The Orange Powerhouse

You will have to forgive me as I have been out of blogging action for the last 14 days because we’ve been moving house and have had no internet. Thankfully its all gone smoothly and we’re already feeling very settled and excited about the next chapter. I’ve even started growing a few things which I am getting immense enjoyment out of and just can’t wait for the day that my currently green tomatoes turn red or my fig plant bears fruit! I’m itching for the blog where I can say that some of my  ingredients are ‘ home GROWN ‘ – what an achievement that will be. However, until then I will have to make do with my local farmers markets and supermarkets for produce!

There’s an amazing farmers market not so far away in Barnes Village which happens ever Saturday. On my last visit I managed to pick up so many fresh fruits and vegetables that I decided to try out some new smoothie ideas. Smoothies are a great way of getting a huge hit of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in one glass, you can literally smoothie anything and so long as you get the balance right they can be deliciously mind-blowing. One of my favourite smoothies at the moment is my Orange Powerhouse which has an abundance of goodness and tastes unbelievable. I usually have a smoothie for at least one meal a day  as I find they help to keep me from feeling too full and need very little insulin (and therefore no blood sugar spikes).

What you need (for 2 large glasses)

*1 carrot, chopped
*1/2 mango, chopped
*1 lime (Juice)
*1/2 cup cashew nuts (soaked for at least 2 hrs before)
*1/2 large orange, peeled
*1/2 banana, chopped
*1 tsp turmeric
*500 / 750ml almond milk or any other nut milk
*2 tsp maca powder (OPTIONAL)

Directions:

• Into a blender place all your ingredients (chopped) and 500ml liquid
• Blend until a creamy and smooth consistency, if too thick add another 250ml liquid until desired consistency
• Serve immediately with added berries on top and some seeds

Note: You could add ice cubes to this  smoothie- I usually freeze my bananas and keep the mango in the fridge so this keeps the smoothie very cool without the need for ice

Suitable for: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo

Health benefits of turmeric:

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: Turmeric is full of compounds with anti-inflammatory and medicinal properties.  The orange/ yellow pigment in it is called curcumin which has been seen to be an effective treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (such as Chron’s and ulcerative colitis). Other studies have shown that it can cause relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis and also help Cystic Fibrosis sufferers

CANCER PREVENTION: Curcumin’s antioxidant actions enable it to help protect the colon cells from free radicals that can damage our cellular DNA. Curcumin also helps the body to destroy mutated cancer cells, so that they cannot spread through the body and cause more harm. Epidemiological studies have linked the frequent use of turmeric to lower rates of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer; some lab reports have even shown curcumin to prevent tumors from forming

HEALTHY LIVER: Turmeric can increase detoxification systems in addition to its antioxidant properties

HEALTHY HEART: Research has shown that curcumin can help to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the body, ultimately helping to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease

VITAMINS: Turmeric is a good source of vitamin B6 which is needed to keep homocysteine levels from getting too high which cause damage to blood vessel walls and increase risk of heart disease. A high intake of vitamin B6 is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease

LOWER CHOLESTEROL: Turmeric has cholesterol-lowering effects (LDL – bad cholesterol) due to the spice’s active constituent, curcumin