rest then you will just get sick to recover from the stress and pent up badness in your system.
Do you think so? Or am I a bit crazy thinking that?
Introducing My Antioxidant Smoothie
I have been drinking lots of liquids but tonight I made an Antioxidant smoothie for my cold. The antioxidant smoothie has frozen mixed berries, frozen cranberries, frozen mango, hemp hearts, and cranberry juice. You can see a picture of it here. It is a little sour, not too bad at all and is really hitting the spot. But why these ingredients?
Cranberries – Vitamin C and fiber play a very important role in cranberry’s health benefits, it’s the amazing array of phytonutrients in cranberries that has gotten the special attention of health researchers. There are at least 5 key categories of health-supportive phytonutrients in cranberries
Mango -Mango is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. 100 g of fresh fruit provides 765 mg or 25% of recommended daily levels of vitamin A. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Mangos are also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin-C and vitamin-E. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. Vitamin B-6 or pyridoxine is required for GABA hormone production within the brain.
Blueberries -Most health research on blueberries involves their phytonutrient content. Anthocyanins – the colorful antioxidant pigments that give many foods their wonderful shades of blue, purple, and red – are usually the first phytonutrients to be mentioned in descriptions of blueberries and their amazing health-supportive properties. While it is true anthocyanins are pretty spectacular when it comes to blueberries and their support of our body systems, there are actually a wide variety of health support phytonutrients found in blueberries.
Strwawberries -Packed with vitamins, fiber, and particularly high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols, strawberries are a sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie food. They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium. Just one serving — about eight strawberries — provides more vitamin C than an orange.
Hemp Hearts – Hemp Hearts are packed full of protein with 10 grams of plant-based protein per 30 gram serving size. Hemp Hearts are a great way to get an ideal ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3‘s including the rare EFA known as Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA). Testimonials have shown that GLA alone helps with arthritis, joint mobility, eczema, hormonal balance, migraines, menopause in women, healthy cholesterol & blood pressure levels and even management.
Bot sure where this pic originally came from but the icon on the bottom is from Greatist. Greatist is a fantastic health and fitness site that I find valuable in many ways, check them out!