Prevention: Building a stronger body from the inside out

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"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," the old adage goes.  

Many of the preventive measures we have heard during the past 16 months - Life in the Time of Covid-19 - have addressed external hygiene: 
  1. wear a mask
  2. keep 6 feet of distance from other people
  3. wash your hands for 20+ seconds
I happen to have a family and a circle of friends who are well-versed in nutrition, lead healthy lifestyles and enjoy general wellness.  We all love tasty food, place value in savoring adventurous combinations from global cuisines, and relish feeding our body the building blocks that keep it strong.

My friend Luke has continually insisted that we must start fighting illness from the inside out.  He encourages everyone, first and foremost, to eat the right fresh foods to arm the body with minerals, vitamins, protein, water and good fats.  Another friend Scott avoids oils, since they can cause inflammation, but includes complex carbohydrates in his daily regimen.  


Several friends and my daughter are strict vegans, avoiding all animal products.  (...and no, they don't eat Twinkies!)  My sister, husband and I are mostly vegetarian and cater to fresh vegetables, grains, fruits, Greek yogurt and, occasionally, some seafood or fish.  The common thread here is fresh, lean and nutrition-dense foods full of aromatic spices and exciting combinations of ingredients that create new flavors.  
Did I mention that we love tasty food?

So, what should be eat to reduce our risk of becoming ill? 

I have come across 3 types of "diets" that have been created to keep our body strong and healthy.  All of them strive to nourish our body in a way that will better equip it to fight illness or deterioration, and to improve its current condition.

The M.I.N.D. Diet - "shown to benefit brain health"

Heart-Healthy Diet - make every bite count

Eat the Rainbow - eat heart-healthy fruits and vegetables of different colors


Inspired by Luke's "Fresh Juice," which includes all the colors in the Rainbow, I started making my own smoothies with a variety of fruits and vegetables.  Recipes for both smoothies follow, but keep in mind that you get to pick whatever tickles your tastebuds! 

Give it a try and share your creations with us in the comments section.

Please take good care of yourself and protect those around you by staying healthy!
Prevention is sweet!


SMOOTHIE RECIPES
  1. Place the following ingredients in a blender or Nutri-Bullet.  Be sure that the softer ingredients will be right next to the blades.
  2. Process 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.  Pour into glass.  Makes about 6-7 cups.


Luke's Fresh Juice
1 small apple, in chunks
1 banana, thickly sliced
1 lemon, unpeeled, in chunks
1 mandarin, in sections
1 kiwi, in chunks
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds
6 Brazil nuts
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
2 Brussel sprouts
1/2 cup fresh kale
1/2 cup frozen cranberries  OR  4 strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries 
2 baby carrots
1 to 1-1/2 cup of water




Greenie Power Smoothie
1 small apple, in chunks
1 banana, thickly sliced
1 lime, unpeeled, in chunks
1 mandarin, peeled, in sections 
1 scoop French vanilla Vega protein powder (optional)
*** OR 1-1/2 cups fat free, plain Greek yogurt
2 cups fresh kale
*** OR 1/2 cup fresh kale + 1-1/2 cups thawed frozen peas
8 strawberries
8 Brussel sprouts
8 baby carrots
2 cups water


Comments

  1. LukeJune 3, 2021 at 9:42 PM

    Green smoothie sounds very healthy. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynn GJune 4, 2021 at 5:56 AM

      Thank you for your comment. You are a wonderful example of how delicious nutrition can be!

      Delete

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